China establishes key pillars of national park system Xinhua) 20:53, September 05, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has established key pillars of its national park system, a significant institutional innovation in the country's ecological conservation construction, Zhang Liming, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said on Thursday. China has been actively promoting the construction of a national park-based nature reserve system since 2012, Zhang told a press conference. The country has also accelerated the legislation process for national parks and strengthened their management, he added. Due to the country's unswerving conservation efforts, the number of flagship species within national parks has continued to grow. For instance, the Tibetan antelopes population has risen to over 70,000, while the snow leopards population has returned to over 1,200. In addition, the wild population of Hainan gibbons has increased from less than 10 to 42. A flagship species is a rare and endangered species that is scientifically significant for global biodiversity conservation, and possesses a broad social appeal. China's ecosystem is steadily improving in terms of diversity, stability and sustainability. Overall, the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River sources have been well protected, conserving more than 70 percent of the habitat of wild giant pandas. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Bank of China plays important role in strengthening Sino-African relations 10:47, September 06, 2024 By Yuan Shenggao ( China Daily Since the establishment of BOC branch in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1997, BOC has continued to expand its presence in Africa and established branches or offices in eight African countries. CHINA DAILY The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, taking place from Wednesday to Friday in Beijing, has drawn global attention to the growing friendship and cooperation between China and Africa. As the first domestic commercial bank to enter the African market, Bank of China is a witness, participant, promoter and beneficiary of that cooperation. Currently, BOC has established branches or offices in eight African countries. Leveraging its advantages in globalization and competitiveness, the bank has pledged to support the upgrading of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation and empower high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation in the new era. In July 2023, the BOC Luanda branch participates in the China-Angola Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum. CHINA DAILY Supporting capital flows In 2023, the trade value between China and Africa reached a historical peak of $282.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 1.5 percent, while the trade volume between China and nearly half of the African countries saw a double-digit growth rate. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa continues to strengthen, helping to leverage their respective advantages and vast markets for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. As a century-old brand, BOC has long been deeply involved in the field of cross-border finance. Leveraging its global service network, it comprehensively supports interconnectivity between Chinese and African enterprises at home and abroad. With a large number of Chinese enterprises flowing into Africa, BOC's optimized services ensure smooth cross-border trade. For example, more than 30 large-scale State-owned Chinese enterprises and nearly 300 large-scale private Chinese enterprises in Angola faced difficulties in cross-border capital flows for years. Upon understanding their situation, BOC's Luanda branch carefully assessed the needs of the Chinese enterprises, established trading channels on Bloomberg's trading platform FXGO and improved the infrastructure of the foreign exchange market. In March 2024, the branch takes part in the Angola-China Business Summit Forum held in Beijing. CHINA DAILY While participating in local foreign exchange market transactions and supporting the anti-money laundering campaign, BOC provides proxy foreign exchange trading and cross-border remittance services for Chinese companies investing overseas. Since 2020, the BOC's Luanda branch has helped a group of Chinese enterprises in Angola acquire more than $500 million in foreign currency, which has removed the barrier to cross-border capital flows. In Zambia, a country with rich copper resources, BOC provided $150 million in credit support for the first phase of China Nonferrous Metal Mining's Kambove Copper Wet Smelting Project to support construction of the project with a seven-year term. The project is now in operation. And with a production capacity of 28,000 metric tons of cathode copper, it is driving economic and social development in Kambove and surrounding areas and is increasing the supply of local fiscal revenue and supporting national strategic resource. While assisting Chinese enterprises in going global, BOC also serves as a bridge in facilitating the introduction of more African products into the Chinese market. In Tanzania, BOC's representative office seized the opportunity of the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai to connect local avocado enterprises with the Chinese market. After discovering sales channels, this initiative promoted the trade of Tanzanian avocados with China. In Zambia, leveraging the local geographical and ecological endowments, BOC facilitated Zambian honey reaching Chinese households. Since 2016, BOC has annually organized dozens of small and medium-sized Zambian enterprises to participate in the CIIE and the bank's cross-border investment and trade matchmaking meetings in China. It has successfully introduced seven Zambian honey enterprises to the Chinese market, and according to customs statistics, between 2019-23, Zambia exported a total of 64 tons of high-quality honey to China. Foreign journalists experience 8K ultrahigh definition cinema (left) and intangible Chinese culture (right). International media groups are reporting on the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY Local market roots China and Africa are not only close partners in economic and trade cooperation they have successfully collaborated for many years in industrialization, agricultural modernization, talent cultivation and other areas. To that end, BOC now has a financial service network covering the continent's key regions. Since the establishment of the BOC branch in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1997, BOC has continued to expand its presence in Africa and currently has branches or representative offices in eight countries, including South Africa, Zambia, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania and Angola. With expanding service coverage, BOC is performing better in facilitating development of the local real economy and infrastructure construction. As the first Chinese financial institution to operate on the African continent, BOC branch in Zambia has provided more than $3 billion in credit support for Zambia's national development and economic construction over the past 27 years, covering large-scale infrastructure projects in mining, smelting, water supply, roads and economic development zones. Additionally, it fulfills social responsibilities by investing a total of 12 billion Zambian Kwacha ($457 million) in Zambian government bonds, creating hundreds of job positions and sending outstanding local employees to China for language and cultural training. In Egypt, to promote communication infrastructure construction, BOC has established a stable relationship with the nation's largest telecommunications operator, Egypt Telecom, providing financing support for multiple projects in cooperation with Chinese enterprises. In 2024, seizing the opportunity of the cost advantage of the renminbi, BOC explored and promoted RMB financing, which has successfully implemented an export credit project for Egypt Telecom. This project is the first RMB export credit business conducted by BOC in the African region and has significantly supported the export of high value-added telecom equipment from China to Africa and promoted the internationalization of the RMB. Foreign journalists experience 8K ultrahigh definition cinema (left) and intangible Chinese culture (right). International media groups are reporting on the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY In oil resource-rich Angola, BOC's Luanda branch has participated in a consortium financing arrangement for receivables of the Angolan National Fuel Society, Angolan state oil company also known as Sonangol, for four consecutive years. By participating in the international consortium through pledging its receivables, a total of $194 million has been disbursed, which has effectively met the financing needs of key local clients. The oil industry is the pillar of Angola's national economy, and Sonangol is the main operating entity of the Angolan government in the industry, responsible for the exploration, extraction, production, transportation and sale of oil and natural gas. BOC's Luanda branch participated for the first time in an $1.1 billion structured international financing consortium for receivables, and provided a loan of $73.75 million to Sonangol. Subsequently, leveraging the global operational advantages of BOC, it successfully participated in three structured financing consortium projects for the receivables. As of the end of June 2024, the credit balance extended by BOC's Luanda branch to Sonangol amounted to $90.3 million, making it the only Chinese bank in the consortium. Openness is a distinctive symbol of Chinese-style modernization, as highlighted by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasizing the policy of opening up to the global market. Relying on China's massive market advantage, BOC is able to enhance openness capabilities to expand international cooperation and build a higher-level open economy. As China's path to modernization broadens, it will inject vitality into the modernization process worldwide, including in Africa. According to BOC officials, the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is bound to be a remarkable footnote for China and Africa to build a high-level community with a shared future. BOC has expressed its commitment to fully implementing the spirit of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC and the Central Financial Work Conference, fully leverage its accumulated international business characteristics and advantages, serve as a pioneer in serving high-level opening-up to the outside world and actively support China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A community meeting regarding the Johnson fire is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Billie Springer Memorial Community Center. Evacuation orders remain in effect for residents of Little East Fork Road. Members of the public who live in the area of the fire who are seeking information regarding the blaze are encouraged to attend. Incident Management Team staff from Nevada Team 1 will give an update on fire conditions and planning. Officials from the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office, Bitterroot National Forest-District Management and Sula Rural Fire will also be available to answer questions after the meeting. The lightning-caused Johnson fire, 3 miles south of Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork, is holding at 4,325 acres as of Thursday, Sept. 5, according to fire officials. The blaze is 25% contained. The Johnson fire is under a 100% confinement strategy. This strategy directs all the resources into securing structures, communities, and other values while leaving the fire to burn back into the wilderness. At this time, it is 25% complete. Resources use fuel breaks, aerial operations, and strategic firing methods (as conditions allow) to build strong buffers that confine the fire to areas where it can be of benefit to the natural landscape. Firefighters worked to secure the fire's edge near Little East Fork Road on Wednesday. Mop-up continued throughout the day and into the evening. Water- and retardant-dropping aircraft remained extremely useful Wednesday, according to fire officials. One VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), two LATs (Large Air Tankers) and three helicopters worked the Johnson fire Wednesday. The helicopters continued to cool down hotspots to prevent significant fire runs and the tankers strengthened fuel breaks in preparation for Thursdays firing operation. A high-pressure system is establishing itself over the region. Fiore officials are expecting a warm, drying trend with significant winds. The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office has established a roadblock on East Fork Road at Meadow Creek in response to increased fire danger and suppression efforts. Residential traffic above Meadow Creek will be allowed to their properties with a residential pass. The passes will be issued at the roadblock. Residents must bring ID and proof of residency or ownership to have a pass issued. A driver's license with a physical address in the closure area is sufficient proof. Otherwise, a photo ID and some other proof of property ownership will be required. For more information on the Johnson fire, visit facebook.com/NevadaTeam1 or facebook.com/DiscoverBitterrootNF, or go to InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbrf-johnson-fire. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect campaign announcements by Duane Adams and Jean Gannon. If state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, wins the race for Virginias 5th Congressional District this November a likelihood for the GOP nominee in a Republican-leaning district a new legislator will need to take his place. Prospective candidates are already lining up to run in the special election that would take place after the Nov. 5 elections. Former state Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, and her former staffer Shayne Snavely have formally announced they will run for the 10th District Senate seat. Duane Adams, chairman of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, announced his candidacy on Monday morning, as did Jean Gannon, a Powhatan County real estate appraiser and longtime Republican activist. The 10th Senate District includes all or part of 11 counties. In the Greater Richmond area, it includes western Hanover, eastern Louisa and all of Powhatan and Goochland counties. McGuire, who had Gov. Glenn Youngkins endorsement for the state Senate seat, topped three opponents last May to win the Republican primary and ran unopposed in the Nov. 7 general election for Senate. About a week after the election, McGuire announced he would challenge Rep. Bob Good, R-5th for the partys congressional nomination. With former President Donald Trumps endorsement, McGuire defeated Good in the GOP primary by 370 votes, or 50.3% to 49.7%. Good got on Trumps bad side when he endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the presidency in May 2023. His endorsement of Trump after DeSantis dropped out in January did not get Good back in Trumps good graces. In the November congressional election, McGuire will face Democrat Gloria Tinsley Witt. Amanda Chase Chase, who had served in the Senate for eight years, lost her 2023 GOP primary in a Chesterfield-based seat to former state Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She moved to Appomattox earlier this year and announced she would run for McGuires state Senate seat. Chase said in an interview on Wednesday that shes right for the job because of her experience in the Senate. Theres been no one to represent the people. While I was there for eight years, I did that, Chase said. I pushed back against a lot of the COVID-19 mandates to make sure that it was a persons choice, not a mandate from the government. I have pushed back against a lot of the vaccine mandates, once again, to make sure that its a choice, because thats what the people wanted. Chase said if she is elected she will caucus with the Republicans this time. The only reason I left the Republican caucus last time is that we had a leader that did not follow the Republican creed, she said, referring to former Senate Republican leader Tommy Norment, R-James City. Norment retired in 2023 and the new GOP caucus leader is Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover. Theres new leadership in there now, so I hear things are running much more efficiently, Chase said. Ive worked very well with the people who are now in leadership. Shayne Snavely Snavely, who worked for Chase for years during her tenure in the Senate and helped her campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2021, said Chase didnt get anything done while she was in office. I saw for the last four years of her Senate seat shes gotten zero bills passed. She blew donors her money, went through thousands and thousands of dollars of the conservative donors money that support her, Snavely said. She blew it on lawsuits, blew it on traveling all over the country spending crazy amounts of money on steakhouses and eating out and staying in places that were expensive because she wouldnt stay in a cheaper hotel. Virginia has few restrictions on how politicians spend campaign donations. Snavely is running, he said, because he knows from his experience working as a Senate staffer for four years how to get things done. I know how to get bills passed. I know how to work across the aisle as a conservative, which I am, and Im a right leaning conservative, he said. I am also very skilled at working with the other side. I dont burn bridges like some other people do. I actually have a relationship with the Democrats. Ive worked with them for four years. Im the guy that can be the conservative that actually gets stuff done for people. Duane Adams Adams ran against McGuire for the Republican nomination in Senate District 10 in 2023. He said he has a solid conservative track record and he could take some of the things Louisa County has accomplished over the last seven years while hes been on the Board of Supervisors and bring those lessons to the state Capitol. Adams is running on the same pocketbook issues that he ran on last year. Gas is still unaffordable, groceries are still unaffordable. Theres too much government regulation, he said. We need to work to make Richmond more responsive to the people that are sending our tax dollars down there. I think theres plenty of opportunity for us to reduce state government, to reduce taxes. If wins, Adams said hell promise to stay in that office. I believe that we need strong conservative leadership that is consistent in this seat, and thats what motivates me, he said. Jean Gannon John McGuire is going to be elected to Congress, and it is critically important we nominate a strong conservative to hold his seat in the Senate, Gannon said in a statement. I am that conservative." A longtime activist, Gannon said she played a key role in last year's Republican sweep of the Powhatan Board of Supervisors. In addition to her job as a real estate appraiser, Gannon has volunteered for local Republican candidates for years. In the Virginia Senate, I will fight for the conservative principles and traditional values we hold dear," Gannon said. "I will protect the unborn, cut taxes, defend the Second Amendment and oppose the Democrats soft-on-crime policies that have made our communities less safe. Nonprofit groups trying to offer affordable housing to lower-income Virginians say a state law meant to help with their real estate taxes isnt always applied correctly. Were trying to encourage an increase in affordable housing, and one of the factors holding us back is the way theyre assessed, Coyner said. Paying too much in real estate taxes because of an inaccurate assessment means affordable housing providers cannot afford some of the services and supports that tenants need, Coyner said. Virginia Supportive Housing, for instance, helps residents with traumatic brain injury at its Bliley Manor and Independence House properties connect with community resources to help meet basic needs, relearn skills and gain employment. The current state law at issue says local governments should consider net income from affordable housing units that is, the rent minus operating costs when assessing them for real estate taxes. But in many cases, local officials assessing property use different approaches, said Isabel McLain, policy and advocacy director at the Virginia Housing Alliance. In some cases, nonprofit housing providers told the alliance they have been assessed on the same basis as single-family homes that is, on what similar nearby properties have sold for and in some, by the use of what are called mass appraisal techniques, she said. Mass appraisal involves using data from large numbers of properties, developing statistics from that data and then applying to still more property. The problem when that approach is used for income-based assessment is that collecting income data from a large number of rental properties assumes that a provider of affordable housing is collecting the higher rents that other landlords do. In Virginia, affordable housing built with one of the most popular supports, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, has to charge rents at least 15% below market rents. Some charge much less. The impact of inaccuracy McLain told a housing commission work group on Wednesday that one alliance member has estimated that inaccurate assessments cost it about $16,000 a year more in taxes than it should be paying, which translates to about $200 more in taxes for each unit. Another provider says inaccurate assessments can make the difference in a property generating some cash flow for the year or being in the red, she told the commission work group. Yet another has to appeal its assessments on most properties in all jurisdictions every year, calling it a tremendous waste of time and money and still often results in tax bills that are higher than they should be, McLain said. Coyners bill would tighten the language to say assessors must consider actual rent collected and actual expenses incurred on affordable housing. The measure also includes an extensive listing of what data and sources of data should be looked at and what should not be, and specifically prohibits using mass appraisal techniques when assessing affordable housing for taxes. It says that if an assessment did not follow proper appraisal practices, the assessment could not be presumed to be correct. A successful appeal would entitle the locality to reimburse the affordable housing provider for attorneys fees and costs. Coyner said an October opinion from Attorney General Jason Miyares said assessors must fully consider the actual operating expenses incurred at an affordable housing property, rather than a more cursory review. But Jamie Timberlake, Powhatan Countys commissioner of revenue, told the commission work group that getting the information is a problem. Were an annual assessor, so we do this every year, just to give you a timeline, in June or July we send out and ask for this information, its due to us by August 1, so that we can proceed ... go through the procedures of reviewing it and have good, equitable assessments for the fall. I get anything on those letters from none of your business to ... Heck no, he said. We have to have some kind of teeth on our side to get that information, because we dont, he said. The other big issue is that state law says assessments have to fairly and equitably spread the tax burden, he said. The commission will decide what to recommend about the bill when it meets in November. At that meeting, it will also consider a proposal from state Sen. Russet Perry, D-Loudoun, that would allow victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence or stalking who get a temporary or preliminary protective order to get out of a lease quickly. We need to protect them, Perry said. Two killed in collision between cargo truck and compact car Jose Maria Morelos, Q.R. Two people traveling in a compact car were killed Friday morning in a highway accident. Emergency services were sent in response to motorist reports of a collision between a company cargo truck and a private car. At the scene, responding paramedics confirmed the death of both people inside the compact vehicle. The accident happened around 6:00 a.m. on a section of Jose Maria MorelosPolyuc highway. Police have yet to provide any information on a cause for the deadly crash. At the time of the accident, highways were wet due to bouts of heavy rain. Two local residents were killed when a cargo truck crashed into the side of their compact car. Photo: September 6, 2024. National Guard Highways redirected traffic around the section of highway that was closed due to the accident. The deceased have not been identified, however, the car in which they were traveling was plated from Quintana Roo. A judge denied a request Wednesday to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit against a Roanoke County police officer, clearing the way for a trial over the fatal shooting of a mentally troubled man during a standoff at his home. U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski said in a written opinion that he could not grant Officer Matthew Jennings motion to throw the case out because there are genuine issues of material fact that must be decided by a jury. Attorneys for Jennings argued that he feared for his life and had no other choice but to shoot Shawn Smith as he stood in a screened-in porch of his home in the North Lakes neighborhood the night of Nov. 26, 2021. Police were responding to reports of a domestic disturbance, and Jennings was under the belief that Smith was brandishing a firearm at him, according to court records. The officer fired two shots from his high-powered rifle at a distance of about 50 feet away, hitting Smith in the neck and killing him instantly. It turned out that Smith, a 52-year-old combat veteran, did not have a gun. At the time of the shooting, his wife was in the process of obtaining an emergency custody order that would have held him for mental health treatment. Jennings has said that Smith blinded him by shining a strobe flashlight into his eyes, maintained a shooting stance, refused to drop an object that the officer feared was a gun, and made movements toward him. However, two witnesses both retired from the Roanoke County Sheriffs Office witnessed the incident from their next-door home and gave a different account in depositions taken by attorneys Terry Grimes and Mel Williams, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Smiths family members Among other things, the witnesses said the flashlight was not strobing and was pointed away from Jennings when the fatal shots were fired, and that Smith was not advancing toward the officer. The factual disputes regarding the moments before Smith was shot is at the heart of the excessive force claim, and, accordingly, the court is unable to conclude as a matter of law that Jennings shooting of Smith was a justified use of force, Urbanski ruled. Those fact questions require resolution by a jury, the judge wrote in a 34-page opinion. A trial is scheduled to start Sept. 30 in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. The lawsuit claims that Jennings and the Roanoke County Police Department escalated what was solely a mental health crisis with a heavy-handed response, causing a standoff with Smith that lasted nearly an hour. But Urbanski granted the countys motion to dismiss a portion of the lawsuit that accused the department of failing to adequately train and supervise Jennings. The judge also struck allegations that police did not properly address issues with the officers performance, which the lawsuit contended should have served as a warning for what happened the night of the shooting. Urbanski found that none of the cited incidents which included placing Jennings on probation for a poorly written incident report and cautioning him about jumping into calls too quickly and making rash decisions involved claims of excessive force. If anything, the evidence shows a concerted, well-documented effort by Roanoke County to foster Jennings continued development as a young officer, the judge wrote in his opinion. In an email Thursday, Grimes called the shooting of Smith a senseless event that should never have happened. We look forward to trial, he wrote. We look forward to justice for Shawn Smith. Roanoke court documents have identified two people who were involved in a motorcycle crash at a northwest intersection last week. One of them told police that she had used suboxone before the collision, according to that documentation. Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Aug. 29, police responded to the crash at Winsloe Drive and Trinkle Avenue, according to a news release. A vehicle had struck a motorcycle in the intersection. According to a search warrant, 30-year-old Lacey Elizabeth Maupin was driving a 2018 Jeep Compass along Trinkle Avenue and 38-year-old Kamal Prasad Chamlagai was driving the motorcycle along Winsloe Drive. Trinkle has a stop sign and Winsloe does not, the an affidavit reads. The two vehicles collided in the intersection and Chamlagai had major injuries as a result. Chamlagai was transported to the hospital for treatment. He is expected to survive his injuries, according to police. Maupin fled the crash scene, but police contacted her later at her residence, according to the search warrant. Maupin admitted to using suboxone earlier in the day and admitted to driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, the affidavit continues. Maupin showed signs of intoxication through SFSTs, or standardized field sobriety tests. Maupin was transported to Carilion Memorial Hospital, where police seized two vials of her blood and the Jeep was also seized, according to the warrant. According to online court records, Maupin has been charged with two misdemeanors, driving while intoxicated and obstruction, and two felonies, driving while intoxicated with maiming and a hit and run. Her first hearing in Roanoke General District Court is set for Oct. 18. HARTSVILLE, S.C. The Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce brought leaders from the regions largest health care providers together Thursday to give their views. The State of Healthcare Breakfast, a part of the chambers Development Series, was held at Hartsville Country Club. The speakers for the breakfast program were CareSouth Carolina chief medical officer Dr. Catherine Compton, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center chief executive officer Bill Little, McLeod Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Will McLeod, and MUSC Health-Florence Division chief executive officer Jay Hinesley III. After welcoming remarks from Chamber President Murphy Monk, CareSouths Compton began the program. Compton said that as a community health center, CareSouths goal is to deliver medical services that make an impact in the Pee Dee region and beyond. She said the mission of CareSouth is to enhance and improve the health and well-being of everyone. Compton, who took over as CareSouths chief medical officer in April, spoke on ways to have a longer, happier, and healthier life. She detailed a study that examined areas in the world where people lived longer lives. She said the study identified five regions that stood out for extraordinary longevity and vitality of life Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy. Through the study, Compton said, a list of nine lifestyle habits were identified. That list included natural exercise, having a purpose, avoiding stress, not overeating, eating more vegetables, creating positive relationships, being part of the community, belonging to a faith-based community, and putting family first. She encouraged everyone to strive to establish those lifestyles in their own lives. May you all have happier, healthier, and longer lives, said Compton. Carolina Pines CEO Little offered health statistics from Darlington County. He pointed out that the county is below average or worse in the areas of life expectancy, heart health, risk of stroke, and breast cancer. Little applauded Carolina Pines and the other health care facilities in attendance for their exceptional services but pointed out that there is much still to be done. Our goal at Carolina Pines is to improve the state of health care in our community, said Little. He referred to four areas where CPRMC affects health outcomes and where it is continuously striving to improve: addressing health equity concerns, improving access for health services, increasing workforce development efforts, and demanding safer care delivery. Think about what the most precious thing in your life is, more valuable than money or material things, Little said. Its your health and the health of your loved ones. McLeod opened his remarks by stating that much of modern health care is based on a foundation of technology. He said technology covers a broad spectrum, from medical records to surgical and diagnostic equipment. He said McLeods focus on innovative technologies speaks to its focus on improving patient care. Providing high-value health care is vitally important, said McLeod. He said high-value health care is the sum of outcome and experience in relation to cost. It all adds up to high value health care, he said. Much like the previous speakers had mentioned, McLeod said workforce development is a driving force in providing the best care. He said McLeod uses a four P plan in terms of workforce development: pipelines (to employment at McLeod), partnerships (with education institutions), progression, and postgraduate (continuing education). He closed by mentioning the recent facility improvements, especially the $60 million renovation project at McLeod Health in Cheraw. Henley closed the program by stating that MUSCs mission is to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina and beyond through education, research, and patient care. His presentation focused on three areas educational programs, research, and telehealth programs. He said MUSC Health has one of the largest telehealth networks in the nation. He mentioned the work that MUSC health is doing in a statewide DNA profile study. Launched in the fall of 2022, the study helps participating individuals identify their genetic risks for certain cancers and health conditions before they need treatment. Hinesley also gave details on the latest MUSC facility in Williamsburg County, MUSC Black River Medical Center, as well as the Leatherman Behavioral Health Pavilion. SIOUX CITY -- More than 27 new murals from artists as far away as Waterloo will be creating special outdoor art when Vangarde Arts' sixth annual Alley Art Festival returns to downtown Sioux City from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 21. In total, 140 murals have been painted on building exteriors between Fourth and Fifth and Pierce and Nebraska streets, according to Vangarde Arts' director Brent Stockton, who is one of the event's founders. "(Alley Art) takes visitors of all ages on a creative journey, outside of the norm while roaming the alleys of downtown Sioux City," he said. Stockton added that Alley Art two festivals rolled into one since it involved both the visual arts and the musical arts. Live music will be performed by Alex Erwin, the Devon Cadwell Band, Art SIC and Banana Cramps in both the alley or on the main stage. The New Orleans-based Shamarr Allen & The Underdawgs will be Alley Art's headliners. "Shamarr is the definition of New Orleans," Stockton explained. "He is a sought-after artist for festivals and venues from around the world." Alley Arts visitors will also browse from the original creations of more than 30 regional art vendors while kids can make maracas and create their very own chalk murals in the kid zone. Everyone else will be able to indulge in their inner muralist by painting on the "Wall for All" Mural. Artist Jessica Hammond said she enjoys the infusion of new talent. Hammond, who exhibits her art under the name Brutal Doodles, was instrumental in the creation of the Alley Art Festival. "I've done shows in other cities and I'm always trying to bring talent people to Sioux City," she said. "This keeps Alley Art fresh year after year." SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- A threat at the Sioux Center High School on Thursday resulted in several schools in the area going into lockdown. The Sioux County Sheriff's Office wrote on social media that all Sioux Center School District schools went into lockdown around noon Thursday after the threat was discovered. School districts in nearby Hull, Orange City and Rock Valley also went into lockdown as a precautionary measure. The nature of the threat was not disclosed. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Sioux Center Superintendent Gary McEldowney wrote that "we are confident that the threat has been resolved" and that classes would proceed. "At this time there is NOT an active threat and the Sioux Center Police Department is investigating the original incident," the sheriff's department wrote in its social media post. As president, Donald Trumps pardons were not random. And hes promised more if reelected, including to those convicted for participating in the violence of Jan. 6. Trumps pardons are part of a system of bending the law to his will, and their function is to protect the way he exercises and accrues both money and power. In the third installment of award-winning investigative journalist Andrea Bernsteins special series for Amicus, The Law According to Trump, were trying to better understand the currents of corruption surrounding Trumps use of the pardon power. Andrea spoke to Stetson University law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, author of the forthcoming Corporatocracy: How to Protect Democracy from Dark Money and Corrupt Politicians. Their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Andrea Bernstein: Its not just that the pardons release these people from their sentences. It allows people to come back into the fold. In fact, they seem to be encouraged to come back into the fold. Just this summer, we saw Peter Navarro, who had been convicted of contempt of Congress, speaking at the RNC, basically fresh from prison. These are not people who are going off to live their lives like pardoned criminals, who in other cases might be, you know, working with incarcerated people or giving back. Theyre coming back to help Trump. And he is, in fact, pulling them closer. What effect does that have on the rule of law? Advertisement Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: I think there is a real difference between the way that the average person is impacted by the American criminal justice system when they have committed a crime. You can lose your job. You can lose your housing. You might lose custody of your children. Your life, in many cases, once you are a convicted felon, is well and truly ruined. But with white-collar criminals, especially the white-collar criminals who have been exonerated through the pardon power, they are living a very different life. The Navarro case is particularly troubling. He would not comply with Congress when they were investigating Jan. 6, and so he was found to be in contempt of Congress. He was duly convicted, and went almost straight from being incarcerated to then speaking to the RNC. That would be jarring if that were in isolation, but that is also the Republican National Convention, where for the first time, they have nominated a convicted felon to be elected to the presidency on their partys ticket. In that context, it has its own weird internal logic. Of course you would have the loyal follower of Trump lauded in the same convention where you decide that your standard-bearer will be this convicted felon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But its more than that. These people have proven that they are willing to break the law and go to jail for Trump, and these are the people that he is surrounding himself with. Actual crooks and criminals are part of his team, and obviously he himself was found by a jury to have been guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. In her book on global corruption, written before Trump, Sarah Chayes talked about how corrupt leaders around the world surround themselves with actual crooks, with dens of thieves. As I watched the Trump administration in real time the first time around, I thought, Is that whats happening here? But now I think that is what were seeing. Could you help tease out the connection between committing crimes yourself, running an administration where you are literally saying through the use of your pardon power that corruption is OK, and the kind of world that a once and potentially future President Trump is building? Advertisement With this pernicious use of the pardon power you can enable the worst criminality at the very top of government. You can create this constant feedback loop of: You have them commit a crime for you from the White House, you pardon them for the crime, and then they can return to crime again. Because theyve shown theyre willing to do it. Indeed. To me, it also suggests that Trump gets to define the law. He gets to define right and wrong. He gets to have power over that, just the way he has power over the truth. I think we saw it in miniature in his first term, and we could see it in a maximalist form in a potential second term. Advertisement Youve written about how the Supreme Court has narrowed the definition of corruption. Could you tell us about whats been happening and how you think it could impact Trump? Advertisement Related From Slate The Supreme Court Just Signaled What It Will Do If the Election Is Close Read More The Roberts Supreme Court has been deregulating corruption in both white-collar crime and campaign finance cases ever since they got there, and continued apace through this term. In this term alone, they decided that gratuities are no longer a crime that can be prosecuted at the federal level. So a gratuity is money thats given after an official act has been done by a public official. And the court just threw out the conviction of a mayor who took money from a government contractor because the money didnt come before the government contract, but after it, which seemed significant to this Supreme Court. But the real headliner is Trump v. United States, where they decide that theres presidential immunity for official acts. That empowers not just the current president, but all future presidents, essentially saying that if they can figure out a way to do crimes that are within their official duties, they are now immunized from criminal prosecution by the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In your article in the Yale Law Journal, you were critical of the Supreme Court for not thinking about their decisions in the context of Trump, but that article came out before the immunity decision. Do you still think they should have been considering these decisions in the context of Trump? And if they dont, what does that tell us? It is humbling to see how far the Supreme Court has gone with the Trump immunity decision. I was, I think, giving the justices the benefit of the doubt. In the context of a postJan. 6 world where democracy is really teetering and you dont want to have rulings from the Supreme Court that encourage corruption, my presumption had been that if they were mindful of that context they might come to the conclusion that maybe this is not the time to go easy on corruption. But it seems I was just too generous in my thinking about the Supreme Court, because now what we see from the Trump immunity decision is almost a willful blindness to the dangers that they are creating through their decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has said that he would pardon people who were convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers on Jan. 6. I did a lot of reporting for Will Be Wild about Jan. 6. It was brutal; some of the officers had to give up their careers because they were no longer physically fit, some of them were brutalized, some of them had brain trauma, some died by suicide. Why is Trump promising to pardon cop-assaulters? What is his aim there? This goes back to the vicious cycle of empowering the worst people who are loyal to Trump. If you pardon those who were violent against the Capitol Police and the Metro Police that day, you are rewarding those who were trying to break democracy. Theres a complete lack of sympathy for the law enforcement that was trying to keep order that day because they were trying to protect a constitutional process that was ongoing in Congress. My fear is that by promising pardons to people who were beating up cops on Jan. 6, youre sending a message if Trump wants to do this again: If you break the law in my name, then I will use my new political power to pardon you after the fact. Advertisement Is there a difference between the things Trump did in his first termpardoning his campaign managers, his advisers, corrupt politicians, i.e., white-collar criminals, and what hes saying hell do in a second term? Pardoning rioters? I think that you can threaten democracy both through violence and through white-collar crime. I think that Jan. 6 should be thought of in a capacious way. Not just as that day, but as all of the attempts to overturn the 2020 election, including the fake elector scheme. It would be as problematic to pardon those who were violent on Jan. 6 as it would be to pardon the lawyers who drafted up the fake elector scheme. I think theyre both threats to democracy, and pardons of that behavior is itself undermining the rule of law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What worries me about the potential of a blanket pardon for those who perpetrated violence on Jan. 6 is that it will encourage and incentivize future political violence. One of the things that I worry about in my book Corporatocracy: Is there going to be a second attempt at a Jan. 6? We were lucky that the first one was poorly organized, not corporate-funded, and relatively unarmedgiven how many guns there are in the United States. I think we might not survive one that is better organized, has corporate backing, and is well armed, and that is what keeps me up at night and worried. Don't miss a night run, and look up in Kosice. Here's what to do during the weekend of September 6-8. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share FESTIVALS AND FAIRS Tribute to industry and craft This week, the historic mining town of Banska Stiavnica, central Slovakia, will be celebrating the Salamandrove Dni (Salamander Days) event taking place on September 5-8. Why does the name allude to this small amphibian? A salamander is said to have led locals to veins of precious metals that started the mining tradition here, the first mining academy in Europe, and other historical milestones that formed the current city. The event a tribute to the industry and craft of mining. On Friday, you don't want to miss the famous Salamander Procession featuring 450 participants in costumes depicting the life in the town. In addition, there will be a bazaar-exchange, traditional market, the mining archive will open its door for the public, and more. Click here to learn more. The famous Salamander Procession features hundreds of participants in costumes. (Source: TASR) Grape harvest festivities are here Are you craving some good wine? A quick ride from the capital will take you to the traditional Modranske Vinobranie festival, taking place between September 6-8. The grape harvest festivities in the small town of Modra in the foothills of the Small Carpathian mountain range are a celebration of its wine making tradition, featuring a unique beverage known as 'burciak', a seasonal hard grape cider with a foam that can rival even the one on your beer. In addition to fine drinks, visitors will be able to get a glimpse of crafts of times gone by, folklore, wine cellars and more. For more information, click here. The Modranske Vinobranie festival. (Source: TASR) TIP: What is burciak? Visit local vineyards On Saturday, several dozen wine growers and makers of the Small Carpathian Wine Region will invite wine afficionados to taste their production - both the fruit of the land and the fruit of their labour, while enjoying the view of the beautiful country. Vineyards in Raca, Vajnory, Svaty Jur, Limbach, Pezinok, Senkvice, Modra and more will welcome you between 11:00-19:00; a ticket costs 20 and includes a 5 voucher for the purchase of wine. Learn more here. TIP: Devin, Leanka, Milia? Great Bratislava wines still wait to be discovered Let your inner child out Called the fair of all fairs, Radvansky Jarmok held in Banska Bystrica is a renowned event in central Slovakia. Taking place on September 5-8, the theme of the 366th edition is toys, meaning visitors will be able to let their inner child to have a field day on the squares and nearby streets of the city centre. The program includes folk crafts, music, theatre and dance performances, workshops and lots of other activities. More information here. The Radvansky Jarmok fair in Banska Bystrica. (Source: TASR) MISCELLANEOUS FUN Kosice Aviation Days The skies over the Kosice Region will once again feature a spectacular airshow, attracting not only locals, but those from other regions of Slovakia as well as from abroad. The two day event on September 7-8 will be jam-packed with aerobatics showcasing the skills of top pilots, display of modern helicopters as well as historic machines. Find out more and get your tickets here. Polish pilot Artur Kielak showing an aerial maneuver during the 2O19 Kosice Aviation Days. (Source: TASR) History returns to Devin Castle On September 7, warriors will return to historic Devin Castle near Bratislava. Once again, the Knights at Devin Castle event will allow visitor to get a glimpse into how brave men and women fought in times gone by. The event will begin with a training session of Roman legionnaires, and will continue with antique dances, a Hungarian knight tournament, fencing duels and more. The event is for both children and adults alike, with a special programme for little ones. Get your tickets online here. Stinky history of hygiene Hygiene has come a long way, to the point where we take tap water, sanitising sprays and regular baths for granted. It was not always the case, as you'll discover on Saturday and Sunday at Cachtice Castle in western Slovakia. A special programme called the Stinky History of Hygiene will show you how our ancestors took care of themselves. Find out more here. Cachtice Castle. (Source: TASR) SPORT Night run The popular Bratislava Night Run is upon us once again, luring thousands of runners, both local and foreign to the capital. The 16th edition of the event once again offers unique atmosphere, with the route going right through the tunnel under the castle hill, where DJs exhibit their music and lights for the event. People who took part in the run talk about it as a memorable experience. A special medal for participants is also a big lure. You can still register in person. If you're not the type, then definitely come cheers for the athletes. In both cases, find out more here. Illustrative image. (Source: TASR) MORE UPCOMING EVENTS BEFORE YOU GO WHAT TO DO FOR FREE: Taste Iranian, Kenyan, Cameroonian or Indian food, listen to a Slovak women's chamber orchestra. WHAT TO EXPLORE IN BRATISLAVA: Come along to experience Ukrainian, Indonesian and Jewish cultures, or attend Open-air Bratislava Jazz Days. Find more event in this week's Top 10 events. WHAT TO READ: In the new instalment of the Slovak Roots newsletter, you can look forward to exploring the Myjava region of western Slovakia, learn about the Slovak diplomat who fought tooth and nail for every square metre of Czechoslovakia, as well as the story of Slovak-American Michael John Meehan, a descendant of Slovak emigrants. WHAT TO LEARN: Slovak Matters: learning with less trstenica and more internet or what a teacher will find in a Slovak classroom. WHAT TO DISCOVER: Experience the horrors of war and spirituality in the northeast of Slovakia. That's it for this week. Take care, and have a nice weekend! A selection of short feel-good stories from Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent. Slovak food at the summit of Mont Blanc Were at a height of 4,800 metres above sea level, on Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, says 25-year-old Martin Jakubis from Prievidza at the beginning of his video on Instagram. Were going to cook here our national dish, bryndzove halusky. He then takes out the utensils and the main ingredients for this gnocchi-like potato dish, including bryndza, a salty sheep's cheese, which had travelled 1,400 kilometres with him to France and gets to work. Jakubis was happy to serve the dish to other mountaineers who happened to summit with him, and received positive feedback. By doing so, the young Slovak, who graduated from technical school but founded his own business based on cooking bryndzove halusky during the Covid-19 pandemic, wanted to show it is possible to cook the dish anywhere and that there is no reason for any restaurant in Slovakia not to always serve it fresh. He is now planning a trip across several countries, and intends to cook halusky in every single state he visits, serving it either to the locals or to Slovaks who he finds living there. We have a world food; the only thing to do is to cook it fresh and with heart, he commented. Slovakia hides one of Europe's gems A typical decorated village house in Cicmany. (Source: Sme archive) A small Slovak village known for its distinctive decorated houses has been labelled one of the best hidden gems in Europe. The list, compiled by the European Best Destinations website, presents 15 secret destinations that are far from the heaving tourist masses. The number 13 spot belongs to the village of Cicmany, situated in Zilina Region in northern Slovakia, whose houses of dark wood are typically painted with distinctive white designs. Related article Related article Village burnt down but thanks to contest it is one of Slovak symbols now Read more Cicmany is known for its popular architecture, which reminds us of the painted villages of Romania, including that of Zalipie, which features floral motifs, the website reads, adding that it is worth the detour for its cultural heritage. You will be enchanted by its very contrasting paintings, which look like hieroglyphs. Number one on the list is Villajoyosa in Alicante, Spain, followed by Ares del Maestre (also in Spain), Primosten in Croatia, Bokod Floating Village in Hungary, and Naantali in Finland. Another Slovak beatified Jan Havlik was beatified in Sastin-Straze on August 31. (Source: TASR) The list of Slovaks who have been beatified has been extended by the addition of Jan Havlik. A victim of torture during the communist regime, he was presented to the public on September 1 by Pope Francis after the recitation of the Angel of the Lord prayer in the Vatican. This young person died in 1965 during the communist persecution of the Church in what was then Czechoslovakia, the pope said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. May his perseverance and testimony of faith be an encouragement to those who are still undergoing similar trials today. Related article Related article 5 sites in Bratislava that pilgrims shouldnt skip Read more A day earlier, the act of beatification had taken place in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Sastin-Straze, in western Slovakia. Pope Francis approved the decree on his martyrdom back in December. Havlik was born in 1928 in the village of Dubovce, near Skalica in western Slovakia. In late August 1949, he joined the novitiate within the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. A year later, Havlik together with his fellow brothers was sent by the communist authorities to work on a dam near Puchov for three months. He secretly studied theology and continued in the seminary. In October 1951, he was detained by the communist-era StB secret police. He spent 15 months in detention, where he faced frequent torture. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason, but his punishment was later prolonged by another year for his missionary service among other inmates, the Aktuality.sk website reported. Havlik was released from prison in October 1962, but died in December 1965, aged 37, due to the consequences of psychological and physical duress in communist prisons. Related article Related article Exploring the spiritual Slovakia (Spectacular Slovakia - travel guide) Read more The last time Slovakia held a beatification ceremony was six years ago, when Anna Kolesarova was beatified in Kosice in September 2018. A year earlier, Titus Zeman was beatified in Bratislava, and in 2003, Zdenka Schelingova and Vasil Hopko were beatified. Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read: Political meme of the week Great discount on food. (Source: SME/Hej, ty! Tomcik) Caption: What do you mean this government has done nothing for people? It promised cheaper foodstuff, and now it's free! With this meme, the caricaturist known as Hey, ty! alludes to the recent surge in shoplifting something which several retailers warned would result from recent amendments to the Penal Code that raised the criminal threshold for theft. Under the latest rules, thefts of items worth less than 700 are classified as misdemeanours, punishable only by a fine of up to 331. You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you! It was extremely above average everywhere in Slovakia in terms of temperature, said Milan Lapin, a respected climatologist. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share The summer of 2024 in Slovakia has set new heat records, with almost every meteorological station operated by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) recording the warmest weather since meteorological observations began. We have recorded five heat waves during the summer the first two lasted for five days each, the next for 20, 12 and nine days, respected climatologist Milan Lapin told the TASR newswire, adding that the latest, fifth wave, is estimated to last until September 9. This summer is rated as extremely above normal, with a deviation of more than 1.7 degrees Celsius from the long-term average. However, at all meteorological stations in Slovakia, the temperature deviation this summer was much more significant. For example, at Hurbanovo in southern Slovakia it was 4.4 degrees Celsius warmer than the long-term average of 1901-2000 and 4.3 degrees Celsius warmer than the 1961-1990 average. Thus, the summer of 2024 was extremely above normal everywhere in Slovakia in terms of temperature, and probably also compared to the long-term average from 1991 to 2020, said Lapin. At the same time, August this year in Hurbanovo was 0.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous record August, in 1992. It had a preliminary average temperature of 24.6 degrees Celsius, which means that it was 5.1 degrees Celsius warmer compared to both the long-term averages of 1901-2000 and 1961-1990. The average daily maximum was, based on preliminary data, 31.7 degrees Celsius, which is 5.5 degrees Celsius more than the 1961-1990 average, the climatologist explained. August 1992 was the hottest previous month in the history of observations in Slovakia so far. Prolonged heat associated with drought led to forest fires in several places. At the same time, however, September 1 brought a significant change, ending the heatwave with a cooling of about 10 degrees Celsius. This year, the heat has continued well into the first third of September. During the summer of 2024, meteorologists recorded 48 "tropical" days in Hurbanovo: 7 in June, 19 in July and 22 in August. At the same time, according to SHMU data, the summer of 2024 brought in Hurbanovo tentatively eight "supertropical" days, with a daytime temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and above, and also 81 summer days with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and above. There were also 73 summer nights when the air temperature did not drop below 15 degrees Celsius and, among these, as many as 20 "tropical" nights when it did not drop below 20 degrees Celsius. However, thanks to the persistently high air temperature in recent days, the total number of tropical days and tropical nights - for the whole of 2024 will be even higher. In September 2024, in the first four days, every day somewhere there was a daytime high of 35 degrees Celsius or more, and every night was tropical somewhere, Lapin told TASR. He also pointed out that even though about 225 millimetres of rain fell during the summer of 2024 (87 percent of the 1901-1990 average), the fact that it fell almost exclusively as showers and thunderstorms means there were large differences in soil watering even over small distances. All 14 months from June 2023 to July 2024 broke global records for heat, as assessed by Copernicus, NASA and NOAA, said Lapin, who is a professor emeritus at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at Comenius University in Bratislava and also works with the SHMU. The year 2024 is also expected to be one of the warmest ever globally since assessments began in 1880. Last year was the warmest in the history of measurements, with the average global temperature reaching 14.98 degrees Celsius. This is 1.48 degrees Celsius more than the pre-industrial period, which, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was from 1850 to 1900. The planets climate is therefore fast approaching the critical warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/kremlin-spokesman-announces-restrictive-measures-against-us-media-1120050483.html Kremlin Spokesman Announces Restrictive Measures Against US Media Kremlin Spokesman Announces Restrictive Measures Against US Media Sputnik International Restrictions on the dissemination of information by US media outlets in Russia will follow in response to Washington's sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik. 2024-09-05T23:56+0000 2024-09-05T23:56+0000 2024-09-05T23:56+0000 americas dmitry peskov margarita simonyan russia sputnik kremlin ruptly ria novosti rt rossiya segodnya https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/15/1096504842_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_63a99fd37d5e3d701103d31ca7246bb1.jpg MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Restrictions on the dissemination of information by US media outlets in Russia will follow in response to Washington's sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik. He added that some restrictions are already in effect. The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions Wednesday against the Rossiya Segodnya media group, RIA Novosti, RT, Sputnik and Ruptly. The sanctions affected Rossiya Segodnya and RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and a number of other senior executives. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240812/scott-ritter-fbi-raids-part--parcel-of-us-govt-intimidation-1119734622.html americas russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia media sanctions, us media sanctions, russia sanctions on us media https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/an-affront-to-the-democratic-will-macron-pushes-through-pm-pick-after-60-days-1120048204.html 'An Affront to the Democratic Will': Macron Pushes Through PM Pick After 60 Days 'An Affront to the Democratic Will': Macron Pushes Through PM Pick After 60 Days Sputnik International Macron is most likely trying to break through a political impasse that has gripped France following the countrys indecisive, snap legislative elections. 2024-09-06T00:52+0000 2024-09-06T00:52+0000 2024-09-06T00:52+0000 analysis emmanuel macron michel barnier europe ukraine france european union (eu) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1d/1118672801_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_5eb8e1c298b96c7ddaa0303af40dd2ec.jpg President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier, 73, a veteran right-wing politician who served twice as European Commissioner and played a major role in the 2016 Brexit Task Force, as the new prime minister of France as of Thursday. Macron is trying to break through a political impasse that has gripped France following the countrys snap legislative elections held in July.The French presidency said in a statement that Macron is entrusting Barnier with the task of forming a unity government to serve the country and the French people, the New York Times reported. Barnier will take over the role from Gabriel Attal, Frances youngest ever prime minister who has held the position for the last eight months.Phil Kelly, a Belfast-based political commentator and socialist activist, joined Sputniks Political Misfits Thursday to discuss Macrons continued rejection of the French publics desires.What Macron is doing is he's investing heavily in creating future problems because France is a powder keg. It is divided. The breakthrough for the left was good to see, but let's hope it's not a pyrrhic victory because what acts like this are doing is it just erodes faith that people have in their democratic institutions, he added.In March of last year Frances Senate passed a controversial reform bill to raise the retirement age for French citizens by two years. The Senate passed the bill by 195 votes to 112. Macrons decision to push through a bill that is extremely unpopular among voters for the alleged sake of the economy clearly went unforgiven during Julys election. Business-friendly think tanks such as the pro-Macron Institut Montaigne claim Macrons pension plan is more cost-effective than other proposals, but a majority of French voters reject the ploy.Macron [is] a guy who's deeply unpopular, who, at one point, was talking up the advantage of World War III to the French people, now clinging on desperately to power, trying to make the guy who lost who came forth the leader of the country and all, as you say, to cling on to his own power for a little bit longer and to try and push through a policy that is so deeply unpopular.In January, Macron claimed during a speech at the Swedish Defense Academy that the future security architecture of the continent could no longer be settled simply by the United States and that Europe should determine its own future.In April, the French president said he would be willing to discuss using French nuclear warheads as a credible European defense against a supposed Russian threat. The French president previously hinted at the use of Frances nuclear weapons in 2020 and again in 2022. In March the leader alarmed other EU member states when he announced his openness to ground operations in Ukraine, saying it might be required at some point.It's not, unfortunately, only France that has this kind of political class, Kelly added. [There was] one of the ministers in the German government who's a member of the Green Party saying I'm sure you remember this I don't care about German voters, I'll do whatever it takes to support Ukraine.Macron delayed appointing a new prime minister for a record period of time following a narrow victory for the leftwing New Popular Front in July. Over 80 lawmakers have signed a resolution calling for Macron to step down in the weeks since. The resolution was triggered by Macrons decision to reject the New Popular Fronts candidacy of Lucie Castets for prime minister, even though the coalition won the most seats in Julys elections. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240327/boy-king-who-cried-wolf-macrons-constant-threats-to-send-troops-to-ukraine-signals-weakness-1117585743.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240319/macron-trying-to-go-backwards-to-days-of-imperial-france-1117419288.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/french-mps-sign-resolution-demanding-macrons-resignation-amid-deadlock-over-pm-1120024104.html ukraine france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg macron, france, french prime minister, michel barnier https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/attacks-on-sputnik-rt-about-shoring-up-us-institutions-while-attacking-freedom-of-press-1120051423.html Attacks on Sputnik, RT About Shoring up US Institutions While Quashing Freedom of Press Attacks on Sputnik, RT About Shoring up US Institutions While Quashing Freedom of Press Sputnik International This week brought further developments in the Biden administrations ongoing war against alternative media in the United States just days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation promised more searches of figures connected to Russian media. 2024-09-06T04:26+0000 2024-09-06T04:26+0000 2024-09-06T06:47+0000 analysis us donald trump joe biden russia federal bureau of investigation (fbi) us justice department sputnik rt ria novosti https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0a/1f/1090356451_0:259:3181:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_8176e0f07540524a1e3877ad5709b539.jpg This week brought further developments in the Biden administrations ongoing war against alternative media in the United States just days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation promised more searches of figures connected to Russian media.The US Justice Department brought charges against two Russian media executives Wednesday, accusing them of not disclosing their support for a Tennessee-based media company that published edgy viral videos.Lawmakers in Washington have moved to more aggressively attempt to mold the content and tenor of online discourse after former President Donald Trumps surprise victory in 2016. Allegations of misinformation took center stage during the Covid-19 pandemic; more recently, pro-Israel legislators have urged greater oversight after pro-Palestine views spread on platforms favored by young people such as TikTok.In particular the Democratic Party is concerned that Donald Trump will potentially win the election again, he continued. But I think that this is even a bigger and more existential issue than this, actually. Of course, we saw these charges brought under the guise of protecting against Russian disinformation. But I argue that this is really nothing more than a blatant attack on the very vision of freedom of speech and freedom of the press that American people actually once fought and died for.Freedom of expression is among the most cherished concepts in the American political consciousness. The First Amendment to the US Constitution lists a number of rights considered most important by the countrys founders, including freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech and the press. Such values constitute a cornerstone of Americans self-perception as a democracy, a principle they frequently aim to spread across the globe by threat of force.But the last several years have seen the US government signal an increasing concern over the political discourse in the United States, with Congress increasingly urging large social media platforms to more aggressively police content. Meanwhile anxieties have grown over independent and alternative media outlets like Sputnik and The Grayzone, which has been the target of several attacks by the Washington Post.The First Amendment Is Out of Control, read the headline of one editorial in The New York Times this year typical of elite concerts over the matter. America Has a Free Speech Problem, read another just two years prior.The overarching narrative from the White House, from the US government, has been one to enact a significant chilling effect on Americans who are willing to just speak the truth or willing to go on programs like this to talk about the core issues facing American society, said Jackman, really getting to the heart of what's happening in this country.Many Americans woke up today not sure about how to conduct their speech online. It basically diverts people from being able to push narratives that actually challenge imperialism, that actually challenge the hegemony of the ruling class in this country, and instead shows people that if you're willing to stick your neck out like this, then we just might come after you, too. And that's clearly the message that it sends. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240812/scott-ritter-fbi-raids-part--parcel-of-us-govt-intimidation-1119734622.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240904/us-slaps-sanctions-on-rossiya-segodnya-media-group-1120019219.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/moscow-on-us-sanctions-against-rossiya-segodnya-retaliatory-measures-being-worked-out-1120023426.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us freedom of press, biden attacks on free press, biden attacks on free speech, biden attack on rt, biden repression of sputnik https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/benny-johnson-declares-nobody-influenced-his-content-policies-1120061577.html Benny Johnson Declares Nobody Influenced His Content Policies Benny Johnson Declares Nobody Influenced His Content Policies Sputnik International US conservative blogger Benny Johnson wrote on his X account that no one influenced his editorial policy amid accusations by US authorities that his employing company was allegedly secretly funded from Russia. 2024-09-06T19:59+0000 2024-09-06T19:59+0000 2024-09-06T19:59+0000 americas us russia us justice department censorship social media censorship internet censorship https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106328/01/1063280117_0:213:1340:967_1920x0_80_0_0_6ac31eb3d42fb6b1ce3fec85c127b2cb.png I have been notified by the FBI that I have been the victim of a crime. [US Attorney General] Merrick Garland said the same thing at his press conference. I am the only person who has ever had editorial control over my program. Period, said Johnson, whose Youtube channel has nearly 2.4 million subscribers.Although the US Justice Department did not mention the name of the company in its charges, US media believe the company in question is Tenet Media, which represented Johnson and a number of other conservative influencers. According to the US Justice Department, the company was allegedly secretly funded from Russia by RT employees. The bloggers themselves were not charged because the company allegedly did not tell them the source of the funds.The US imposed sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group, RIA Novosti, RT, Sputnik and Ruptly. The new sanctions affected Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, and a number of top managers of the RT broadcaster.Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the US presidential election will be won by the candidate chosen by the American people, and it is up to Russia not to interfere and to observe the process. Russian authorities have repeatedly emphasized that Russia does not interfere in American electoral processes. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/russias-zakharova-slams-us-for-persecuting-people-for-nonconformity-political-views-1120052796.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/russia-russia-russia-rerun-western-media-scrambles-to-resurrect-2016-meddling-hoax-1120055196.html americas russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us conservative blogger benny johnson, tenet company, benny johnson x statement https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/eastern-economic-forum-top-achievements-and-key-moments-1120058992.html Eastern Economic Forum: Top Achievements and Key Moments Eastern Economic Forum: Top Achievements and Key Moments Sputnik International This year forum was attended by some 7,000 guests from 75 countries, from high-level officials and business people, to journalists and commentators, including numerous Sputnik contributors. 2024-09-06T18:11+0000 2024-09-06T18:11+0000 2024-09-06T18:12+0000 analysis vladimir putin yuri trutnev anwar ibrahim russia pacific far east eef aukus business https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/05/1120029209_0:0:3126:1759_1920x0_80_0_0_7a8a04b386c28316451df8ceb98e4ea1.jpg 258 agreements worth a whopping 5.4 trillion rubles (over $59.7 billion) were signed at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week.The forum was attended by some 7,000 guests from 75 countries, from high-level officials and business people, to journalists and commentators, including numerous Sputnik contributors.Major new agreements included plans to build a large new chemical complex in Komi Republic, a new timber processing complex in Sakhalin, and measures to attract scientific and engineering talent in the framework of Russky Innovation Science and Technology Center under the auspices of the Far Eastern Federal University.Russian deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev pointed to an array of instructions made by President Putin at the forum aimed at speeding up regional development, from preferential mortgage loans to the expansion of the VEB.RF public-private partnership initiative, new resources for Far Eastern and Arctic cities, energy projects and measures to attract additional investment.Russia Ready to Help Build New International System Reflecting Interests of Global MajorityThe panel discussion, which included a conversation on security issues, the threat of terrorism, efforts by some countries to destabilize others, the Ukrainian crisis, the nuclear threat, energy security and other issues demonstrated that the forum was about economics, but also very related to security, Bakrie said.In general, the forum highlighted Russias commitment to taking relations with Asia-Pacific region to a new level, the observer said.The most important thing for the Asia-Pacific is technology and science, because we are a little bit weak on that position. In President Putins speech yesterday, he really underlined that Russia will play a very big part in building science and technology together [with Asian countries, ed.], especially in the nuclear aspect of energy security, Bakrie said.Last but not least, we have to be very powerful in the sea as well how to make ships, how to strengthen our navy, how to face the underwater war in the future. This is something that we in the Indo-Pacific, especially Indonesia, are looking forward to have relations and a deep connection with Russia, Bakrie emphasized.Bakrie was also impressed by the Russian Far East, saying it was her first time visiting the region, and that she was surprised that the Far Easts development is so advanced. I see that the development of the Far East is very serious, especially when President Putin mentioned that in the last ten years, 25,000 manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and education projects were built in that area.Brightest MomentsThe EEF showed off the beauty and diversity of the Russian Far East and its inhabitants, featuring an open-air exhibition celebrating the achievements, culture, customs, and cuisine of local peoples, and highlighting Russias plans to take advantage of its unique position to turn the Far East into a driver for economic growth from eastern Russia through the entire Asia-Pacific region. The latter effort included the Russia-ASEAN Business Dialogue.President Putins headlining speech naturally garnered the most attention, with the Russian leader highlighting the Far Easts position as a driver for growth and a key component of Moscows economic and geopolitical pivot to Asia and the Global South. Our Far Eastern regions provide a direct gateway to these promising and developing markets and allow us to overcome the barriers that some Western elites are trying to impose on the world, Putin said.The president commented on an array of other issues, from the Northern Sea Route to Ukraine, the future of AI in medicine, energy politics and even the US presidential campaign.Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also in attendance, highlighting Malaysias ambitions to join BRICS+ and touting the bloc as a key means for Global South nations to contain the onslaught of other richer industrialized countries.Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also spoke at the event, pointing to Chinas status as a leading trade partner and investor in the Russian Far East. We are ready, together with the Russian side and guided by key agreements reached at the highest level, to accelerate interconnectedness, both in cross-border infrastructure and the harmonization of rules and standards, to increase the scale and quality of cooperation, to strengthen the foundation for the long-term sustainable development of Sino-Russian relations in the new era, to contribute to ensuring prosperity and stability in the region and around the world, Han said.The development of the Russian Far East will be one of the great economic adventures of the 21st century, and one which will profit not only Russia, but a great part of Asia as well, veteran international affairs observer Pepe Escobar told Sputnik from the EEFs sidelines, highlighting its participants role in the creation of a new, multipolar world order. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/key-takeaways-from-president-putins-speech-at-eastern-economic-forum-1120038272.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/jewel-of-russias-economic-crown-how-the-far-east-can-become-21st-centurys-engine-of-growth-1120056944.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/brics-important-to-contain-onslaught-of-rich-industrial-states--malaysian-prime-minister-1120037929.html russia pacific far east Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International what did the eastern economic forum achieve, what was the eastern economic forum about https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/lrans-response-will-surely-come-as-israels-assault-on-west-bank-continues--1120050821.html lran's Response Will 'Surely' Come as Israel's Assault on West Bank Continues lran's Response Will 'Surely' Come as Israel's Assault on West Bank Continues Sputnik International Iran has not given up its threats to attack Israel for the assassination of the Hamas leader in Tehran, but its silence since the assassination has left onlookers feeling uneasy. 2024-09-06T03:41+0000 2024-09-06T03:41+0000 2024-09-06T04:36+0000 analysis middle east palestinians benjamin netanyahu west bank israel iran israel defense forces (idf) hamas ismail haniyeh https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/0b/0e/1081163985_0:71:3318:1937_1920x0_80_0_0_3172d4937f25c802f5ba69da643f7fb8.jpg Iran has not backed down from its promise to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, but its silence in recent weeks has left onlookers feeling uneasy. However, neither Hezbollah nor Israel want a full-scale war as it would upend normal life in their countries as well as Tehrans hopes for diplomacy, an observer told Sputnik last month.Yet Israel does not appear to be backing down from its assault on Palestinian territory quite the opposite. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly been conducting violent raids in the occupied West Bank for more than a week now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced his intentions to ignore mass protests and pleas for a ceasefire in Gaza that would allow for the return of hostages.Ehsan Safarnejad, an Iran-based journalist and geopolitical analyst, joined Sputniks The Backstory on Thursday and explained Irans position regarding Israel and its unwavering ally, the United States.The shows guest explained that the March of Arbaeen, which this year falls on August 25, is a major religious event in which Shias from different countries in the region, make pilgrimage to Iraq, the city of Karbala, and visit the mausoleum of Imam Hussein. He added that the group of those who would make the pilgrimage are the most likely to go on and enlist in an army or join an insurgent group in a possible full-on war between Iran and Israel, or the US. And based on statistics given by the Office of Caretakers of Imam Hussein's mausoleum, 21 million people visited the mausoleum of Imam Hussein, he added.Both of these things would have been considered as a sort of win for Iran. Obviously, this strategy worked and there was no civil war in Iraq. That scenario was prevented. And, in fact, they actually tried to cause unrest and a civil war within Iraq, but due to the vigilance of the Iraqi security officials and their Iranian counterparts, fortunately, these things were folded, the analyst added.Violent raids in the occupied West Bank have been occurring for more than a week, according to Sputnik and Al Jazeera. On Tuesday Sputnik reported that much of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) assaults have been focused on Jenin.As of Tuesday, power in Jenin has been cut off amid IDF raids and telecommunications services have been affected. Key infrastructure such as roads, water and sewage networks, and homes have also been destroyed by IDF soldiers. While the IDF has called their actions counterterrorism operations, Palestinians continue to maintain that these are attempts by Israel to push them out of their homes.Iran never rules out diplomatic approaches in order to reach a ceasefire or, you know, putting an end to war, Safarnejad added. [But] we don't really have the best experience dealing with the West. The West says something and then behaves in a completely different way. And all this talk about the ceasefire and some sort of agreements being reached, Iran is not going to sabotage those efforts.Since October, at least 685 Palestinians, including 157 children, have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported. It was reported on Thursday that at least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air attack in the West Bank city of Tubas and that Israeli soldiers killed a teenager in the Fara refugee camp. On Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the IDF were using lethal war-like tactics in the West Bank....apart from the fact that Iran doesn't want to start a war, but is also ready in order to respond to any action by the US, I think that there is also this ease of mind inside the Iran political class that they still consider US and its politicians as a semi-rational actors, that they understand that they have far too much to lose to gamble everything on Israel and the genocide it is carrying out within the region, the analyst added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240310/with-us-backing-israel-is-starving-22-million-palestinians-in-gaza-1117237324.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240904/no-plan-b-for-bibi-jewish-supremacist-state-claiming-to-be-democratic-is-a-contradiction--1120006908.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240827/us-defense-lobbyists-need-war-middle-east-regional-war-could-spiral-as-us-fails-to-intervene--1119917711.html west bank israel iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg iran, hamas, israel, tehran, us https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/russia-russia-russia-rerun-western-media-scrambles-to-resurrect-2016-meddling-hoax-1120055196.html Russia, Russia, Russia Rerun: Western Media Scrambles to Resurrect 2016 'Meddling' Hoax Russia, Russia, Russia Rerun: Western Media Scrambles to Resurrect 2016 'Meddling' Hoax Sputnik International Western media publications are zealously continuing to flog the Russian meddling in US election narrative. 2024-09-06T11:58+0000 2024-09-06T11:58+0000 2024-09-06T11:58+0000 world russia rt donald trump kremlin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/06/1120054711_0:167:3051:1883_1920x0_80_0_0_143b3dc509bc08727f3d92af8c8c310e.jpg Western media outlets are fervently perpetuating the narrative of "Russian meddling in the US election." As this fabricated story intensifies, marked by sanctions, indictments, and the seizure of web domains labeled as "influenced by the Kremlin" according to US officials, an increasing number of media sources are jumping on the bandwagon.The New York Times noted that American spy agencies have assessed that the Kremlin "favors" Donald Trump, and warned how the US was "caught flat-footed in 2016" over Russias alleged (and unproven) endeavors to influence American elections. ABC News said that the US was rushing to take aim at Russian disinformation just weeks ahead of the November elections. The Washington Post dove in for a closer look at what it described as a pro-Trump "supergroup" allegedly bankrolled by Russia. The six right-wing influencers involved are currently engaged in damage control, asserting on social media that if the allegations prove to be true, they should be regarded as "victims" of this supposed "plot."Forbes also threw its focus on Tenets talent roster of six influencers: Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Benny Johnson, Lauren Southern, Taylor Hansen and Matt Christiansen. Together, the content-creators boasted a cumulative YouTube subscriber count of 7.16 million, noted the outlet. Also, Germanys Die Welt ran with a headline that warned of deep fakes being spread by Moscow.Also, Germanys Die Welt ran with a headline that warned of deep fakes being spread by Moscow. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/doj-clampdown-on-russian-media-authoritarian-move-proving-us-empire-has-no-clothes-1120047290.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko why did us target russian media, what's behind us sanctions on russian media, what's behind department of justice crackdown on russian media, rt persecution, sputnik persecution, russia state media crackdown, us crackdown on alternative media, western free speech crackdown, us political persecution, scott ritter persecution, free press, witch hunt, american journalists, independent media, independent journalists, alternative media, mainstream media, biased government, russia today, russia government, russian interference, political interference https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/state-dept-says-urgently-gathering-info-about-death-of-us-citizen-in-west-bank-1120060989.html State Dept. Says Urgently Gathering Info About Death of US Citizen in West Bank State Dept. Says Urgently Gathering Info About Death of US Citizen in West Bank Sputnik International The US is urgently gathering information about the circumstances of the death of US citizen Aysrnur Egzi Eygi in the West Bank, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. 2024-09-06T19:42+0000 2024-09-06T19:42+0000 2024-09-06T19:42+0000 americas us matthew miller west bank state department israel defense forces (idf) israel https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/05/1092041608_0:105:1446:918_1920x0_80_0_0_934ae12de02b17d4ed3980c9be19c54a.jpg "We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysrnur Egzi Eygi, today in the West Bank. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more," the statement said. Earlier on Friday, the Wafa News Agency reported that Turkish American activist Ezgi Eygi was fatally shot in the head by the Israel Defense Forces while participating in a protest in the West Bank town of Beita against the illegal expansion of settlements.Ezgi Eygi, 26, was taken to the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where she died of her injuries, according to the report. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/lrans-response-will-surely-come-as-israels-assault-on-west-bank-continues--1120050821.html americas west bank israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us citizen aysrnur egzi eygi, aysrnur egzi eygi died, aysrnur egzi eygi where, what happened with aysrnur egzi eygi, idf us citizen https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/turkish-cypriot-leader-sees-growing-risks-from-use-of-cyprus-bases-by-uk-us-1120061803.html Turkish Cypriot Leader Sees Growing Risks From Use of Cyprus Bases by UK, US Turkish Cypriot Leader Sees Growing Risks From Use of Cyprus Bases by UK, US Sputnik International Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar told Sputnik the increasing use of Cyprus military bases by the UK and the US, particularly during the Gaza conflict, presents risks to the island in case of possible retaliation. 2024-09-06T20:06+0000 2024-09-06T20:06+0000 2024-09-06T20:05+0000 world united kingdom (uk) cyprus turkiye israel-gaza conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107920/93/1079209303_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_59a43ec917f024a7249874908f16560f.jpg After the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, the UK retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, leaving them beyond the reach of the republic. Amid Israel's war on Gaza, Cyprus has been facing backlash over the use of military bases by UK and US forces to strike the Houthis. Cyprus has denied any involvement in the conflict and said that the UK is not formally required to inform it about the use of the military installations. Nicosia instead highlights its role in international efforts to create a sea route for humanitarian aid to Gaza. "In southern Cyprus, they have two British sovereign bases. They are using those bases for their own military needs and for other reasons maybe," Tatar said. "They are using the British sovereign bases for every kind of reason with regard to Palestine and Gaza, it is a fact. Now we have further ships coming to park few miles away from British sovereign bases. So they are increasing - the Americans and the British and the others - are increasing their bases in South Cyprus. Therefore, in my mind, risks are increasing." Tatar noted that some groups in the Middle East, like Hezbollah, have warned of retaliation if Cyprus helps Israel in its ongoing military campaigns. Tatar also pointed to an increase in ships anchoring in Cyprus, and said there is a talk of building new ports and logistics for aircraft carriers. "They're using their facilities as logistics bases," Tatar said. When asked about possible consequences, Tatar replied, "I don't know, but we know for sure that these logistics bases have increased in their size, in their power, in every aspect. So we, Turkish Cypriots, have to be, obviously, very, very careful." Tatar further commented that the Cyprus issue, which has remained for decades, should not be the main priority for the United Nations at a moment when the world is grappling with more acute crises such as the ongoing war in Gaza.Cyprus has been de facto divided into Greek and Turkish territories since 1974. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 with Ankara's backing. It is recognized only by Turkiye. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240723/syprus-as-a-hub-for-military-bases--1119470888.html united kingdom (uk) cyprus turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International military bases in cyprus, how many military bases in cyprus, israel-gaza conflict https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/ukraine-govt-reshuffle-nothing-more-than-sham-political-reboot-1120051926.html Ukraine Gov't Reshuffle Nothing More Than Sham Political Reboot Ukraine Gov't Reshuffle Nothing More Than Sham Political Reboot Sputnik International Zelenskys cabinet reshuffle is just a sham reboot, political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko told Sputnik. 2024-09-06T09:55+0000 2024-09-06T09:55+0000 2024-09-06T11:01+0000 analysis ukraine russia volodymyr zelensky bogdan bezpalko https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/06/1120052329_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c775164f776c31637ba51318fdcb1f20.jpg Volodymyr Zelenskys Cabinet reshuffle is just a "sham" reboot, political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko told Sputnik.The previous politicians are no different from those who will replace them, he said.The shakeup has been tailored exclusively for the consumption of the undemanding American public, the member of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation speculated.In reality, US assistance is not so much taxes as money out of thin air, part of the Federal Reserves money-printing extravaganza, which is fueling the national debt, Bezpalko explained. Yet on the eve of the US elections, this sort of "financial reporting" by Zelensky can be used as an instrument of political influence on the American voter, the pundit noted.He speculated that by partially replacing the Cabinet, Zelensky is trying to pass off the Ukrainian political system as "democratic", despite a lack of overdue presidential or parliamentary elections.As for the US "concerns" about Ukraines corruption and their assistance being squandered, this is largely rhetoric, Bogdan Bezpalko believes.Ukraine's parliament approved Volodymyr Zelensky's reshuffle, with Andrii Sybiha appointed as foreign minister instead of Kuleba. Zelensky offered up a vague explanation for his massive Cabinet reshuffle. "We need new energy And these steps are related to strengthening our state in various areas," the expired leader of the Kiev regime stated. He also offered up some obscure hints regarding important events planned for autumn.In Bezpalkos opinion, Zelenskys steps were greenlit by his Western partners, since a major part of the Ukrainian political establishment performs its function purely nominally. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240904/ukraines-imf-paymasters-demand-currency-devaluation-toughened-tax-regime-as-kiev-drowns-in-debt-1120018809.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko what is behind zelensky's cabinet reshuffle, reshuffle in zelensky cabinet, zelensky planning reshuffle of cabinet, who resigned from ukraine's cabinet, has dmytro kuleba resigned, ukraine russia negotiation, ukraine conflict end game, end of russia ukraine war, ukraine russia peace talks, ukraine war progress, russia special military operation update, russian advance, russian forces, air superiority, ukraine losing, ukraine is losing, us arms for ukraine, russia is winning, russia winning, russia wins, ukraine retreats, russia advances, https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/vive-la-dmocratie-1120051023.html Vive la Democratie! Vive la Democratie! Sputnik International President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier, a right-wing politician who played a major role in the 2016 Brexit Task Force, as the new prime minister of France, on Thursday. In July, Macron accepted the resignation of Gabriel Attal following the president's electoral defeat. Attal was the country's youngest ever prime minister, and held the position for eight months. 2024-09-06T03:20+0000 2024-09-06T03:20+0000 2024-09-06T03:20+0000 france emmanuel macron europe michel barnier cartoons political cartoons world https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/05/1120048911_0:0:2000:1125_1920x0_80_0_0_8d884049dca9a5a30871d509f033786a.jpg President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier, a right-wing politician who played a major role in the 2016 Brexit Task Force, as the new prime minister of France Thursday. In July Macron accepted the resignation of Gabriel Attal following the president's electoral defeat. Attal was the country's youngest ever prime minister and held the position for eight months. Macron's decision is his effort to break a political stalemate that has grasped France since snap legislative elections which were held in July. In a statement which came from Macron's office the president said that "the new prime minister and his government will create the conditions for the greatest stability."Macron, 46, had failed to appoint a new prime minister for a record period of time following a narrow victory for the leftwing New Popular Front in July. Over 80 lawmakers called for Macron to step down in the following weeks after Macron decided to reject the New Popular Front's candidacy of Lucie Castets for prime minister, despite the coalition winning the most seats in July's elections. Castets had voiced her desire to create a political alliance that would allow roll backs on pension reforms and tax hikes for the "ultra rich".In March of last year Frances Senate passed a controversial reform bill to raise the retirement age for French citizens by two years. The Senate passed the bill by 195 votes to 112. Macrons decision to push through a bill that is extremely unpopular among voters for the alleged sake of the economy clearly went unforgiven during Julys election.Macron says the problem is the [New Popular Front] program. He feels threatened because he thinks were going to change everything he did and its true that is our intention. But were not saying we will be able to change everything because we will need to find an agreement on every issue and we are fully aware of this," Castets added.A study conducted by the French Observatory of Economic Conditions in 2020 found that those who have an unfavorable view of Macron believe him to be the "president of the rich". The author of the report said the losers of Macron's economic policy are among the "poorest, the unemployed, and the retired." https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/an-affront-to-the-democratic-will-macron-pushes-through-pm-pick-after-60-days-1120048204.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240319/macron-trying-to-go-backwards-to-days-of-imperial-france-1117419288.html france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg ted rall cartoon, ted rall france, ted rall macron, ted rall french election https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/zombie-volkswagen-consequence-of-years-of-foolish-german-government-policy-1120060138.html Zombie Volkswagen Consequence of Years of Foolish German Government Policy Zombie Volkswagen Consequence of Years of Foolish German Government Policy Sputnik International German automotive giant Volkswagen's announcement on possible unprecedented emergency measure is the result of years of foolhardy policy by Brussels and Berlin, Bundestag lawmaker Dirk Spaniel tells Sputnik. 2024-09-06T19:08+0000 2024-09-06T19:08+0000 2024-09-06T19:08+0000 analysis business europe china germany volkswagen european union (eu) alternative fuer deutschland (afd) bundestag https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/06/1120060293_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_a9d145413e4ef09876b8408fa4c713ce.jpg Volkswagen is considering plant closures, the termination of employee protections agreed with unions, and other cost-cutting measures to try to steer the car-making behemoth back to fiscal health amid high energy prices, increasingly stiff competition from China, and European Union-level policy which has robbed the company and other German carmakers of their competitive advantage.The possibility of plant closures on its home soil in Germany unprecedented for Volkswagen since its founding close to 90 years ago, comes amid an escalating trade spat between the European Union and China over Chinese electric vehicle imports, which have proven cheaper and more popular than their European counterparts.[If the] Chinese are not allowed to sell the cars in Germany or Europe, probably other products will be taxed in China. This will lead, especially for an exporter nation like Germany, to large drops of volumes of goods exported to China, which will affect the German market or German companies. For sure, this is a very bad way to wage a trade war with China, Spaniel, a member of the Alternative for Germany parliamentary faction and the partys spokesman for transport policy, said.Whats Behind European Car Industrys Decline?Building cars has been a long tradition in Germany, Spaniel stressed, noting that the countrys competitive advantage has long revolved around its ability to achieve full cycle production, from raw materials and parts to assembly plants churning out vehicles powered by traditional internal combustion engines.We have this huge amount of money which German automakers and suppliers invested over the last years in developing and putting electric vehicles on the market and they dont make any money out of this, the lawmaker said. All of this cost a lot of money and makes it impossible for the German auto industry to invest in actual production, in cost reduction.On top of that is the lingering fallout of the 15-20% market drop caused by Covid, high energy prices, and the fiscal crunch currently facing the German government, which has meant a halt to subsidies for EVs, and higher prices. As Berlin eyes a bailout for Volkswagen, the massive company is looking more and more like a zombie, Spaniel emphasized.In this environment, European automakers have no choice if they want to go electric. They want to go 100% electric, but will have a disadvantage co China. Thats why theyre putting up the idea of having [tariffs] on Chinese cars, which could virtually ban Chinese cars from the European market.For Germans, the closure of the countrys car factories and large-scale layoffs would be a disaster, Spaniel stressed, not only a disaster for the people there, but for all Germans, signaling that something big is going wrong in the German economy. And this is probably a true sign of how dysfunctional the government of Germany is operating, the AfD lawmaker summed up. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240903/volkswagen-eyes-plant-closures-in-germany-as-countrys-economy-sabotaged-by-us-1119992129.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231206/eu-overpaid-185-bln-for-gas-due-to-russia-sanctions--1115419103.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240821/china-hits-eu-with-dairy-subsidy-probe-after-blocs-cheesy-move-to-tariff-chinese-evs-1119864793.html china germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov what's wrong with volkswagen, why is europe's car industry in crisis, why can't europe compete with china on electric vehicles Leamington Raceway is excited to announce a special event this Sunday, Sept. 8, celebrating National Caretaker Appreciation Day and the return of Hall of Fame announcer Frank Salive to his hometown. The day promises to be a memorable occasion for racing fans and the local community. National Caretaker Appreciation Day honours the dedicated individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the success and excitement of harness racing each week. These unsung heroes play a crucial role in the care and preparation of the horses, and this event will acknowledge their hard work and dedication. In addition to National Caretaker Appreciation Day, Frank Salive, the legendary harness racing announcer known for his iconic velvet fog voice, will be making a special visit to Leamington Raceway. Salive, who is celebrated for his exceptional contributions to the sport, will be returning to his hometown to connect with fans and enhance the days festivities. It is estimated that Salive has called close to 200,000 horse races at 75 different racetracks throughout North America. His conversant, insightful calls and his silky-smooth voice made Salive well known in the horse racing community. One of Salives biggest achievements was being inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2022. Event highlights for Sunday include: National Caretaker Appreciation Day: A special tribute to the caretakers of harness racing, including prizes recognizing their valuable contributions. Live announcing by Frank Salive: Frank will take to the microphone to announce Races 2 through 6, bringing his renowned commentary style and expertise to the track. Meet and Greet: Following his race announcing, Salive will be available for a meet and greet with fans. This is a unique opportunity to meet the Hall of Famer, get autographs, and take photos. We are thrilled to celebrate Caretaker Day and welcome Frank Salive back to Leamington Raceway, said Nathan Bain, Track Announcer of Leamington Raceway. This event is a wonderful way to honour the hardworking caretakers who are essential to the sport and to reconnect with Frank, whose voice has become synonymous with harness racing. The 11-race card will kick off at 1 p.m. For those who cant attend, viewing is available on lakeshorehorseraceway.com. To view Sunday's entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Leamington Raceway. (Leamington Raceway) The second leg of the Pop-Up Series for pacing mares at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, Sept. 5 went out with a bang, as 41-1 shot Chelsis Choice connected for just her third win in the last 24 months. Sitting ninth and last for driver Tyler Borth at the three-quarter mark in the second $12,000 Pop-Up division, Chelsis Choice cruised past a group of weary frontrunners in the stretch and held off the late surge of Royal Tell (Travis Cullen) by half a length for the 1:53.1 upset. Stonebridge Drama (Austin Sorrie) rounded out the top trio. Ricky Montgomery trains Chelsis Choice (Big Jim - Justabitevil) for owner Chelsi Hughes of Etobicoke, Ont. The six-year-old mare notched her second win in 20 starts this year, and that's two more than she accrused in 2023 and double her win output (one) from 2022. In fact, that 2022 victory came nearly two years ago to the day Sept. 9, 2022, where she took her 1:51.4 lifetime mark at the same racetrack. With odds of 41-1, Chelsis Choice paid $84.10 to win and she added another $6,000 to her $158,559 in lifetime purses. The first Pop-Up division played out much differently, with Better B Donna N and Jonathan Drury scoring in wire-to-wire fashion. Clearing to the front from post six, Better B Donna N handled the hard work on top through fractions of :26.4, :56.2 and 1:24.4 before scooting home in :27.4 for the 1:52.3 tally. Ladysmith (Phil Hudon) was two lengths in arrears to take place honours, and Compassrose De Vie (Trevor Henry) snagged the show dough. Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont. owns Better Be Donna N (Betterthancheddar - Hip Pocket), who edged closer to the $600,000 mark in lifetime earnings with her 37th career victory. Carmen Auciello trains the 10-year-old, and she returned $6.30 on a $2 win wager. The Pop-Up Series featured distaffers with a minimum of 10 seasonal starts that were non-winners of $18,000 in 2024, or not averaging $1,400 per start this year. The $20,000 final is set for Thursday, Sept. 12. For the full results from Thursday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. (Standardbred Canada) As Rob Fellows contemplated how Saturdays $1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot might play out, he came to one conclusion. "Im glad Im a trainer and not a driver." Fellows will send out Canadas Logan Park in the International Trot, a 10-horse invitational to be contested at the distance of 1-1/4 miles on MGM Yonkers Raceways half-mile oval. Logan Park, the 2023 OBrien Award winner for best older male trotter in Canada, has hit the board in 16 of his past 17 races dating back to last year, winning 12. His only finish outside the top three during that span was a fourth in the Breeders Crown final. Logan Park will leave from post five in the International Trot, with Doug McNair in the sulky. The six-year-old gelding is 6-1 on the morning line. He enters the race off a third-place finish in the Maple Leaf Trot, which was won by Periculum. With 10 starters, eight will line up on the gate and two Get A Wish and Periculum will go from the second tier. Jiggy Jog S, a five-year-old mare who has won eight consecutive races since finishing second in last years International Trot, is the 5-2 morning-line favourite. She will leave from post four with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Ake Svanstedt. The second and third choices on the morning line, Italys Vernissage Grif and Swedens Hail Mary, will start from two of the least desirable spots, posts eight and seven, respectively. Both horses have earned in excess of $1.7 million (U.S.) in their careers. Vernissage Grif, who is 7-2, will be driven by trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro, the conditioner of last years International Trot champ Vivid Wise As. Vernissage Grif, a 10-year-old stallion, has won multiple Group 1 races in his career, including this seasons Gran Criterium de Vitesse in France in 1:49.3. Eight-year-old stallion Hail Mary, another multiple Group 1 winner, is 9-2 and will have Orjan Kihlstrom in the sulky for trainer Daniel Reden. Nobody knows the horses much from Europe, Fellows said. Obviously, we know Jiggy Jog. Periculum, who just went two nice easy trips (to win his Maple Leaf Trot elimination and the final), his form is good right now. Hes got one of the best money drivers out there in Scott Zeron, so you know hes going to be looming very close. Then youve got some of the other favoured horses outside of you. Its going to be I dont know what its going to be. With two trailers, if you leave hard at a mile and a quarter, youre not going to have much left. If you take back, there is a lot of traffic. Our horses arent used to racing two and three wide the whole mile, where the Europeans are, but at slower fractions. They dont mind floating out and sitting outside the whole mile. It will be an intriguing race. Logan Park, a son of Archangel-Rite Outa The Park, has won 31 of 75 career races and earned more than $1.35 million. His top win this season came in the Earl Rowe Memorial Trot at Georgian Downs in August. Last year, he trotted 1:50.3 on three occasions, missing the time for the fastest-ever mile in Canada by just one-fifth of a second. Hes a beautiful horse, said Fellows, who helps trains Logan Park with son Kyle for owners Outofthepark Stable, Reg Higgs, and Arpad Szabo. Hes a good horse. You wish you could have a barnful of them, but they come along once in a lifetime if youre lucky. Logan Park competed on International Trot Day at Yonkers in 2023, finishing seventh in the Bob Miecuna Invitational after starting from post eight in a 10-horse field going 1-1/4 miles. This Saturday, he will get to try his luck in the afternoons main event. You just want it to be a safe trip for everybody, Fellows said. After that, you hope its competitive. And of course: Go, Canada, go. The MGM Yonkers International Trot is race five on the 11-race program and has an estimated post of 2 p.m. (EDT). The full field, with country represented plus listed driver, trainer and morning line, is listed below. $1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds 1. Eclat De Gloire (France) - Loris Garcia - Loris Garcia - 20-1 2. Ideal San Leandro (France) - Bjorn Goop - Richard Westerink - 20-1 3. Castor The Star (Sweden) - Mats Djuse - Jorgen Westholm - 10-1 4. Jiggy Jog S (Sweden) Dexter Dunn - Ake Svanstedt - 5-2 5. Logan Park (Canada) - Doug McNair - Rob Fellows - 6-1 6. Its Academic (USA) - David Miller - Ron Burke - 8-1 7. Hail Mary (Sweden) - Orjan Kihlstrom - Daniel Reden - 9-2 8. Vernissage Grif (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro - 7-2 9.] Get A Wish (Denmark) - Johan Untersteiner - Johan Untersteiner - 15-1 10.] Periculum (USA) - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander - 5-1 (USTA) Hiawatha Horse Park will host the final stop of the Ontario Sires Stakes 50th Anniversary celebration tour on Saturday, Sept. 7. The 11-race card will be highlighted by three $20,000 OSS Grassroots Series divisions for two-year-old filly trotters. Of note for Saturdays card, there will be a driver who will be competing in all 11 races: Garrett Rooney. Based in Iona, Ont., Rooney drives horses at many local tracks nearby, including Hiawatha Horse Park, just an hour away. With three Grassroots divisions to compete in, Rooney is looking forward to Saturdays card. I like it when some of the Sires Stakes come to Hiawatha or Sarnia or Dresden, and places like that, and I can get the opportunity to drive some stakes horses because I wouldnt get the opportunity otherwise, said Rooney. The Grassroots Series divisions on Saturday are scheduled for Races 2, 5 and 7. As luck would have it, Rooney is getting the opportunity to drive a couple of 2-1 morning line favourites in Muscle Mass daughters Incantation and Eartha K in Races 2 and 5. I always seem to have luck [at Hiawatha] and I always seem to have a good run, said Rooney, who is the 2024 meet-leading driver with 52 wins, more than double his nearest competitor. Incantation, who boasts a Grand Circuit stakes win in the Tompkin-Geers at Woodbine Mohawk Park in late June, is being trained by Jeff Williams. He is a homebred of the late Bob McIntosh of Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. from Windsor, Ont. and is co-owned by Tyrone Valley Farm of Bowmanville, Ont. Eartha K, a maiden filly who has hit the board in three prior Grassroots legs, is being trained by Stephen Bossence for owners Derek Reid of Etobicoke, Ont., Dr. Robert Boyce of London, Ont., Richard Thompson of London, Ont., and E C S Racing of Rockford, Michigan. She was bred by Robert and Joan Boyce. In the final Grassroots division of the night, Rooney will be in the sulky behind three-time starter Princess Dream, another Muscle Mass daughter but listed as 8-1 on the morning line. After a recent conversation Rooney had with Princess Dream trainer Dominic Gladu, however, hes feeling confident the rookie filly has more to give than shes shown so far in her young career. I did talk to Dominic Gladu last night and he really liked her training down, but she got injured in the stall, which kind of put her behind, explained Rooney. But he thinks that shes starting to catch up and getting tightened up now, and he thinks shell be OK. Princess Dream is owned by Thestable Princess Dream of Guelph, Ont. and Hutchison Harness of North Ridgeville, Ohio. She was bred by Warrawee Farm of Rockwood, Ont. In advance of Saturdays celebrations, noted Canadian harness racing writer and historian Robert Smith wrote a brief history of Hiawatha Horse Park that you can read by clicking here. Post time for Saturday at Hiawatha is 6:30 p.m. Live streaming of the races is available on the Hiawatha Horse Park Youtube channel and HPIbet. To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Hiawatha Horse Park. (With files from Ontario Racing) The Julian Price House, a mansion made known to millions by the television show "Hoarders," is now up for sale in Greensboro. Owners Michael and Eric Fuko-Rizzo have listed it for $5.25 million. "The next person will make their own story," Realtor Kay Chesnutt said. The eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom house sits on 1.6 acres at 301 Fisher Park Circle in a leafy neighborhood on the northern edge of Greensboro's downtown. The house, sometimes known as Hillside, was designed by architect Charles Hartmann for Price, the president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. According to Chesnutt, former owner Sandra Cowart and the group Preservation Greensboro worked together to get the Julian Price House listed by North Carolina as a site of statewide significance. Chesnutt said the designation protects it from demolition. In 2017, the A&E television series aired a two-hour special dedicated to the clean-up of the inside of the house, which had been packed with objects accumulated by Cowart, including items for her interior design business. I was going to get it back to normal, but I didnt get that chance, Cowart told the News & Record in 2017, just before the episode aired. The Fuko-Rizzos purchased the home in September 2016 from Bank of America, after the bank foreclosed on Cowart. The bank sold the home to the Fuko-Rizzos for $415,000, Michael Fuko-Rizzo said then. The property was valued at about $1 million for tax purposes at the time, but a historic-value tax break cut the tax value in half. ; That same year, the Fuko-Rizzos won a court case that allowed them to run a bed-and-breakfast out of the home, overruling a prior decision by the city zoning commission. The property was assessed at about $2.1 million in 2023, according to home facts updated by county records on the real estate website Trulia.com. The Julian Price House is still listed on Air B&B, with options to reserve a single room or the entire main residence. Chesnutt said the couple has been living in the servant quarters with their young twin daughters in order to rent out the rest of the property. She said, however, that as the daughters have grown older, they have been wanting their own space, and the loft area on the third floor is no longer a good fit for the girls. "It wasn't an easy decision," she said, but added that the couple are looking forward to moving to another home, "so they can have a family life." The Julian Price House, she said, would work well either as an inn or as a family home, depending on the preferences of the buyer. "This is a very unique property; you couldn't build it again," she said. "Just the flow, the light; every room is framed with windows." The Fuko-Rizzos, she said, have done a beautiful job with their restoration. "They've taken this way beyond whatever anyone ever thought this home could come back to," she said. "It's just grand." Photos: Take a look at Julian Price house of 'Hoarders' fame Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house Julian Price house -- HIDE VERTICAL GALLERY ASSET TITLES -- The Cowlitz Economic Development Council will be partnering with Impact Washington on Tuesday to present a workshop on the principles of lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing aims to reduce times within production systems as well as response times from suppliers and customers. The workshop will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cowlitz County Event Center. Attendance is free. The workshop is targeted at leaders within operational manufacturing businesses, according to press release from the council. The event will focus on methods of improving sustainability and applying lean manufacturing principles to improve work environment, as well as classroom and real-time simulations of methods to apply those principles to organizations. Complimentary breakfast and lunch will also be provided for all participants. The event is limited to just 12 participants, with a maximum of two per company. If a company wishes to send additional attendees, contact Lindsey Cope at cope@cowlitzedc.com. Space is limited. To secure a space, sign up at https://cope917538.typeform.com/lean101 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: ASML produces cutting-edge machines used to make semiconductors. The Dutch government announced Friday broader restrictions on exports of semiconductor-making machines produced by sector heavyweight ASML, aligning itself with US curbs on technology at the center of trade tensions with China. The measure, which will take effect on Saturday means ASML will be able to apply for export licenses directly with the Dutch authorities instead of the US government to export the equipment outside the European Union. The Netherlands had previously not applied restrictions on certain equipment that was under US export controls, forcing the Dutch company to request licenses from US authorities. "I've made this decision for reasons of security," foreign trade minister Reinette Klever said in a statement on the measure. "We see that technological advances have given rise to increased security risks associated with the export of this specific manufacturing equipment, especially in the current geopolitical context," Klever said, without directly mentioning China. The new restrictions will apply to "more types of equipment" on top of curbs that have been in force since September 2023, the government said. ASML said in a statement that the measure "will harmonize the approach for issuing export licenses". "Since this is a technical change, this announcement is not expected to have any impact on our financial outlook for 2024 or for our longer-term scenarios," the company said. Shares in ASML were down 1.5 percent in early afternoon trading on the Amsterdam stock exchange. The Netherlands and Japan have previously joined the United States in imposing certain export restrictions on advanced chip-making equipment aimed at preventing China from acquiring sensitive inputs that could be used in cutting-edge weapons and tech such as AI. Responding to the latest measures, the Chinese foreign ministry said, "China has always been opposed to this wrong practice of politicizing normal economic and trade relations and abusively linking them to issues of national security." "Trying to set up a technological blockade against China and artificially disrupt the stability of global production and supply chains will only lead to damage to its own interests," it said in a statement to AFP. The ministry added that China would "closely follow" developments and "resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests". 'Unique' position The Dutch government said Friday the equipment can be used to produce advanced semiconductors which "in turn play a key role in advanced military applications." "Thus, the uncontrolled export of this type of manufacturing equipment has implications for the Netherlands' security interests," the statement said. ASML said the updated license requirement will apply to its TWINSCAN NXT:1970i and 1980i DUV (deep ultraviolet) immersion lithography systems, which print the tiny elements of a microchip. Dutch export licenses already existed for other types of DUV systems as well as its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are used to make more advanced semiconductors. The government said Friday it would "assess applications on a case-by-case basis, so this is not an export ban". The Netherlands has a unique, leading position in this area. This entails certain responsibilities, which we take seriously," Klever said. "We have proceeded in a careful and targeted manner, so as to minimize the disruption to global trade flows and value chains," she said. The move comes a day after the United States tightened its own restrictions on certain technology. The US Commerce Department said Thursday it was implementing worldwide export curbs on specific types of items such as quantum computers and machines needed to make advanced semiconductor devices. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Inspections found defective engine fuel lines requiring replacement on 15 of Cathay's A350s powered by Rolls-Royce engines, forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights in Asia. Europe's aviation safety agency said Thursday it will require inspection of part of the fleet of Airbus A350 wide-body jets in operation after an engine fire on a Cathay Pacific flight. Rolls-Royce, which makes the engines on Cathay's A350s, confirmed it was launching "a one-time precautionary engine inspection program" and was "working very closely" with the EU agency. Hong Kong-based Cathay, one of the largest operators of the long-haul A350 jetliner, grounded 48 planes for checks on Monday after a Zurich-bound flight had to return to the city shortly after take-off. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said Thursday that the A350-1000 aircraft suffered an engine failure due to a high pressure fuel hose failing. EASA said there was an "in-flight engine fire shortly after take-off", which was "promptly detected and extinguished". The agency said the incident was the subject of a safety investigation led by the Air Accident Investigation Authority of Hong Kong (AAIA). In its emergency directive addressed to airlines, the EASA mandated inspections on A350-1000s which are powered by XWB-97 engines. There are 86 such planes in service worldwide, according to the EASA. The move does not affect the A350-900 model, of which there are 526 planes in operation according to Airbus figures from July. The inspections, to check for damage of fuel hose connections inside engines, "need to take place over the next 3-30 days" according to an EASA statement. "This action is a precautionary measure," executive director Florian Guillermet said. The agency said earlier Thursday that the directive would only apply to European airlines that fly the aircraft, with regulators in other countries fre to decide whether or not to enforce it. Rolls-Royce engine inspections The Cathay incident prompted other airlines in the region to carry out similar checks on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engines, respectively. Rolls-Royce said Thursday it was launching "a one-time precautionary engine inspection program" which may apply "to a portion of the A350 fleet". A source told AFP that Airbus and Rolls-Royce have told airlines that only A350-1000s powered by XWB-97 engines are concerned by the problem. Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The first A350 was delivered to Qatar Airways at the end of 2014. Since the end of the production of the jumbo A380, the A350 is Airbus's largest aircraft. The largest version, the 1000, can carry nearly 500 passengers. The A350-1000 can travel more than 16,000 kilometers (nearly 10,000 miles) in one hop. That will be pushed to nearly 18,000 km in the "Sunrise" version ordered by Australian airline Qantas to fly directly between Sydney and London. A competitor to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, more than 1,300 A350s have been ordered. Airbus figures from the end of July show 613 have been delivered to airlines. Qatar Airways is the biggest operator of the 1000 version, with 24 in its fleet, followed by Cathay Pacific and British Airways, which both operate 18. Cathay, which cancelled 90 flights after the Monday incident, said Wednesday it expects to resume full operations on Saturday after having already fixed six of the 15 airplanes it found needed to have fuel lines replaced. Emirates airlines CEO Tim Clark expressed concern last year about the durability of the Trent XWB-97 engines, prompting Rolls-Royce to indicate it would work to boost their performance. Shares in Airbus shed 1.2 percent in late afternoon trading while the Paris CAC 40 index was 0.6 percent lower. Rolls-Royce shares fell 1.4 percent while London's FTSE 100 index was off 0.1 percent. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Google's future as provider of the world's most dominant search engine rests in the hands of a federal court judge who last month ruled the company has a monopoly on internet search. In a hearing in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Amit Mehta will start to strip Google of its monopoly power after previously finding Google's distribution deals with companies that make Google the default search engine on devices, including Apple, violated federal antitrust law. Federal government lawsuits against Silicon Valley's top three technology titans and Seattle-based Amazon, which all amassed colossal market dominance and riches with little pushback from authorities, signal a shift toward bipartisan and public mistrust of the role the companies play in society and the U.S. economy. UC Berkeley law school adjunct professor and professional mediator Christopher Hockett, an antitrust expert who has closely followed the Google search case, answered questions in an interview last month about the Google search lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department, and how it fits with the other court actions. Q: What would search would look like if Google had competition? A: Google has had a very high and very stable market sharesince 2009 it's been over 80% in general search service. The assumption behind Judge Mehta's ruling is the world would be better. Q: Why did this lawsuit come about after years of Google's dominance in search? A: This case was brought in the waning months of the Trump administration, in October 2020. It kind of underlines the bipartisan interest in prosecuting these claims against at least Google if not the whole Big Tech world. On the left, there's hostility toward the tech companies because they're led by tech moguls who have lots of money and seem to act with impunity, and at least according to that view, they are presiding over monopolies that don't have consumers' interests at heart. On the right, the political narrative is that Big Tech players, especially social media players, are biased against conservative points of view and they're censoring them. Although the services of most of these companies remain extremely popular, the companies and the people that run them are, with the public, somewhat less popular. Q: Do the Justice Department's antitrust cases against Googleover search and ads, and Apple over smartphones, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust cases against Amazon over e-commerce and Meta over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsAppall signal a backlash against Big Tech? A: At a broad level, yes. It's particularly salient in the case of social media companies where there's a souring public mood about their effects on society and how we get along with each other. But (the cases) are all going to run into antitrust precedent that is not particularly friendly to monopolization claims. The Supreme Court in particular has been very trusting of the market process in correcting any mistakes in under-enforcement of monopolization. Q: What will happen Friday in the first hearing on remedies to Google's monopoly? A: I'd be surprised if (Mehta) got into the ideas for remedies substantively. He's going to set out a schedule for the parties to weigh in on. Q: What are Mehta's options for remedies? A: There's been a lot of talk about a breakup of some kind. We'll see soon, probably, whether that is something the judge is interested in and why. It could be divesting the Android operating systemhe could say, "You need to sell that off, or split it off somehow"or (divesting) Chrome or Google's web indexing capacity. The judge found a problem with Google's distribution agreements and it seems like it would be more straightforward to address those with . . . an injunction that says, "You can't pay for default status." Q: What's the process after Friday? A: The Justice Department (will) come forward with remedies that it thinks are in order, then Google will respond. I would assume it would take several months. Q: How long will it take for Mehta to issue an order intended to end Google's monopoly? A: My guess is a month or two. He'll take as long as he needs because it's an important case. Q: Do you expect Google to appeal? A: Yes. They won't argue everythingit won't be a kitchen-sink thing. One of the things they argued in the case is that there was competition for the Apple default because Apple would open up that opportunity to providers like Google and Bing. Google got that opportunity because it offered the highest prices. I assume that that argument is going to be reiterated on appeal. This is a situation that raises the question, "Can you be liable for monopolization when 90% of users want your product because it's the best product, and the device makers want your product?" If Judge Mehta orders remedies that (Google) doesn't want to live with before the appeal, it will ask Judge Mehta to suspend the imposition of remedies. If he says no, they will ask the court of appeal for the same thing. Q: How long would the appeal to the D.C. Circuit take, and could it go to the U.S. Supreme Court? A: A year, probably. Then the D.C. circuit will take whatever time it takes. This kind of case is not guaranteed to get to the Supreme Court because they have a discretionary appeal system (but) it seems likely that unless they resolve the case by settlement while the proceedings are pending that it would go to the Supreme Court. They could reach an agreement on remedy at any point in these proceedings. Q: If the case goes to the Supreme Court, when do you think a ruling would be issued? A: Between two and three years from now. 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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 EU said no mandatory inspections were needed 'at this stage' for Rolls-Royce engines installed on Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Malaysia Airlines said on Friday it had found a "potential issue" with the engine of an Airbus A350-900 aircraft in its fleet but added that it had been resolved. The issue comes after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency directive to airlines ordering mandated inspections on A350-1000s which are powered by XWB-97 engines made by Rolls-Royce. The checks were prompted by an "in-flight engine fire" on one of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific's Zurich-bound flights. Malaysia Airlines' fleet of A350-900 planes "recently underwent a precautionary inspection, during which a potential issue with high-pressure fuel hoses on one aircraft was identified," the carrier said in a statement. "This finding was swiftly resolved, and the aircraft has been fully cleared for service in accordance with stringent maintenance protocols," it added. On Friday, following the incident, EASA said extending its compulsory engine inspections to include the XWB-84 engines found on the Malaysia Airlines Airbus A350-900 is "not warranted at this stage". The Cathay incident prompted other airlines in the region to carry out similar checks on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engines, respectively. The EASA said Thursday that Cathay's A350-1000 aircraft suffered an engine failure due to a high-pressure fuel hose failing. It added that there was an "in-flight engine fire shortly after take-off", which was "promptly detected and extinguished". The EASA said the XWB-84 engines "are similar but differ in design and service history" to the XWB-97. Airbus on Friday said the EASA directive "clearly limits these (checks) to the Trent XWB-97 engine and says inspections on the Trent XWB-84 are not warranted based on current available information". Contacted by AFP, the European regulator said there was no justification "at this stage" for extending the inspections to the A350-900, which accounts for the vast majority of A350s in service: 530, according to Airbus figures published on Friday. The Airbus issues come as its US rival Boeing has strived to overcome concerns about safety and quality control problems in recent years. 'Precautionary inspection' A spokesperson for Malaysia Airlines told AFP that the carrier has seven A350-900s with Trent XWB-84 engines, all of which have been inspected. "Safety and reliability are central to our operations, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring the highest standards of care for our passengers and crew," the airline said in its statement. Rolls-Royce said Thursday it was launching "a one-time precautionary engine inspection program" which may apply "to a portion of the A350 fleet". The first A350 was delivered to Qatar Airways at the end of 2014. Since the end of the production of the jumbo A380, the A350 is Airbus's largest aircraft. A total of 87 A350-1000 aircraft are currently in service worldwide. A competitor to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 1,330 A350s have been ordered, of which 617 have been delivered, according to data from the end of August. The largest version, the 1000, can carry nearly 500 passengers and travel more than 16,000 kilometers (nearly 10,000 miles) in one hop. That will be pushed to nearly 18,000 km in the "Sunrise" version ordered by Australian airline Qantas to fly directly between Sydney and London. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The design of the experiments that allowed Forner Cuenca's team to literally look inside the flow battery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the invention of X-ray imaging provided a leap of knowledge in medical science. Since then, we can see how our body's bones work, bringing numerous new treatments to light. Now, a similar approach using neutron imaging makes it possible to visualize the internal functioning of redox flow batteriesa type of battery mainly used for large-scale storage in solar and wind energy systems. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. Being able to see inside these batteries offers new possibilities for improving them. An international collaborationbetween TU/e, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland (PSI)led by TU/e researcher Antoni Forner-Cuenca, developed this new method using neutron imaging. The breakthrough provides extraordinary moving images that help us understand redox flow batteries' inner workings. Curiosity-driven research across disciplines More importantly, the images provide inspiration and guidelines for new ideas and solutions. More directly, the method can aid the development of redox flow batteries, although the new imaging technique devised by Forner Cuenca's team may also help other scientific disciplines move forward. "Our method is the result of experimenting on and borrowing from different fields. It is an exciting example of the importance of curiosity-driven research across disciplines." Neutron radiography plays a crucial role in the research, entitled "Quantifying concentration distributions in redox flow batteries with neutron radiography." Forner Cuenca learned a lot about this imaging technique during his Ph.D. training, which started in 2013 at the PSI. Then, in 2017, he performed postdoctoral research at MIT, where he learned about redox flow batteries. That's when the light bulb went on in his head. Credit: Eindhoven University of Technology System remained a black box "Inside the flow battery, there are moving fluidsthe so-called electrolytes. An electrical current flows through the cell when the battery runs in charge or discharge. Consequently, ions and redox molecules in the electrolyte start to move in different directions, resulting in changes in the concentration of molecules. "That movement determines the battery's performance and durability, but to date, the system has remained a black box. The ability to look inside a working battery and visualize concentration distributions would enormously improve our understanding of the system." So a key factor in how that battery works remained uncharted territory, which got Forner Cuenca thinking. "Our bodies are also mostly composed of fluids, namely water. X-rays pass through that and interact with heavier elements in your bones, allowing you to see them without cutting open a body. "Neutrons work the opposite way: they pass through the battery casing materials easily but interact strongly with the molecules in the liquid electrolytes." A new application of existing science "Using this fundamental property of neutrons interacting with certain molecules, we are using neutron radiography for the first time to look at concentrations of molecules in flow batteries." A new application of existing science, in other words. "That technique itself is not new; it is already used by museums, for example, to see what historical objects are made of without damaging them. But now we can also use it to visualize moving fluids, as in redox flow batteries." The method used by Forner-Cuenca and his team is still much more laborious than X-ray photography, though, and similar to stop-motion animation. "To track in real time how the concentration of liquids changes in the battery, we continuously take pictures every 30 seconds of the collection of neutrons that travels through the battery. We piece those pictures together, so to speak, providing us with a video that shows how the concentration changes during battery operation." Illustration of the neutron radiography approach showing the neutron imaging set-ups and cell components. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50120-7 Measuring for 24 hours in 10 day shifts These experiments were conducted at the neutron source of the PSI. A collaborative team of three Ph.D. students was in charge of the experiments with Forner-CuencaRemy Jacquemond, Maxime van der Heijden, and Emre Boz, who are now successfully graduated doctors. Since the experiments were intense, the team measured for 24 hours in various shifts for around 10 days to maximize productivity. "Having the opportunity to use neutrons is an extraordinary experience; we only get to use equipment like that once every two years, on average. The PSI (the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, where the experiments took place, ed.) has an annual international experiment competition ranked by importance. We have been privileged to perform four successful experiments." "In terms of effort and expertise, this project was challenging, and having three Ph.D. students collaborating was essential for its success. I am very proud of these three colleagues, who worked hard and collaborated as a true team. It shows the strong value of working in teams, both in our research team and with international collaborators at PSI and MIT." Plenty of areas for improvement According to Forner Cuenca, visualizing fluid action in Redox flow batteries is important for several reasons. "Of course, understanding processes occurring inside the battery means that we can develop better-performing systems that work more efficiently and have longer lifetimes. "Therefore, since they are mainly used to store renewable energy from solar and wind, we hope to contribute to the energy transition." There are still plenty of areas for improvement, as Forner Cuenca explained in this earlier article on our website. However, as with any new technology, it also offers other possibilities in the future. "For example, chemical reactors are used to make all kinds of products such as plastics, cosmetics, and medicines. Since our method enables visualization of organic molecules in a solution, we anticipate that other industrial applications can benefit from our imaging technique." These new insights may, in turn, lead to completely different methods or ideas. "That's what excites me the most: fueling curiosity. After all, this is how we developed this new methodology. Collaborative research and curiosity-driven ideas are two critical elements of scientific discoveries. Supported by an ERC grant that embraces blue-sky projects, we were able to develop this method and we have many new ideas to pursue in the future." More information: Remy Richard Jacquemond et al, Quantifying concentration distributions in redox flow batteries with neutron radiography, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50120-7 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: Founder and chief executive Pavel Durov lashed out at claims that 'Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise' Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov on Friday announced a range of new features aimed at combating illicit content, bots and scammers, a week after he was arrested and charged by French authorities over violations on the messaging app. Durov had on Thursday broken his silence with his first public comments following his arrest, which he slammed as "misguided" and "surprising". But he had also acknowledged that Telegram was "not perfect" and would take more action against illegal content which he argues comes from a tiny proportion of its 950 million users. "While 99.999 percent of Telegram users have nothing to do with crime, the 0.001 percent involved in illicit activities create a bad image for the entire platform, putting the interests of our almost billion users at risk," he wrote in his new statement on Telegram Friday. "That's why this year we are committed to turn moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise," he added. Durov said Telegram had removed the "people nearby" feature, which allowed users to locate other Telegram users but he said "was used by less than 0.1 percent of Telegram users, but had issues with bots and scammers." In its place, Telegram is launching "businesses nearby" to showcase "legitimate, verified businesses." He said Telegram had also disabled new media uploads to Telegraph, its standalone blogging tool, "which seems to have been misused by anonymous actors", he said. Following four days of detention, Durov, 39, was charged on several counts of failing to curb extremist and illegal content on Telegram. He had been arrested August 24 at Le Bourget airport outside Paris after arriving aboard a private jet and was questioned in the subsequent days by investigators. Durov was granted bail of five million euros ($5.5 million) on the condition that he must report to a police station twice a week as well as remain in France. On Thursday, he defiantly said that France was wrong to hold him accountable for "crimes committed by third parties on the platform". An enigmatic figure who rarely speaks in public, Durov is a citizen of Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based. Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion, though he proudly promotes the virtues of an ascetic life that includes ice baths and not drinking alcohol or coffee. 2024 AFP Shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Get Free Report) traded up 0.4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $72.80 and last traded at $72.77. 2,803,898 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 13,013,192 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.47. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently commented on the company. TD Cowen raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Argus raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Coca-Cola in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They issued an outperform rating and a $72.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $70.73. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on KO Coca-Cola Stock Performance The company has a market capitalization of $306.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $67.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.41. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 43.62% and a net margin of 22.92%. The company had revenue of $12.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.78 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.78 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year. Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.485 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.73%. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.60%. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 19,304 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.44, for a total value of $1,224,645.76. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $14,168,055.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Cola Co Coca sold 598,619 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $925.00, for a total value 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 19,304 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.44, for a total value of $1,224,645.76. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 223,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,168,055.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,074,910 shares of company stock worth $585,972,318. 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Coca-Cola A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 2.2% in the second quarter. Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,871 shares of the companys stock valued at $437,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.6% in the second quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,824 shares of the companys stock valued at $630,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 4.4% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the companys stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the companys stock. About Coca-Cola (Get 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators decreased its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,714 shares of the retailers stock after selling 897 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.7% of Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators holdings in Walmart were worth $1,538,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart by 199.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 411,745,334 shares of the retailers stock worth $24,774,717,000 after acquiring an additional 274,229,968 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Walmart by 181.0% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 56,861,234 shares of the retailers stock worth $3,421,342,000 after purchasing an additional 36,625,314 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,674,652,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 183.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 29,172,985 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,755,339,000 after buying an additional 18,865,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 187.4% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 13,303,200 shares of the retailers stock valued at $800,454,000 after buying an additional 8,674,100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the companys stock. Get Walmart alerts: Walmart Price Performance WMT traded down $0.06 on Thursday, hitting $77.18. 628,324 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,355,750. The firm has a market capitalization of $620.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.99, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.22. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $49.85 and a 12 month high of $77.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $71.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.16. Insiders Place Their Bets Walmart ( NYSE:WMT Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $169.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $168.56 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.44 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total value of $207,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,787,946.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total transaction of $1,991,790.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,960,402 shares in the company, valued at approximately $270,851,892.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total transaction of $207,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,787,946.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,306,511 shares of company stock worth $420,470,807 over the last three months. Insiders own 45.58% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Roth Mkm upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $71.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Tigress Financial lifted their price target on Walmart from $75.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Walmart from $64.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-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 currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.99. View Our Latest Report on Walmart About Walmart (Free Report) Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Entourage Health Corp. (CVE:ENTG Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as C$0.01 and last traded at C$0.02, with a volume of 20654 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02. Entourage Health Price Performance The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$0.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$0.01. The company has a market cap of C$3.08 million, a P/E ratio of -0.07 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2,914.72, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.14. About Entourage Health (Get Free Report) Entourage Health Corp. engages in the production and distribution of cannabis products for medical and adult-use markets in Canada. It offers cannabis plants, dried flower, pre-rolls, soft chews, chewing gum, cannabis oils, capsules, topicals and vapes, extracts, and edibles. The company sells its products under the Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis, Starseed Medicinal, Syndicate Cannabis, Mary's Medicinals, and Irwin Naturals brand names. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Entourage Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entourage Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fortis Inc. (TSE:FTS Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$60.42 and last traded at C$60.39, with a volume of 2975135 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$59.30. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have commented on FTS. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Fortis from C$61.00 to C$62.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Fortis from C$59.00 to C$61.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Fortis from C$56.00 to C$63.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Fortis from C$59.00 to C$61.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Fortis from C$56.00 to C$59.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Fortis has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$59.10. Get Fortis alerts: Get Our Latest Report on FTS Fortis Stock Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 128.59. The stock has a market cap of C$30.27 billion, a PE ratio of 19.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.22. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$57.22 and its 200-day moving average price is C$54.95. Fortis (TSE:FTS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported C$0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.65 by C$0.02. Fortis had a net margin of 14.35% and a return on equity of 7.44%. The business had revenue of C$2.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.71 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Fortis Inc. will post 3.2439825 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Fortis Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, September 1st were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.86%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 20th. Fortiss dividend payout ratio is currently 73.98%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Senior Officer James Reid sold 19,972 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$59.46, for a total transaction of C$1,187,493.18. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the companys stock. About Fortis (Get Free Report) Fortis Inc operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 447,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 103,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,408 megawatts (MW), including 68 MW of solar capacity and 250 MV of wind capacity. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Fortis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fortis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JUBA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing flooding has affected more than 710,000 people across 30 of 78 counties in South Sudan and the Abyei Administrative Area, the UN relief agency said on Thursday. Floods caused by heavy rains that began in May have worsened an already critical humanitarian situation marked by severe food insecurity, economic decline, continued conflict, disease outbreaks and the repercussions of the Sudan conflict, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Since May, floods have caused extensive damage to homes, crops and critical infrastructure, disrupting education and health services and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks," the agency said in its Flash Update released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. On Aug. 29, the UN agency projected that at the peak of the rainy season, between September and October, flooding could impact up to 3.3 million people nationwide, including communities still recovering from the devastating floods of 2019-2022, which displaced at least one million people annually. It said a high-level consultation held in Juba on Monday and Tuesday reviewed the 2024 flood preparedness and response plan. During the meeting attended by senior government officials and key humanitarian leaders, officials emphasized the need for a unified understanding of the crisis, clear priorities, and well-defined roles. The UN agency called for coordinated action to address the escalating disaster, noting that humanitarian partners are rapidly responding to the immediate needs of flood-affected populations with life-saving assistance. Urgent needs include food, shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene materials, emergency health kits, and protection services, OCHA said. The country's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on Aug. 20 issued an urgent appeal for communities in low-lying areas along the Nile to relocate, as water levels at the Mangala Telemetric Station in Juba County reached a five-year high of 14.85 meters. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE Get Free Report)s stock price was up 3.8% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $11.14 and last traded at $11.14. Approximately 826,017 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 3,102,123 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.73. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts recently commented on HE shares. Evercore ISI reiterated an in-line rating and set a $16.00 target price on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Hawaiian Electric Industries from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $14.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Hawaiian Electric Industries from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, August 24th. Get Hawaiian Electric Industries alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on HE Hawaiian Electric Industries Trading Down 8.0 % The company has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.67 and a beta of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $12.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $792.30 million during the quarter. Hawaiian Electric Industries had a positive return on equity of 10.69% and a negative net margin of 31.76%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Institutional Trading of Hawaiian Electric Industries Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its stake in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 159,290 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,260,000 after acquiring an additional 984 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,226 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,137 shares in the last quarter. IMS Capital Management raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 51,957 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $469,000 after buying an additional 1,257 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 40,311 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $572,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 12,172 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $137,000 after buying an additional 1,766 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 59.91% of the companys stock. Hawaiian Electric Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hawaiian Electric Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hawaiian Electric Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:SMMV Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $40.47 and last traded at $39.98, with a volume of 27411 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $40.55. iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF Trading Down 0.5 % The stocks 50 day moving average price is $38.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $833.70 million, a PE ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 0.63. Get iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF by 611.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,331 shares of the companys stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144 shares in the last quarter. First Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $242,000. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC boosted its position in iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF by 41.4% during the first quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 8,636 shares of the companys stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 2,529 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC now owns 18,104 shares of the companys stock worth $678,000 after acquiring an additional 1,157 shares during the period. iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF (SMMV) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in small-cap stocks. The fund tracks an index of US-listed small capitalization stocks selected and weighted to create a low volatility portfolio, subject to constraints. SMMV was launched on Sep 7, 2016 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Get Free Report) shares rose 3.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $55.99 and last traded at $55.94. Approximately 944,191 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 50% from the average daily volume of 1,907,051 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.97. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have commented on TAP shares. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $61.00 to $57.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $57.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Molson Coors Beverage from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Molson Coors Beverage from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on Molson Coors Beverage from $62.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $60.53. Get Molson Coors Beverage alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on TAP Molson Coors Beverage Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $52.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $57.51. The firm has a market cap of $11.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.81. Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.18 billion. Molson Coors Beverage had a net margin of 8.27% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Molson Coors Beverages revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.78 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Molson Coors Beverage will post 5.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Molson Coors Beverage Dividend Announcement 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 issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.15%. Molson Coors Beverages dividend payout ratio is currently 35.20%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molson Coors Beverage Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,349,000. New Century Financial Group LLC raised its position in Molson Coors Beverage by 21.6% in the second quarter. New Century Financial Group LLC now owns 20,004 shares of the companys stock worth $1,017,000 after acquiring an additional 3,549 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Molson Coors Beverage by 1.4% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 431,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,958,000 after acquiring an additional 5,840 shares during the period. Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 20.5% during the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 67,860 shares of the companys stock worth $3,448,000 after purchasing an additional 11,522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage during the 2nd quarter worth $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.46% of the companys stock. Molson Coors Beverage Company Profile (Get Free Report) Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, spirits and energy, and ready to drink beverages. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Molson Coors Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of North American Income Trust (LON:NAIT Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as GBX 309 ($4.06) and last traded at GBX 301 ($3.96), with a volume of 66353 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 304 ($4.00). North American Income Trust Stock Performance The stocks 50-day moving average price is GBX 301.56 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 293.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.72, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 7.40. The firm has a market cap of 417.54 million, a P/E ratio of 15,200.00 and a beta of 0.70. Get North American Income Trust alerts: North American Income Trust Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 4th were given a dividend of GBX 2.70 ($0.04) per share. This represents a yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 4th. North American Income Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55,000.00%. Insiders Place Their Bets About North American Income Trust In other news, insider Patrick Edwardson purchased 83,755 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 297 ($3.91) per share, with a total value of 248,752.35 ($327,090.53). Over the last three months, insiders have bought 200,000 shares of company stock valued at $59,700,000. 8.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. (Get Free Report) The North American Income Trust plc is an exchange traded fund launched and managed by Aberdeen Fund Managers Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund invests in the stocks of large-cap companies, within the market capitalization range of S&P 500 Index. See Also Receive News & Ratings for North American Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Denver PWM LLC bought a new position in shares of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (NYSEARCA:FNDF Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 282,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,904,000. Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF accounts for about 4.0% of Denver PWM LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Denver PWM LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of FNDF. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF in the second quarter valued at $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF in the first quarter valued at $31,000. Angeles Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Able Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Get Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF alerts: Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF Trading Up 0.5 % NYSEARCA:FNDF opened at $36.45 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.12 and a beta of 0.78. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $35.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.43. Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF has a twelve month low of $30.16 and a twelve month high of $37.08. Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF Company Profile The Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (FNDF) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in large cap equity. The fund tracks an index of large firms from developed markets ex-US. The fund selects and weights using fundamental factors. FNDF was launched on Aug 15, 2013 and is managed by Charles Schwab. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE:VEEV Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 5,083 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $930,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Veeva Systems in the 4th quarter worth approximately $305,543,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Veeva Systems by 7.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,150,070 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,278,430,000 after acquiring an additional 991,208 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of Veeva Systems during the first quarter valued at $227,673,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Veeva Systems by 1,122.3% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 912,223 shares of the technology companys stock worth $166,946,000 after purchasing an additional 837,593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Capital Management Company LP boosted its stake in Veeva Systems by 635.4% in the 1st quarter. Matrix Capital Management Company LP now owns 498,821 shares of the technology companys stock worth $115,572,000 after purchasing an additional 430,989 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.20% of the companys stock. Get Veeva Systems alerts: Insider Transactions at Veeva Systems In related news, SVP Jonathan Faddis sold 2,353 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $470,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,807,000. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 10.50% of the companys stock. Veeva Systems Stock Performance Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NYSE VEEV opened at $215.45 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $191.56 and its 200 day moving average is $202.03. Veeva Systems Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $162.72 and a fifty-two week high of $236.90. The company has a market capitalization of $34.83 billion, a PE ratio of 63.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.81. Several research analysts have issued reports on VEEV shares. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Veeva Systems from $180.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Raymond James upped their price objective on Veeva Systems from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Veeva Systems from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Veeva Systems in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Veeva Systems from $230.00 to $200.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $230.57. Check Out Our Latest Report on Veeva Systems About Veeva Systems (Free Report) Veeva Systems Inc provides cloud-based software for the life sciences industry. It offers Veeva Commercial Cloud, a suite of software and analytics solutions, such as Veeva customer relationship management (CRM) that enable customer-facing employees at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; Veeva Vault PromoMats, an end-to-end content and digital asset management solution; Veeva Vault Medical that provides source of medical content across multiple channels and geographies; Veeva Crossix, an analytics platform for pharmaceutical brands; Veeva OpenData, a customer reference data solution; Veeva Link, a data application that allows link to generate real-time intelligence; and Veeva Compass includes de-identified and longitudinal patient data for the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Veeva Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Veeva Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI lowered its stake in shares of Texas Pacific Land Co. (NYSE:TPL Free Report) by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 10,489 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 116 shares during the quarter. Texas Pacific Land makes up approximately 1.3% of Arcadia Investment Management Corp MIs portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MIs holdings in Texas Pacific Land were worth $7,702,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Texas Pacific Land by 199.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,901,206 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,099,867,000 after buying an additional 1,267,123 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Texas Pacific Land by 74.2% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 204,176 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $149,920,000 after purchasing an additional 86,975 shares during the period. Pacific Heights Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Texas Pacific Land by 200.0% during the first quarter. Pacific Heights Asset Management LLC now owns 165,000 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $95,454,000 after purchasing an additional 110,000 shares during the period. Mad River Investors boosted its position in Texas Pacific Land by 199.2% during the first quarter. Mad River Investors now owns 100,121 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $57,921,000 after purchasing an additional 66,663 shares during the period. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Texas Pacific Land by 130.9% during the first quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 77,137 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $44,625,000 after purchasing an additional 43,726 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 59.94% of the companys stock. Get Texas Pacific Land alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on TPL shares. BWS Financial reiterated a buy rating and set a $917.00 target price on shares of Texas Pacific Land in a research report on Monday, August 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Texas Pacific Land from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Texas Pacific Land Trading Up 1.7 % Shares of Texas Pacific Land stock traded up $13.64 on Friday, reaching $806.37. The stock had a trading volume of 7,496 shares, compared to its average volume of 104,312. Texas Pacific Land Co. has a 1 year low of $467.62 and a 1 year high of $881.12. The company has a market cap of $18.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.14 and a beta of 1.60. The businesss 50 day moving average is $807.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $671.57. Texas Pacific Land (NYSE:TPL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $4.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $5.36 by ($0.38). Texas Pacific Land had a return on equity of 41.29% and a net margin of 66.71%. The firm had revenue of $172.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $182.35 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.35 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Texas Pacific Land Co. will post 20.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Texas Pacific Land Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be issued a $1.17 dividend. This represents a $4.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. Texas Pacific Lands payout ratio is 24.88%. Texas Pacific Land Profile (Free Report) Texas Pacific Land Corporation engages in the land and resource management, and water services and operations businesses. The company owns a 1/128th nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest (NPRI) under approximately 85,000 acres of land; a 1/16th NPRI under approximately 371,000 acres of land; and approximately 4,000 additional net royalty acres, total of approximately 195,000 NRA located in the western part of Texas. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Texas Pacific Land Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Texas Pacific Land and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP Free Report) by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 176,778 shares of the railroad operators stock after acquiring an additional 1,844 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement Systems holdings in Union Pacific were worth $39,998,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 5.5% during the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 4,555 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,031,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS raised its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.3% during the second quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 29,085 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $6,581,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its position in Union Pacific by 12.9% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 283,965 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $63,815,000 after buying an additional 32,352 shares during the last quarter. SouthState Corp increased its position in Union Pacific by 6.3% during the second quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 50,960 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $11,530,000 after buying an additional 3,007 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. increased its position in Union Pacific by 22.3% during the second quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. now owns 3,670 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $830,000 after buying an additional 669 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the companys stock. Get Union Pacific alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Union Pacific news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They set an overweight rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Union Pacific from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Benchmark reissued a buy rating and set a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $258.79. View Our Latest Analysis on Union Pacific Union Pacific Trading Down 1.6 % Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $251.53 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $153.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific Co. has a 1 year low of $199.33 and a 1 year high of $258.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $240.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.36. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. Union Pacific Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Union Pacifics previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. Union Pacifics dividend payout ratio is presently 51.15%. About Union Pacific (Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Free Report) by 1,519.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 340 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 319 shares during the quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. were worth $88,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 89.7% during the second quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 110 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 85.53% of the companys stock. Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. In other news, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 8,303 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.74, for a total value of $2,181,530.22. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 36,388 shares in the company, valued at $9,560,583.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, President Thomas Joseph Gallagher sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $282.96, for a total value of $4,244,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 329,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $93,121,853.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 8,303 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.74, for a total value of $2,181,530.22. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 36,388 shares in the company, valued at $9,560,583.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 48,348 shares of company stock worth $13,342,910 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on AJG shares. Barclays began coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Wednesday. They set an equal weight rating and a $300.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Bank Of America (Bofa) raised their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $260.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $276.82. Read Our Latest Analysis on AJG Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Performance AJG opened at $295.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $64.57 billion, a PE ratio of 59.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $279.14 and a 200-day moving average of $258.89. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 52-week low of $218.63 and a 52-week high of $298.24. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 10.41%. The company had revenue of $2.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 10.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio is 48.58%. About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Free Report) Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party property/casualty claims settlement and administration services to entities and individuals worldwide. It operates in Brokerage and Risk Management segments. The Brokerage segment offers retail and wholesale insurance and reinsurance brokerage services; assists retail brokers and other non-affiliated brokers in the placement of specialized and hard-to-place insurance; and acts as a brokerage wholesaler, managing general agent, and managing general underwriter for distributing specialized insurance coverages to underwriting enterprises. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In a groundbreaking move towards inclusivity and representation, three Christian women have been appointed to key positions within the Pakistani government. Sister Mariam Parveen also known as Sr Genevieve Ram Lal, Dr Ayra Indrias Patras, and Sonia Asher have each been recognized for their exceptional contributions to society and their commitment to social justice and equality. Their appointments mark a significant milestone in Pakistans journey towards embracing diversity and empowering minority communities. Sister Mariam Parveen Sister Mariam has been appointed as a member of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on a minorities seat. At 66 years old, Sister Parveen is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. She has been a prominent figure in Pakistans Catholic community, serving as the National Director of the Catholic Womens Organisation since 2012. Her extensive experience and dedication to social justice are expected to greatly contribute to the NCSWs mission of advancing womens rights. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Sister Parveens work has been instrumental in empowering women across Pakistan. She has led numerous initiatives aimed at supporting the education, empowerment, and welfare of women, particularly those from marginalized communities. The official social media of the Roman Catholic church, Catholics in Pakistan, shared a congratulatory message for Sister Parveen on its Facebook page. Dr. Ayra Indrias Patras Dr Ayra Indrias Patras, a distinguished Christian academic and social activist, has been appointed as a member of the NCSW as well, on one of the two seats from Punjab Province. Dr Patras holds a Ph.D. in Gender Studies and has been a vocal advocate for minority rights and gender equality. Her research and activism have focused on the intersectionality of religion, gender, and social justice, making her a formidable force in the fight against discrimination and inequality. She has been actively involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting education and social awareness among minority communities. Her appointment to the NCSW is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the commissions efforts in addressing human rights violations and promoting social justice. The Forman Christian College University (FCCU), where Dr Patras is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department, lauded her appointment to the NCSW. Sonia Asher Sonia Asher, a member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly on a reserved seat for women, has been appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Human Rights Committee, a first for any Christian woman lawmaker. Her appointment as a parliamentary secretary is expected to strengthen the committees efforts in advocating for the provision of fundamental human rights to all citizens and ensuring the protection of religious minorities. Pakistan has long struggled with issues of religious discrimination and minority rights. The inclusion of these three Christian women in key government positions is not only considered a recognition of their individual achievements but also a symbol of hope for minority communities across the majority-Muslim nation. Bank of Hawaii Co. (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of Strong Sell from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $59.00. Several brokerages have recently commented on BOH. Piper Sandler downgraded Bank of Hawaii from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $61.00 in a research note on Monday, August 12th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $63.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Bank of Hawaii to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Get Bank of Hawaii alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on BOH Bank of Hawaii Stock Performance NYSE BOH opened at $64.99 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.75 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The firms fifty day moving average price is $64.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.84. Bank of Hawaii has a 1 year low of $45.56 and a 1 year high of $75.19. Bank of Hawaii (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.04). Bank of Hawaii had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 12.25%. The firm had revenue of $255.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $157.12 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Bank of Hawaii will post 3.45 EPS for the current year. Bank of Hawaii Announces Dividend The firm 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 $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Bank of Hawaiis dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 72.16%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Taryn L. Salmon sold 2,364 shares of Bank of Hawaii stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.80, for a total value of $160,279.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 10,785 shares in the company, valued at $731,223. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 2.11% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 21,787 shares of the banks stock worth $1,359,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 48,987 shares of the banks stock valued at $3,550,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 11,134 shares of the banks stock worth $637,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 4,773 shares of the banks stock worth $346,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 20,000 shares of the banks stock worth $1,144,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.18% of the companys stock. About Bank of Hawaii (Get Free Report Bank of Hawaii Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of Hawaii that provides various financial products and services in Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific Islands. It operates in three segments: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury and Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers checking, savings, and time deposit accounts; residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases, overdraft lines of credit, installment loans, small business loans and leases, and credit cards; private and international client banking, investment, credit, and trust services to individuals and families, as well as high-net-worth individuals; investment management; institutional investment advisory services to corporations, government entities, and foundations; and brokerage offerings, including equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Hawaii Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Hawaii and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup reissued their buy rating on shares of Barclays (LON:BARC Free Report) in a report released on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on BARC. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Barclays from GBX 260 ($3.42) to GBX 250 ($3.29) and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 280 ($3.68) price target on shares of Barclays in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 335 ($4.40) price target on shares of Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Barclays from GBX 240 ($3.16) to GBX 270 ($3.55) and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of GBX 276 ($3.63). Get Barclays alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on BARC Barclays Stock Up 2.2 % Barclays Cuts Dividend LON BARC opened at GBX 228.55 ($3.01) on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of 33.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 879.04, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.40. Barclays has a twelve month low of GBX 128.12 ($1.68) and a twelve month high of GBX 241.80 ($3.18). The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 223.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 204.20. The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a dividend of GBX 2.90 ($0.04) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.24%. Barclayss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3,076.92%. Insider Transactions at Barclays In related news, insider Dawn Fitzpatrick acquired 5,259 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 210 ($2.76) per share, with a total value of 11,043.90 ($14,521.89). In related news, insider Anna Cross sold 53,422 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 203 ($2.67), for a total value of 108,446.66 ($142,599.16). Also, insider Dawn Fitzpatrick purchased 5,259 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 210 ($2.76) per share, for a total transaction of 11,043.90 ($14,521.89). Insiders own 1.46% of the companys stock. Barclays Company Profile (Get Free Report) Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Barclays Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barclays and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine (NYSEAMERICAN:CVR Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock. Chicago Rivet & Machine Trading Up 1.5 % Shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine stock opened at $18.49 on Tuesday. Chicago Rivet & Machine has a fifty-two week low of $13.81 and a fifty-two week high of $21.19. Get Chicago Rivet & Machine alerts: Chicago Rivet & Machine Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.16%. Chicago Rivet & Machines payout ratio is currently -8.55%. About Chicago Rivet & Machine Chicago Rivet & Machine Co operates in the fastener industry in North America. It operates in two segments, Fasteners and Assembly Equipment. The Fastener segment manufactures and sells rivets, cold-formed fasteners and parts, and screw machine products. The Assembly Equipment segment engages in the manufacture and sale of automatic rivet setting machines, as well as parts and tools for related machines. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Chicago Rivet & Machine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chicago Rivet & Machine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) were down 0.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $52.65 and last traded at $53.14. Approximately 2,864,434 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 14,998,168 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.52. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently commented on CMG. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and set a $69.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $74.00 to $62.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, June 3rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $62.36. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of $72.83 billion, a PE ratio of 56.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.24. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $55.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.59. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $12.65 EPS. Analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Chipotle Mexican Grill In related news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 17,394 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.68, for a total transaction of $951,103.92. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 358,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,591,844. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.02% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter valued at about $53,979,000. Transform Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,760.7% in the 2nd quarter. Transform Wealth LLC now owns 9,527 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $597,000 after buying an additional 9,331 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,731.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 17,150 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 16,795 shares during the period. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,747.7% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 20,409 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,279,000 after buying an additional 19,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MJP Associates Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5,588.0% during the second quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV now owns 12,798 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $802,000 after buying an additional 12,573 shares during the period. 91.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Chipotle Mexican Grill (Get Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Columbia Asset Management increased its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 31.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 194,765 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 46,297 shares during the quarter. Pfizer accounts for 1.0% of Columbia Asset Managements portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Columbia Asset Managements holdings in Pfizer were worth $5,450,000 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 PFE. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC raised its holdings in Pfizer by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in Pfizer during the second quarter valued at $34,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Trading Up 0.4 % PFE opened at $28.51 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $29.05 and a 200 day moving average of $28.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Pfizer Inc. has a 12 month low of $25.20 and a 12 month high of $35.28. The firm has a market cap of $161.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -475.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.68. Pfizer Announces Dividend Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.14. Pfizer had a positive return on equity of 8.42% and a negative net margin of 4.66%. The firm had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.67 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 26th were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Pfizers dividend payout ratio is currently -2,799.53%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently commented on PFE shares. Barclays raised their price objective on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Daiwa Capital Markets raised shares of Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Daiwa America upgraded Pfizer from a moderate buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Pfizer has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $34.54. Get Our Latest Report on Pfizer About Pfizer (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Crossword Cybersecurity Plc (LON:CCS Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 2.90 ($0.04) and last traded at GBX 3 ($0.04), with a volume of 25000 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 3.10 ($0.04). Crossword Cybersecurity Stock Down 3.2 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 621.50, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 5.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 4.86. The firm has a market cap of 3.34 million, a P/E ratio of -75.00 and a beta of -0.13. Crossword Cybersecurity Company Profile (Get Free Report) Crossword Cybersecurity Plc provides cyber security solutions in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Oman. The company operates in two segments, Software Product and Services and Engineering Services; and Consulting and Managed Services. It's product portfolio includes Rizikon Assurance, an online system that enhances third-party assurance and risk management; Identiproof, a protecting verifiable credentials middleware; Nightingale, a managed security monitoring service; Trillion, a breached account mining platform that tracks, correlates, and analyses billions of stolen usernames and passwords; and Arc, an account protection for B2C commerce platform owners. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Crossword Cybersecurity Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crossword Cybersecurity and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Impax Asset Management Group plc trimmed its position in shares of Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR Free Report) by 19.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,270,598 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 311,280 shares during the quarter. Danaher makes up about 1.3% of Impax Asset Management Group plcs portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Impax Asset Management Group plcs holdings in Danaher were worth $316,760,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Danaher by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 60,107,030 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $15,009,928,000 after purchasing an additional 4,163,657 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Danaher by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 27,928,442 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $6,460,966,000 after purchasing an additional 2,998,161 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in shares of Danaher by 10.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 16,757,558 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $3,876,694,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619,586 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of Danaher by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 15,956,519 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $3,691,735,000 after purchasing an additional 1,334,781 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Danaher during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,752,382,000. 79.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Danaher alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently commented on DHR shares. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Danaher from $266.00 to $260.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. StockNews.com lowered shares of Danaher from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Danaher in a report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $295.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Danaher from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Leerink Partners upped their target price on shares of Danaher from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Danaher has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $278.94. Insider Buying and Selling at Danaher In other Danaher news, CEO Rainer Blair sold 9,007 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.00, for a total value of $2,521,960.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 97,983 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,435,240. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, CFO Matthew Mcgrew sold 16,172 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 29,407 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,229,254.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Rainer Blair sold 9,007 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.00, for a total transaction of $2,521,960.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 97,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,435,240. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 39,659 shares of company stock valued at $11,042,433 over the last 90 days. 11.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Danaher Trading Up 1.7 % Shares of DHR stock traded up $4.46 on Friday, hitting $269.17. 118,798 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,772,358. The firms 50-day moving average price is $260.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $255.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $199.37 billion, a PE ratio of 45.52, a PEG ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.83. Danaher Co. has a twelve month low of $182.09 and a twelve month high of $281.70. Danaher (NYSE:DHR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $5.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.59 billion. Danaher had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 11.06%. The companys revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.05 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Danaher Co. will post 7.59 EPS for the current year. About Danaher (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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DHR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Danaher Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Danaher and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Denver PWM LLC grew its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report) by 1.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,485 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Denver PWM LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $707,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Centerpoint Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 625.0% during the 2nd quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 145 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Cordant Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance IWM stock opened at $211.89 on Friday. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a twelve month low of $161.67 and a twelve month high of $228.63. The businesss fifty day moving average is $212.72 and its 200-day moving average is $206.24. About iShares Russell 2000 ETF iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $113.92. DUK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Duke Energy from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Duke Energy from $102.00 to $113.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. 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 report on Thursday, August 29th. Get Duke Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Duke Energy Duke Energy Stock Performance Shares of DUK stock opened at $116.86 on Friday. Duke Energy has a 52-week low of $83.06 and a 52-week high of $118.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $90.19 billion, a PE ratio of 29.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $101.93. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.84 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 14.29%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy will post 5.97 EPS for the current year. Duke Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be given a $1.045 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This is a positive change from Duke Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. This represents a $4.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. Duke Energys dividend payout ratio is 105.03%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Duke Energy news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was 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 directly owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Duke Energy A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Duke Energy during the first quarter worth $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position in Duke Energy by 69.6% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.31% of the companys stock. About Duke Energy (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,340 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 60 shares during the quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,119,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter valued at $32,000. LGT Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 48 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 188.2% during the 4th quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 49 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth $39,000. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.2 % NYSE LLY opened at $915.00 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $896.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $826.65. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $516.57 and a 12 month high of $972.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $869.62 billion, a PE ratio of 134.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $1.28. The business had revenue of $11.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.83 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 67.52% and a net margin of 18.86%. On average, analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 16.51 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Berenberg Bank boosted 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. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and set a $1,106.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,001.00 to $1,101.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Argus upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $994.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $961.76. View Our Latest Stock Report on LLY Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 15,022 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $882.47, for a total transaction of $13,256,464.34. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 97,778,788 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $86,286,847,046.36. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders have sold 737,410 shares of company stock worth $669,719,100. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EQB (TSE:EQB Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by analysts at CIBC from C$105.00 to C$113.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.17% from the companys current price. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Raymond James reduced their target price on shares of EQB from C$110.00 to C$106.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. TD Securities dropped their price objective on shares of EQB from C$112.00 to C$109.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 30th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of EQB from C$104.00 to C$106.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of EQB from C$107.00 to C$109.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Cormark dropped their price objective on shares of EQB from C$121.00 to C$111.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$106.56. Get EQB alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on EQB EQB Stock Up 1.5 % EQB stock traded up C$1.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching C$96.44. 21,325 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 59,596. The company has a market cap of C$3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.58. EQB has a twelve month low of C$66.41 and a twelve month high of C$98.88. The company has a fifty day moving average of C$95.59 and a 200-day moving average of C$89.62. EQB (TSE:EQB Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The company reported C$2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$2.93 by C$0.03. The company had revenue of C$327.24 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$325.00 million. EQB had a net margin of 39.67% and a return on equity of 14.70%. Equities research analysts expect that EQB will post 12.5994695 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. EQB Company Profile (Get Free Report) EQB Inc, through its subsidiary, Equitable Bank, provides personal and commercial banking services to retail and commercial customers in Canada. The company accepts term deposits and guaranteed investment certificates, high interest savings accounts, institutional deposit notes and covered bonds, as well as specialized financing solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for EQB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EQB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Flexible Solutions International (NYSE:FSI Free Report) in a research report report published on Tuesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock. Flexible Solutions International Stock Up 3.6 % Flexible Solutions International stock opened at $3.28 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $2.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.12. Flexible Solutions International has a fifty-two week low of $1.36 and a fifty-two week high of $3.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.16 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 2.65 and a quick ratio of 1.70. Get Flexible Solutions International alerts: Flexible Solutions International (NYSE:FSI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.03. Flexible Solutions International had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 7.40%. The business had revenue of $10.53 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.34 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Flexible Solutions International will post 0.29 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Flexible Solutions International Company Profile An institutional investor recently raised its position in Flexible Solutions International stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in Flexible Solutions International, Inc. ( NYSE:FSI Free Report ) by 4.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 379,245 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 17,400 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 3.05% of Flexible Solutions International worth $664,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 54.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. (Get Free Report) Flexible Solutions International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets specialty chemicals that slow the evaporation of water in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Energy and Water Conservation Products, and Biodegradable Polymers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Flexible Solutions International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flexible Solutions International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fluent Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM Free Report) by 14.2% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 103,072 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 12,827 shares during the period. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF comprises about 2.2% of Fluent Financial LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Fluent Financial LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $4,390,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EEM. 9258 Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 22.4% in the second quarter. 9258 Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,371 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $442,000 after acquiring an additional 1,897 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 28.8% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,447,359 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $61,785,000 after acquiring an additional 324,051 shares in the last quarter. Colony Family Offices LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 1.3% in the second quarter. Colony Family Offices LLC now owns 31,557 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,344,000 after acquiring an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 28.6% in the second quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,403 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $699,000 after acquiring an additional 3,648 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FineMark National Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 1.2% in the second quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust now owns 382,759 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $16,302,000 after acquiring an additional 4,617 shares in the last quarter. 81.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance Shares of EEM stock traded down $0.43 during trading on Friday, hitting $42.13. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,912,210 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,615,379. The business has a fifty day moving average of $42.91 and a 200-day moving average of $42.03. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 52 week low of $36.38 and a 52 week high of $44.64. About iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index). Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EEM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fluent Financial LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,448 shares of the healthcare product makers stock, valued at approximately $774,000. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ABT. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 6.6% during the second quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 4,359 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $453,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. Hemenway Trust Co LLC boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hemenway Trust Co LLC now owns 345,317 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $35,882,000 after buying an additional 2,354 shares during the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 184,442 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $19,165,000 after buying an additional 1,347 shares during the period. Synergy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 66.1% during the 2nd quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 69,846 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $7,258,000 after acquiring an additional 27,792 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Barn Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Barn Wealth LLC now owns 3,390 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently commented on ABT. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $121.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.80. Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of ABT stock traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $113.56. The company had a trading volume of 507,781 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,836,358. The company has a market capitalization of $197.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.68. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $89.67 and a twelve month high of $121.64. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $107.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $108.79. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.65% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The company had revenue of $10.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 15th were issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.94%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is currently 68.54%. Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Foster & Motley Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,508 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 831 shares during the period. Foster & Motley Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $1,225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwest Financial Advisors purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the first quarter worth about $27,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Fairman Group LLC purchased a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 76.41% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Performance NYSE:BMY opened at $49.79 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $45.80 and its 200 day moving average is $46.61. The firm has a market cap of $100.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.06, a PEG ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.16. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52-week low of $39.35 and a 52-week high of $61.42. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $12.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.75 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 5th were issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 5th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.82%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is currently -77.42%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently issued reports on BMY. Barclays upped their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $45.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a neutral rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $54.67. Read Our Latest Research Report on BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile (Free Report) 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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Foster & Motley Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM Free Report) by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,717 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,079 shares during the period. Foster & Motley Inc.s holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $2,401,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the first quarter worth $30,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the first quarter worth $34,000. 78.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts: Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Performance ADM opened at $60.08 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $61.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.40. The company has a market cap of $29.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 0.72. 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 Company has a 52-week low of $50.72 and a 52-week high of $80.96. Archer-Daniels-Midland Announces Dividend Archer-Daniels-Midland ( NYSE:ADM Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by ($0.19). Archer-Daniels-Midland had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 12.06%. The company had revenue of $22.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. Archer-Daniels-Midlands payout ratio is 35.09%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently commented on ADM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $64.62. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ADM Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 170,194 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.51, for a total value of $10,298,438.94. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 265,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,047,857.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 170,194 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.51, for a total value of $10,298,438.94. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 265,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,047,857.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 45,471 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.00, for a total transaction of $2,773,731.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 265,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,177,810. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 219,348 shares of company stock valued at $13,296,833 over the last quarter. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by company 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Foundry Partners LLC lessened its position in Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report) by 56.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 46,551 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 60,168 shares during the period. Foundry Partners LLCs holdings in Lennar were worth $6,977,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rise Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Lennar by 484.0% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 146 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Lennar by 223.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 233 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.10% of the companys stock. Get Lennar alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages recently commented on LEN. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Lennar in a report on Thursday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Lennar from $157.00 to $154.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Lennar from $237.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an underperform rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Lennar in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Lennar from $183.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $172.06. Lennar Price Performance Shares of NYSE:LEN traded up $4.25 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $182.08. The stock had a trading volume of 241,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,066,418. The companys 50-day moving average price is $168.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $161.73. The company has a market capitalization of $50.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 4.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Lennar Co. has a fifty-two week low of $102.90 and a fifty-two week high of $186.60. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, June 17th. The construction company reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $8.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.57 billion. Lennar had a net margin of 11.58% and a return on equity of 15.93%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lennar Co. will post 14.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. Lennar Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Friday, July 5th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Lennars dividend payout ratio is 13.60%. Lennar Profile (Free Report) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CCL Industries Inc. (TSE:CCL.B Get Free Report) Director Gunther Johann Birkner sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$80.00, for a total transaction of C$800,000.00. Gunther Johann Birkner also recently made the following trade(s): Get CCL Industries alerts: On Thursday, August 15th, Gunther Johann Birkner sold 15,000 shares of CCL Industries stock. The stock was sold at an average price of C$75.00, for a total transaction of C$1,125,000.00. CCL Industries Stock Performance CCL.B opened at C$79.38 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$13.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a fifty day moving average of C$74.11 and a 200 day moving average of C$71.67. CCL Industries Inc. has a fifty-two week low of C$52.82 and a fifty-two week high of C$81.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.08, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.96. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades CCL.B has been the topic of several recent research reports. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of CCL Industries from C$80.00 to C$84.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. TD Securities increased their price target on shares of CCL Industries from C$90.00 to C$92.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of CCL Industries from C$83.00 to C$84.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of CCL Industries from C$86.00 to C$88.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of CCL Industries from C$84.00 to C$87.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, CCL Industries currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$84.78. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on CCL Industries CCL Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) CCL Industries Inc manufactures and sells labels, containers, consumer printable media products, technology driven label solutions, polymer bank note substrates, and specialty films. The company operates through four segments: CCL, Avery, Checkpoint, and Innovia. The CCL segment offers pressure sensitive and specialty extruded film materials for decorative, instructional, functional, and security applications in the consumer packaging, healthcare, chemicals, consumer electronic device, and automotive markets. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for CCL Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CCL Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $58.68 and last traded at $58.73, with a volume of 222465 shares. The stock had previously closed at $60.31. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Hexcel from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 1st. Royal Bank of Canada cut Hexcel from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their price objective for the company from $76.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Hexcel from $63.00 to $61.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Hexcel from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Hexcel from $88.00 to $81.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.54. Get Hexcel alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Hexcel Hexcel Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.52, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.75. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.21. Hexcel (NYSE:HXL Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The aerospace company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $500.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $484.26 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 5.78% and a return on equity of 9.55%. Hexcels revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Hexcel Co. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hexcel Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. Hexcels payout ratio is 51.28%. Institutional Trading of Hexcel Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Hexcel by 277.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,695,343 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $105,874,000 after purchasing an additional 1,246,765 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Hexcel in the 4th quarter worth approximately $66,597,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Hexcel by 143.6% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,466,380 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $108,146,000 after purchasing an additional 864,405 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hexcel by 307.1% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,079,598 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $67,421,000 after purchasing an additional 814,402 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. raised its stake in Hexcel by 215.5% during the second quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 865,235 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $54,034,000 after buying an additional 590,975 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.47% of the companys stock. Hexcel Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hexcel Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets carbon fibers, structural reinforcements, honeycomb structures, resins, and composite materials and parts for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications. It operates through two segments, Composite Materials and Engineered Products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hexcel Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hexcel and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Hikma Pharmaceuticals (LON:HIK Free Report) to a buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has GBX 2,400 ($31.56) price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of GBX 2,100 ($27.61). A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on HIK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 2,750 ($36.16) price objective on shares of Hikma Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Barclays reaffirmed an equal weight rating and issued a GBX 2,000 ($26.30) price objective on shares of Hikma Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 2,325 ($30.57). Get Hikma Pharmaceuticals alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Hikma Pharmaceuticals Hikma Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.8 % Hikma Pharmaceuticals Cuts Dividend Shares of Hikma Pharmaceuticals stock opened at GBX 1,992 ($26.19) on Monday. The company has a market cap of 4.42 billion, a PE ratio of 3,064.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.48. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 1,922.07 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 1,921.70. The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Hikma Pharmaceuticalss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9,538.46%. About Hikma Pharmaceuticals (Get Free Report) Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC develops, manufactures, markets, and sells a range of generic, branded, and in-licensed pharmaceutical products. It operates through three segments: Injectables, Generics, and Branded. The Injectables segment provides generic injectable products primarily for use in hospitals. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Hikma Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hikma Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zimbabwe welcomes protocol on avocado exports to China Xinhua) 11:10, September 06, 2024 HARARE, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's Horticultural Development Council (HDC) welcomed the signing of the protocol for phytosanitary requirements for the exports of Zimbabwean avocados to China, saying the development will promote the growth of the industry. The protocol was one of the agreements signed between China and Zimbabwe on Tuesday during Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's state visit to China. HDC's Chief Executive Officer Linda Nielsen said in a statement issued Wednesday that the protocol presented the potential for avocado growers in Zimbabwe to expand their reach into one of the world's largest avocado markets. She said that the volume of exports to China would depend on the terms outlined in the protocol, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, as well as the associated costs for the exporters. "The signing of this protocol delivers a significant opportunity for Zimbabwe to take advantage of the vast Chinese market. This will require strategic intent to meet the strict requirements of the Chinese market. Horticulture producers are ready to discuss investment requirements," she said. She added that Zimbabwe is projected to produce a record 6,000 metric tons of avocados in 2024 and the avocado industry is planning to increase the growing area from the current 1,500 hectares to 4,000 hectares by 2030. "This growth is a critical component of the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan, which aims to develop the horticulture sector into a 1-billion-U.S. dollar industry. Reaching this target will require supportive policies that attract investment to ramp up production," Nielsen said. HDC is working with stakeholders to pursue similar protocols for blueberries, pecans, and macadamia nuts for the Chinese market, she said, adding that expanding market access for Zimbabwean produce would benefit growers and reinforce the importance of economic growth. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Police have arrested an arsonist deemed ultra-left, Antifa, anti-Christian, pro-ISIS for allegedly setting fire to a church building, in the latest known attack against Christians in France. The 39-year-old man is alleged to have set alight the sacristy of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer on Sunday (Sept. 1). Flames reportedly spread to the naves, bell tower and roof, damaging the whole church building. Some 120 firefighters rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control, evacuating 34 people. The parish priest entered the burning building to rescue the consecrated hosts used in worship services, according to reports. Police took the suspect into custody on Monday evening (Sept. 2). He reportedly has been known to police for similar activities and previously tried to set fire to 15 church buildings, resulting in 25 undisclosed convictions. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Anja Hoffmann, executive director of the Vienna, Austria-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) said the rights groups research showed France was among the top three European countries for anti-Christian vandalism and arson attacks on churches in recent years. In most reported cases the perpetrators were either unknown or police showed reluctance to publish exact motives, Hoffmann said. She said an increasing number of perpetrators post messages on social media channels revealing extremist motives such as Islamism. Hoffmann listed incidents known to her since the beginning of this year. Five crosses, two chapels, a church building and more than 50 graves were defaced with slogans such as, Submit to Allah, I will make war on the Christian world or France is already Allahs. In July, vandals broke into the Notre-Dame-du-Travail church building in Paris, trashing the building and leaving a trail of Islamic anti-Christian graffiti, including Submit yourselves to Allah infidels, and embedding a knife in the throat of a statue of Mary. Islamist vandals are not the only culprits. Hoffmann said radical left extremists had targeted French church buildings, using leftist anti-Christian slogans. One message, The only church that illuminates is the one that burns on the church building of St. Bernadette in Montpellier city, was particularly worrying in this regard, as it incites direct violence against Christian churches, she said. At the same time, there is a general anti-Christian sentiment in France, stemming from its anti-clerical and radical secularist history, which has gone unchallenged for years, said Hoffmann. It should not come as too much of a surprise that these attitudes might at some point translate into violent action. Raymond Ibrahim, Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, has chronicled other attacks this year. On May 28, a Turkish man with a history of mental illness knocked down a large public cross using his van in Loyettes, Ain. He shouted the jihadist slogan, Allahu Akbar and performed Muslim prostration prayers at the site. In April other churches, including another Notre Dame built in the 1600s, went up in flames, Ibrahim said. In May there were also cemetery desecrations, defecations in churches and urinating in baptismal fonts and a bomb threat, he noted. On April 14, four Muslim teenagers shouted, Allahu Akbar after barging into a concert at Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Metz. They fled the scene. A schizophrenic woman made threats with a knife during a morning Mass at Sainte Bernadette church in La Louviere on March 12. She threatened Catholics at the church the previous week, and was subsequently hospitalized. The same church building became a target for an arson attack when two mopeds were set on fire in the entrance in June 2019, causing 200,000 euros ($222,200 USD) of damage. It is also located near a place where three teenagers in September 2022 attacked two youths, spraying tear gas and calling them dirty Christians. On March 31 in Deveze district, a Muslim woman, 18 at the time of her arrest, faced trial for conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes after planning to attack churchgoers with a sword at Notre-Dame de la Reconciliation, Beziers on Easter. In the village of Lias, a historic public cross found unseated from its pedestal had been broken into four pieces on March 26. Local Mayor Gerard Paul called the cross more than a religious representation, it was the soul of our village since it had been enthroned there for decades. Police arrested an Egyptian Muslim, 62, after foiling an Islamist plan to bomb the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on March 1. It was the latest terror attack prevented at the site in the previous three weeks and followed the widely reported large fire at the building in 2019. Ibrahim has accused mainstream media of ignoring the reality of Islamists targeting French churches. In a July report for The stream news site, he referred to a map created in 2018 by LObservatoire de la Christianophobie (Observatory of Christianophobia), a website documenting hate crimes against Christians in France. The map shows red pins where church buildings had been attacked by 2018. As a result, virtually the entire map of France appears covered in red, observed Ibrahim, highlighting the ubiquity of church attacks. He added that churches were definitely under attack throughout France, calling it an indisputable fact. He cited Islam critic Amy Mek, tweeting on X in July 2023 that attacks on churches have become the norm in France. Two churches a day are vandalized they are being burned, demolished, and abandoned, and their adherents are being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, Mek posted. Priests are under constant threat and being slaughtered in their places of worship. At what point will Frances open border politicians be held responsible? Ibrahim observed, similar to Hoffmann, that along with some church incidents recorded as Islamist-inspired, there were dozens more in which the assailants identity is unknown or unpublished. He further noted that France joined Spain, Germany, the U.K. and Sweden in hosting the most recorded anti-Christian hate crimes, and that they all have the largest Muslim populations in Europe. In short, it would seem that a full-blown jihad has been declared on the churches of France, and its godless leadership is looking the other way when not actively providing cover, wrote Ibrahim. OIDAC Europe recorded six arson and attempted arson attacks against church buildings in Germany, Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland and France between August 25 and Sept. 1. Hoffmann said the issue was certainly not just a French phenomenon. Even so, Hoffmann said Christians could take gospel-centered action against the hate crimes in France and other European countries. A Christian response to hatred must always include both justice and mercy. Christians must show mercy, but also learn to speak out against injustice and demand that respect and tolerance be shown also to Christian beliefs, she said. Above all, Christians must overcome the widespread tendency to publicly censor their own beliefs, for the Christian voice is indispensable in public discourse. Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc (OTCMKTS:HTKKY Get Free Report) was down 2.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $53.89 and last traded at $53.89. Approximately 100 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 0% from the average daily volume of 100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $55.10. Hitachi Kokusai Electric Price Performance The businesss 50 day moving average is $53.89 and its 200-day moving average is $53.89. About Hitachi Kokusai Electric (Get Free Report) Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc provides video and wireless network, and eco-and thin film processing solutions in Japan, the United States, Taiwan, Korea, other Asian countries, Europe, and internationally. The company offers wireless communications and information systems, such as infrastructure for mobile telecommunications, disaster-preventive administration radio systems, radio systems for transportation, land mobile radio communication products, and wireless broadband systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hitachi Kokusai Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hitachi Kokusai Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Horizon Investment Services LLC reduced its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 18,073 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 2,683 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $2,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wright Investors Service Inc. lifted its stake in EOG Resources by 0.8% in 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 in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. increased its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 0.4% during 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 last quarter. Field & Main Bank increased its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 1.4% during 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 last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc increased its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 4.1% during 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 last quarter. 89.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get EOG Resources alerts: Insider Activity In other news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 35,058 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,434,135.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total transaction of $816,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,648,035.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total value of $505,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,434,135.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 21,537 shares of company stock worth $2,751,612. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. EOG Resources Price Performance Shares of NYSE EOG opened at $121.55 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $126.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $125.95. EOG Resources, Inc. has a twelve month low of $108.94 and a twelve month high of $139.67. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.07 billion. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 25.42% and a net margin of 30.33%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.49 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. EOG Resources Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.99%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.75%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased 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. UBS Group upped their price objective on EOG Resources from $166.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Citigroup increased their target price on EOG Resources from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, May 24th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $143.95. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on EOG Resources 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Horizon Investment Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 3.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,935 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 90 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $419,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in NVO. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S during the first quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter worth $26,000. 11.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of 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 started coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $156.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com cut Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Argus increased their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $160.00 price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Monday, August 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Novo Nordisk A/S currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $145.17. Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance NYSE NVO opened at $130.87 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $135.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $132.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 1 year low of $86.96 and a 1 year high of $148.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $587.28 billion, a PE ratio of 45.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.86% and a return on equity of 87.43%. The business had revenue of $9.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.91 billion. Analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a $0.5126 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio is presently 24.83%. About Novo Nordisk A/S (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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Horizon Investment Services LLC reduced its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW Free Report) by 82.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 776 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 3,635 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLCs holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $700,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 203 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 121 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,221,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Copperwynd Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Copperwynd Financial LLC now owns 347 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get W.W. Grainger alerts: W.W. Grainger Stock Performance Shares of GWW stock opened at $937.95 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $46.02 billion, a PE ratio of 25.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $950.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $953.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $674.41 and a 52-week high of $1,034.18. W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement W.W. Grainger ( NYSE:GWW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $9.28 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.71 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. W.W. Graingers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%. Insider Activity In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently weighed in on GWW. Erste Group Bank reissued a hold rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird cut W.W. Grainger from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Baird R W cut W.W. Grainger from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $1,014.11. Check Out Our Latest Report on GWW W.W. Grainger Profile (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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GWW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for W.W. Grainger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.W. Grainger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report) by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,756 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 122 shares during the period. ICW Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in AMETEK were worth $960,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AME. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in AMETEK by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 152,233 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $25,379,000 after acquiring an additional 629 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in shares of AMETEK by 22.9% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 66,650 shares of the technology companys stock worth $11,034,000 after purchasing an additional 12,409 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in AMETEK by 1.9% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 202,130 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $33,697,000 after purchasing an additional 3,744 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in AMETEK by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 19,916 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,320,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in AMETEK in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $750,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.43% of the companys stock. Get AMETEK alerts: AMETEK Stock Performance Shares of AMETEK stock traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, reaching $165.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 61,906 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,112,815. AMETEK, Inc. has a one year low of $136.89 and a one year high of $186.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market cap of $38.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.17. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $166.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $172.19. AMETEK Announces Dividend AMETEK ( NYSE:AME Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. AMETEK had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 19.51%. AMETEKs revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AMETEK, Inc. will post 6.77 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.68%. AMETEKs payout ratio is currently 19.68%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth AME has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of AMETEK from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on AMETEK from $165.00 to $158.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Truist Financial cut their price target on AMETEK from $204.00 to $201.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Redburn Atlantic raised AMETEK to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on AMETEK from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $186.29. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on AME Insider Buying and Selling In other AMETEK news, Director Steven W. Kohlhagen sold 1,440 shares of AMETEK stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.93, for a total transaction of $250,459.20. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 24,809 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,315,029.37. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock. AMETEK Profile (Free Report) AMETEK, Inc manufactures and sells electronic instruments and electromechanical devices in the North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, and internationally. The company's EIG segment offers advanced instruments for the process, aerospace, power, and industrial markets; process and analytical instruments for the oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, automation, and food and beverage industries; instruments to the laboratory equipment, ultra-precision manufacturing, medical, and test and measurement markets; power quality monitoring and c devices, uninterruptible power supplies, programmable power and electromagnetic compatibility test equipment, and sensors for gas turbines and dashboard instruments; heavy trucks, instrumentation, and controls for the food and beverage industries; and aircraft and engine sensors, power supplies, embedded computing, monitoring, fuel and fluid measurement, and data acquisition systems for aerospace and defense industry. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AME? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AMETEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AMETEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 5,394 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $276,000. Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Consolidated Planning Corp grew its stake in Unum Group by 48.3% during the 2nd quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp now owns 8,382 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $428,000 after purchasing an additional 2,730 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $715,000. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in Unum Group by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 27,296 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the last quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. grew its stake in Unum Group by 12.1% during the 2nd quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 33,984 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,737,000 after purchasing an additional 3,658 shares during the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $358,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the companys stock. Get Unum Group alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group In other Unum Group news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.11, for a total transaction of $541,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,821 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,507,464.31. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.93% of the companys stock. Unum Group Stock Performance Shares of UNM stock opened at $55.26 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.81. The businesss 50 day moving average is $53.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.14. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.55% and a net margin of 10.40%. The company had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.06 earnings per share. Unum Groups revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.5 EPS for the current fiscal year. Unum Group announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire up to 10% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. Unum Group Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.04%. This is a boost from Unum Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Unum Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 24.96%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Unum Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Unum Group from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Unum Group from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Unum Group from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.90. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Unum Group Unum Group Profile (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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Unum Group (NYSE:UNM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Unum Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unum Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC bought a new position in Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 4,183 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Sonoco Products in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Sonoco Products by 78.8% in the 1st quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 490 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sonoco Products during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 12,183.3% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 737 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 154.6% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 881 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.69% of the companys stock. Get Sonoco Products alerts: Sonoco Products Trading Up 1.7 % Shares of NYSE:SON opened at $55.23 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $51.54 and a 200 day moving average of $55.50. The company has a market cap of $5.43 billion, a PE ratio of 13.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Sonoco Products has a 12-month low of $54.28 and a 12-month high of $56.66. Sonoco Products Dividend Announcement Sonoco Products ( NYSE:SON Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.26 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.69 billion. Sonoco Products had a return on equity of 20.10% and a net margin of 5.57%. The firms revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.38 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sonoco Products will post 5.09 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.77%. Sonoco Productss payout ratio is 52.53%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently commented on SON shares. Raymond James started coverage on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Friday, July 19th. They set an outperform rating and a $62.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Sonoco Products from $64.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Sonoco Products from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and reduced their price target for the company from $54.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Sonoco Products from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Sonoco Products has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $58.00. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on SON Sonoco Products Company Profile (Free Report) Sonoco Products Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells various engineered and sustainable packaging products in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company operates Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging segments. The Consumer Packaging segment offers round and shaped rigid paper, steel, and plastic containers; metal and peelable membrane ends, closures, and components; thermoformed plastic trays and enclosures; and high-barrier flexible packaging products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sonoco Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sonoco Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. George Weston Limited (TSE:WN Get Free Report) Senior Officer Richard Dufresne sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$218.51, for a total transaction of C$1,092,546.00. Richard Dufresne also recently made the following trade(s): Get George Weston alerts: On Friday, August 30th, Richard Dufresne sold 2,700 shares of George Weston stock. The stock was sold at an average price of C$218.89, for a total transaction of C$591,000.03. George Weston Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of TSE:WN opened at C$222.37 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$29.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.01, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.42. George Weston Limited has a 1-year low of C$144.41 and a 1-year high of C$223.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 171.94, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$211.78 and a 200 day moving average price of C$194.48. George Weston Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. George Westons payout ratio is 36.90%. Several research analysts have commented on the stock. TD Securities decreased their target price on shares of George Weston from C$246.00 to C$242.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Desjardins increased their price objective on shares of George Weston from C$212.00 to C$232.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of George Weston from C$235.00 to C$254.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of George Weston from C$196.00 to C$220.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$229.67. Read Our Latest Analysis on George Weston About George Weston (Get Free Report) George Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties). The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy and healthcare services, health and beauty products, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for George Weston Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for George Weston and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN: THM): 9/3/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 8/28/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 8/22/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 8/16/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 8/10/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 8/4/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 7/29/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 7/23/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 7/17/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. 7/11/2024 International Tower Hill Mines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a sell rating on the stock. International Tower Hill Mines Price Performance Shares of International Tower Hill Mines stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.49. The stock had a trading volume of 16,532 shares, compared to its average volume of 130,701. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has a 52 week low of $0.31 and a 52 week high of $0.80. The firm has a market cap of $98.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.72 and a beta of 1.19. Get International Tower Hill Mines Ltd alerts: International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Get Free Report) (TSE:ITH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The mining company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of International Tower Hill Mines by 54.5% in the 4th quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 51,018 shares of the mining companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 18,000 shares in the last quarter. Herr Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of International Tower Hill Mines during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,416,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of International Tower Hill Mines by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,878,009 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $1,984,000 after purchasing an additional 28,358 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.63% of the companys stock. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds rights to acquire interests in the Livengood gold project covering an area of approximately 19,546 hectares located to the northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The company was formerly known as Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Ltd Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Ltd and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MA Private Wealth cut its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 5.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 21,642 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,154 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF makes up 2.3% of MA Private Wealths holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. MA Private Wealths holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $11,843,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. increased its holdings in 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 period. Global Trust Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 5.3% in the 2nd 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. Unionview LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.6% in the first quarter. Unionview LLC now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock worth $1,731,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $1,122,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 6.9% during the second quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 308 shares of the companys stock valued at $169,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA:IVV opened at $552.52 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average is $552.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $532.95. The firm has a market cap of $476.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a one year low of $411.02 and a one year high of $568.24. 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The conviction of an elderly Christian in Iran for attending a house church shows how the Islamist regime politicizes religious activity, according to leaked cases of 327 Christians charged with crimes related to their faith. The Iranian-Armenian Christian from Rasht who was nearly 80 years old at his trial in 2022 was charged with membership in the community under the name of a home church of Zionist Evangelical Christianity with the aim of disrupting the security of the country; gathering and colluding against the countrys security; disturbing the public mind and disrupting social order through Christian publications with the aim of attracting Muslims; and insulting Islamic sacred things, according to advocacy group Article 18. The Christian, identified as Alexander B. and described by his attorneys as a dignified and calm man of faith who respectfully adheres to the laws and systems of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was sentenced to five years in prison. His attorneys, Alireza Thaqfi and Mohammed Kialashki, told the court that describing mere attendance at Christian worship as Zionist and a threat to national security showed the prosecutors attempt to inflate the charges to justify an illegal conviction and disproportionate sentence. He was sentenced to five years in prison, which considering the age of the client and his lack of any criminal record, and lack of knowledge about the prohibition of participation in friendly meetings and performing religious ceremonies [in a house church] and the absence of specific malice, is very heavy, they told the judge, according to court records of cases in the Tehran area leaked in stages by Edaalate Ali since February. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up As the Iranian regime is based on religious principles, the effects of state religion are seen in the prosecutor quoting Supreme Leader Ali Khameini: From the spread of unrestrained and immorality, to the promotion of false mysticism, to the promotion of Bahaism, to the promotion of the network of house churches, these are the things that the enemies of Islam are doing today with study, planning and foresightto weaken religion in the society. Likewise, the prosecutor quoted the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, as stating, If we understand that in our Tehran, the centers of propaganda of the church, Zionism, and Bahaism have been created, which mislead people and distance them from the rules and teachings of Islam, isnt it our duty to destroy these centers that harm Islam? Armenian and Assyrian Christians whose Orthodox and Catholic faiths are legal in Iran are aligned with the Islamic Revolution, the prosecutor said, but Armenian and Assyrian Christians in the Protestant religion, with their evangelistic nature and the mission of Christianizing Iran, are considered a security threat for the Islamic Revolution. Persian-language evangelical movements are supported by fundamentalist evangelical Christians and Zionists who regard Shia Islam as their biggest enemy and their religious duty to fight it, the prosecution stated. Since American Zionist Christians consider the Islamic Republic as their enemy, they do not stop any hostile efforts against Iran, and they use the evangelistic activity in Iran as an action against the security of the Islamic Republic, the prosecutor stated, by destroying and humiliating the dear Islam and promoting Islamophobia and casting doubts on the beliefs of Muslims, especially young people who are suffering for example from financial or emotional problems. The command and planning center of this alleged movement is located in the United States, accompanied by intellectual and financial support of the Zionist regime and England, the prosecution stated. Describing house churches as not approved by authentic Christians and deviant sects, they asserted that the deviant branches of Christianity used house churches along with satellite networks, radio, books, the internet and the financing of underground pyramid networks to create deviation in the minds of Muslims to persuade them to join. Taking into account that the purpose of forming house churches and evangelistic activities by these sects in the Islamic Republic of Iran is to attract Muslims to Zionist Christianity, and it is completely dependent on the international Zionist intelligence services, with people converting from Islam there will be no trace of the Islamic Republic system, they stated. Therefore, the act of forming a house church, and evangelistic activity, is considered to be with the aim of disrupting the countrys security. The Christians attorneys formulated statements against these allegations, emphasizing that the generalities had nothing to do with the particular behavior of the Christian in the case. The repeated questions and interrogations [make] it quite clear that the motive of the prosecutor was only tomake the charge appear big and the accused so valuable that he can exchange them with the prisoners wanted by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for exchange in America, they told the judge. What prosecutors referred to as membership of an organization threatening national security was only attendance at prayer meetings and gatherings of groups of friends, they said, adding that a house church is simply a place for activities similar to those of any church. The most important part of the charge is gathering to disturb the security of the country, the defense attorneys stated. What were the clients limited actions related to the countrys security? How was this big accusation against the client confirmed? From a legal point of view, there is no connection between the behavior of the client and the disruption of the order and security of our beloved country and the Islamic system, and no reason has been presented in the case. The prosecutor repeatedly used the term Zionist only to distort the importance of the Christians actions, thus accusing and punishing an innocent person, the attorneys stated. They added that actions threatening national security mean those that directly and knowingly target national security and intend to weaken it. In this regard, firstly the client had no intention of such an action, they said. Secondly, his action in participating in home meetings was justto pray according to his religion. Therefore, the gathering of several people in one house does not mean an illegal organization. They described the prosecutors case as full of false statements, such as calling him an evangelical visiting [pastor], attributing statements to him that he never uttered and citing as destinations countries and provinces to which he had never travelled. The job of the client is mentioned as the pastor of a house church of Zionist Christianity, while the job of the client is a driver, they said. The interrogator has no right to attribute a job to the client based on his imagination, which has nothing to do with the client and is a pure lie. The investigator in the charges against Alexander B. fabricated a definition of the word evangelism that was broadened only to suit his goal of convicting him according to terms of the Islamic Republic, attorneys said. In the charge of aiming to attract Muslims, the irregular gatherings the Christian attended were with his fellow Christ-followers, and there were no Muslims present, they said. So far in this case there is not even a single example that a Muslim person was attracted to Christianity, they told the judge. He was charged with insulting Islamic sacred things, but there is no statement or evidence of such a charge in the case, they said. Nor was there any reason or evidence on filed for the charge against him of acquiring illegal property. The accusation is only because of the clients statement that he received 600 dollars of aid from a church, they stated. While tithes are money that Christians pay to the church and not to a person. Iran ranked ninth on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,297 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. Jeppson Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $1,342,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter valued at about $631,068,000. Capital International Investors raised its stake in shares of Southern by 45.9% in the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 23,994,733 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,721,382,000 after acquiring an additional 7,550,570 shares during the last quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter worth approximately $128,413,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Southern by 36.0% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,529,052 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $247,457,000 after acquiring an additional 934,447 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners bought a new position in Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $56,924,000. 64.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Southern alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Sterling A. Jr. Spainhour sold 2,380 shares of Southern stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.99, for a total transaction of $211,796.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,112,375. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Southern news, EVP Sterling A. Jr. Spainhour sold 2,380 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.99, for a total transaction of $211,796.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,112,375. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Anthony L. Wilson sold 6,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total transaction of $535,509.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 85,309 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,620,831.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,280 shares of company stock valued at $1,678,625. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have recently commented on SO shares. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Southern from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective 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. Argus increased their price target on shares of Southern from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Southern from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Southern from $83.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $83.71. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Southern Southern Trading Down 0.4 % NYSE:SO traded down $0.38 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $89.13. The company had a trading volume of 376,918 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,445,037. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.91. The Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $61.56 and a fifty-two week high of $90.34. The firm has a market cap of $97.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.13, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.52. The businesss fifty day moving average is $83.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.11. Southern (NYSE:SO Get Free Report) last announced 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 business had revenue of $6.46 billion for 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%. Southerns revenue for the quarter was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.79 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Southern Company will post 4.02 earnings per share for the current year. Southern Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. Southerns dividend payout ratio is currently 74.42%. About Southern (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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KBR (NYSE:KBR Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at TD Cowen from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report issued on Friday, Briefing.com reports. They currently have a $72.00 price target on the construction companys stock. TD Cowens price objective suggests a potential upside of 8.43% from the stocks current price. A number of other brokerages also recently commented on KBR. DA Davidson reissued a buy rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of KBR in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of KBR from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of KBR from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of KBR from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight 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 target price of $75.50. Get KBR alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on KBR KBR Stock Down 0.5 % KBR stock opened at $66.40 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.92 billion, a P/E ratio of -34.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.90. KBR has a 1-year low of $49.37 and a 1-year high of $69.50. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. KBR (NYSE:KBR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The construction company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.04. KBR had a net margin of 2.77% and a return on equity of 27.92%. The company had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. Research analysts anticipate that KBR will post 3.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In other news, insider Jalal Ibrahim sold 35,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.56, for a total value of $2,329,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 106,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,091,968. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On KBR Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in KBR during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in KBR by 2,029.2% in the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in KBR by 39.4% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 817 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its stake in KBR by 454.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 821 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in KBR by 17.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,204 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 97.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. KBR Company Profile (Get Free Report) KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for KBR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KBR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB Free Report) by 28.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,163 shares of the companys stock after selling 452 shares during the quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $161,000 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 KMB. CX Institutional grew its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 5,968 shares of the companys stock valued at $825,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Capital Investment Counsel Inc increased its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% during the first quarter. Capital Investment Counsel Inc now owns 10,019 shares of the companys stock worth $1,296,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Kimberly-Clark by 4.6% in the first quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the companys stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 9,066 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,253,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 5,093 shares of the companys stock worth $659,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Kimberly-Clark alerts: Kimberly-Clark Price Performance Shares of NYSE KMB opened at $148.05 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $141.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $134.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.59, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The company has a market cap of $49.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.39. Kimberly-Clark Co. has a 1-year low of $116.32 and a 1-year high of $149.30. Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend Kimberly-Clark ( NYSE:KMB Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.25. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 223.55%. The firm had revenue of $5.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.65 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Kimberly-Clark Co. will post 7.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $1.22 per share. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. Kimberly-Clarks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.71%. Insider Activity at Kimberly-Clark In other news, insider Jeffrey P. Melucci sold 37,699 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.42, for a total value of $5,331,392.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 19,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,819,207.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, insider Gonzalo Uribe sold 1,780 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.84, for a total value of $250,695.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 7,377 shares in the company, valued at $1,038,976.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jeffrey P. Melucci sold 37,699 shares of Kimberly-Clark stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.42, for a total value of $5,331,392.58. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 19,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,819,207.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes KMB has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $167.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from an underperform rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $115.00 to $160.00 in a report on Thursday, June 13th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Monday, June 24th. They issued a neutral rating and a $146.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $123.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $165.00 price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $145.67. View Our Latest Analysis on Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark Profile (Free Report) Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets personal care and consumer tissue products in the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The company's Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, reusable underwear, and other related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Thinx, Poise, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, and other brand names. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Kimberly-Clark Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kimberly-Clark and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report) by 92.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,992 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 2,881 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF accounts for approximately 1.3% of LGT Financial Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest position. LGT Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $613,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $643,000. Vantage Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $777,000. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $1,700,000. Berger Financial Group Inc boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc now owns 25,083 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,429,000 after purchasing an additional 2,699 shares during the period. Finally, Watershed Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth $355,000. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of EFG opened at $103.66 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.76. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $67.58 and a 52 week high of $85.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.36 and a beta of 0.97. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Profile iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lundin Mining Co. (TSE:LUN Get Free Report) Director Jack Oliver Lundin acquired 65,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of C$12.55 per share, with a total value of C$815,854.00. Lundin Mining Trading Down 1.8 % TSE LUN opened at C$12.01 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of C$9.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.89, a PEG ratio of -0.26 and a beta of 1.67. The companys fifty day simple moving average is C$14.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$14.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.64. Lundin Mining Co. has a 52 week low of C$8.18 and a 52 week high of C$17.97. Get Lundin Mining alerts: Lundin Mining (TSE:LUN Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The mining company reported C$0.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.25 by C($0.03). The firm had revenue of C$1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.51 billion. Lundin Mining had a return on equity of 5.04% and a net margin of 4.21%. Equities research analysts predict that Lundin Mining Co. will post 0.8613678 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analysts Set New Price Targets LUN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of Lundin Mining from C$17.50 to C$16.50 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Raymond James upped their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$15.00 to C$18.00 in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Haywood Securities raised Lundin Mining from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a C$17.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. CIBC boosted their price target on Lundin Mining from C$16.00 to C$17.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$16.50 to C$18.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$17.57. Get Our Latest Stock Report on LUN Lundin Mining Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lundin Mining Corporation, a diversified base metals mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties in Chile, Brazil, the United States, Portugal, Sweden, and Argentina. It primarily produces copper, zinc, gold, nickel, and molybdenum, as well as lead, silver, and other metals. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Lundin Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lundin Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI reduced its stake in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) by 20.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 232,828 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 60,380 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned approximately 0.10% of Travelers Companies worth $47,253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in TRV. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 5.4% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 264,320 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $53,747,000 after purchasing an additional 13,639 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 509.7% in the second quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 756 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies in the second quarter worth about $224,000. Simon Quick Advisors LLC bought a new position in Travelers Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $277,000. Finally, Weaver Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Travelers Companies by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC now owns 11,190 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,275,000 after buying an additional 1,053 shares in the last quarter. 82.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have recently commented on TRV shares. TD Cowen downgraded Travelers Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their target price for the company from $252.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $213.00 to $207.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $202.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Travelers Companies from $221.00 to $234.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $227.05. Insider Activity at Travelers Companies In other Travelers Companies news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.44, for a total transaction of $2,114,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 22,798 shares in the company, valued at $4,820,409.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Travelers Companies Price Performance Shares of TRV stock opened at $231.85 on Friday. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $157.33 and a twelve month high of $234.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $214.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $216.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.61. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 19th. The insurance provider reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.23 by ($0.72). The business had revenue of $11.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.35 billion. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 15.90% and a net margin of 8.37%. The firms revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.06 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.19 EPS for the current fiscal year. Travelers Companies Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.81%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 31.20%. About Travelers Companies (Free Report) The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Travelers Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelers Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU Get Free Report) shares fell 0.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. 25,500 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45. Nevsun Resources Stock Performance Nevsun Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nevsun Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevsun Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR Get Free Report) insider Heather A. Planishek sold 14,016 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.67, for a total value of $429,870.72. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 576,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,666,625.41. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Palantir Technologies Trading Down 1.4 % Shares of Palantir Technologies stock opened at $30.17 on Friday. Palantir Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.68 and a 52 week high of $33.13. The stock has a market cap of $67.19 billion, a PE ratio of 251.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.55 and a beta of 2.72. The companys 50-day moving average price is $28.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.04. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.01). Palantir Technologies had a return on equity of 8.88% and a net margin of 16.32%. The business had revenue of $678.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $653.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.01 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Palantir Technologies Inc. will post 0.19 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Palantir Technologies Analyst Ratings Changes Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 196,834,580 shares of the companys stock worth $4,529,164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,029,317 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. increased its stake in Palantir Technologies by 15.7% in the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 14,571,224 shares of the companys stock worth $335,284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,980,495 shares in the last quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Palantir Technologies by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 13,023,099 shares of the companys stock worth $329,875,000 after purchasing an additional 277,623 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Palantir Technologies by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 11,917,200 shares of the companys stock worth $301,871,000 after buying an additional 167,030 shares during the period. Finally, Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. lifted its stake in Palantir Technologies by 19.2% during the first quarter. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 9,829,631 shares of the companys stock valued at $226,180,000 after buying an additional 1,580,548 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.65% of the companys stock. PLTR has been the subject of several analyst reports. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Palantir Technologies from $24.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of Palantir Technologies from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Monness Crespi & Hardt dropped their price target on shares of Palantir Technologies from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Palantir Technologies from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Mizuho cut Palantir Technologies from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and raised their target price for the company from $21.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $25.00. View Our Latest Research Report on Palantir Technologies Palantir Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Palantir Technologies Inc builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company provides Palantir Gotham, a software platform which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Palantir Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palantir Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hourglass Capital LLC raised its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 0.1% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 74,955 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Philip Morris International accounts for approximately 2.3% of Hourglass Capital LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Hourglass Capital LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $7,595,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 136,556,344 shares of the companys stock worth $12,511,292,000 after purchasing an additional 481,636 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 111,247,656 shares of the companys stock worth $10,192,510,000 after purchasing an additional 1,684,992 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 60,217,039 shares of the companys stock worth $5,517,085,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800,864 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 16.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 13,234,478 shares of the companys stock worth $1,341,050,000 after purchasing an additional 1,856,551 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 13,126,737 shares of the companys stock worth $1,234,963,000 after purchasing an additional 77,820 shares during the period. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on PM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $125.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $120.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $113.70. Insider Buying and Selling at Philip Morris International In other news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total value of $1,038,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 85,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,877,305.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Philip Morris International Price Performance PM stock opened at $125.79 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.55. The businesss 50-day moving average is $113.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $101.98. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $87.23 and a 1 year high of $127.45. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $9.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.45 EPS for the current year. 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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Creek Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Pure Storage, Inc. (NYSE:PSTG Free Report) by 28.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 349,947 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 141,791 shares during the quarter. Pure Storage accounts for 3.1% of Summit Creek Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Summit Creek Advisors LLC owned about 0.11% of Pure Storage worth $22,470,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Pure Storage by 61.2% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 424 shares of the technology companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Pure Storage by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 6,912 shares of the technology companys stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Michael S. Ryan Inc. grew its position in shares of Pure Storage by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Michael S. Ryan Inc. now owns 4,542 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG increased its stake in shares of Pure Storage by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 7,202 shares of the technology companys stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Pure Storage by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 54,073 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,928,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. 83.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Pure Storage alerts: Pure Storage Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of PSTG stock opened at $46.80 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $15.22 billion, a PE ratio of 167.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.59 and a beta of 1.11. Pure Storage, Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.00 and a 1 year high of $70.41. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $59.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.96. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Guggenheim reissued a buy rating and set a $72.00 price target on shares of Pure Storage in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Pure Storage from $50.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Pure Storage from $57.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Pure Storage from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Pure Storage from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pure Storage presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.95. View Our Latest Research Report on Pure Storage Insider Activity In related news, CFO P. Kevan Krysler sold 14,296 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.79, for a total transaction of $911,941.84. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 518,623 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,082,961.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Pure Storage news, CFO P. Kevan Krysler sold 14,296 shares of Pure Storage stock in a transaction on Friday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.79, for a total transaction of $911,941.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 518,623 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $33,082,961.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CRO Dan Fitzsimons sold 9,881 shares of Pure Storage stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.32, for a total value of $586,140.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive now owns 115,601 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,857,451.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 324,177 shares of company stock valued at $18,863,083. 6.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Pure Storage Company Profile (Free Report) Pure Storage, Inc engages in the provision of data storage and management technologies, products, and services in the United States and internationally. Its Purity software is shared across its products and provides enterprise-class data services, such as always-on data reduction, data protection, and encryption, as well as storage protocols, including block, file, and object. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PSTG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pure Storage, Inc. (NYSE:PSTG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pure Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pure Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. True North Commercial REIT (TSE:TNT.UN Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by investment analysts at Raymond James from C$10.00 to C$12.50 in a note issued to investors on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. Raymond James target price suggests a potential upside of 12.92% from the stocks current price. Separately, CIBC increased their price target on shares of True North Commercial REIT from C$9.00 to C$9.50 in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. Get True North Commercial REIT alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on TNT.UN True North Commercial REIT Trading Down 0.9 % About True North Commercial REIT TSE TNT.UN traded down C$0.10 during trading on Friday, hitting C$11.07. The company had a trading volume of 10,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,326. The companys fifty day moving average is C$9.22 and its 200-day moving average is C$9.04. True North Commercial REIT has a one year low of C$6.33 and a one year high of C$14.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 175.73. The company has a market cap of C$160.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.42 and a beta of 1.52. (Get Free Report) The REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT currently owns and operates a portfolio of 46 commercial properties consisting of approximately 3.7 million square feet in urban and select strategic secondary markets across Canada focusing on long term leases with government and credit-rated tenants. See Also Receive News & Ratings for True North Commercial REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for True North Commercial REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shaker Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (NYSE:BMEZ Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 12,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $184,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust by 1,569.0% in the second quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 190,839 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,931,000 after purchasing an additional 179,405 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust by 11.2% in the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 65,088 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 6,565 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust by 66.3% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 399,964 shares of the companys stock worth $6,143,000 after purchasing an additional 159,401 shares during the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management increased its position in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust by 5.3% during the second quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 18,242 shares of the companys stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Register Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust by 5,365.6% during the 2nd quarter. Register Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,832 shares of the companys stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 6,707 shares during the last quarter. Get BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust alerts: BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust Trading Down 1.0 % BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust stock opened at 15.86 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of 15.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of 15.58. BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust has a one year low of 12.93 and a one year high of 16.59. BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust Announces Dividend BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust Company Profile The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.176 dividend. This represents a $2.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. (Free Report) BlackRock Health Sciences Trust IIs (BMEZ) (the Trust) investment objective is to provide total return and income through a combination of current income, current gains and long-term capital appreciation. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the health sciences group of industries and equity derivatives with exposure to the health sciences group of industries. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMEZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (NYSE:BMEZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SouthState Corp decreased its position in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report) by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,057 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 502 shares during the period. SouthState Corps holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $675,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norden Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the first quarter worth $3,686,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 221,737 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $22,679,000 after buying an additional 18,901 shares in the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 282,374 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $26,512,000 after buying an additional 21,809 shares during the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP grew its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 772.9% in the 4th quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 20,914 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,989,000 after acquiring an additional 18,518 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. bought a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries during the first quarter worth about $3,607,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.20% of the companys stock. Get LyondellBasell Industries alerts: LyondellBasell Industries Trading Down 0.7 % Shares of LYB stock opened at $94.23 on Friday. LyondellBasell Industries has a 12-month low of $88.46 and a 12-month high of $107.02. The company has a market capitalization of $30.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $96.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $98.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement LyondellBasell Industries ( NYSE:LYB Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.01. LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 18.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business had revenue of $10.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.44 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.44 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.11 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were given a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.69%. LyondellBasell Industriess payout ratio is presently 82.84%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on LYB. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $117.00 to $110.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of LyondellBasell Industries to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $106.00 to $101.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $107.55. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on LyondellBasell Industries LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile (Free Report) LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LYB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for LyondellBasell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LyondellBasell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup restated their neutral rating on shares of Standard Chartered (LON:STAN Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Standard Chartered from GBX 1,000 ($13.15) to GBX 1,020 ($13.41) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Berenberg Bank reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,100 ($14.46) target price on shares of Standard Chartered in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Standard Chartered has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 979.67 ($12.88). Get Standard Chartered alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Standard Chartered Standard Chartered Trading Up 1.8 % Standard Chartered Cuts Dividend Standard Chartered stock opened at GBX 763.60 ($10.04) on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 734.54 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 714.54. The firm has a market capitalization of 19.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 887.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.87. Standard Chartered has a 12-month low of GBX 571 ($7.51) and a 12-month high of GBX 796 ($10.47). The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 8th. Standard Chartereds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2,790.70%. Standard Chartered Company Profile (Get Free Report) Standard Chartered PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. The company operates in three segments: Corporate, Commercial & Institutional Banking; Consumer, Private & Business Banking; and Ventures. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Standard Chartered Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standard Chartered and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. cut its stake in BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK Free Report) by 0.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,435 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 24 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in BlackRock were worth $2,704,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of BLK. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC grew its position in BlackRock by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 200 shares of the asset managers stock worth $163,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Zhang Financial LLC grew its position in BlackRock by 24.0% during the 1st quarter. Zhang Financial LLC now owns 883 shares of the asset managers stock worth $736,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in BlackRock by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 237,740 shares of the asset managers stock worth $192,997,000 after acquiring an additional 1,647 shares during the last quarter. Farrow Financial Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,228,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC grew its position in BlackRock by 35.8% during the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,732 shares of the asset managers stock worth $3,945,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BlackRock alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BLK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on BlackRock from $1,025.00 to $1,013.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on BlackRock from $974.00 to $969.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on BlackRock from $842.00 to $837.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Citigroup increased their price objective on BlackRock from $920.00 to $930.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on BlackRock from $920.00 to $945.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $883.13. BlackRock Stock Performance Shares of BlackRock stock opened at $875.92 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $130.16 billion, a PE ratio of 22.26, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.32. BlackRock, Inc. has a 12 month low of $596.18 and a 12 month high of $903.46. The company has a current ratio of 5.06, a quick ratio of 5.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $846.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $811.26. BlackRock (NYSE:BLK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $10.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.96 by $0.40. The business had revenue of $4.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.85 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 15.44% and a net margin of 32.36%. The firms revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that BlackRock, Inc. will post 41.34 EPS for the current year. BlackRock Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be paid a $5.10 dividend. This represents a $20.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. BlackRocks dividend payout ratio is 51.84%. Insider Buying and Selling at BlackRock In other BlackRock news, Director Pamela Daley sold 1,531 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $842.08, for a total value of $1,289,224.48. Following the sale, the director now owns 5,732 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,826,802.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other BlackRock news, Director Pamela Daley sold 1,531 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $842.08, for a total value of $1,289,224.48. Following the sale, the director now owns 5,732 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,826,802.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laurence Fink sold 29,450 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $843.25, for a total value of $24,833,712.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 353,718 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $298,272,703.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 93,042 shares of company stock valued at $79,387,117 in the last 90 days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About BlackRock (Free Report) BlackRock, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Synergy Asset Management LLC grew its position in General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report) by 293.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,149 shares of the conglomerates stock after buying an additional 6,077 shares during the quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLCs holdings in General Electric were worth $1,295,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in General Electric by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 316,944 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $50,385,000 after acquiring an additional 4,614 shares in the last quarter. Denver PWM LLC acquired a new stake in shares of General Electric in the second quarter valued at approximately $185,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of General Electric by 224.6% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,490 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $396,000 after purchasing an additional 1,723 shares in the last quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of General Electric by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 1,101,659 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $175,081,000 after purchasing an additional 47,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hudock Inc. purchased a new stake in General Electric in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $455,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.77% of the companys stock. Get General Electric alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays raised their price target on General Electric from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on General Electric from $192.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of General Electric from $195.00 to $209.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. StockNews.com cut shares of General Electric from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $148.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $190.38. General Electric Trading Up 0.6 % General Electric stock traded up $0.94 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $164.79. The stock had a trading volume of 316,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,679,061. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $165.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $163.10. General Electric has a twelve month low of $84.42 and a twelve month high of $177.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $180.38 billion, a PE ratio of 53.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.18. General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $9.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. General Electric had a return on equity of 16.07% and a net margin of 7.66%. The companys revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. Analysts expect that General Electric will post 4.2 EPS for the current year. General Electric Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 11th were paid a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 11th. General Electrics dividend payout ratio is presently 36.72%. General Electric Company Profile (Free Report) General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, designs and produces commercial and defense aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems. It also offers aftermarket services to support its products. The company operates in the United States, Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TD Capital Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report) by 30.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,347 shares of the retailers stock after selling 9,941 shares during the quarter. TD Capital Management LLCs holdings in Walmart were worth $1,513,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Northwest Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Walmart by 199.3% in the first quarter. Northwest Capital Management Inc now owns 440 shares of the retailers stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 138.3% during the second quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the retailers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Partnership Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Walmart alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on Walmart from $64.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Walmart from $69.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.99. Walmart Price Performance WMT opened at $76.96 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $49.85 and a fifty-two week high of $77.81. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $71.27 and a 200 day moving average of $65.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $618.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.94, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.51. Walmart (NYSE:WMT Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $169.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.56 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The companys revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.44 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 2,375,563 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.96, for a total value of $182,823,328.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 619,646,544 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $47,687,998,026.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.48, for a total transaction of $232,440.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 384,165 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,765,104.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 2,375,563 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.96, for a total value of $182,823,328.48. Following the sale, the insider now owns 619,646,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,687,998,026.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,144,237 shares of company stock valued at $730,497,016 over the last ninety days. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Walmart Company Profile (Free Report) Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA Free Report) had its price objective upped by UBS Group from $24.00 to $26.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on TEVA. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, June 27th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday, August 3rd. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an overweight rating and set a $20.00 target price (up previously from $19.00) on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $18.89. Get Teva Pharmaceutical Industries alerts: Read Our Latest Report on TEVA Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Stock Down 2.8 % Shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock opened at $18.43 on Tuesday. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has a 12-month low of $8.06 and a 12-month high of $19.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.88 billion, a PE ratio of -44.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.88. 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 stocks fifty day moving average is $17.34 and its 200-day moving average is $15.69. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.99 billion. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 39.66%. Equities analysts anticipate that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Transactions at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries In other news, Director Roberto Mignone sold 519,000 shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total value of $8,838,570.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 981,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,706,430. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Roberto Mignone sold 519,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated 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 of the companys stock, valued at $16,706,430. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 45,060 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $777,285. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TEVA. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA bought a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the second quarter valued at $48,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the second quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter valued at $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.05% of the companys stock. About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Various Eateries PLC (LON:VARE Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 15.50 ($0.20) and last traded at GBX 17.75 ($0.23), with a volume of 95000 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 18 ($0.24). Various Eateries Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 119.25. The firms fifty day moving average price is GBX 17.70 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 20.61. The company has a market cap of 31.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -360.00 and a beta of 0.11. About Various Eateries (Get Free Report) Various Eateries PLC, together with its subsidiaries, owns, develops, and operates restaurant and hotel sites in the United Kingdom. It operates in two segments, Restaurant and Hotel. The company operates two brands across 15 locations, which include Coppa Club, a multi-use, all-day concept that combines restaurant, terrace, cafe, lounge, bar, and workspaces; and Tavolino, a restaurant for Italian food. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Various Eateries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Various Eateries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Watches of Switzerland Group (LON:WOSG Free Report) in a report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 440 ($5.79) price objective on the stock. WOSG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Watches of Switzerland Group from GBX 500 ($6.57) to GBX 520 ($6.84) and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Watches of Switzerland Group from GBX 420 ($5.52) to GBX 435 ($5.72) and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Watches of Switzerland Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of GBX 474.17 ($6.23). Get Watches of Switzerland Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Watches of Switzerland Group Watches of Switzerland Group Stock Down 1.7 % Watches of Switzerland Group Company Profile WOSG stock opened at GBX 380.20 ($5.00) on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.69. The companys 50-day moving average price is GBX 396.76 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 385.18. Watches of Switzerland Group has a 52 week low of GBX 324 ($4.26) and a 52 week high of GBX 728 ($9.57). The company has a market cap of 910.85 million, a P/E ratio of 1,520.80, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 2.16. (Get Free Report) Watches of Switzerland Group PLC operates as a retailer of luxury watches and jewelry in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. It offers its products under the Goldsmiths, Mappin & Webb, Watches of Switzerland, Mayors Jewelers, and Betteridge brands. The company also engages in sale of fashion and classic watches, and jewelry; and gifts, as well as provides servicing, repairs, and product insurance services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Watches of Switzerland Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Watches of Switzerland Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd grew its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM Free Report) by 3.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 741,328 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after acquiring an additional 27,851 shares during the period. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing accounts for 2.4% of Waverton Investment Management Ltds holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Waverton Investment Management Ltds holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $128,869,000 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 TSM. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter valued at $27,000. NewSquare Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. First Community Trust NA purchased a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, LifeSteps Financial Inc. bought a new position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors own 16.51% of the companys stock. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently commented on TSM. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $168.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Susquehanna restated a positive rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $130.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $200.00. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Trading Up 1.7 % NYSE:TSM opened at $163.62 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $170.13 and a 200 day moving average of $154.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has a 52 week low of $84.01 and a 52 week high of $193.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $848.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.17, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.14. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The semiconductor company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.11. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 25.54% and a net margin of 37.85%. The firm had revenue of $20.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 34.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited will post 6.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.4871 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. This represents a $1.95 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. This is an increase from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio is 37.52%. About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Free Report) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides a range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, bipolar CMOS mixed-signal, and others. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC raised its stake in First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN Free Report) by 6.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,716 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,716 shares during the quarter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLCs holdings in First Horizon were worth $421,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in First Horizon during the first quarter worth $25,000. Family Firm Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Horizon during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Horizon during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of First Horizon by 129.3% during the 1st 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 period. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.28% of the companys stock. Get First Horizon alerts: First Horizon Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of NYSE FHN traded up $0.12 during trading on Friday, hitting $15.85. 177,638 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,502,600. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. First Horizon Co. has a 12-month low of $10.08 and a 12-month high of $17.46. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.67 billion, a PE ratio of 10.99, a P/E/G ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.89. First Horizon Announces Dividend First Horizon ( NYSE:FHN Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.01). First Horizon had a return on equity of 8.84% and a net margin of 14.03%. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $819.82 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.39 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that First Horizon Co. will post 1.46 EPS for the current year. The firm 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 $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. First Horizons dividend payout ratio is presently 41.96%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have issued reports on FHN. Robert W. Baird reiterated a neutral rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of First Horizon from $18.50 to $17.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of First Horizon in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. They issued an overweight rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded First Horizon from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, July 20th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on First Horizon from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Horizon currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $17.31. Get Our Latest Stock Report on FHN First Horizon Company 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for First Horizon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Horizon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC Free Report) Research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for Honda Motor in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, September 4th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.85 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.86. The consensus estimate for Honda Motors current full-year earnings is $4.53 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Honda Motors Q4 2026 earnings at $0.80 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.48 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.96 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $3.64 EPS. Get Honda Motor alerts: Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Honda Motor from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Honda Motor Stock Up 1.9 % HMC stock opened at $32.37 on Friday. Honda Motor has a one year low of $27.69 and a one year high of $37.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.37. The firms fifty day moving average is $31.69 and its 200 day moving average is $33.54. The firm has a market cap of $55.36 billion, a PE ratio of 6.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.68. Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.38. Honda Motor had a net margin of 5.34% and a return on equity of 8.72%. The business had revenue of $34.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $33.75 billion. Institutional Trading of Honda Motor A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HMC. RFP Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Honda Motor by 91.3% in the 1st quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 662 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Honda Motor in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Honda Motor during the second quarter worth about $28,000. LRI Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Honda Motor by 1,263.6% during the 2nd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 900 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 834 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Family Firm Inc. purchased a new position in Honda Motor in the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. 5.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Honda Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Honda Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Support Us Your Support will ensure EPWs financial viability and sustainability. The EPW produces independent and public-spirited scholarship and analyses of contemporary affairs every week. EPW is one of the few publications that keep alive the spirit of intellectual inquiry in the Indian media. Often described as a publication with a social conscience, EPW has never shied away from taking strong editorial positions. Our publication is free from political pressure, or commercial interests. Our editorial independence is our pride. We rely on your support to continue the endeavour of highlighting the challenges faced by the disadvantaged, writings from the margins, and scholarship on the most pertinent issues that concern contemporary Indian society. Every contribution is valuable for our future. A South Carolina judge on Thursday ordered the arrest of a former North Carolina police officer charged with sex crimes involving boys from a Fort Mill church after the ex-cop failed to show up for court. Erickson Douglas Lee, 26, worked as a police officer in Cornelius, N.C., which is north of Charlotte, before he was fired in 2023 after his arrest. He's accused of improperly touching minors, giving them alcohol and having nude parties at his Fort Mill home while volunteering with a youth group from 2020 to 2023 at Morningstar Fellowship Church. Lee posted bail soon after his arrest in May 2023. He made an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty Thursday in court to five charges for a sentence of eight years in prison, prosecutor Hannah Woods told Judge Dan Hall in court. Alleged victims in the case, family members and friends also were in court for the hearing. But Lee did not show up. So, Hall signed a bench warrant for Lee's arrest late Thursday afternoon. And the plea deal is off the table with Woods' no-show, Woods told Judge Hall. The warrant means any law enforcement officer can take Lee into custody, Woods said. Fred Davis, Lee's defense attorney from the York County Public Defender Office, said in court he spoke to Lee weeks ago and told him to be in court Thursday morning. Davis told Hall he couldn't reach Lee by phone on Thursday. Lee has not been convicted of any crimes connected to the case. He still faces 11 charges, including four counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors, four counts of disseminating obscenity to minors, first-degree assault and battery, second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, court records show. The individual charges carry three to 20 years in prison for a conviction. Morningstar CEO Rick Joyner told the Herald said church officials contacted law enforcement in 2023 when allegations against Erickson Lee, the former church volunteer, were brought to the attention of church leaders. He said the church is committed to making sure people associated with the church are safe. "Something really bad happened to those boys and we have searched and investigated every way we could," Joyner said Wednesday. "We are disturbed too, we feel for the families, they are families in our church." Testing their first loop antenna which worked perfectly on the first try. August 30, 2024 was a happy day for the newest set of Ham radio operators in SVG, as they successfully completed a Technician Class amateur radio course. This cohort of amateur radio operators included staff of the Teacher Co-operative Credit Union (TCCU) and a staff member from the NTRC. The course included introduction to electricity, Ohms Law, antenna construction, amateur radio etiquette, and amateur radio allocations on the radio frequency (RF) spectrum, among other study areas. During the practical session, the trainees made a delta loop antenna for the 40 Meter band and while testing their new antenna, established contact with licensed operators in Barbados, St. Thomas, St. Lucia and SVG. The course was organized and conducted after the management of the TCCU approached the Director of the YRM to have their staff trained, as they recognized the importance of having a reliable back up communications system, should the phone system and internet collapse following a natural or manmade disaster. Despite the fact that satellite communication is becoming the order of the day, like every good thing it also has its limitations, as heavy cloud cover or airborne volcanic ash can block signals between satellites and terrestrial stations/operators. In readiness for the course, the TCCU ordered and received a set of handheld radios to ensure that their key members can communicate with each other. The management thanked the Ministry of Finance for granting the waiver of duties and VAT for the importation of the equipment. Our customs tariff laws under exemption 13 (b) allows licensed radio operators to import radio equipment duty free. All nine candidates exceeded the 80% pass mark, with two TCCU staff members- Jozell Byron and Rohan Murray scoring 100%. The other successful trainers were: Ronicia Douglas (NTRC), Roneisha Williams, Janelle Seales, Keshron King, Curtis Browne, Ivan Vaughn and Jave Martin. The test was administered by Marcellus Constance, the Technical Operations Manager/NTRC, who congratulated the participants for their outstanding performances on the exam. According to course instructor Donald De Riggs J88CD, the practical training will continue over the next few months with simulations and other outdoor activities to further enhance their antenna construction skills, and to test these antennas to see which designs yield the best results. As the old saying in radio circles goes; "When all fails, amateur radio always saves the day " Contributed by: Donald De Riggs President Maduros jet in the back ground of a photo showing SVG Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves welcoming President Maduro to SVG in December 2023. The U.S. government has seized a luxury jet used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that officials say was illegally purchased through a shell company registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and smuggled out of the United States in violation of sanctions and export control laws. The Dassault Falcon 900EX was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the custody of federal officials in Florida, the Justice Department said Monday. The plane landed at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport shortly before noon Monday, according to flight tracking websites. U.S. officials say associates of the Venezuelan leader in late 2022 and early 2023 used a Caribbean-based shell company to hide their involvement in the purchase of the plane, valued at the time at $13 million, from a company in Florida. ABC News on Tuesday confirmed that the plane was previously registered in the U.S. and owned by Lorida, Florida-based Six G Aviation, a broker that buys and sells used aircraft. FAA records indicate it was exported to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and de-registered in the U.S. in January 2023. The plane was then exported to Venezuela, through the Caribbean, in April 2023 in a transaction meant to circumvent an executive order that bars U.S. citizens from business transactions with representatives of Maduros government. The plane, registered to San Marino, was widely used by Maduro for foreign travel, including on trips earlier this year to Guyana and Cuba. It was also involved in a December swap in the Grenadines Island of Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, of several Americans jailed in Venezuela for a close Maduro ally, Alex Saab, imprisoned in the U.S. on money laundering charges. The plane was also used in December to transport Maduro and his delegation to St. Vincent and the Grenadines where he was involved in discussions over a territory dispute with Guyana. The website of Flightradar24, a live flight tracker that shows air traffic in real time, gives indication that the plane flew to Venezuela after arriving in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in April 2023. Venezuelas government acknowledged the seizure in a statement Monday. It characterized the U.S. governments move as "a repeated criminal practice that cannot be described as anything other than piracy. In a further statement, the Venezuela government that it reserved the right to take legal measures to repair the damage this recent "unilateral and illegal action has inflicted on the people of Venezuela. Matthew Axelrod, an assistant secretary for export enforcement in the US Commerce Department, countered with: Despite the inconvenience of damage to its base at Sion Hill Village, as a result of the passage of Hurricane Beryl, on July 1, 2024, the Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestra battled the odds, and hosted it 29th Summer Training Programme. For another year, Ms Mikalla Knights and Septimus Cain were the programme facilitators, and this year, over a fiveweek period, introduced twenty-seven (27) new persons to the art of playing the steel pan. The new cohort did not disappoint their tutors nor their parents, guardians and others who were present last Sunday, September 1, 2024, at the Graduation Ceremony, held at the Sion Hill Village hard court. The graduates showed the extent to which they had mastered the art of playing the pan, when they belted out renditions of Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Someone Like You by Adele, All Aboard by Krosfyah and My Hands by Burna Boy, much to the appreciation of those in attendance. Chairman of the Sion Hill Euphonium Steet Orchestra- Warren Knights had earlier complimented the parents for allowing their children to be part of the 2024 edition of the bands Summer Programme. "We must also acknowledge and appreciate the parents for recognizing and affording their children the invaluable opportunity to participate in this years Summer Programme, Knights lauded. He used the occasion to debunk some misgivings about music and its negative influence on peoples learning, saying, "Studies consistently show that music has the unique ability to activate the brain, maximise learning and improve memory Thus, we encourage parents to allow their children to continue to attend follow-up training sessions, as this will undoubtedly complement their academic growth. Apart from Knights, Sundays Graduation Ceremony was addressed by Leroy Llewelyn, who represented National Properties, and Fitz-Gerald Bramble, Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown. Vincentian soca star Gamal "Skinny Fabulous Doyle was by far the biggest winner last week Thursday night during the 2nd Annual Caribbean Music Awards (CMA) at Kings Theatre on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Skinny Fabulous, a St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cultural Ambassador, copped three awards for Artist of the Year Male (Soca); Collaboration of the Year Soca, with Trinidadian Nailah Blackman on "Come Home; and Video of the Year (Soca) with Blackman, also on "Come Home. After receiving the Video of the Year (Soca) award for collaborating with Blackman, Skinny Fabulous said: "This is what it means for Caribbean people who work together. Nailah is from Trinidad and Tobago, and Im from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On receiving the Artist of the Year Male (Soca), he told the star-studded ceremony: "I believe in myself. I believe in myself, I believe in Soca music, I believe in the people. So, I want to say thank you, Famalay (the title of his popular hits), to everyone who supports Skinny Fabulous on my journeyI just want to say thank you so much for nominating me and for choosing me, thank you everybody. Skinny Fabulous is a six-time Soca Monarch winner and a one-time winner of the Ragga Soca crown in SVG. He created history when in 2019 in a collaboration with Trinidadians artistes Ian "Bunji Garlin Alvarez and Machel Montano., he took the Road march title with a song entitled "Famalay. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consul General to the United States Rondy "Luta McIntosh, also a popular soca artiste, couldnt be prouder of Skinny Fabulouss accomplishments. "The significant achievements by our Cultural Ambassador Gamal Skinny Fabulous Doyle is a perfect example of not letting the size of the landscape you call your home limit the size of your dreams, he told THE VINCENTIAN exclusively. "Skinny has taken our unique brand of soca music to great heights, which carries on the legacy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as being one of the top soca-producing nations in the music industry. The Caribbean Elite Group, organizer of the CMA, describes itself as a platform to recognize, honour and celebrate Caribbean talent who have made significant contributions to the enhancement of our music, said that a star-studded line-up returned to the iconic Kings Theatre for the second successive year, for an "an unforgettable night of celebration, music, cultural pride and a showcase of Voices of The Caribbean. Hosted by the Queen of Dancehall, Spice, and the King of Comedy, Majah Hype, CMA said this years awards was "a spectacular showcase of talent, with a lineup that underscored the "diversity and vibrancy of Caribbean music. The 2024 Caribbean Music Awards featured dynamic performances from a diverse range of influential and emerging artists in the industry. Others on winners row in the respective categories were: 2023 Impact Award (Dancehall) 450; 2023 Impact Award (Reggae) Moritmer; 2023 Impact Award (Soca) Pumpa; Album of the Year (Reggae) Buju Banton "Born For Greatness; Album of the Year (Dancehall) Masicka "Generation of Kings; Artist of the Year (Bouyon) Mr. Ridge; Artist of the Year (French Caribbean) Kalash; Artist of the Year (Latin Caribbean) Romeo Santos; Artist of the Year Female (Dancehall) Shenseea; Artist Of The Year Female (Reggae) Lila Ike; and Artist Of The Year Female (Soca) Patrice Roberts. Others were: Artist of the Year Male (Dancehall) Valiant; Artist of the Year Male (Reggae) Romain Virgo; Best New Artist (Dancehall) Rajah Wild; Best New Artist (Reggae) Ras I; Best New Artist (Soca) Yung Bredda; Collaboration of the Year (Reggae) Shaggy & Kes with "Mood; Collaboration of the Year (Dancehall) Burna Boy & Byron Messia with "Talibans II; Cruise Event of the Year, Uber Soca; Entertainer of the Year, Lee So Crazy; International DJ of the Year, DJ Puffy; Konpa Band of the Year, Zafem; Music Event of the Year, Stink & Dutty; and Peoples Choice (Powered by Spotifys Frequency) Asa Bantan. Others continued: Performer of the Year (Dancehall) Dexta Daps; Performer of the Year (Soca) Mr. Killa; Song of the year (Dancehall) Byron Messia with "Talibans; Song of the Year (Soca) Bunji Garlin with "Hard Fete; Video of the year (Dancehall) Tee Jay with "Drift; Artist of the Decade Spice; Konpa Award Honor Tabou Combo; Producer Award Honor Di Genius; Chutney Award Honor Ravi B; Gospel Award Honor Sherwin Gardner; Calypso Award Honor The Mighty Sparrow; Lifetime Achievement Award Marcia Griffiths; Elite Icon Award Alison Hinds; and Legacy Award Cedella Marley. Caribbean Elite Group said the Caribbean Music Awards have become a premier event, celebrating the global impact of Caribbean music and honoring those who have played a pivotal role in its evolution. It said this years awards were "the biggest and most exciting yet, with a night full of performances, appearances and honors that resonated with fans worldwide. Sara DiNatale covers energy, the Texas grid, ERCOT, CPS Energy, and labor for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at (210) 446-3358, sara.dinatale@express-news.net, or @sara_dinatale. Sara joined the staff in 2023. She spent six years in Florida at the Tampa Bay Times, where she covered breaking news before settling into business reporting. She also covered labor, the economy, and health care at Mississippi Today, where her reporting was recognized by the Green Eyeshade Awards and the Mississippi Press Association. Shes a graduate of the University at Buffalo (2015) and a native of Western New York. (TBTCO) - Ngay 21/6/2024, Cong ty co phan Di chuyen Xanh va Thong minh GSM cong bo phat ong chuong trinh Xanh lang nghe ban keo dai en het nam 2024 nham nang cao chat luong dich vu va toi uu trai nghiem cho khach hang. Thong qua cac phan qua gia tri nham khuyen khich khach hang thuc ay va ong hanh cung oi ngu tai xe, GSM mong muon thiet lap mat bang moi ve tieu chuan dich vu trong nganh goi xe, ong thoi tao ra nhung chuyen bien manh me trong xu huong giao thong xanh tai Viet Nam. (TBTCO) - Gia xe SH moi nhat thang 10/2024 tai ai ly ang giam soc, mot so phien ban ang uoc ban re hon gia e xuat, ay la ieu hiem co cua dong xe Honda. Trong khi o, gia xe Vision tai ai ly ang o muc thap chua tung co, tinh trang oi gia cao gan nhu a khong con. Like all filmmakers, Professor Diana Nicolae had high hopes for her latest project, a documentary about legendary Romanian dissident and poet Ana Blandiana, whose subtle but charged writing contributed to the downfall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Her hopes are coming true. Nicolaes film about Blandiana, Between Silence and Sin, has found a big audience in Europe, where the horrors of the Ceausescu regime still reverberate, and the rise of extreme right-wing parties again threaten democracy across the continent and around the world. Nicolae said Blandianas activism supported Romanias democratic transformation after the 1989 fall of communism. She dared when nobody else did, when no men dared to talk or do anything, Nicolae said, citing Petre Mihai Bacanu, a Romanian journalist from the period. Released in May with its world premiere at the Krakow Film Festival in Poland, Nicolae said Between Silence and Sin is playing to packed movie houses across Europe, with appearances at prestigious industry markets and festivals like IDFA, Visions du Reel, and the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). This fall, those appearances will continue with official selections at festivals in Spain, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as launching in the United States with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York. Professor and poet John Gery of the University of New Orleans commented on how deeply Between Silence and Sin moved him. This film restores our faith in what we have always known but sometimes forget that as Blandiana has proven her whole life, great poetry indeed changes the world, Gery wrote. An audience before royalty The film will screen in October for the Royal House of Spain during festivities surrounding the Princess of Asturias literary award presentation, which Blandiana will receive in recognition of her promotion of cultural and humanistic values. The award was previously received by such luminaries as Arthur Miller, Mario Vargas Llosa, Bob Dylan and Meryl Streep. This is an incredible honor for Ana Blandiana and Romania, and Im excited to attend, Nicolae said. Nicolae said its difficult to overstate the impact that Blandiana has had on Romanian literature and history. The authors works were banned under Ceausescu, a ruthless dictator who served as general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989. Ceausescu was overthrown during the Romanian Revolution and he and his wife were executed. Though Blandianas poetry was banned, Romanians continued to read it, cribbing favored passages. They carried them in their coat pockets, next to their hearts. It was the Romanian samizdat, Nicolae said. For the film, she documented important historical moments through archival films and shot original footage with Blandiana and people she influenced. Her hope was to reignite and preserve the memory of not only a great poet and activist but a consequential time from the recent past. Ana was one of the earliest promoters of democracy in Romania and is still one of its most beloved poets, particularly for my generation. Unfortunately, she is not known well enough by younger generations and hopefully my film can change that, Nicolae said. Still prolific, Blandiana, 82, will publish a new volume of poetry, tentatively called Between Two Centuries, this fall, Nicolae said. A full professor of documentary and television and founder of RowanDOCs in the Department of Radio, Television & Film, Nicolae said presenting at major film festivals can be a launch pad for distribution. Shes already landed a distribution deal with TVR, the Romanian National Television network, and hopes, following the films tour of the festival circuit, to air it on platforms around the world. Though well established in the U.S., she said Romania is never far from her thoughts. There are so many good stories from the region that are fairly unknown and waiting to be told, said Nicolae, a former television journalist in Romania who emigrated to the U.S. to teach and make films. Im a Romanian American, but Im still connected to that part of the world, to my Romanian roots and heritage that are haunting my dreams and my imagination obsessively and will never cease. See the trailer and reviews and learn about upcoming screenings at www.betweensilenceandsin.com. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). barq, an innovative Saudi financial services startup, has partnered with Mastercard to empower its customers with a range of industry leading payment acceptance solutions through Mastercard Gateway. The agreement will see barq leverage Mastercard Gateway technology to further equip its merchants and consumers around the kingdom with greater access to a wide range of value-added services responsive, personalised solutions that cater to their unique needs and preferences. The partnership will enable barq to expand its service offering, utilising Mastercard Gateways seamless payment processing and robust fraud prevention technology to deliver greater convenience, speed and added peace of mind. Modern offerings This represents an exciting point in history both for the kingdom and the wider financial services industry, said barq Executive & Founder Abdullah Alshalhoub. At a time when Saudi businesses, citizens and residents are increasingly looking for ways to send money across the globe quickly and securely, we have partnered with Mastercard to deliver the modern offerings that consumers demand. Mastercard has developed a world-class range of cross-border services and remittances solutions. We look forward to working closely with the technology company to empower the people and communities we serve with seamless access to these tools. At Mastercard, we take pride in serving as a partner of choice to the kingdom as it continues to make strides on its journey of transformation, said Maria Parpou, EVP Payment Gateway, Mastercard. We strive to play a key role in driving the growth and development of the Saudi fintech ecosystem, working closely with innovative companies such as barq. Together, we aim to redefine financial services, curating an expansive portfolio of world-class offerings that empower people and businesses to make payments as they please. Digital transformation In line with Vision 2030, the partnership will contribute to the digital transformation of financial services in Saudi Arabia, while responding to a growing demand for financial transactions between people and businesses in different countries. Mastercard Gateway offers advanced payment processing and fraud prevention technology to acquiring banks, merchants, micro-merchants, and technology partners. It provides its partners with the reach, security and innovation to compete in the world of digital payments. Some of the value-added services available via Mastercard Gateway include membership and automatic payments, subscriptions, bills, instalments and many other business flows that require payments at regular intervals without the payers presence on the website or app.--TradeArabia News Service Burjeel Holdings, a top healthcare services provider in the MENA region, has received the Most Honored Company distinction in its debut participation in the Emerging EMEA Executive Team Survey by Institutional Investor Research. The group, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, was honoured for its strength in investor relations, and was one of only six companies in the UAE to receive this prestigious title. Only 33 out of 332 companies from 11 sectors across the Emerging EMEA region received this distinction. Burjeel came in second place in seven categories within the Emerging EMEA Health Care & Pharmaceuticals segment of the 2024 survey, which is based on rankings from the buy-side and sell-side investment community: Best CEO John Sunil Best CFO Muhammad Shihabuddin Best IR Professional Sergei Levitskii Best ESG Program Best Investor/Analyst Day Best IR Program Best IR Team This year, the Emerging EMEA Executive Team Survey reflected the votes and opinions of 405 investment professionals at 248 financial services firms. The groups achievements are testament to its outstanding performance, recognized by investors and the market, and reflect the growth in its foreign investor base, a statement said. Burjeel was ranked as a top company in IR in the Emerging EMEA region, highlighting its commitment to providing quality disclosures, timely responses to investor queries, and effective investor communication. Muhammed Shihabuddin, Group Chief Financial Officer, said: We are proud and honoured to be recognised by Institutional Investor Research for our performance. These achievements reflect the confidence of investors and analysts in Burjeel Holdings, highlighting the companys excellence in financial disclosure, risk management, and commitment to transparent timely communication with external stakeholders. We will continue to further consolidate our leading position in the UAE healthcare market, maximize our shareholder value, and reinforce our daily commitment to the community. Institutional Investor Research (IIR) is a renowned provider of independent data-driven insights and actionable feedback for the sell side, corporates, and buy side. TradeArabia News Service The UAE's non-oil foreign trade reached an all-time high of AED1.395 trillion ($379.8 billion) in the first half of 2024 the sixth consecutive half-year period of foreign trade growth. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that the UAE under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continues to achieve unprecedented milestones in its non-oil foreign trade, said a Wam news agency report. AED4 TRILLION AIM HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid: A few years ago, we set ambitious national economic goals, aiming for AED4 trillion in foreign trade by 2031 a goal that was seen as highly challenging at the time. "Today, the figures for the first half of 2024 show that our exports in just six months have equalled what we used to export in an entire year before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019. Our foreign trade is nearing AED1.4 trillion in these six months, with a 25 percent growth in non-oil exports. Our target is to achieve AED3 trillion in non-oil foreign trade by the end of this year. HH Sheikh Mohammed noted: Our economic relations with various countries have strengthened, with trade increasing by 10 percent with India, 15 percent with Turkiye, and 41 percent with Iraq, making Iraq the top destination for UAE exports, followed by India, Turkiye, and others. His Highness added: While the global growth rate for foreign trade is around 1.5 percent, our foreign trade has grown by 11.2 percent annually, as we continue to advance toward our goals. He concluded: The steadfast support of the Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, who has cultivated exceptional international relations with countries around the world, and through the tireless efforts of thousands of teams from both the public and private sectors. The flag rises, the nation and the region prosper, and our future is brighter, higher, and more promising. EXPORTS UP BY 28.7% The UAEs non-oil exports to its top 10 trade partners grew by 28.7 percent, while all other nations saw a 12.6 percent increase in trade. Gold, jewellery, cigarettes, oils, aluminium, copper wires, printed materials, silver, iron industries, and perfumes topped the list of the UAEs most important export categories in the first half of 2024, collectively growing by 36.8 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Other goods grew by 1 percent. Re-exports reached AED345.1 billion in the first half of 2024, growing by 2.7 percent compared to the same period in 2023, and increasing by 11.2 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Re-exports with key trading partners all grew, particularly Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, the United States, Kuwait, and Qatar. Kazakhstan joined the list of leading re-export partners, nearly doubling its growth due to increased re-exports of telephone devices. Overall, re-exports grew by 7.6 percent with the top ten trading partners. Telephones and diamonds were the top re-exported goods, with the highest growth seen in re-exports of aircraft parts, cars, and goods transport vehicles. IMPORTS SEE 11.3% GROWTH The UAEs non-oil imports approached AED800 billion in the first half of 2024, growing by 11.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023 and increasing by 34.6 percent compared to the same period in 2022. A significant portion of these imports are re-exported. Imports from the top ten markets grew by 7.2 percent, accounting for over 48.7 percent of total imports. Other countries, which account for 51.3 percent of UAE imports, grew by 15.4 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Quarterly performance In Q4 2023, the UAEs non-oil foreign trade of goods reached a record AED710 billion ($193 billion), a 16.3 percent YoY and 12.4 percent QoQ growth. This marked the first time non-oil trade exceeded AED700 billion ($190 billion) in a quarter. Non-oil exports of goods amounted to AED132.2 billion ($36 billion), a 39.3 percent YoY and 26.9 percent QoQ increase. Since Q1 2023, non-oil exports have consistently surpassed AED100 billion (US$27.2 billion). Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, affirmed that the UAE has placed foreign trade at the centre of its economic agenda, recognising its pivotal role in driving industrial output, enhancing the global competitiveness of its products and services, as well as catalysing innovation. The foreground of this rendering depicts a proposed 6-story Military Medical Collision Center that would anchor VelocityTXs development at the former G.J. Sutton property on the near-East Side. Courtesy VelocityTX A rendering of the proposed "Military Medical Collision Center" that would anchor VelocityTX's new development on the former G.J. Sutton property. A rendering of the proposed "Military Medical Collision Center" that would anchor VelocityTX's new development on the former G.J. Sutton property. Courtesy VelocityTX Rene Dominguez, president and CEO of VelocityTX, speaks during the kickoff event for the Community Health Accelerator program it recently launched with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas. Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Maj. Gen. Dr. Thomas Harrell talks about the history of the former Wilford Hall Medical Center as it was being demolished in May. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Maj. Gen. Dr. Thomas Harrell talks about the history of the former Wilford Hall Medical Center with the new ambulatory surgical care center seen behind him on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Port San Antonio CEO Jim Perschbach was the visionary behind the new e-sports arena at Port SA. Perschbach came up with the concept and unveiled it in 2018. Fast-forward four years later, the venue has been built, and in that time, over 5,000 new jobs have been created on this campus, new companies have set up shop and 80,000 students have been engaged through the prototype programs that will now be scaled by Tech Port Center, with e-sports as a key component. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer The Defense Health Agency already has substantial operations in San Antonio, including Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. It's the largest inpatient medical facility in the Department of Defense. William Luther/Express-News file photo A conceptual rendering of a 16th Air Force campus being proposed at Port San Antonio. At far left, the existing Boeing Center at Tech Port can be seen. At center right in white is what the Port is now calling Innovation Tower, a new office building it?s working to develop. Port San Antonio A $60 million center for medical innovation could be built near downtown as an offshoot of the militarys plans to consolidate its Defense Health Agency in San Antonio. The joint agency is studying the idea pitched by VelocityTX the near East Side biotech hub for the research center that would anchor a bigger development that could eventually create more than 2,000 jobs along Center Street about a block from its growing campus. We know the answer will come, and then therell be a process to get that approved, and that could take a couple years to do, to get it funded and approved, said Rene Dominguez, VelocityTX president and CEO. Once we get the green light that the building is something that they need, the work begins to get this thing financed, designed and constructed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Consideration of the idea comes as the DHA, the massive bureaucracy that oversees health care for the Defense Department, is working to consolidate more than 3,000 existing employees working at nearly two dozen sites across the city. Military leaders have said the current setup is inefficient and that theyre looking to reorganize the agencys local workforce into more centralized locations. The effort could also add several hundred jobs in San Antonio. As a result, city, county and Joint Base San Antonio officials have been in behind-the-scenes talks for the past few years about refreshing an old building at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston for some of the DHA workers. Along the way, the discussions have expanded to include other area players including VelocityTX and Port San Antonio. The projects reflect San Antonios deep ties to military medicine and deliberate work to support and grow the industry in Military City, USA. Development plans The services already have several medical research outfits operating in San Antonio, and a couple of them the Armys Institute for Surgical Research and elements of the Air Forces 59th Medical Wing have offices at VelocityTX. The DHA uses flex space there periodically, and VelocityTX collaborates with the Navys Medical Research Unit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What were proposing right now with DHA, and thats who these medical research units now fall under, is a Military Medical Collision Center, Dominguez said. Weve been working with them probably for the last four years on the concept, which is intended to help military medicine collide with its civilian counterparts. The center would anchor a development on the old G.J. Sutton site across East Houston Street from VelocityTXs campus that could eventually include as much as 600,000 square feet of office, retail and green space. VelocityTX estimates that it could create 2,400 jobs. Renderings of the roughly 100,000-square-foot collision center show a multistory building that would include office space, labs, a sandbox area to test equipment, an auditorium and parking. VelocityTX is planning for it to house about 150 workers, but a spokesman said that number could change. The operation would address a gap that leaves partners without means to plug into military medical research, Dominguez said. For years, limited access to bases and other bureaucratic hurdles have hobbled collaboration among the military, industry and academia. The concept of an off-base center to facilitate such cooperation could help close that gap. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We can create a center for them that really allows them to leverage the public sector, the private sector and the academic sectors, all working together to advance their missions and their military medical requirements, he said. The thinking is that by working together, researchers can develop technologies that will help on the battlefield and at home. These technologies need to help our war fighters, but for them to be sustainable and for them to grow into commercial ventures, theres got to be a civilian market also, Dominguez said. So dual-use technologies is a key aspect of what we want to help develop. City investment The city of San Antonio has already invested $3 million in infrastructure improvements on the Sutton property, and Dominguezs team has been working with the DHA to determine requirements for the proposed facility. It is evaluating the need for such a center and expects to publish a report by the end of the year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He described the strategy as very similar to Port San Antonios proposed approach to building a new home for the militarys expanding cyber mission. The Air Force is considering the ports $1 billion proposal to relocate the 16th Air Force from its current location on whats known as Security Hill on JBSA-Lackland to a new campus on Port San Antonio. The ports plan calls for developing the complex via an intergovernmental support agreement, an arrangement commonly used for municipalities to provide support services on military installations. This process would allow us to operate at more commercial construction speed and to build a facility, we think, about a billion dollars less than what it would cost under typical military construction processes, Jim Perschbach, Port San Antonio president and CEO, said earlier this year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dominguez said using such an agreement could work for VelocityTXs project with the DHA, as well. The need The DHA, created in 2013 by the Defense Department to help the Army, Navy and Air Force maintain medical readiness, has a global workforce of 130,000 civilians and military members and a $16.9 billion operating budget. Responsible for all aspects of the military health care system, it oversees 45 hospitals, 566 ambulatory care and occupational health clinics and 117 dental clinics worldwide. In San Antonio, it has more than 3,000 employees working at 22 sites spread across the city, but Air Force Maj. Gen. and Dr. Thomas Tom Harrell said that structure must change. The cardiologist leads the DHAs Central Network, one of nine such geographic networks worldwide. Details for the reorganization arent finalized, he said, but the current setup is nonsensical and inefficient. Its just time to pull back and go, OK, this doesnt make any sense, Harrell said. It doesnt make any sense fiscally, doesnt make any sense for unity of effort. He reiterated that there are no plans to move the Defense Health Headquarters to San Antonio from Virginia. The goal is to collocate more than 600 agency staff in one location, an agency spokeswoman said. That leaves open the question of where the other roughly 2,400 employees would go. The current situation was created by the agencys rapid expansion in the decade since it was created. As it added functions and capabilities, the DHA gobbled up office space at locations across the city. The network office is on Port San Antonio, but most employees are at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, and others are in commercial office spaces such as the Lincoln Center and Bank of America Plaza. It is both a cost savings and a unity effort endeavor to try to colocate as much of that staff as we can, Harrell said. Despite the largest defense budgets in history, the agency accounts for only about 10% of the total and its unlikely that DHA or the services would undertake a military construction project to build new facilities, he said. While financing decisions are up to Congress, Harrell said he has goals for the local agencys consolidated footprint. Ideally, it would be great to have at least folks within spitting distance of each other, he said. I dont know if that space exists on Fort Sam Houston or in the Port of San Antonio. Consolidation A city spokesman said conversations among the city, JBSA, DHA and Port San Antonio were continuing but could offer no update on their status. Perschbach declined to comment about potential growth of DHAs footprint on the ports campus but noted that the Southwest Side tech and manufacturing hub already is host to a DHA presence including Harrells office and is open to new tenants. The citys 2024 budget included $10 million to support what it called a potential consolidation of military personnel on Ft. Sam Houston. The city and county each budgeted $10 million to refurbish Building 2371 a four-story, 109,000-square-foot Fort Sam structure known as the South Beach Pavilion for the consolidation. Officials will also seek additional funds from the states Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant. The city and county money would bypass the military construction process and, if the DHA consolidation project is successful, it would be the first locally funded construction on a JBSA installation. The city spokesman said city contributions to consolidation on Fort Sam are also in proposed budgets for 2026 and 2027. Dominguez said the Fort Sam investment is just the first phase of a larger effort to support the agency. MDS, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty rock trommels and conveyors, has appointed its first distributor in the Middle East, which will represent its range of heavy-duty materials processing equipment, and be responsible for providing sales, service, and support for its products throughout the Saudi Arabia. Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery, based in Jeddah, is a leading provider of heavy equipment, commercial vehicles, material handling equipment, crushing, and screening equipment, as well as generator sets. Its comprehensive products and service portfolio includes sales and aftersales for global, industry-leading products including Komatsu construction and mining machinery. Having already been a Powerscreen and Terex MPS distributor, MDS will be the third Terex brand represented by Abdul Latif Jameel Machinery. Amal AlMizyen, Chief Executive Operation Officer and Conor Hegarty, General Manager, said: We are very excited to bring MDS into our product portfolio and firmly believe that their products will provide better solutions to our customers. With the introduction of MDS, we will be able to produce larger aggregates for Armour Rocks, Gabion Stones and Gabbro. The timing is ideal as Saudi Arabia is currently handling massive construction mega projects and MDS units will be able to produce these larger aggregates at much higher rates compared to the current conventional methods. Raheel Qamar, Business Development Manager, MDS, said: "We are very excited to welcome Abdul Latif Jameel to the MDS network. Entering the Middle East market is a major moment for us, and we believe that Abdul Latif Jameel will help us reach and serve customers in Saudi Arabia. Their dedication to excellence, high customer focus and deep local knowledge of our industry makes them an invaluable addition to our global network. I look forward to working closely with the team to build and develop MDS across the kingdom. The appointment of Abdul Latif Jameel as distributor for Saudi Arabia is part of the ongoing global expansion of MDS, reinforcing its commitment to delivering innovative and reliable products to customers worldwide while providing localised support and knowledge. TradeArabia News Service FLIR, a world leader in thermal imaging cameras and sensors, will use ITS World Congress 2024 to unveil a groundbreaking advance that has the capability to transform inter-urban traffic flow and road safety in smart cities. ITS World Congress is the planet's leading smart mobility event, providing a fitting launchpad for the company's latest innovation, which is set to make automatic incident detection and traffic data collection more reliable and intelligent than ever before. Hosted in the UAE for the first time, the 30th edition of ITS World Congress (Dubai World Trade Centre, September 16-20) is aiming to shape the future of transportation towards greater efficiency, sustainability and connectivity. Leveraging the advantages of innovative technology is a central pillar of the smart city proposition, which is why FLIR will show those visiting stand H7-B14 how its brand-new thermal imaging camera provides a next-level solution for keeping vehicles, pedestrians and public transport moving safely and effectively. Latest thermal camera Traffic incidents on inter-urban routes can be extremely dangerous and bring major roadways to a standstill. Teams heading up traffic management need immediate, accurate traffic data to alert first responders, save lives and get vehicles moving again. At ITS World Congress 2024, FLIR will shine the spotlight on its latest thermal camera breakthrough, showcasing why it is more powerful, efficient and competent than alternative market solutions. The unveiling is extremely timely as smart cities around the world are currently assessing a variety of technologies that monitor and respond to traffic conditions in real time. Those prepared to invest in the future by implementing the latest advances in thermal imaging cameras will enjoy benefits that include reduced congestion, improved safety and lower environmental impact of transportation. FLIR has a long and successful history in thermal camera solutions for ITS (intelligent Intelligent transportation systems), which deliver superior image accuracy and reliability in traffic monitoring applications. Nothing goes unseen: thermal imaging sensors can monitor vehicles in a wider variety of conditions than traditional visible-light sensors. By detecting the heat of all objects, FLIR cameras operate in broad daylight or total darkness, poor weather and even light fog, making a great solution for automatic incident detection (AID). Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences has announced the launch of the fourth season of the Future Science Challenge a competition that is designed to foster innovation and creativity among young people, encouraging them to explore new frontiers in science and technology. Organised by Hamdan Center for Giftedness and Innovation, the contest has extended its reach across the entire Arab world. This season's theme, Fostering Positive Change in Society, invites participants to leverage modern technologies to address social challenges in healthcare, education, and living standards. The initiative offers a unique opportunity for talented students, aged 10 to 17, from throughout the Arab world to enhance their scientific and technical skills while showcasing their innovative abilities. Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, expressed his enthusiasm for the launch of the new season of the competition, highlighting its significance in inspiring Arab youth to create positive change within their communities. He remarked: The theme of this season, 'Fostering Positive Change in Society', is an open call for our sons and daughters in the Arab world to devise innovative solutions to our societal challenges by harnessing the latest technologies in artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. We believe that our youth possess the capacity to drive meaningful progress, and this competition serves as the perfect platform for them to cultivate their ideas and transform them into tangible realities that benefit their communities." "The previous seasons of the competition attracted wide participation and significant interest from talented students across the GCC countries, motivating us to expand its reach to the entire Arab world. The projects submitted showcased exceptional levels of innovation and creativity in various domains, such as smart irrigation systems, health monitoring devices, and smart security systems. These projects are not merely conceptual; they are practical models that demonstrate the capability of young people to provide effective technological solutions to diverse challenges." The organisers of the "Future Science Challenge" have invited those interested to register, following which, each team will be able to create an account on the competition's electronic platform, where they can upload their project files and access the training curriculum, which includes educational materials and lessons on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. The competition will unfold in two stages. In the first stage, participating teams will develop and submit their projects on the electronic platform, where they will undergo an initial evaluation by the judging panel. The top 10 projects in each age category will advance to the final stage, where online interviews will be conducted with the qualifying teams for a more detailed and interactive assessment. The winning teams will be selected based on specific criteria, including design and innovation, technology application, presentation skills, and the project's alignment with the competition theme. The competition will commence in September 2024 and culminate in the announcement of the final results in February 2025. The schedule includes a range of accompanying activities, such as general introductory meetings in September 2024, a specialized training program for team supervisors and students in October 2024, and virtual project evaluation sessions in January and February 2025. The competition will conclude with a virtual closing ceremony on February 27, 2025, where winners will be honoured, and awards distributed. Targeting talented Arab students aged 10 to 17 from across the Arab world, the competition provides a platform for them to showcase their abilities in a dynamic and fostering environment. It represents a comprehensive journey to enhance their scientific and innovative skills, deepen their understanding of emerging technologies, and offer practical and tangible solutions to the challenges faced by their communities. Tradearabia News Service Culinary enthusiasts are set to descend on the Dubai Chamber of Commerce on September 9 as The UAE Restaurant Group (Uaerg), hosts an open day that will facilitate expert discussions on the latest trends, data, and achievements within the F&B industry. The event, which is scheduled to take place between 9am and 12pm, on the 13th floor of the Dubai Chambers Headquarters on Baniyas Road, Deira, will bring together a series of key stakeholders, government representatives, and industry leaders. The master of ceremonies will be Duncan Muir, the Senior Director of F&B Retail at Bateel International, who will facilitate the discussions. The UAE Restaurant Group, the official representative body of the UAEs food and beverage sector, is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the UAEs food and beverage sector by positioning the Emirates as a leading global gastronomic destination. The group serves as a vital platform, promoting sustainable practices, fostering collaboration among industry players, and providing members with resources for sustained business growth. Uaerg aims to strengthen the UAEs food service sector by creating a bridge between businesses and government entities, encouraging innovation and transparency in the marketplace, and supporting job creation. As the respected voice of the industry, Uaerg brings together professionals to enhance the industrys competitiveness while highlighting its contribution to the UAEs economy. The upcoming open day will be a chance for attendees to participate in informative sessions, including a welcome address by Amit Nayak, Vice Chairman of UAERG, and a keynote interview with Abdulla Al Mulla, Chairman of Uaerg, in conversation with Panchali Mahendra, CEO, Atelier House Hospitality and UAERG member. Highlighting the current state of the F&B industry, it will also feature a keynote speech by Maha Algargawi, Vice President of Business Advocacy at Dubai Chambers, who will discuss the sectors role in the UAEs economy. Jennifer Pettinger-Haines and Samantha Wood, Advisors to the Uaerg Board, will also present further data and insights on industry trends. A panel discussion, moderated by Andy Cuthbert, President, Emirates Culinary Guild and General Manager, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel & Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events, Jumeirah Hospitality, Advisor to the Uaerg Board will delve into the diverse segments of Dubais F&B landscape, focusing on topics such as innovation, sustainability, and customer experience. Speakers include Walid Fakih, CEO of McDonald's UAE, Fay Economides, Executive Managing Director of M Management Company and Advisor to the UAERG Board, Julien Pilard, COO of 111 Hospitality and member of UAERG, and Reshmi Mukherjee, co-founder of The Bhukkad Cafe, will then share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the sector. Finally, there will also be a post-summer update from key government partners Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, and Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) on new initiatives to support the hospitality industry. Concluding the event will be a Q&A session, allowing attendees to engage directly with speakers and industry leaders, followed by closing remarks and a discussion on future outlooks for the sector by Tapan Vaidya, CEO, PJP Investments Group, Treasurer, Uaerg. TradeArabia News Service Nine Wyomingites are vying for a chance at $7,500 from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming. The nine students, six of which are from Natrona County, are competing in the Youth of the Year competition. According to the organization, the individuals exemplify the impact that having a space to belong in can have on youth. The competitors will have to write an essay, deliver a speech to judges and participate in an interview. The winner will be announced during the 26th annual Awards and Recognition Breakfast on Sept. 18 at the Ford Wyoming Center. First place will receive $7,500 academic scholarship to be used on post-high school education. The winner will also move on to the state Youth of the Year competition. Second place will receive $3,500 scholarship. The other seven finalists will receive a $500 scholarship. The competitors are Alex M. of Kelly Walsh High School; Brooklyn S. of Kelly Walsh High School; Brynn M. of Natrona County High School; Jase B. of Heathrow Academy; Derrek K. of Kelly Walsh High School; Gracee G. of Sheridan High School; Quincy B. of Natrona County High School; Daniel E. of Natrona County High School; and Isabell N. of Dubois High School. In order to qualify, the competitors had to be an active club member for at least two years and be at least 14 years old. The youngest competitors in this years competition are two freshman. Competitors must also exemplify good moral character, academic excellence, and be a good representative of the Club in all that they do. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming provide a place for students to go after school. The club houses offer games, sports, art, learning centers and snacks. Monthly club fees are $80 per month. There are six centers offering services in the Casper area. Some of these are located at the schools, but Casper also has a main club house location. Drivers hoping to avoid hours of extra time behind the wheel and hundreds of miles added to their trips but still stay safe as firefighters battle the Fish Creek Fire will be guided over Togwotee Pass today and over the weekend. As safety permits, U.S. Highway 26/287 will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. WYDOT workers will guide motorists through the area where the Fish Creek Fire has been most active near the highway, according to WYDOT area maintenance supervisor Mike Hitshew. "WYDOT's Dubois maintenance crew will be piloting traffic through the fire between milepost 26 and milepost 29.8," Hitshew said. "This area is near the Fremont-Teton counties line." Hitshew said WYDOT will look for traffic hazards due to the fire throughout the day. "If it's clear Friday evening and Saturday evening, the road will stay open for the weekend," Hitshew said. Smoke continues to limit visibility along the roadway. The lightning-caused Fish Creek Fire is primarily located southwest of Togwotee Pass and was burning nearly 19,000 acres late Thursday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Fire personnel said the fire was 54 percent complete late Thursday as WYDOT announced it would temporarily reopen the highway. Currently, 449 personnel are working on the fire, including eight hand crews, 14 engines, one dozer, 18 pieces of heavy equipment and five helicopters, according to WYDOT. The area along the highway is described as "an operational priority" by the Forest Service, and crews supported by helicopter water bucket drops are tackling spot fires and hotspots that jump the roadway. Level 2 evacuations have been ordered near the fire, and residents are urged to watch the Freemont County Fire Protection District Facebook Page and Teton County residents are urged to watch tcincident.org and tetonfires.com. The San Antonio Feminist Film festival will feature The Old Oak, a movie about a poor town in northern England where Syrian refugees are settled. The film will conclude the festivals two-day run Sept. 18-19 at the Jo Long Theatre at the Carver. Courtesy of the Jo Long Theatre at the Carver. The San Antonio Feminist Film Festival will feature only four films this year. Thats by design. Founder and director Joyce Townsend wants every screening not only to be a convening of fellow San Antonio film lovers, but a convening of conversations. Then theres this: Film is my favorite F-word, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Politics underscores every selection of this rebirth of the San Antonio Feminist Film Festival, which ran for three years from 2014 to 2016. 2024 constitutes its fourth year. The festivals three documentaries explore topics the nation is struggling with right now the fight for reproductive rights; the importance of women running for office; and exploring whats wrong with the mainstream news medias political coverage. The festivals fourth selection, a feature film, focuses on an issue thats been a historic, longtime controversy worldwide: immigration. In a year in which political divisions, disinformation and hate are dominating news coverage, Townsend wants the film festival to sow political engagement and critical, but respectful conversations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Every selection in the lineup hits a major nerve leading up to Novembers elections, a highly consequential presidential race in which the Democratic candidate is, once again, a woman whose credentials far exceed that of her Republican opponent as well as many of her Democratic predecessors. In part, the festival reflects Townsend herself. I always have been a feminist, and always involved in politics on the side. When she decided to give up her career in corporate senior management, I went into politics full-time, primarily working to get women elected, she said. The film festival meshes all that with her love of film and her corporate and fundraising know-how. Townsend also brings to the effort an important chapter in Austin that put her in the realm of one of the states greatest governors, the late Ann Richards. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Richards was running for state treasurer, and Townsend took her first paid political job on that campaign. Feminism and activism happened long before that, in the ninth grade, to her conservative parents dismay, she said. About Richards, she said, She used to tell me, I know youre doing this on the side, but there will come a day where youre going to do this full-time. The first three San Antonio Feminist Film Festivals sold out, and thats what Townsend is working toward this time, too. The two-day festival will be held Sept. 18-19 at the Jo Long Theatre at the Carver Community Cultural Center, beginning at 6 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $35 for one night or $60 for both, including food and beverages. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Panel discussions will follow every film. Ill serve on one of them. Townsend acknowledges that the festivals initial audiences consisted of older, white women with disposable incomes. Townsend has purposefully sought to grow her audience. Longtime political activist Rosie Castro will open the festival, and several Latinas will speak on its first panel. ELAINE AYALA: Veteran turned politician talks about Trumps Arlington visit The festival will open with Breaking the News, a documentary about the women and LGBTQ+ journalists who launched The 19th*, a news organization creating change in the news media industry; and Plan C, which explores access to the abortion pill. The festivals second night will feature Running with My Girls, a documentary about five female activists and the challenges they faced in running for municipal office in Denver. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The festival with close with The Old Oak, a feature film about a poor town in northern England and what happened when Syrian refugees settled there. The purpose of the film festival is to bring these conversations out in the open, Townsend said. Theyre issues that maybe weve talked about over wine with our friends, she said. But the festival offers more on the screen and from its panels. In a contentious political year, when the vitriol is just out of control, Townsend said, the festival offers refuge to see a film about an issue, listen to those with real-time, firsthand experiences and then discuss the issue. A lot of women are politically fired up. Theyre also busy. A Feminist Film Festival might be what they need right now. So do those sitting on the sidelines, who may think their social media presence is enough to help get people informed, registered or re-registered to vote and to the polls. 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. Where it happened: Crime scene investigators examine Sadna Gangoos BMW at the scene of her murder, close to the Princes Town District Health Facility on Circular Road, Princes Town, yesterday. Photo: TREVOR WATSON Criminal charges have been laid against a man and woman in connection with the brutal attack Hyatt farse and outta place. The audacity of them. Saying that in this country they are not Liz Teitz covers environmental news and the Hill Country for the San Antonio Express-News. She writes about the San Antonio Water System, news in New Braunfels and Comal County and water issues around Central Texas. She can be reached at liz.teitz@express-news.net. Liz joined the Express-News in June 2023. She has been a reporter for eight years, covering housing, government, education and other topics for the Ouray County Plaindealer, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and the Beaumont Enterprise. Liz grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from Georgetown University. James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra will open its 19th annual season Sept. 14 with a gala concert featuring popular guest conductor David Lockington and award-winning pianist Sean Chen. Chen won the Crystal Award (the equivalent of third place) in the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2013, the same year he also won the top prize at the American Pianist Awards. Chen, who currently is the Jack Strandberg/Missouri Endowed Chair Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, will be the soloist for the Piano Concerto in G Major by Ravel. It will be his first performance in Tulsa since he appeared with the Tulsa Symphony in February 2020, where he performed the Grieg Piano Concerto. The Tulsa Worlds review of that concert described Chens playing as being expressive without being showy, shaping... phrases with a kind of casual elegance that made them crackle with freshness, building the first movement cadenza into a display of focused energy and pianistic brio, and bringing a contemplative sensitivity to the quietest sections of the concertos slow movement, which faded into a whispered silence before the thunderclap start of the rousing finale. The concert will also feature Umoja: Anthem for Unity, a composition by Valerie Coleman. Coleman originally created the work as a simple song for a womens choir, building on the meaning of umoja, the Swahili word for unity and the first principle of the African Diaspora holiday Kwanzaa. Coleman later arranged the work to be performed by the wind ensemble the Imani Winds, of which she is a member. Some two decades later, Coleman created the orchestra version of the work, which the Tulsa Symphony will perform at its concert. Rounding out the program will be the Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, by Tchaikovsky, a work that the composer feared was a failure upon its debut but which has become one of his most popular and most performed symphonies. The concert begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. Tickets are $25-$80. 918-584-3645, tulsasymphony.org. Waitress If only life was as easy as pie. Thats one reason why Jenna, a waitress at a small-town diner, takes solace in pie-making, because it helps her escape from the messiness of her real life. That is the basis of the story told in Waitress, the acclaimed musical featuring songs by Grammy Award-winner Sara Bareilles. Theatre Tulsa opens its production of the show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. Directed by Liz Bealko, who helmed the companys all-woman production of 1776, the musical stars MaKayla Baxter as Jenna, with Kristen Simpson, Caitlin Gibbons, Andrew Barker, Fletcher Gross and Nicholas Cains. Performances continue through Sept. 21. Tickets are $29.25-$47.50. tulsapac.com. The Deaf Girl book launch Magic City Books and the Gathering Place will present Abigail Heringer, best known for her stint as a contestant on the TV series The Bachelor, to launch her new memoir, The Deaf Girl: A Memoir of Hearing Loss, Hope, and Fighting Against the Odds. The free event will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, in the Williams Lodge at Gathering Place, 2650 S. John Williams Way. Heringer, who appeared in season 25 of The Bachelor, describes her journey of navigating life with a profound hearing loss and her transformation from merely accepting her disability to embracing it wholeheartedly. Born profoundly deaf, Heringer received a cochlear implant when she was 2 years old and embarked on her journey of navigating the intricacies of a hearing world. She has been an advocate for the deaf community, using her platform to shed light on the triumphs and challenges of living with a cochlear implant. Abigail is currently engaged to her fiance Noah Erb, whom she met on Bachelor in Paradise. They reside in Tulsa. Heringer will discuss her memoir, take questions from the audience and sign copies of her book, which will be exclusively for sale at the event, two days before publication. More information at magiccitybooks.org. Tulsa Town Hall The 90th season of Tulsa Town Hall will open with a presentation by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, is best known as the chief medical correspondent for CNN, as well as the author of several books, the most recent of which is Keep Sharp and Build a Better Brain at Any Age, which offers insights from cutting-edge research to enhance and safeguard brain function, promoting cognitive health across all ages. His talk is titled Medicine in the Media. Tickets to Tulsa Town Hall are by subscription only. To purchase and for more information: tulsatownhall.com TV legend Tim Reid Actor Tim Reid, who first came to national attention as the disc jockey known as Venus Flytrap on the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, will discuss his career as an actor, producer and director in a special one-man show titled, Baby, If Youve Ever Wondered. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14, at the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. Tickets are $15-$45. Reids appearance is presented by World Stage Theatre. tulsapac.com Ok, So Grand Slam Ok, So Tulsa, the citys premier storytelling competition, will host its first GRAND Grand Slam, celebrating 10 years of captivating stories, by bringing together the top 10 storytellers from the past decade for a unique, one-night-only live storytelling showcase. The event will be 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the Cains Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. Founded by Michelle Bias and Branda Piersall in 2013, the competition has spotlighted hundreds of storytellers over the years in events where participants must deliver a compelling, risque, humorous or poignant true story from their life, with no notes and with only six minutes to make their mark. The 10 storytellers to be featured are Tony B. (2014), Ryan Howell (2015), Sloan Davis (2016), Bill Hader Sr. (2017), Angela Evans (2018), Josh Baker (2019), Rachel Dennis (2020), Jordan Price (2021), Kristee Barlow (2022) and Matthew Weatherbee (2023). Audience members will vote for the evenings best storyteller with their wallets, with all proceeds going to support Ok, So Tulsas mission to promote live storytelling. Tickets for the show are $25. For more: oksotulsa.com Shrine to the Feminine The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st St., is hosting Shrine to the Feminine, an exhibit of work by the late Ruth Lebow and her son David Lebow, now through Nov. 15. Both mother and son are accomplished artists, with Ruth Lebow preferring to follow a more traditionalist path, while David Lebow works with more imaginative, surreal and expressive subject matter. This collection of paintings is a culmination of the artists jumble of emotions caused by the 2020 lockdown. Primarily using his family members as models, Lebow explores the themes of uncanny and magical happenings and absurd dream images, as well as meditations on loss and mourning. Due to subject matter, Shrine to the Feminine is recommended for mature audiences only. For more information: jewishmuseumtulsa.org The Tulsa World is where your story lives Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Oklahoma Democratic Party has barred Tulsa mayoral candidate Karen Keith from its voter database, in part citing concern that the information will be accessed by a campaign consultant who represents dozens of Republican legislators. The decision reportedly was made Thursday night during a conference call of the state partys Central Committee. Tulsa municipal elections are nonpartisan, but Keith has been elected to the Tulsa County Commission four times as a Democrat. She finished second to Democratic state Rep. Monroe Nichols in the first round of mayoral elections on Aug. 27. Pending an ongoing recount, the two are expected to meet in the Nov. 5 general election, with the outcome likely decided by Republicans whose leading candidate, Brent VanNorman, stood a close third on Aug. 27. In a press release, Keiths campaign claimed that she is being ostracized by far-left activists because of her commitment to bipartisanship. Like a lot of Tulsans, I value common sense and collaborating with my neighbors to get things done, Keith said in the press release. As Ive said all along, the issues we face as a city are not red or blue, and theres nothing we cant overcome if we work together. Later, in an interview, Keith said she has become an outcast because she has not always toed the party line during a political career going back two decades, when she worked for Republican Mayor Bill LaFortune. I have had Republicans and Democrats on my team since Day 1, she said. Keith said Nichols is favored by party purists. State Democratic Party Chairwoman Alicia Andrews denied any such favoritism, saying she had not spoken to Nichols about the matter. Andrews said she originally denied Keiths campaign access to the Democratic database, known by the acronym VAN, because of Keiths association with a campaign consulting business that represents extreme Republicans. The consultant is Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals, or CAMP, headed by longtime Republican strategist Fount Holland. Holland has represented hundreds of Republican candidates over more than two decades but does occasionally take on nonpartisan clients. According to several sources, including Keith, Holland has not been involved in her mayoral campaign. Andrews said she reversed her decision and allowed access when Keith promised that a Democratic operative with a long party track record would be the only one with access to the database. It is a Democratic database, Keith said. I would never make it available (to Republicans). There was no violation. Still, some of the state partys top leaders apparently objected. A vote to deny her access was taken during Thursdays meeting, in part because of the database but also because a majority were convinced that Keith is not a real Democrat, she said. Andrews said Friday that she has remained neutral in the Keith-Nichols campaign but that Keiths response to the VAN decision kind of verifies it. That press release was written by a Republican, Andrews said. I had a conversation (Thursday evening) with Commissioner Keith, and she didnt say those words. Even moderate Democrats dont go out in the press with words like that. This is not the way to get what you want. Keith said the release was written by a Democratic staffer. In a text, Nichols denied having received preferential treatment from the party. Karen talks about bipartisanship while calling me a liberal Democrat. That is just another example of her saying one thing while doing another, demonstrating why Democrats nor Republicans trust Karen Keith and why she is the least capable of uniting this city, Nichols wrote. Ive never heard of any candidate having their access restricted, so whatever the issue was, the Democratic Party clearly didnt trust her with their data systems, he said. The bottom line is that Democrats now join many Republicans, who, on election day, showed they dont trust her by voting for Brent VanNorman, whos lived here for three years, over someone who claims to know this entire community. Nichols and Keith were only a few hundred votes apart entering the current recount, which does not seem to have materially altered the margins. The Tulsa World is where your story lives Vietnams CME Solar Investments has entered into a joint venture with Vista Global, a subsidiary of Samsung C&T under South Korean tech giant Samsung, to boost the development of rooftop solar energy in Vietnam. Both sides have expressed a commitment to spurring solar power sustainability and supporting Vietnam with its transition to a low-carbon economy. The CME-Vista joint venture aims to foster the development of rooftop solar power projects in the Southeast Asian nation and promote the use of clean energy nationwide. A representative of CME said that the combination of Vista Globals advantages in finance and advanced power technology and CMEs broad local knowledge would enable the joint venture to provide highly-productive solar power solutions to ramp up energy production in Vietnam and help it achieve its target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. At an investment conference focused on sustainability in Ho Chi Minh City in early 2024, Samsung expressed its intention to collaborate with the city on developing rooftop solar power. The company also aired its ambition to transform Saigon Hi-Tech Park into the first net-zero hi-tech park in Vietnam. Big opportunities on horizon for energy firms In early July, the Vietnamese government issued Decree 80, which facilitates the direct power purchase agreement (DPPA) mechanism between renewable energy generators and large consumers. The decree gives energy firms the right to buy power directly from energy generation companies, particularly those with foreign investment. Energy firms, however, are still awaiting more details before making such purchases. Meanwhile, some major enterprises, including foreign-invested companies, have started negotiations with energy generators on direct power purchase through state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN)s transmission lines. A draft decree from Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade regarding self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power could potentially offer significant opportunities for companies to expand into the renewable energy sector. The draft proposes that installations that do not feed excess power into the national grid may not face capacity restrictions, presenting a clear advantage for businesses. A recent announcement from Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha revealed key considerations for the decree, urging the ministry to simplify administrative procedures, explore the possibility of purchasing 100 percent of excess power from systems equipped with storage batteries, and consider raising installation capacities. These steps are part of broader efforts to foster investment and development in Vietnams renewable energy landscape, particularly in rooftop solar power. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Rhyma Castillo is a trending reporter for the Express-News and a member of its Digital Go Team. She can be reached at rhyma.castillo@express-news.net. A native of San Antonio and a Texas A&M University graduate, she is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience. She has reported on politics, immigration, climate change, gun violence, and workers rights. Additionally, she excels in lifestyle and entertainment writing, covering music, television, video games, technology, and relationships. In her free time, she enjoys painting, drawing, cooking, hiking, climbing, gardening, playing video games, cuddling with her cats, and making music with her band. President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his spouse arrived in Hanoi late Thursday evening, commencing a four-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam. President Embalo and his wife were welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport by Deputy Chief of the Presidential Office Phan Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang, Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco and Guinea-Bissau Le Kim Quy, and several other officials, according to the Vietnam News Agency. President Embalo is accompanied by Minister of Economy, Planning, and Regional Integration Soares Sambu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Community Carlos Pinto Pereira; Minister of Natural Resources Malam Sambu; and other Bissau-Guinean officials. General Secretary and State President To Lam will host an official welcome ceremony and a series of talks with President Embalo on Friday. During his stay in Vietnam, President Embalo is slated to meet with other senior Vietnamese leaders and take part in important diplomatic activities. This is the first visit to the Southeast Asian country by a Bissau-Guinean President since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1973, Ambassador Quy said. The visit seeks to enhance Vietnam's bilateral cooperation with African nations in various sectors such as economics, trade, agriculture, fisheries, and processing industries, while also expanding into emerging fields like mining and port infrastructure development. According to Quy, the invitation extended to President Embalo, along with the forthcoming visit of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, underscores Vietnam's deep commitment, respect, and connection with its African partners. Originating from their mutual support during their struggles for national independence, the relationship between Vietnam and these African countries has been consistently nurtured and strengthened over the past five decades and serves as a model and testament to the possibility of successful South-South cooperation, the ambassador stated. Guinea-Bissau is a West African country that spans 36,000 square meters and boasts a population of two million people. Since the establishment of their diplomatic relations on September 30, 1973, Vietnam and Guinea-Bissau have maintained a strong political relationship through delegation exchanges, the Vietnam News Agency cited Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang. This Western African country has actively supported Vietnam in various multilateral forums. In July, Guinea-Bissau sent a delegation to Hanoi to pay tribute to late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away on July 19 at the age of 80. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Chairman of Vietnam's lawmaking National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man will head a high-ranking delegation to pay an official visit to Russia from September 8 to 10, according to the NA Committee for External Relations announcement on Friday. He will co-chair the third meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee during the three-day visit, which will be made at the invitation of Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin and Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia's Federal Assembly Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko. This will be his first overseas trip since he was elected NA chairman of Vietnam on May 20. On June 20, the top Vietnamese legislator held talks with President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Hanoi as part of the Russian presidents two-day state visit to Vietnam, which had started a day earlier. NA Chairman Man affirmed that inter-parliamentary cooperation is one of the key pillars in friendship and cooperation between the two countries, adding that this cooperation has been consistently strengthened over time. President Putin expressed his hope that the Vietnamese legislature would ratify and support bilateral initiatives, saying that he was looking forward to Mans official visit to Russia. Last year, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin and his entourage paid a visit to Vietnam from October 15 to 16 at the invitation of then-NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. The Russian State Duma chairman then held talks and met with top Vietnamese officials as well as co-hosted the second meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, have discovered several cases of traders misrepresenting the origin of Chinese potatoes by covering them with a layer of Da Lats red dust. The provincial police on Thursday inspected eight vegetable trading businesses in Don Duong and Duc Trong Districts. Inspection teams found that at the Huyen Thuy Trang granary in Don Duong District, Huyen, the granary owner, and ten workers were packaging potatoes after another worker covered them with red dust. The worker said some 2.5 metric tons of potatoes had been covered with such red dust ahead of their sales to a trader in Ho Chi Minh City. Huyen confessed to police that her potatoes had been imported from China. Police found many bags of Chinese potatoes covered with Da Lats red dust. Photo: L.A. / Tuoi Tre At the Thuong Vui granary in Duc Trong District, police also discovered workers covering Chinese potatoes with Da Lat soil to pass them off as locally grown vegetables from Da Lat, Lam Dongs capital city. During the inspection, officers found approximately one metric ton of Chinese potatoes covered in Da Lat's red soil at the Thuong Vui granary in Duc Trong District. The owner admitted that the potatoes were imported from China, sent first to Bac Ninh Province in northern Vietnam, and later transported to Duc Trong. They were intended for resale to traders in south-central provinces like Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan, as well as Dong Nai and Ca Mau in the south. The investigation expanded to other granaries, such as Tam Uyen and Chuc Quynh in Don Duong District, where police found that the operators were unable to provide documents proving the origins of their potatoes and were conducting business without proper licenses. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A massive shelf cloud, dubbed a tsunami cloud,' was spotted looming over the skies of many parts of Nghe An Province and Ha Tinh Province in north-central Vietnam on Friday morning as super typhoon Yagi is roaring ashore. Yagi, the third storm to strike the East Vietnam Sea this year, is forecast to sweep through Chinas Hainan Island before entering the Gulf of Tonkin early on Saturday and making landfall in the Quang Ninh-Nam Dinh region of northern Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting. Yagi was located about 168 km east-southeast of Chinas Hainan at 6:00 am on Friday, packing winds of up to 201 kph and gusts over 220 kph. The super typhoon is currently within 600 km southeast of Vietnams Quang Ninh Province. Social media users from Vinh City, Nghi Loc District, and Dien Chau District in Nghe An Province, as well as from Ha Tinh Provinces Nghi Xuan District, Hong Linh Town, and Can Loc District, shared numerous photos and videos of an extraordinary cloud formation on Vietnamese social platforms on Friday morning. The images quickly gained attention, with many marveling at the unusual sight. The massive gray cloud stretched from the sky over the coast off many areas in the two provinces, panicking residents into thinking about the potential damage of the typhoon. The sky turned dark in some 15 minutes before dumping rain. A tsunami-shaped cloud darkens the sky over Vinh City in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Cau Manh Ngoc Tu, a resident of Hung Loc Commune in Vinh City, recounted that at around 7:00 am the same day, he went to work when spotting a huge gray cloud in the sky. After several weeks of scorching heat, Vinh started experiencing downpours [on Friday]," Tu shared. This is the first time I have spotted such a dramatic shelf cloud, so I quickly filmed it." Many other commuters were surprised to see the scary storm cloud, he added. A representative of the north-central weather center called the huge cloud a distant storm cloud that often appears before or after a storm. This is a natural phenomenon, signaling an approaching super typhoon. The shelf cloud causes downpours and thunderstorms when it rolls in over the sky. Residents were told not to worry about the storm cloud, and were advised to follow storm prevention and fighting measures to ensure their safety and protect their assets. Due to the impact of Yagi, Vinh City was hit by heavy rain, paired with powerful winds, leading to several trees on some streets to be uprooted on Thursday night. A huge shelf cloud spans several parts of Nghe An Province and Ha Tinh Province in north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Dinh Phuong The sky over Vinh Tan Ward in Vinh City, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre Students watch a huge shelf cloud in Dien Chau District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Manh Hung Phan The north-central weather center calls the scary cloud a distant storm cloud that often appears before or after a storm. Photo: Ngoc Pham A dramatic shelf cloud over houses in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Ngoc Pham A big grey cloud over houses in Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, September 6, 2024. Photo: Chip Bong A shelf cloud passes over Hung Hoa Commune in Vinh City, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Trung Hieu Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Can Tho Traffic Safety Board in Can Tho City, southern Vietnam is working with relevant agencies to carry out an investigation and to impose possible punishment on the driver of a Lexus convertible who allowed a woman to sit perched atop the door while in motion, an official said on Thursday afternoon. At around 4:00 pm on Thursday, a white convertible drew the attention of locals as it slowly moved through the streets of Can Tho, southern Vietnam, with a woman in a short dress perched atop the car door, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency. Beside her, a man dressed in a mascot costume sat on the cars rear headrest. The vehicle, plastered with advertisements promoting a suitcase store launch, made its way through the city. The spectacle continued as the car paused briefly in front of Luu Huu Phuoc Park on Hoa Binh Avenue before heading toward Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street in Ninh Kieu District. During the journey, a woman seated atop a car door was spotted taking selfies and displaying a suitcase model, as the convertible made its way through the streets of Can Tho City. Mai Minh Ngoan, chief of the Can Tho Traffic Safety Board, confirmed that the drivers actions violated road traffic regulations and posed a risk to public safety. The board plans to transfer the case to relevant authorities for further investigation and potential penalties. Ngoan also stated that the board would coordinate with the citys Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to review licensing procedures for street parades and advertising activities. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Several provinces and cities in northern Vietnam have announced school closures ahead of fast-moving super typhoon Yagis expected entrance to the Gulf of Tonkin early on Saturday morning. In the northern port city of Hai Phong, the Department of Education and Training was ordered to close certain schools slated to serve as temporary storm shelters from 12:00 pm on Friday, while students at the remaining schools have been told to stay home from Saturday until the storm passes. Hai Phong also imposed a ban on sea activities from 11:00 am on Friday until further notice, said Nguyen Van Tung, chairman of the Hai Phong City administration, during a meeting on Thursday to discuss measures in response to Yagi, the third storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year. Authorities in districts across the city were asked to evacuate residents from apartment blocks, deteriorating homes, and low-lying areas. Operators of ships, vessels, and fish farms on rivers, seas, and bays were required to be informed of the inclement weather and take shelter prior to 12:00 pm on Friday. In neighboring Quang Ninh Province, the provincial administration issued an urgent directive for typhoon preparedness on Thursday afternoon. As per the directive, the provincial education authority was told to make school closure decisions based on local weather conditions to ensure the safety of students and teachers. Schools across the province have been told to closely monitor the storm; be prepared to execute flood, landslide, and typhoon response plans; and ensure timely communication with teachers, parents, and students, especially those in coastal and riverside areas. In Bac Giang Province, director of the provincial Department of Education and Training Ta Viet Hung told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday evening that all students would be off from school on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, school leaders would decide whether to release students early depending on the typhoons development and weather conditions. Schools will arrange make-up classes at a later date. Due to its proximity to Quang Ninh, which is expected to endure a significant impact of the typhoon, Bac Giang is vulnerable to flash floods and other extreme weather conditions. The education authority of Thai Binh Province also made a similar move, asking schools to keep a close watch on the typhoon and allow their students to stay home from Friday through Saturday. Education facilities have also been told to maintain 24/7 emergency response teams and remain connected with local steering committees for disaster prevention and control to react quickly in emergency situations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Super typhoon Yagi is forecast to sweep through Chinas Hainan Island before entering the Gulf of Tonkin early on Saturday and making landfall in the Quang Ninh-Nam Dinh region of northern Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting. Yagi, the third storm to strike the East Vietnam Sea this year, was located about 168 km east-southeast of Chinas Hainan at 6:00 am on Friday, packing winds of up to 201 kph and gusts over 220 kph. The super typhoon is currently within 600 km southeast of Vietnams Quang Ninh Province. The central weather agency reported that the typhoon was moving west toward Hainan at a speed of 15 kph. Within the next 24 hours, Yagi will move west-northwest at 15-20 kph and is anticipated to pass through the northern part of Hainan before entering the Gulf of Tonkin between Friday night and early Saturday. By 4:00 am on Saturday, the super typhoon is forecast to be within 160 kilometers east-southeast of Quang Ninh with winds reaching 166 kph and squalls of up to 220 kph. By noon on Saturday, Yagi is predicted to reach Vietnams northern coastal area from Quang Ninh to Nam Dinh Provinces, packing winds of 74 kph and gusts of 117 kph. The storm will continue on a northwestern trajectory before downgrading into a tropical depression and then a low-pressure system in northwestern Vietnam. Affected by the typhoon, the northern part of the East Vietnam Sea will see rough waves of four to six meters high with powerful winds ranging from 103 kph to 201 kph, along with gusts reaching over 220 kph over the next 24 hours. Winds in the eastern area of the Gulf of Tonkin will gradually increase to 61 kph from Friday noon before surging to 166 kph along with squalls of 220 kph in the evening. Waves in the affected area will range from two to eight meters high, posing serious risks to sea vessels operating in the area. Waters off the coastal region from Quang Ninh to north-central Thanh Hoa Province will have rough seas with waves rising up to five meters. Residents in the region should be on the alert for high seawater that can affect boat-anchoring sites, aquaculture areas, dykes, and embankment systems. From Friday night through Monday morning, heavy rains will hit the northern region and Thanh Hoa with precipitation of 100-300mm, even up to 500mm in some localities. Torrential rains from Yagi could trigger flooding in low-lying and urban areas, potentially leading to rivers overflowing and landslides in hilly and mountainous regions, the center warned. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday signed an official dispatch requiring local authorities in coastal provinces and cities the northern and central regions to urgently develop plans to effectively respond to the approaching super typhoon. Leaders of these localities, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and others, were ordered to postpone non-urgent meetings to mobilize the entire political system and resources to cope with the storm. Earlier on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan also requested that all coastal localities in northern and north-central regions promptly take effective measures to minimize risks from the powerful storm to life, property, industrial park infrastructure, telecommunications, electricity, river dykes, and other construction works. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The New York Times on Thursday received a license to open an office in Vietnam. The office is set to begin operations in October. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang handed over the license to a representative of the newspaper at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. According to Deputy Minister Hang, the license allows The New York Times to better conduct journalistic activities in the Southeast Asian country. This opens up an opportunity for the newspaper to write more stories about Vietnam and the region, helping the international community better understand the innovative and dynamic country. The official shared expectations that The New York Times office in Vietnam will produce in-depth articles about Vietnam-U.S. relations, contributing to the development of bilateral ties between the two countries. The New York Times received the license in the context of the first anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the U.S. Hanoi and Washington will celebrate 30 years of their diplomatic relations next year. Damien Cave, who leads The New York Times' office in Vietnam, reflected on a historic moment when the newspaper interviewed late President Ho Chi Minh on July 6, 1946. The papers opening of its office in Vietnam proves that the Southeast Asian country is increasingly attractive to press agencies from the U.S. and the world as a whole, Cave said. Vietnam has been securing a higher position in the world and its relations with the U.S. have shown strong developments, the journalist added. The New York Times decided to establish its office in the country to tell stories about changes in Vietnam and the Hanoi-Washington ties in an accurate and objective manner, Cave noted. The New York Times was established in September 1851. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Supported by the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF), the French Institute in Vietnam is hosting a unique exhibition titled 'Color Box,' featuring a captivating fusion by visual artist Mathilde Hess and pianist Raphael Eligoulachvili. As visitors step into the exhibition space, they are immediately immersed in a world of floating kites, which vary in shape and size and are adorned with dots of different colors. Hess has masterfully blended her intricate, dot-painted kites with the mesmerizing piano music of Raphael Eligoulachvili, creating an enchanting sensory experience that captivates both sight and sound. For months, she has been meticulously creating four kites a day, each with her signature dot-style painting. Upon arriving in Vietnam, she began incorporating vibrant colors into her oeuvre. She cut and assembled these paper sculptures, transforming them into dynamic pieces of art that were then suspended from the ceiling and brought to life through the harmonies composed by Eligoulachvili. Pianist Raphael Eligoulachvili performs live at the 'Color Box' exhibition's opening day on September 5, 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Minh Khoi / Tuoi Tre News Speaking with Tuoi Tre News, Hess explained that each dot on the kites symbolizes a wish. "I hope these wishes will soar and come true," she added. In the colorful ambiance of the gallery, the live piano melodies performed by Raphael Eligoulachvili elevate the experience, plunging attendees into a dreamlike world reminiscent of films by Japans Studio Ghibli, which is known for their iconic movies, artistic style, and global impact on animation. The 'Color Box' installation is part of the Villa Saigon program, which supports artists or artist collectives with French nationality or residency who are working in contemporary art across various disciplines. The program is aimed at fostering and enhancing artistic dialogue between France and Vietnam. The exhibition is open to the public for free until September 14 at IDECAF at 28 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Journalist Janine Perrett will guest host Media Watch for a third stint in September whilst Paul Barry takes leave. Sydney Morning Herald reports she will fill in for three episodes from September 16. Perrett previously hosted on separate ocasions in August 2021 ande May 2022 to a positive response. But she does not regard the hosting as any kind of audition to become Barrys permanent replacement in 2025. What happens next year is not something I am worrying about or focusing on. Im really chuffed to get a chance because I love the program, she told SMH. Barry had his leave booked at the top of the year and sources suggest there is currently no front runner for the role having emerged. Nevertheless, the rumour mill continues on ABCs long term plans with press speculation so far having named Justice Michael Lee, former editor of The Age, Gay Alcorn, The Sydney Morning Heralds chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, and former Four Corners and 7.30 executive producer Sally Neighbour. Media Watch is also looking for a new executive producer, with Tim Latham also leaving at the end of the year. African educators envision promising future for talents cooperation with China Xinhua) 19:19, September 06, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Higher education professionals from Africa have expressed optimism about the future of talents cooperation with China during events held under the framework of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). "I see that China has a lot to offer to Africa in terms of knowledge and development," said Olusola Oyewole, secretary general of the Association of African Universities, emphasizing that collaborating with Chinese universities will help African researchers address their challenges. He pointed out that with Africa's predominantly young population, the focus now must be on empowering the youth through skills and competence, which will drive the continent's development. "The collaboration between Africa and China can enhance and empower our youth," particularly in emerging fields like digitalization and artificial intelligence, where China is providing strong support for Africa's growth, said Oyewole. "Why Africa and China can work together? It is because we are ready to learn from each other," he added. Masibo Lumala, director of the Institute of Open and Distance E-Learning at Moi University, Kenya, attaches great importance to people-to-people exchanges. "We need to connect the peoples and bring them together for the development of China and Africa," he said. Taking vocational education as an example, he said it is crucial to provide young people with necessary skills. Once people have skills, they can improve their livelihoods, which is why Africa highly values China's assistance in vocational training. "People-to-people exchange is a key way to go," said Lumala. "Africa and China will walk their talk, and work together." In the keynote address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the 2024 FOCAC summit, he proposed 10 partnership actions for modernization that China will work with Africa to take in the next three years to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernization. The eighth is the Partnership Action for People-to-People Exchanges, under which China will implement with Africa more solidly the Future of Africa-Vocational Education Cooperation Plan, establish together an engineering technology academy, and build 10 Luban Workshops. Gabriel Dwomoh, vice-chancellor of Kumasi Technical University, Ghana, praised the partnership action. "The project is to bring top-notch Chinese education to Africa," he said. "It allows Africans to have practical training through various TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) programs offered by Chinese institutions," Dwomoh added. The establishment of practical sites like the Luban Workshop is something very promising and encouraging, he said. Liberian Minister of Education Jarso Maley Jallah also values China-Liberia people-to-people exchanges. She acknowledged China's support over the years, not only in infrastructure and finance but also in providing scholarships to Liberian students. "These students earn degrees in China and return home to help with Liberia's development," she said. Regarding the 10 partnership actions between China and Africa, Jallah urged the African youths to seize the opportunity. "It's going to be transformative, not just for them individually, but nationally." (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) 65 years ago, on September 5, 1959, Adelaides first television station, NWS9, went to air, live from the Tynte Street, North Adelaide studios. OG kids character Humphrey B. Bear paid a visit to the station now in Pirie Street to cut the cake with station staff. Originally owned by News Limiteds Rupert Murdoch (hence the NWS), Nine were pioneers of television broadcasting in South Australia. Nine was very lucky to make it to air on September 5 due to a fire on June 30 that destroyed the studios and props bay. The heat from the fire warped many of the remaining roof beams, and the builders and engineers worked around the clock to get everything ready. Night one saw Kevin Crease as the first station personality on air in South Australia, live from one of the only rooms not impacted by the fire the womens dressing room. There were plenty of Australian firsts at NWS9: The first childrens program The Cabbage Quiz The first regular live morning program The first locally produced drama The first regular variety show Adelaide Tonight The first female newsreader Caroline Ainsley The first female Program Director Pat Gardner Nines very first rundown looked like this: 14:30 Cartoons and short features 15:00 Roy Rogers: Silver Spurs 16:00 Cartoons and short features 17:30 Western Theatre: Timber Trail 18:30 The Lilli Palmer Show 19:00 Feature: This is Channel Nine, including a goodwill message from SA Premier Sir Thomas Playford 19:30 State Trooper 20:00 The Fred Astaire Spectacular 21:00 Feature Film: Wild Blue Yonder 22:30 The Webb 23:00 News and Epilogue NWS9 has been responsible for some of Australias most iconic television programs throughout the last 65 years: Adelaide Tonight (10-time Logie winner) Country and Western Hour (2-time Logie winner) Woodies Teen Time The Channel Niners The Curiosity Show Heres Humphrey (3-time Logie winner) CMon Kids KGs Footy Show Adelaide Today Postcards Talent who called NSW9 home include: Kevin Crease (Logie winner) Lionel Williams (Logie winner) Ernie Sigley (11 Logies, including the 1975 Gold Logie) Roger Cardwell (Logie winner) Ian Fairweather Glenys OBrien (2-time Logie winner) Anne Wills (19 Logies, SAs Most Popular Female Personality 1968-1992) Bobo the Clown Joey Moore Robin Roenfeldt Humphrey B Bear Winky Dink KG Cunningham Deane Hutton Rob Morrison Queensland premier Steven Miles has accused television news bulletins of being addicted to CCTV footage of crime. In comments made to Guardians Australian politics podcast the Queensland premier said Labor had a real focus on early intervention programs, but it was harder to tell the story. In particular the TV media is kind of addicted to CCTV footage of crime. Thats their bulletin now, and its much harder, up against that, to tell a compelling story about that early intervention work, but were doing it as well, he said. Youth crime has emerged as one of the main flashpoints of the Queensland state election, to be held on 26 October. Miles said it was difficult to get headlines or tell the story of a response to crime outside punishment. There is a community expectation of consequences for action, and I dont blame people for that, Miles said. You can hear more here. MI Khan, TwoCircles.net Patna: Election strategist-turned-political activist Prashant Kishor, convenor of Jan Suraj Abhiyan (JSA), is positioning himself as a significant new political force in Bihar ahead of next years Assembly polls. Recently, he has focused intensely on appealing to Muslims, a community traditionally aligned with Opposition leader Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Notably, Kishor, commonly known as PK, has yet to make significant inroads with other social groups such as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extreme Backward Classes (EBCs), Dalits or the influential upper castes that predominantly support the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Support TwoCircles Kishors recent activities and statements indicate a concerted effort to attract and influence Muslims, who make up 17.7% of Bihars population. He has promised to promote Muslim youth in politics and support their electoral success, aiming to challenge Lalus strong Muslim vote base. Kishors repeated meetings with Muslim communities and endorsement of some Muslim leaders are part of his strategy to win over this demographic, which has remained loyal to Lalus RJD. However, this raises a crucial question: Why is Kishor concentrating solely on Muslims? Is this approach part of a broader strategy to fragment the Muslim vote and weaken Lalus RJD to benefit the BJP in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, or is it an effort to establish himself as a viable political alternative in the state? Despite Kishors claims that the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections will be a direct contest between his yet-to-be-formed party and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), his primary target appears to be Lalu Prasad and his family, rather than the ruling BJP or JD-U. Kishor has also launched personal attacks against Lalu and his son Tejashwi Yadav, who is projected as the chief ministerial candidate for the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan in 2025. Tejashwi, who is Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly and former deputy chief minister, is widely viewed as Lalus successor. Kishor faces a substantial challenge in breaking Lalus grip on the Muslim vote, given that Muslims have supported Lalus RJD and its allies since the early 1990s due to his consistent secular politics, support for Muslim socio-economic issues, opposition to Hindutva forces, and refusal to ally with the BJP, unlike many other so-called secular parties. Political analyst Soroor Ahmad notes, Muslims do not vote in a vacuum; they decide based on who supports their interests. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has learned this lesson the hard way. In an era where community security is paramount, no one is likely to buy PKs narrative. PK lives in a fools paradise if he believes that Narendra Modi would not have come to power in 2014 without him. Muslims, along with Yadavs Lalus own caste group and a dominant OBC community constitute the core support base of Lalus RJD. Despite being out of power since 2005, except for brief periods in 2015-16 and from January 2022 to early 2024, Lalu and his RJD remain popular and maintain a strong mass support base. Recently, Kishor announced his intention to field 40 Muslim candidates out of 243 for the upcoming Assembly elections and challenged the RJD to match this commitment, rather than just utilizing Muslims as a vote bank. This marks a reduction from his earlier claim in July 2024, when he had promised 75 Muslim candidates. In a speech at Patnas Bapu Sabhaghar, Kishor questioned the underrepresentation of Muslims in the Bihar Assembly, asking, Why are there only 19 MLAs from the Muslim community in the Bihar Assembly despite their significant numbers? He has promised that his party will include Muslims in its organizational structure and has urged the community to help identify and train capable Muslim youth for political roles, offering to sponsor their election campaigns. Political activist Ghalib Kaleem criticised Kishor, stating, Why should Muslims trust PK? What has he done for them or any social group so far? He seems more focused on his own political ambitions than on genuine community issues. He further argued that Kishors politics revolve around financial interests and questioned the sources of his funding, noting, PKs history shows he can switch sides if it benefits him financially. Arshad Ajmal, a social activist, echoed concerns about Kishors funding sources and the transparency of his financial resources. He noted, It is crucial for PK to clarify where his funds come from. There are rumors about his financial backing, and the lack of transparency is concerning. Kaleem added that some Muslim leaders and youth with political aspirations, but lacking a strong base, have joined Kishors JSA, often being paid to mobilize support. Additionally, Kishors JSA has reportedly hired students from institutions like JMI, Delhi, and TISS to gain ground among Pasmanda Muslims. Its too early to predict the outcome 14 months from now, said Soroor Ahmad. But Kishor seems to be inflating his political prospects, much like Nitish Kumar did in 1995 when he was seen as a challenger to Lalu. Ultimately, Nitishs Samta Party won only seven seats, all in his home district of Nalanda. In his bid to attract Muslims, Kishor has accused Lalus RJD of exploiting Muslims politically without genuinely promoting or sharing power with them. He has labeled the RJDs treatment of Muslims as akin to Bandhua Majdoor (forced labor) and criticized them for their inaction. As the election approaches, it will be a significant test for Kishor to determine how effectively he can sway Lalus Muslim vote base. Despite his efforts, many Muslims remain loyal to Lalus RJD and are skeptical of Kishors motives. Sarfuddin Mansuri, a vendor in Phulwarisharif, Patna, summed up the sentiment: Our leader is only Lalu Prasad. We know him and trust him. This view was reinforced by Shams Khan, a young businessman, who said, Lalu and his party have always stood with the community and have never compromised with communal forces or allied with the BJP. Kishors JSA, founded in May 2022, aims to enter active politics with a focus on transforming Bihar and initially launched a statewide padyatra to engage with the people, whom he described as the Real Masters to understand their grievances and aspirations. Aqib Ahmad, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: Mohammad Rizwan, 38, expressed his excitement upon learning that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had finally announced assembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir after a decade-long hiatus. Rizwan, a painter, and many others like him saw this announcement as a long-awaited relief. Support TwoCircles We wanted our own representative someone who could listen and address our issues, Rizwan said. On August 16, the ECI announced that assembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir would commence on September 18, marking the end of a 10-year gap. The last assembly elections were held in 2014, resulting in a coalition government between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, due to ideological differences, this government dissolved in 2018, and since then, the region has been directly ruled by New Delhi through a Lieutenant Governor. The elections for the 90 Assembly seats will be conducted in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results expected on October 4. The announcement has provided a sense of relief to residents who were frustrated with the bureaucratic setup and longed for local representation. Initially, the BJP seemed disinclined to hold elections in the region, but following a Supreme Court directive, the ECI proceeded with the announcement. To date, 279 candidates have filed nomination papers across 24 assembly segments in seven districts, with the first phase of voting scheduled for September 18. Of these 24 seats, 16 are in the Valley and 8 are in the Jammu region. Festive Mood Jammu and Kashmir has adopted a festive atmosphere in anticipation of the elections. Streets are vibrant with party flags, bustling crowds, and lively political rallies. Residents are passionately engaging in political discussions and festivities. Political leaders are reconnecting with the people, promising development, peace, and prosperity. The main issues in the upcoming elections include the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners and ending the BJPs direct rule. In the lead-up to the elections, several leaders have switched allegiances and joined new parties. New political fronts formed after the abrogation of Article 370, such as Sajad Lones Peoples Conference (PC), Altaf Bukharis Apni Party (JKAP), and Ghulam Nabi Azads Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), are also struggling to stay relevant. Many prominent leaders have shifted their allegiances to maintain political relevance and secure their futures. Experts attribute their poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections where they failed to win any seats and lost their security deposits to these shifts. The Indian National Congress (INC) and the regional Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) have formed an alliance to counter the BJP, which has been introducing new faces while dropping previous leaders. The BJP is also grappling with internal challenges, as seen with the recent withdrawal of a list of 44 candidates that notably excluded top leaders. Separatists in the Fray A significant development in these elections is the participation of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), a religious-political organization banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Although the Jamaat hoped for the ban to be lifted to contest the elections, it was extended for five more years on August 25, 2024. Despite this, the Jamaat has decided to participate independently. Separatist worker Sarjan Barkati, who is currently imprisoned in connection with a terror-funding case, had his daughter, Sugra Barkati, file nomination papers on his behalf from the Zainpora Assembly constituency in South Kashmirs Shopian district. However, her nomination was rejected by the authorities. Traditionally, a significant portion of the population refrains from participating in elections, viewing it as a sin. Nevertheless, in the recent Lok Sabha elections, over 60 percent of people cast their votes, including members of the Jamaat. Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, suggests that the repressive atmosphere in Kashmir since 2019 has led separatists to reconsider their stance on boycotting elections. Their thinking seems to be that people need a political voice through elected representatives. This would provide some self-rule and relief to the common people, as well as some breathing space for separatists, most of whom are imprisoned, he said. For Tahir Hussain, a political activist from North Kashmir, the leadership vacuum created by the fall of the PDP-BJP government has fostered a sense of insecurity and hopelessness among the people. People were eager to have representation, as their grievances piled up under the bureaucratic system, he said. To say nothing else, Wind River isnt an easy film. It certainly falls under the thriller category but it is far heavier than anything you would likely to want to see for repeat thrills. This isnt an edge-of-your-seat event like Collateral nor is it a classic adventure like Hitchcock's North By Northwest. Hell, Wind River isnt even like Sheridans previous writing efforts Hell or High Water or Sicario (the less said about his first directorial effort, Vile, the better). Wind River is a rather unique piece of work about a Wildlife hunter and a fish-out-of-water FBI agent investigating the death of a young woman on Reservation land deep in the mountainous wilds of Montana. Sheridan wisely holds the plot cards close to the vest letting the setting and circumstances of the victim set the stage for our story to play out. As pieces of evidence and clues come together we learn a little more about our characters and the deep-seated motivations that compel them to move forward to the shocking climax. Our own David Krauss already wrote one hell of a review for the previous Blu-ray so Ill let his words take over. Murder mysteries are usually entertaining intellectual exercises that feature an intricate plot and mandatory twist ending, but they rarely have much of a heart...or soul. Wind River is different. Though it faithfully follows the genres conventions, it veers off the well-worn path to sensitively examine disturbing issues our xenophobic mainstream society all too often ignores. Take away the themes of racism, sexism, hypocrisy, and neglect and Wind River becomes just another over-the-top thriller. But with them, it rises above the muck and stands tall as a potent, affecting drama. Just as he did in his scripts for Sicario and the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water, writer-director Taylor Sheridan creates conflicted, multi-dimensional characters who add depth and meaning to his violent tales. Here, he searingly examines the forgotten Native American men and women who seem trapped on poverty-stricken reservations and torn between a loyalty to their culture and a desire to leave behind a dead-end existence often marked by drug and alcohol abuse and a dearth of opportunity that prevent them from pursuing a more prosperous and fulfilling life. Theirs is a sad story with no easy answers that is too often overlooked, but Sheridans passionate commitment to it oozes from almost every frame of Wind River. The inspired by actual events title card that opens the film doesnt refer to a single incident, but rather an ongoing plague of mistreatment and indifference that afflicts a large swath of the Native American population. U.S. Fish and Wildlife service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) is all too familiar with the situation, and when he discovers the frozen, bloody body of a Native American teen in the remote and snowy wilderness of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, it brings back horrific memories of his own teenage daughters death under similar circumstances a few years before. Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), a young FBI agent reminiscent of Clarice Starling is dispatched to the area to investigate the crime, and with Cory and Sheriff Ben (Graham Greene), a ranking member of the reservations police force, as her guides, she navigates the unfamiliar terrain and learns about the foreign society into which shes been unceremoniously thrust. The tight-lipped, insular community views Jane with suspicion, and those she interviews are reticent to reveal much information to an outsider who represents the government that systematically represses them. Yet Jane remains undaunted and forges ahead with her probe, soon learning the young victim was sexually assaulted before her death. Initial information leads her to believe the girls much older boyfriend might be the culprit, but when his naked, badly beaten body also turns up in the snow, the focus shifts to a remote oil drilling site where the boyfriend worked as a security guard. And its there that the mystery begins to unravel. Sheridan, in only his second directorial outing, takes a slow-burn approach, methodically immersing us in the depressed atmosphere that consumes the Native American characters. We feel their hopelessness, resentment, bitterness, and desperate need to escape their confinement. He also insightfully depicts the cultural divide between native and white Americans and the resultant tension that undermines their relationships, as well as the bureaucratic red tape that so often impedes investigations on Native American soil. All of these elements enhance the films relevance and lend it an emotional resonance that overshadows its conventional climax and lingers long after the closing credits roll. Sometimes a mystery is more interesting than its resolution, and thats exactly the case here. The violent carnage that ultimately overtakes Wind River is shocking and powerful, but also somewhat cartoonish, straining credulity and cheapening the thoughtful drama that comes before and after it. Yes, its cathartic and part of it is purposeful, but its all a bit too much, especially for such a nuanced, message-oriented film. Renner and Olsen may have co-starred in a couple of Avengers movies, but they leave their makeup and costumes at the door, filing sober, straightforward performances that reflect their deep respect for the material. Renner is especially affecting, projecting an admirable stoicism that belies the anguish and disillusionment buried inside him. He and Olsen share a comfortable chemistry that serves the story well, and Greene brings a penetrating calm and wry humor to the proceedings, crafting a performance thats far more detailed than it looks. Wind River deftly uses the murder mystery angle to call our attention to some ugly truths that have been swept under the rug for far too long. Whether the film will effect any change remains to be seen, but its largely poetic presentation hammers some key points home. This is not a film for the faint of heart - it is a thriller after all - but if you can get past the violence, you'll find an engrossing story that packs more than the usual visceral punch. Wind River carries a big stick, but the bulk of its power comes from the moments when it speaks oh so softly. Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray At long last, Wind River arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Lionsgate with a 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook. The 4K is pressed on a BD-100 disc with the 1080p looking to be a recycle of the 2017 Blu-ray. Both discs are housed in a custom SteelBook with a simple clear plastic slipcover. The disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options. Note: Havent been able to rip the 4K disc so pics from the 1080p disc will stand in until we can circle back and update the review. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home 11 Android 15 Features to Power Your Smartphone Following are top 11 features and improvements in Android 15 to power your smartphones. Friday September 6, 2024 7:11 PM , ummid.com Tech Desk Google officially released Android 15 and made its source code available at the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Thursday September 03, 2024. Open source allows anyone to build upon and contribute to Android, resulting in devices that are more diverse and innovative. Android 15 will be available on supported Pixel devices in the coming weeks, as well as on select devices from Samsung, Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi in the coming months, the text giant said. Following are top 11 features and improvements in Android 15 to power your smartphones. 1. Private Space Android 15 comes with a new feature called Private Space. The feature enables users to keep sensitive apps separate from the rest of phone. Whether you want to safeguard personal records, health data or your banking apps, Private Space keeps them safely behind a second layer of authentication, protected with the same password you use to unlock your device or an alternative PIN. When your Private Space is locked, apps are hidden from the recent view, notifications, settings, and other apps. You can wipe your private space completely too. Some types of apps such as medical apps, launcher apps, and app stores may need to take additional steps to function as expected in a user's private space. 2. Better Audio Image Descriptions Android has a screen reader called TalkBack to support Braille displays for folks with vision loss. Android 15 uses Google's Gemini AI to improve its ability to describe images. Traditionally, image descriptions on websites were limited to whatever was input in the alt text field, but Google's AI can analyse images and describe them in greater detail. This new feature also works with photos in your camera roll, social media images, or pictures in text messages. 3. Earthquake Alert System Smartphone users in the United States will get potentially life-saving warnings about impending earthquakes as Android 15 employs crowd-sourced earthquake detection technology. The new feature also includes tips on what to do in the aftermath of a quake. Google has partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the ShakeAlert system to make Android Earthquake Alerts available in California, Oregon and Washington. 4. Enhanced Satellite Connectivity Theres a significant expansion for satellite connectivity in Android 15. Some RCS and SMS apps should now be able to send text messages via satellite the feature that was previously limited to emergency use. Google has also standardized the pop-ups and other user interface elements to make it clearer when connected via satellite. So far, only the Pixel 9 range supports satellite messaging. It could be a big blow to Apple, which restricts satellite connectivity support on iPhones for emergency uses only. 5. Malicious App Blocking Several updates in Android 15 make life tougher for malicious apps. They can no longer hide behind other apps by bringing them to the foreground or overlay themselves invisibly on top. There are also changes designed to prevent the exploitation of intents, which let you start an activity in another app by describing an action you'd like to perform, as they are often misused by malware. This is behind-the-scenes stuff to keep users safer. 6. Find your phone even if its offline Googles Find My Device feature is getting a major upgrade in Android 15. As per the findings by Android Police, all Android 15 phones can ping each other via Bluetooth and can contribute to the network, which will help other Android users find their lost devices. The Find My Network relies on Android devices broadcasting, which are essentially Bluetooth signals. The nearby Android devices part of the Find My Device network can pick up Bluetooth signals from the broadcasting device and upload the encrypted location details to Googles servers. Only the broadcasting device owner and the people with access to the encryption key can decrypt the location. That means billions of Android devices will ping each other via Bluetooth once theyre added to the Find My Device network, and can help others find their lost Android devices. If everything goes well, Android will have a much bigger lost device tracking network than Apples Find My network. 7. Audio Sharing It should be easier to share audio from your phone using Bluetooth LE and Auracast with a new settings page focused on audio sharing. The feature allows you to broadcast audio from your phone to other devices within Bluetooth range, including the phones and earbuds of friends and family who can scan a QR code to join. 8. Better PDF Handling Trying to do anything with PDF files on your Android phone can be a pain, so the news that Google has built several PDF enhancements into Android 15 is welcome. PDFs should load more smoothly, and there is now support for password-protected files, annotations, form editing, and copy selection. Perhaps best of all, you can now search within PDF files. 9. Improved Low-Light Camera There are a couple of significant improvements for the camera app in Android 15. Firstly, Low Light Boost makes for better previews in low-light conditions, so you can frame your night time shots better and scan QR codes when light is limited. There are also new camera app options to give you finer control over the flash so you can adjust the intensity for both single flashes and continuous flashlight mode. 10. Enhanced Fraud and Scam Protection There are several updates in Android 15 aimed squarely at thwarting fraudsters and scammers. Google will employ AI through Play Protect and on devices to scan for and flag suspicious behaviour. Messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs), typically used in two-factor authentication, are now hidden from the notifications system, making it harder to intercept them. Restricted settings are also being expanded for side-loaded appsones that aren't downloaded through the Google Play Store. 11. Efficient Battery Life There are always tweaks and improvements to efficiency in Android updates that should have a positive impact on battery life, but with Android 15, Google is placing more checks on foreground services and clamping down on apps that keep running in an active state. Devices with a lot of RAM should also see faster app and camera launch times with lower power draw, thanks to support for larger page sizes. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Communal attacks on rise in Odisha after BJP came to power Since the BJP government came to power in Bhubaneswar, rising communal fissures have been witnessing in Odisha, the eastern state of India. Saturday September 7, 2024 0:28 AM , Syed Ali Mujtaba [AI image for representation.] New Delhi: Since the BJP government came to power in Bhubaneswar, rising communal fissures have been witnessing in Odisha, the eastern state of India. Soon after the BJP government was sworn in on June 12, 2024, communal tension arose in Balasore and miscreants threw stones at a mosque, and set fire to a house belonging to the minority community. Curfew was imposed and internet services were shut down, and things as usual followed. Attacks on Muslim migrant workers In August 2024, the media reported, attacks on minority communities in various parts of the state - Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Sambalpur and Bolangir districts were all under the grip of communal tension. Many cases went unreported. The attacks were made on migrant workers, particularly from the neighboring states of Bihar and West Bengal. Hundreds of migrant workers were displaced from the area of the communal violence, reported Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan (GASS) a civic advocacy group in Bhubaneswar. The reason was recent developments in Bangladesh that were used as a pretext to target the Muslim minorities in Odisha. The Sangh Parivar, in an act of revenge for alleged atrocities on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, targeted the Muslims in Odisha. Attack on Christians There were reports in the third week of August, particularly on Janmashtami day (August 26), that the Sangh Parivar had asked the members of the Christian community to leave the Kandhamal region. The Christian community was forced to leave their homes under a silent but pervasive threat, this exodus continues. Laxmanananda murder case: A Hindu monk and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was murdered along with four of his disciples on August 23, 2008, at Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal district of Odisha. Following his death, violence erupted in the district, claiming more than 60 lives, rendering thousands homeless, and resulting in the rape of a nun. This case, which is still under investigation, is cashed by the Sangh Parivar every year. On the pretext of commemorating the death anniversary of the slain Hindu priest, the Hindutva zealots make it a point to target the Christian community. This time again the situation was aggravated when two state ministers belonging to the BJP party attended a public gathering organized to commemorate the death of Laxmananda. The event was a blatant attempt to instill fear among the Christian community. In another incident, the VHP cadres tried to observe its foundation day, at the campus of Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur. They invited the Vice-Chancellor Professor N. Nagaraju, to be the chief guest of this event which sparked protests by academicians, writers, and students that forced a last-minute change of venue. It may be recalled that it is at the same venue, that Professor Nivedita Menon, known for her anti-communal stance, was barred from completing her talk at a University programme. This is a contrast between protesting a secular academician and inviting a communal organization to hold its program in a University that highlights the penetration of communal forces in the state. The BJPs electoral victory in the state and the center has given rise to communal tensions with the minorities in Odisha. The BJPs political victory has given a free hand to Sangh Parivar to organize the communal clashes in the state. A civic advocacy group the Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan (GASS) has called on the people of Odisha to resist these nefarious forces and stand up against the rising communal tensions in the state. GASS President, Dr. Golak Bihari Nath, has condemned the divisive political agenda of the BJP and urged all democratic entities to unite in their responses. He also appealed to the state government to take decisive action to restore peace and communal harmony in Odisha. [The writer, Syed Ali Mujtaba, is a journalist. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.] Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Refrain from painting everyone as Islamist: Yunus to Modi Govt Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh Interim Government, Thursday asked the Narendra Modi government in India to refrain from painting everyone as Islamist Friday September 6, 2024 11:30 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies Dhaka: Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh Interim Government, Thursday asked the Narendra Modi government in India to refrain from painting everyone as Islamist. In an interview news agency, Press Trust of India, Yunus stressed that while Bangladesh values strong bilateral relations with India, New Delhi must move beyond the narrative that portrays every other political party except Awami League as Islamist. "The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, BNP is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan, the Nobel Laureate said. And (the narrative that) Bangladesh is in safe hands only with Sheikh Hasina at the helm. India is captivated by this narrative. India needs to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is just another neighbour," he added. In his first detailed interview with the New Delhi based news agency, Yunus also said the reports of attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus were political and not communal. He also said the reports of attacks on the Bangladeshi Hindus were exaggerated. Yunus asserted that the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh were a part of a political fallout, since there was a perception that most Hindus support the now-deposed Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina. I have said this to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi also that this is exaggerated. This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League, those who were with them also faced attacks, Yunus, who is hailed for reviving the rural economy of the country, said. He said he had also conveyed to PM Modi that Bangladesh would prioritise the protection and safety of Hindus and all other minority groups. These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we cant do anything; we have said that we are doing everything, the Chief Adviser said. Yunus also asked Sheikh Hasina who fled from Bangladesh after the uprising to remain silent during his stay in India. In a public statement from India, Hasina had claimed that the US was involved in her ouster after she refused to hand over Saint Martin Island, a move that would have increased US influence in the Bay of Bengala claim the US has denied. Yunus described Hasina's political commentary as an "unfriendly gesture" and emphasized that she should "remain silent" to avoid straining relations until Bangladesh formally requests her extradition. "If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet," Yunus said. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Maggie and Matthew Wilmoths Greek Revival house in the King William Historic District was built in 1902. Or maybe sometime between 1898 and 1904. No one really knows for sure. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer As a real estate broker, Maggie Wilmoth is in and out of a lot of houses, so she's not easily impressed. But when she started working in several of the citys more historic neighborhoods Monte Vista, Olmos Park Terrace, Monticello Park, King William and others she began to feel the romance of living in a home with a history. When my husband, Matthew, and I started looking, we fell in love with this house, she said of the Kayton House in the King William District that they purchased in December 2020. And weve fallen in love with the neighborhood. These are our people and we truly feel at home. When Maggie and Matthew Wilmoth started looking at historic houses, they quickly fell in love with the Kayton House in the King William District, purchasing it in December 2020. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer The house, like many in the historic district just south of downtown, has a long and somewhat checkered history. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The kitchen was designed to accommodate Maggie Wilmoths love of cooking. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer One of the two kitchen islands is fitted with a 48-inch trough sink Maggie Wilmoth uses for food prep, and another completely flat one, she uses to serve food and drink. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Instead of a separate butlers pantry, the Wilmoths built a handsome and imposing wall of cabinets in the kitchen where they now store everything from canned foods to air fryers and crock pots. Richard A. Marini/Staff Throughout the house the walls are hung with original art, most by local artists. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer The couple did everything they could to balance modern comforts with respect for the homes historical integrity. That meant replacing the original 10-1/2-inch baseboards with similarly sized new ones Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer They considered moving the staircase to save space, but instead replaced the original with an L-shaped staircase that turns 90 degrees halfway up. Richard A. Marini/Staff A small library-cum-seating area off the foyer features green curtains and walls that, like the furniture in the nearby bedroom, are a very dark green. Richard A. Marini/Staff A pink painted spinet sits in a small niche by the front door. Three piano movers told the couple they wouldn't be able to carry the piano up the stairs to the second floor. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Much of the bedroom, from the bedding to the flowered wallpaper, is in soothing pinks and greens. Richard A. Marini/Staff The bathroom is done in colors of white and blush. Richard A. Marini/Staff The walk-through closet of the primary bedroom sits between the sleeping chamber and the bathroom. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Details are shown in the walk-through closet of the primary bedroom. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer One of Maggie Wilmoth's few regrets was installing a white hex tile on the bathroom floor. She explained that, with a165-pound dog, it's nearly impossible to keep the floor clean. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer The interior of the second floor features a comfortable seating area and pink curtains. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer According to the Conservation Society of San Antonio, it was built in 1902, although other research pegs the date as anywhere from 1898 to 1904. Over the years, the Greek Revival house was neglected and broken into apartments, and fell into disrepair. By the time the Wilmoths bought it, the house was borderline uninhabitable. Our structural engineer told us it could have been a candidate for condemnation, Maggie Wilmoth said. Before the couple and their two daughters could move in, the house needed a complete overhaul. That meant taking everything down to the studs and removing some of those studs as well. A bit more than three years and around $1 million later, the four-bedroom, 4 -bath jewel sparkles alongside the other historic neighborhood homes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Much of the budget went to improvements that arent immediately visible, including new plumbing, electric, and heating and air-conditioning systems. All 102 piers holding up the structure had to be replaced at one point the house was supported by 15 individual jacks. For the public space, the Wilmoths wanted an open floor plan, but not too open. The resulting design still has several visual cues, such as wall niches and furniture, that help define each area. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer There were other surprises as well. Following the February 2021 freeze, a water leak set the work back six to eight months. Though theyd planned to reuse much of the original longleaf pine flooring, the water damage was so severe the wood virtually disintegrated, making it unsalvageable. Today, the floors are mostly European white oak. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Still, the couple did everything they could to balance modern comforts with respect for the homes historical and architectural integrity. That meant replacing the original 10 -inch baseboards with new ones of a similar size and refurbishing rather than replacing all the windows, including the sash weights. Designed to accommodate Maggie Wilmoths love of cooking, the kitchen is dominated by two 4-by-8-foot quartz-topped islands. One is fitted with a 48-inch trough sink she uses for food prep, while the other features a flat surface she uses to serve food and drink. We like to entertain and throw parties," she said. "Theres not a lot I cant do with this much countertop space. Several tricks conceal much of the kitchens business side. An under-the-counter microwave is installed in one of the islands, and both the full-size refrigerator and freezer are hidden behind cabinet doors. A wine cooler equipped with a full set of sommelier tools is nestled between the two. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The kitchen is dominated by two 4-foot by 8-foot quartz-topped islands, one for food prep, the other for serving food and drink. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Because they werent adding any square footage to the house, the couple had to make several compromises to fulfill their must-have checklist. Maggie Wilmoth wanted a butlers pantry, for example, but the couple also wanted their primary bedroom suite on the ground floor. To get both, they built a handsome and imposing wall of cabinets in the kitchen where they now store everything from canned foods to air fryers that typically would be kept behind a pantry door. They then took the square footage saved by not building a separate pantry and used it for the bedroom suite, which consists of a separate sleeping chamber, walk-through closet and bathroom. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Much of the bedroom, from the bedding to the flowered wallpaper, is decorated in soothing pinks and greens. I lead a very busy, very active life, Maggie Wilmoth explained. The idea of being able to walk into my bedroom and having it be calm and peaceful is very, very, very important to me. Their eyes always on the budget, the couple decided that rather than buy all new furniture, it would be cheaper and wiser to update their old brown bedroom suite by painting it a green thats so dark its almost black. In a space-related compromise, a stacked washer-dryer combo was installed in the primary bathroom rather than a separate laundry room. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer MIDCENTURY MODERN DREAM: Ridgeview reno totally transforms tired 1950s house We bought that furniture 10 years ago from Costco, she said. These days, you go out furniture shopping and everythings so expensive and not as well made. Painting it updated the look for not a lot of money. In another space-related compromise, they installed a stacked washer-dryer combo in the bathroom rather than building a separate laundry room. One of Maggie Wilmoth's few regrets about the renovation is the white hex tile she selected for the floor. We have a 165-pound dog, and he makes it very difficult to keep the floor clean, she explained. The view of the kitchen and dining table is seen from the seating area of the Wilmoths' historic King William home. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer For the public spaces the kitchen, dining room and seating area the Wilmoths wanted an open floor plan, just not too open. The resulting design still has several visual cues, such as wall niches and furniture, that help define each area. The result is an open yet not expansive space, further marked off by a powder room, affectionately dubbed the monkey bathroom for its playful, simian-themed wallpaper. I just really love a fun powder room, Maggie Wilmoth explained. And, look, we even kept one of the four original brick chimneys. There were no fireplaces in the original house; these were for the wood-burning stoves. There wasnt much original that we could keep, but this was something we could. They considered moving the staircase at the front of the house to save space but soon abandoned that idea. Instead, they replaced the original with an L-shaped winder that turns 90 degrees halfway up. They also widened the tread width to make the staircase more accommodating and opened the second-floor landing to allow more light to penetrate into the interior. Just off the foyer, they created a small library and seating area with green curtains and walls that, like the furniture in the nearby bedroom, are a green so dark theyre almost black. I wanted something cooler than just a home office, she said. Its fun to have a room with books and music and chairs to sit in. It feels sort of like an old-fashioned parlor. HA NOI Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers (VAMA) has proposed changes in the special consumption tax rates (SCT) to better reflect the environmental benefits of different types of vehicles. Under its proposal, VAMA suggests that the tax on HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles), should remain at 70 per cent of the rate applied to conventional petrol or diesel cars. This is because HEVs offer a 30-40 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and emissions compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. VAMA also has proposed reducing the tax on PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) to 50 per cent of the rate applied to petrol or diesel cars, down from the current 70 per cent. This is because PHEVs are more efficient, saving over 50 per cent in fuel compared to conventional vehicles and thus should be incentivised. Under the current special consumption tax rates, vehicles running on petrol and electric power, where fuel use does not exceed 70 per cent of the total energy used, are taxed at 70 per cent of the rate applied to purely internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. According to the VAMA, HEVs and PHEVs are less prevalent in Viet Nam compared to other countries. The existing special consumption tax rates in Viet Nam make HEVs and PHEVs 10-20 per cent more expensive than comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. By adjusting the tax rates, VAMA said it will make HEVs and PHEVs more financially attractive to consumers, which could lead to higher adoption rates. This, in turn, would support Viet Nams Net Zero commitment by reducing overall emissions by 2050. Tax expert of KPMG, Nguyen Ngoc Thai, highlighted how preferential tax policies have been successful in boosting the adoption of HEVs and PHEVs in other countries. One example is that Thailand offers preferential tax rates ranging from 17-27 per cent lower than those for internal combustion engine vehicles. Meanwhile, Indonesia provides a significant tax reduction, with rates ranging from 8-40 per cent lower. By doing so, the sales of PHEVs and HEVs surged by 86.58 per cent in 2022 in Thailand and the market share of PHEVs and HEVs in Indonesia grew from 2 per cent in 2018 to 15 per cent in 2023, reflecting a substantial increase in adoption driven by the tax incentives. However, VAMA's calculations indicate that the special consumption tax rates incentives for PHEVs and HEVs are set at 50 per cent and 70 per cent respectively, compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, this will result in a decrease in State budget revenue in the short term. In return, Viet Nam is making a significant effort to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its reliance on imported crude oil. By cutting fuel consumption by over one million litre annually, the country is not only saving a substantial amount of money about VN27 trillion (over US$1 billion), but also lessening the need to import over 14 million barrels of crude oil, which amounts to VN29 trillion. This move will help ease the pressure on the Vietnamese trade balance. The special consumption tax incentives for PHEVs and HEVs would be a strategic move to make these eco-friendly options more affordable for consumers. This approach not only encourages the adoption of cleaner vehicles, but also helps in significantly reducing CO2 emissions by over 2.6 million tonnes, in this case. Such reductions are crucial for meeting carbon emission reduction goals in the transport sector. In addition, the trend of adjusting tax policies to favour indirect taxes, like value-added tax (VAT) and special consumption tax, over direct taxes aligns with broader global practices. Indirect taxes, which are levied on goods and services rather than income, can be adjusted to encourage sustainable behavior and generate revenue without directly impacting personal income. This shift is part of a broader strategy to balance tax systems while promoting environmental sustainability and economic efficiency. An expert from the General Department of Taxation Nguyen Van Phung observed that Viet Nam, in line with global trends, is adapting its tax policies by shifting from direct to indirect taxes. This strategic approach is being adopted to better align with current economic needs and international practices. However, Phung emphasised that while shifting tax policies towards indirect taxes aligns with global trends and economic needs, it is crucial to design these policies carefully to avoid unintended negative effects. VNS HA NOI A conference on trade promotion and import and export development in the Mekong Delta region opens today, focusing on existing and potential strengths in the region, including fruit, seafood and the possibility of energy production. Held in Can Tho City, the conference attracted around 200 delegates both in person and online. On the sidelines of the conference, there is an exhibition space to promote products of localities and enterprises in the region, while creating opportunities for trade connection between suppliers of goods and services in the Mekong Delta region with import-export enterprises. The Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) said that in addition to rice and seafood, fruits were also a strength in the production and export structure of the region. At the same time, it also has great potential for oil and gas and renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy and tidal energy. Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) show that many Vietnamese commodity groups have exceeded the export turnover of more than US$1 billion, such as vegetables, rice and shrimp, mostly from the Mekong Delta. On average the Mekong Delta region contributes about 31 per cent of the GDP of the entire agricultural sector, with about 50 per cent of rice output, 95 per cent of rice exports, 60 per cent of fish exports and approximately 70 per cent of fruits of all kinds. Despite many strengths, the economy in the Mekong Delta is considered to have not developed commensurate with its potential. In addition, the development also faces challenges such as climate change, water resource depletion and saline intrusion. Therefore, accurately assessing the potential and challenges, and implementing suitable development solutions are essential for achieving the goal of making the Mekong Delta a region with a relatively high level of development compared to the rest of the country. VNS HA NOI A Viet Nam Fruit Festival will take place in Beijing, China from September 29 to 30. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to organise the first fruit festival in Beijing, with help from the Vietnamese Embassy in China, the Viet Nam Fruits and Vegetables Association and Chinese partners. The festival will be one of the most important trade promotion events with the Chinese market, offering fresh fruit, vegetables alongside processed products officially imported into China. The aim of the festival in the capital is to promote the brand and image of delicious and nutritious tropical fruits of Viet Nam, attracting the attention and participation of many Chinese and international enterprises, said the MoIT. Statistics show that the export value of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables reached US$3.33 billion in the first six months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 24.3 per cent. Of which, the export turnover of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables to China reached $2.1 billion, accounting for 64 per cent of the total export turnover, with many products and brands having a solid position in China. However, in the past, Vietnamese fruits were mostly exported through border trade, informal trade and directly into the southern provinces of China bordering Viet Nam such as Guangxi and Yunnan. To develop sustainable exports and gain higher value, while penetrating deeper into the Chinese market, Vietnamese fruit exports needed to shift to official channels and increase brand promotion, said the MoIT. VNS HA NOI In June, the Viet Nam Trade Office in Pakistan mobilised and directly led a delegation of Pakistani businesses to participate in the 2024 International Supply Chain Connection event in HCM City. As a direct result, Pakistan's IMTIAZ supermarket chain has just imported the first batch of Vietnamese fruit juice, including mango, pineapple, lychee, grape, apple and guava juices. "Being distributed through IMTIAZ supermarkets is a source of pride for any product and it guarantees access to a vast consumer market of over 240 million people," said the Viet Nam Trade Counselor in Pakistan. Founded in 1955, IMTIAZ is Pakistan's pioneering supermarket chain and the largest retailer in the country, with 27 stores across 12 major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta. The Viet Nam Trade Counselor in Pakistan emphasised that exporting fruit juice to Pakistan is a proud achievement and significantly contributes to the development of Viet Nam's export structure, by focusing on high-value-added processed products. It also promotes the agro-processing industry and creates new market opportunities for agricultural products, helping avoid the 'bumper harvest but low price' scenario. In the first seven months of 2024, Vietnamese exports to Pakistan reached US$269 million, an increase of 25.2 per cent year-on-year. Viet Nam's export potential to this market remains vast, as Pakistan has a high demand for many Vietnamese exports, from traditional agricultural products, including tea, pepper, cashews and pangasius fillets, to consumer goods like clothing and footwear, as well as high-tech products, such as mobile phones. Moreover, Pakistan is an easy-to-access market, with less stringent requirements for quality, technical standards, animal and plant quarantine, food safety, environmental protection, traceability and labour practices. However, opportunities always come with challenges. Pakistan is a developing market where customers are highly price-sensitive, meaning that exported goods must be low-cost to meet demand, while the country's e-commerce sector is only in its infancy. To promote Vietnamese goods into this market, the Viet Nam Trade Office in Pakistan has regularly supported Pakistani businesses to attend fairs and exhibitions in Viet Nam to seek partners and buyers. In the future, to ensure continued positive growth in Viet Nam-Pakistan trade cooperation, the Viet Nam Trade Office recommended domestic exporters develop products that meet customer needs and thoroughly verify customer information to avoid potential trade risks. VNS QUANG NINH The total export-import turnover through the Mong Cai International Border Gate in the northern province of Quang Ninh in the first eight months of 2024 reached US$2.64 million, marking a 24 per cent increase year-over-year, while 265 new businesses began operation in the area. During the period, over 4.5 million people completed immigration procedures, up 97.5 per cent year-over-year. Mong Cai also saw a 62 per cent rise in tourist arrivals, totaling 2.76 million. The city has proactively coordinated with relevant agencies to support and attract businesses, enhance administrative reforms, and ensure smooth customs and immigration processes. Mong Cai officials regularly meet with their counterparts in Dongxing, China, to resolve issues, attract businesses, and promote border trade and tourism. Efforts to combat smuggling and illegal border crossings remain effective, with local authorities maintaining strict oversight to prevent disruptions. On September 3, Mong Cai started handling immigration for road transport between Chinas Nanning and Viet Nams Ha Long via Bac Luan II Bridge. Customs authorities have streamlined procedures to assist businesses with quick and efficient clearance while ensuring compliance with legal regulations. VNS HA NOI A series of outstanding documentaries about the culture, people and the country of Viet Nam, as well as various films from European countries, will be screened at the 14th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival. The 14th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival has been organised by EUNIC (the European Union National Institutes for Culture) in collaboration with the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio. It will be held from September 6-14 at the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio in Ha Noi and at the Dcine Ben Thanh Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City. The event aims to promote cultural exchange activities between EU countries and Viet Nam. A total of 21 documentary films, several of which have garnered awards at both international and Vietnamese film festivals, will take centre stage during the event. The screening programme will feature nine films from Austria, Wallonia-Brussels (Belgium), Germany, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Spain, the UK and Israel alongside nine films from the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio and three films by independent filmmakers. Among the documentaries produced by the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio, there will be the 'legend of Vietnamese Revolutionary Cinema', People's Artist Tra Giang, the art of bai choi (folk singing), which has been honoured as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2017 and the rich culture of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups. Notably, the festival will introduce the film Nhung Tu Nhan Khong So (The Numberless Prisoners ) by scriptwriters Nguyen Sy Hao and o Khanh Toan, directors ao Duy Tu and Nguyen Sy Hao. The film chronicles the remarkable journey of women who, during the resistance against the Americans, found themselves imprisoned while carrying unborn children. In the unforgiving confines of prison, they battled adversity and deprivation, fiercely safeguarding the Party organisation while ensuring the survival of their unborn offspring. As years unfolded, those children born in captivity defied the odds, overcoming immense challenges to grow into outstanding citizens of society. Audiences who admire People's Artist Tra Giang will have the opportunity to learn more about their favourite actress through the film Dong Song Ky Uc (Reminiscence River) by scriptwriter ang Thi Linh and director Nguyen Thuoc. Art and traditional culture enthusiasts can explore the art of hat boi (classical drama) in Binh inh through the film Ngon Lua ao Tan (The Flame of ao Tan) by scriptwriter Vu Hong Phuong and director Trinh Quang Tung. Audience can embark on a cinematic exploration with ong Vong Bai Choi (Echoes of Bai Choi) a film that unravels the origins and evolution of the folk art form known as bai choi. Through this captivating documentary, viewers witness how bai choi reclaims its rightful place within the community. The film, penned by Tran Nguyen Huong Phuc and directed by artist Phung Ngoc Phu, weaves a compelling narrative of cultural resilience. The poignant film Tren inh Phja Khao (On the Phja Khao Peak) written by Vu Hong Phuong and directed by Nguyen Quang Tuan and ang Thi Kim Son, immerses viewers in the life of a Dao ethnic family residing atop Phja Khao in the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan. Against the backdrop of significant life events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, their struggles, resilience and connections unfold. The film i Ve Phia Mat Troi (Towards the Sun) by scriptwriter Nhiep Hai Anh and director ao uc Thanh delves into the touching narratives of girls from ethnic minority backgrounds. Despite the weight of traditional customs, these courageous young women fight tenaciously for a brighter future. With diverse content, the foreign documentaries that will be presented at the festival have garnered numerous prestigious awards. Among those, the Swedish film Historja Stitches for Sapmi stands out. The film is a poetic and awe-inspiring narrative that celebrates the remarkable Sapmi female artist Britta Marakatt-Labba. Sapmi is an Arctic region that stretches over four countries Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, where Sapmi indigenous people live. The Belgian film I am Chance follows the microcosm of a group of street savvy girls in the surprisingly bright, pop and artistic megacity of Kinshasa. This film was awarded the Best Documentary at the San Jose International Film Festival 2022 and Best Documentary at the PAMPA Documentary Film Festival 2023. The Italian film Il CerchioThe Circle chronicles the journey of Italian primary school students over a five-year period, capturing their unique outlook on the world. In 2023, it was awarded the David Di Donatello Award for Best Documentary Film. Chairman of the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio, Nguyen Quang Tuan, shared that each screening will feature a Vietnamese documentary film followed by a foreign counterpart during this year's festival. Additionally, the studio will showcase films by independent Vietnamese filmmakers. - VNS PARIS Decorative lacquer products created by Vietnamese craftsmen are currently being showcased at Maison&Objet an international trade fair for home decor, interior design, architecture and lifestyle culture. During the event currently unfolding in Paris, Vietnamese haute lacquer house Hanoia has unveiled over 100 exquisite lacquer products. These unique pieces include selections from past collections as well as previously unrevealed creations. Notably, this marks the first time a Vietnamese brand has participated in such a large-scale international exhibition. Maison&Objet 2024 is taking place from September 5 to 9 at the Villepinte Exposition Park in northern Paris. Hanoia co-founder Nguyen Thi Nhung said that their participation in the fair serves a dual purpose: to solidify the brands position and to forge new partnerships. Hanoia distinguishes itself through a vibrant palette of colours, impeccable lacquer techniques and one-of-a-kind creative designs. With the thoughtfully curated products showcased in this fair, Hanoia aims to leave a lasting impression while exploring avenues for global expansion, bringing its exquisite offerings closer to discerning consumers worldwide, she said. In lacquer art, colour is the soul of the work, and Hanoia has infused each piece with a range of warm hues and vibrant shades. Beyond the traditional palette of red, black, yellow and white, Hanoia boldly embraces modern hues, infusing each artwork with a fresh vitality. But its not just about colour intricate patterns, meticulously hand-painted, define Hanoias craftsmanship. Skilled artisans recognise this stage as the pinnacle challenge: patiently layering colours, waiting for for the colour to dry, and repeating until the entire design emerges. A single product may take many hours to create, truly capturing the essence of life. With its participation in the prestigious global fair, Hanoia promises to offer a fresh perspective on the brilliant combination of innovative design and top-notch craftsmanship. The vibrant, eye-catching products serve as a strong affirmation of the original values that have been preserved and enhanced over the years. The haute lacquer house proudly presented their products at Paris Design Week in 2020, but this is the first time Vietnamese products have been displayed at this particular event. In 2017, Hanoia collaborated with Paris-based Vietnamese actress and designer Tran Nu Yen Khe on an exclusive lacquer piece. Inspired by the iconic Vietnamese non (conical hat), this functional tray seamlessly blends tradition with contemporary design. The unique work graced the auction stage at Christies in London in October the same year. Five years later, renowned jewelry and object designer Gilles Jonemann ingeniously incorporated debris and redundant materials into Hanoias lacquer objects, resulting in 24 captivating contemporary artworks. These remarkable pieces later took centre stage at an exhibition in Ha Noi. VNS After it was put out for public comment, the draft Law on Justice for Minors is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for passage at its session this October. It is aimed at further improving the effectiveness of child protection and education in Viet Nam. A Vietnam Law and Legal Forum magazine reporter talked with Silvia Danailov, Representative of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) about the draft law. UNICEF Viet Nam has carried out several activities to support the Vietnamese Government in protecting children's rights and formulating the draft law on justice for minors. What are your thoughts about the significance of this law in protecting children and supporting judicial reform for juveniles in Viet Nam? Let me begin by expressing my highest appreciation for Viet Nams remarkable achievements in strengthening justice for children in recent years. The development of the Law on Justice for Minors, once again, demonstrates the countrys strong commitment to the advancement of childrens rights. As the cornerstone of any child-friendly child justice system, this law will provide a solid legal foundation for strengthened protection of children in the criminal justice system, including alleged offenders, victims and witnesses. For any girl or boy, growing up and developing entails trying out, making mistakes and learning from them. This is a very normal process, as the human brain is not fully developed until the early 20s. All children especially adolescents often lack the ability to foresee the consequences of their actions or control their emotions and impulses. This holds true for today's teenagers, even though exposure to the Internet and social media makes them grow up rapidly and might give them an appearance of maturity. The way we understand their actions and treat them during this phase can have lifelong implications. Adopting a child-focused approach, fundamentally different from the way adult offenders are treated, the new comprehensive Law on Justice for Minors focuses on rehabilitation, offering individualised support to address the root causes of poor decisions. Because they are still developing, children are generally more receptive to changing their behaviour than adults. Educative measures that build positive attitudes and social skills, as well as a sense of responsibility can help them take productive paths to adulthood. Globally, this approach has been recognised to be less costly and more effective at preventing re-offending. Prioritising alternatives to criminal proceedings (called 'diversion') and community-based solutions, the Law on Justice for Minors allows children and adolescents to 'grow out' of offending in their home community and maintain ties to families and schools. By doing this way, children and adolescents are protected from harsh, stigmatising and punitive treatment that could have long-lasting negative consequences on their physical and mental health and development. Here in Viet Nam, many children brought before the courts have committed non-violent offences, such as theft and disturbance of public order. For them, community-based solutions are the most appropriate option and it does not mean being 'soft on crime'. In fact, it requires hard work of the child encouraging them to confront their issues, holding them accountable for their actions, targeting the root causes of their behaviour and helping them choose the right path to becoming productive and law-abiding citizens. This is the best way to ensure the long-term societal cohesion and public safety. The Law on Justice for Minors is also crucial for protecting child victims and witnesses from trauma when involved in criminal proceedings, ultimately improving the quality of their testimony. It contains detailed guidelines for handling cases involving child victims and witnesses in a child- and gender-sensitive manner, ensuring a fair judicial process and bringing perpetrators to justice. Countries like Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Croatia, Georgia and Serbia have already incorporated provisions for protecting child victims and witnesses in their laws on justice for minors. The new law aims to innovate and drastically reform laws and policies toward juveniles regarding criminal justice to make them conform to international commitments and practices. How will the law help Viet Nam achieve this target? In Viet Nam today, the handling of children and adolescents in the criminal justice system is covered by separate provisions and chapters in the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments and different sub-laws. This results in fragmentation and does a disservice to children. Over recent decades, many countries globally and in the Asia-Pacific region have moved away from this approach and replaced chapters on minors in their general criminal laws with a comprehensive child justice law that stipulates a set of objectives, principles, measures and sanctions, as well as procedures and services specially adapted to children. In the most recent Concluding Observations on the combined fifth and sixth reports of Viet Nam (dated September 19, 2022), the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Viet Nam to build upon its significant achievements related to child rights, to bring its child justice system fully into line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), especially to adopt a comprehensive child justice law. The adoption of a comprehensive Law on Justice for Minors will strengthen the countrys compliance with its obligations under the CRC, providing a more unified legal framework for the child justice system by consolidating provisions that are currently covered across multiple laws. This will allow the adoption of a distinct approach to children, fundamentally different from adults, introducing measures adapted to their specific needs, evolving capacities and inherent vulnerabilities and promoting the best interests of a child in contact with the criminal justice system. With UNICEFs experience in child protection, could you give some recommendations for development of the Law on Justice for Minors in Viet Nam? I am delighted to see many positive elements in the draft law submitted to the National Assembly in June, which will improve the handling of criminal cases involving children in line with Viet Nams obligations under the CRC. Some aspects of the draft law can still be further improved by aligning with international standards and best practice. Firstly, UNICEF applauds efforts to introduce alternatives to criminal proceedings (so-called 'diversion') to redirect children away from the criminal justice system toward community-based rehabilitation. However, it is important to note that because diversion is applied at the pre-trial stage, core procedural safeguards must be respected. Notably, diversion cannot be imposed. It requires the minors voluntary consent to be diverted and to all obligations or measures in the diversion plan. To be in full alignment with international standards, the draft law should strengthen this voluntary and consensual aspect by explicitly requiring for the childs consent to both the diversion process and obligations in the diversion plan. Secondly, diversion should not involve any form of deprivation of liberty. As such, placement in reform school should be a penalty rather than a diversion measure. And finally, juvenile offending is generally related to complex social issues in the living environment of the child. As shown by international best practices, effectively addressing these issues requires the specialist knowledge and skills of dedicated staff with professional social work capacities. UNICEF strongly recommends the establishment of a more professionalised social service workforce, especially a network of social workers at the provincial and district levels and social work collaborators at the commune level. UNICEF has been accompanying the Vietnamese authorities in several projects on child protection and support for judicial reform for juveniles in the country. Can you explain more about your past projects and their outcomes? UNICEF has been present in Viet Nam to support the advancement of childrens rights since 1975. Our support to strengthen justice for children was intensified with the approval of the very first project on Friendly Justice System for Minors between the Ministry of Justice and UNICEF in 2006. Since then, UNICEF has been working closely with dedicated partners to improve childrens access to justice - especially the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Supreme Peoples Court, Supreme Peoples Procuracy and the Viet Nam Lawyers Association. Over the years, UNICEF has been supporting national partners to learn more about international standards and valuable lessons from other countries, especially those sharing similarities with Viet Nam, to inform efforts to improve the legal and justice systems for better protection of girls and boys in contact with the law. UNICEF also helped equip thousands of new and frontline law enforcement and justice officers, legal aid/lawyers and welfare officers with specialised knowledge and skills to conduct justice proceedings in a child- and gender-sensitive manner and deliver high-quality, age-appropriate legal aid and other services to children. Through our trusted and long-standing partnership, national authorities have institutionalised successful approaches to produce impactful results for children at national scale. The significant achievements in child justice were acknowledged in the most recent Concluding Observations on Viet Nam of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee especially commended Viet Nam for the introduction of diversion measures in the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, child-friendly procedures in the Criminal Procedure Code, expansion of legal aid child beneficiaries under the Law on Legal Aid, as well as the roll-out of 40 Family and Juvenile Courts as specialised childrens courts, just to name a few. The Law on Justice for Minors, once approved, will mark a significant milestone. We look forward to our continued collaboration with key partners to ensure that the law on paper becomes a law in practice, thereby increasing access to justice for girls and boys under the age of 18 across Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his spouse arrived in Ha Noi on Thursday evening, starting a four-day official visit to Viet Nam at the invitation of Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife. The Guinea-Bissau delegation was welcomed at the Noi Bai International Airport by deputy head of the Presidential Office Phan Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang, Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco and Guinea-Bissau Le Kim Quy, among others. According to Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang, this is the first visit to Viet Nam by the President of Guinea-Bissau since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. Over the past five decades, the two countries have maintained a strong political relationship, reflected through the exchange of delegations. Guinea-Bissau has actively supported Viet Nam at various multilateral forums. In July, Guinea-Bissau was one of the two African countries sending a delegation to pay respects to late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. In the economic sphere, bilateral trade has been steadily increasing, from US$56.1 million in 2020 to nearly $170 million last year. Viet Nam is Guinea-Bissau's third-largest export market, while the latter has been one of the formers top five suppliers of raw cashew nuts from Africa for many years. The first high-level visit between Viet Nam and Guinea-Bissau reaffirms that Viet Nam attaches importance to developing traditional friendship with countries and partners in Africa, including Guinea-Bissau, Hang said, adding that this also aims to lay a foundation for promoting multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, not only in traditional areas such as politics, economy, trade, agriculture, fisheries, and processing industries, but also in new spheres like port infrastructure development and mining. During his stay, Embalo will hold talks with Party General Secretary and President To Lam, as well as meet with other senior leaders of Viet Nam and participate in several important diplomatic activities. VNS Work continues on the Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 interchange on the north side of San Antonio on Thursday, June 6, 2024. TxDOT plans for full closure of eastbound and westbound lanes on I-10 at the interchange from Friday at 9 p.m to Monday at 5 a.m. Loop 1604 main lanes will be open. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Drivers on Loop 1604 should expect traffic jams in coming days. The Texas Department of Transportation will close the westbound lanes on Loop 1604 on the North Side from the exit ramp for Babcock Road to the entrance for Hausman Road from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. every weeknight through Sept. 21, the agency announced Thursday evening. Its closing the lanes to do milling and paving as part of the $1.4 billion Loop 1604 North Expansion Project overhauling the stretch of Loop 1604 between Bandera Road and Interstate 35. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Also on Thursday, the agency said it would close two cloverleaf ramps at the crossing of Interstate 35 and Loop 1604 from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday the ramp connecting the westbound lanes of Loop 1604 and the southbound lanes of Interstate 35, as well as the ramp connecting the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 and the westbound lanes of Loop 1604. In other words, drivers going from Loop 1604 West to I-35 South, and from I-35 North to Loop 1604 West, will have to take detours. The main lanes of Loop 1604 westbound will not be affected. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ramp closures are being made as part of TxDOTs I-35 Northeast Expansion project, also known as I-35 NEX, in which the interstate is being expanded with three elevated lanes running each way. HAI DUONG President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo visited the Field Crops Research Institute (FCRI) under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) in Lien Hong Commune of Hai Duong city, the northern province of Hai Duong on Friday. VAAS Deputy Director ao The Anh said the academy has taken part in many programmes to help guarantee food security in Africa. In Guinea-Bissau alone, it is carrying out a project on cashew farming, and it hopes for continued support from the country so that the project is successful. Presenting some of the FCRIs research results and partnerships with African countries over the last 15 years, FCRI Director Nguyen Trong Khanh said the institute has cooperated with some African countries such as Senegal, Guinea, Angola, Congo, Sudan, Mali, and Mozambique. He noted that the FCRI has sent more than 300 experts to Africa. In particular, it has transferred rice, soybean, and sweet potato varieties and assisted countries in the continent form new crop systems, thus helping improve farmers income and ensure food security. The Guinea-Bissau delegation introduced their countrys specific climate and soil conditions, and also discussed the selection of suitable rice varieties, efficient farming practices, and environmental protection in agriculture with FCRI experts. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said Guinea-Bissau is an agricultural country, and that through the visit to the FCRI, it wishes to learn from Viet Nams agricultural development experience. He also expressed his hope that agricultural projects similar to those the FCRI has implemented in some other African countries will be carried out in Guinea-Bissau in the coming time. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang described the Guinea-Bissau Presidents official visit to Viet Nam as a milestone in expanding bilateral relations in multiple areas, including agriculture. During the trip, the two countries are set to sign an agricultural cooperation agreement, she said, noting that Viet Nam is ready to send experts to Guinea-Bissau to promote partnerships in agricultural development in the coming time. At the FCRI, the Guinea-Bissau delegation visited the laboratory, the hi-tech melon production area, and the trial rice cultivation area of the institute. VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse on Friday presided over an official welcome ceremony for Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his spouse, who are on an official visit to Viet Nam from September 5-8. This is the first visit to Viet Nam by a President of Guinea-Bissau since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. The visit aims to lay a foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation across various fields. Following the ceremony, the two leaders held talks, reviewed the recent cooperation between Viet Nam and Guinea-Bissau, and proposed future directions for bilateral collaboration. Viet Nam's foreign policy has always emphasised the importance of traditional friendships and a wish to develop multifaceted cooperation with African nations, including Guinea-Bissau. This serves as a crucial foundation for the two countries to build political trust and foster cooperation serving mutual development. Regarding Viet Nam as a priority partner in its foreign policy, the Government of Guinea-Bissau is willing to expand practical and effective collaboration with Viet Nam across all fields in the years to come. Currently, trade is the main area of bilateral economic cooperation. Viet Nam is Guinea-Bissau's third-largest export market, while the latter has been one of the formers top five African suppliers of raw cashew nuts for many years. In 2023, their total bilateral trade turnover neared 170 million USD, with Viet Nam mainly exporting rice and textiles and importing raw cashew nuts. The two countries signed an agreement on cultural, economic, scientific, technical, and trade cooperation in 1994 and a memorandum of understanding on trade and industrial cooperation between the Viet Nam ese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Guinea-Bissau ministry for trade, industry, and promotion of local products in 2014. VNS PETALING JAYA The Asia News Network (ANN) holds its annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from September 4-7, 2024, a landmark year for the alliance as it celebrates its silver jubilee. Held in Malaysia for the first time, the meeting this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Asia News Network, with the theme centred around the Future of Asia, cognisant of the challenging media landscape, coupled with the increasing need to strengthen journalistic professionalism and foster deeper regional collaborations. The four-day regional Summit aims to promote journalistic professionalism and foster deeper collaborations among its 20 media delegates across Asia. Established in 1999 with the founding principle of Bringing Asia Closer, ANN has grown into a leading alliance of 20 established media titles across Asia, including Viet Nam News as one of the founding members. The Summits dialogue session on the third day was attended and addressed by Malaysian Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, who congratulated ANN on its 25th anniversary, highlighting how it fostered close relationships between media organisations in the region. The third day of the Summit featured a full day of panel discussion and inauguration of the Asia Dialogue sessions covering various topics that focus on the Summits theme as well as ANNs 25th Anniversary Cake-Cutting Ceremony. Key discussions are centred around the current challenges and opportunities faced by journalists, highlighting areas on the future of journalism, rise of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), impact of the upcoming elections in the US on Asia and the resiliency of the contributions from future generations to the regions economic growth. Mahfuz Anam, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Daily Star, Bangladesh and Chairman of ANN said, Asias influence in global affairs has been on the rise in recent years as the region has emerged as a critical voice in world affairs. Home to more than half of the worlds population, Asia is fast becoming the epicentre of innovation and economic growth, as businesses are increasingly gravitating towards this region. This region is also fast becoming the hub for global connectivity and trade What began as the rise of a few tiger economies such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore has now expanded to include vibrant growth stories of other nations like Malaysia, India, Viet Nam, and Indonesia. Even China has captured global attention with its success. Asias time is now. We need to share our stories with the world so that humanity can reap the benefits of our progress. The Future of Asia Summit is one of our key initiatives to highlight the potential of this region and to bridge Asia to the rest of the world. This fulfils ANNs mandate of bringing Asia to the global stage, he said. This years annual ANN meeting is co-hosted by the Star Media Group (SMG) and Sin Chew Daily, both are ANN members. Datin Paduka Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer of SMG and Director as well as Member of the Board of ANN, said Star Media Group has always believed in the power of collaboration. Since our inception with ANN, we have been committed to fostering the right platform in amplifying Asias media voices. Echoing our mission as one of the leading peoples paper media groups in Malaysia, we remain committed to delivering accurate, unbiased and quality news to our readers. Our participation in ANN has been both beneficial and significant for us. It has allowed us to contribute to a stronger and a more connected media landscape across Asia. Kuik Cheng Kang, Editor-in-Chief of Sin Chew said, As a member of ANN, Sin Chew Daily is proud to co-organise this year's Summit with Star Media Group. We believe this partnership will provide all participants a truly enriching and informative experience. Through this Summit, we aspire to amplify the voices of Asia, ensuring they are effectively communicated and shared by ANN members across the region. Starting as a group of nine media titles in 1999, ANN is now a leading regional alliance of news titles striving to bring Asia closer through the active sharing of editorial content on happenings in the region. Apart from SMG and Sin Chew from Malaysia and Viet Nam News, other media outlets are from Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea. VNS/ANN HA NOI Party General Secretary and President To Lam expressed confidence that the official visit by Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the first delegation exchange at the Head of State level between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973, will be a success, bringing fresh momentum to the bilateral friendship and cooperation. During the talks with the Guinea-Bissau President in Ha Noi on September 6, President Lam commended the Government and people of Guinea-Bissau for their achievements in maintaining political stability, fostering national unity and reconciliation, and driving socio-economic development. He also acknowledged Guinea-Bissau's contributions to Africas overall progress. President Embalo expressed admiration for Viet Nam's revolutionary cause, national construction, and development, noting that the countrys great leaders, such as President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap, have been a source of inspiration for national liberation movements in Guinea-Bissau and across Africa. He shared that a secondary school in Guinea-Bissau has been named after President Ho Chi Minh, emphasising Viet Nam's standing as a model for developing countries in Africa and particularly for Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau follows a policy of expanding cooperation with Asian countries, with Viet Nam being identified as a top priority partner. President Embalo expressed determination to foster bilateral friendship for mutual benefit. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive outcomes of bilateral relations, especially as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year. They agreed to facilitate the exchange of delegations at all levels to enhance political trust and create momentum for further cooperation. A key initiative in this direction is the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing a political and diplomatic consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, which was signed during this visit. In a significant move, President Embalo announced visa exemptions for holders of Vietnamese diplomatic and official passports and extended an invitation to President Lam to visit Guinea-Bissau, which was graciously accepted. President Embalo vowed to work closely with Viet Nam to strengthen economic, trade, and investment ties, with a focus on traditional products like cashew nuts. He highlighted the need for incentives to diversify exports and imports and facilitate business communities in exploring market opportunities. As Viet Nam is Guinea-Bissau's third-largest trade partner, Embalo supported President Lams proposal to expand cooperation in areas where Viet Nam excels and Guinea-Bissau has specific needs, such as agriculture, policy-making experience, development models, and management personnel training. Both sides agreed to negotiate and sign legal documents to formalise bilateral cooperation. On global and regional issues of shared concern, the two leaders pledged mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Group of 77 (G77). They also agreed to promote cooperation within regional organisations, such as ASEAN, the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), focusing on priority areas such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and digital transformation. Regarding the East Sea (South China Sea) issue, the leaders shared a common view on the importance of ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (South China Sea). They reiterated their support for the peaceful resolution of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Following the talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of an MoU on establishing a political and diplomatic consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries and another on agricultural cooperation between their respective ministries of agriculture and rural development. VNS A NANG -- Chairman of the a Nang Municipal Peoples Committee Le Trung Chinh had a working session with Cuban Ambassador to Viet Nam Orlando Hernandez Guillen in the central coastal city on September 6. Expressing his delight at the sound growth of the Viet Nam-Cuba traditional friendship, Chinh said that a Nang always values the development of its multifaceted cooperation with Cuban localities with appreciation for support given by the Cuban Party, State, and people for Viet Nam in many periods. The Vietnamese central economic hub has yet to establish friendship and cooperative relations with any localities of Cuba, the official said, hoping that the ambassador will assist a Nang in its cooperation and business connectivity with the Cuban side, particularly in the fields of health, education, sports, culture, IT, clean agriculture, and people-to-people exchange. The municipal authorities are committed to supporting and creating the best conditions possible for Cuban partners with intention of conducting investment and collaboration in the city concerning such prioritised areas as tourism, services, IT, and semiconductors, Chinh said. For his part, Guillen expressed his hope to boost the two countries locality-to-locality cooperation, especially in sectors that Cuba holds potential like health care, tourism and education. Ha Noi and Havana have already signed a cooperation pact, paving the way for other localities, including a Nang, to follow, he said. Acknowledging the central citys potential and strength in economic and cultural growth, he said many Cuban delegations have come to a Nang to learn from its development experiences. The diplomat noted that he wishes to become a bridge linking Cuban localities and businesses with a Nang. -- VNS MOSCOW -- First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma (lower house) of Russia Ivan Melnikov has expressed high expectations for the upcoming official visit to his country by Chairman Tran Thanh Man and a high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam's National Assembly, considering it a long-awaited one. Scheduled for September 8-10, the trip will see Man co-chairing the third meeting of the Viet Nam-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. The deputy chairman said on the State Duma's website that the visit marks Mans first foreign trip since being elected to his new position in late May and that the State Duma highly values it. He noted the two countries top legislators maintain strong relations, ensuring effective cooperation between their legislative bodies. The deputy chairman pointed out that the relationship between Russia and Viet Nam is on a positive trajectory. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Viet Nam in June this year injected new momentum into bilateral relations, during which both sides signed numerous cooperation agreements in various fields that require legislative action. At his meeting with Man in Ha Noi, Putin stressed that the enactment of legislative decisions will provide a solid and reliable foundation for cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economy, culture, and security. Melnikov also noted that both sides are meticulously preparing for the third meeting of the Viet Nam-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. The agenda will be comprehensive, addressing current issues that require immediate solutions such as interbank cooperation, support for sustainable bilateral trade growth, energy and fuel projects, construction, healthcare, and tourism. He said the two sides will issue a joint declaration on the outcomes of this meeting. The legislator underscored that the third meeting, taking place right before the 25th session of the Viet Nam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, positively symbolises the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Melnikov also offered heartfelt words in remembrance of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, a Vietnamese leader who significantly contributed to the nations friendship and played a key role in establishing the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. He affirmed that the two legislative bodies would make every effort to strengthen their friendship and achieve positive results within the committee framework in memory of the late leader, for the benefit of both nations and their people. -- VNS HA NOI -- The official visit to Russia by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man aims to concretise the Joint Statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership, on the back of the 30-year achievements of the Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations between Viet Nam and Russia, NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong told the press. This visit from September 8-10, the first by Man in his capacity as the NA Chairman and the first by a key Vietnamese leader this year, follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Viet Nam in June, Cuong said, adding that it also aims to realise cooperation agreements reached in the phone talks between Party General Secretary and President To Lam and President Putin on August 8, contributing to promoting and strengthening the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in general and the close ties between the Vietnamese NA, and the State Duma and the Federation Council of Federal Assembly of Russia in particular. Highlighting the visits significance, Cuong said a key event during the visit will be the third session of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the Vietnamese NA and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, co-chaired by Man. This session represents the highest level of parliamentary cooperation, the first of its kind between the Vietnamese NA and a foreign legislative body. Man is scheduled to hold talks with the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia and sign a new cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and the Federation Council. He will also witness the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA Office and the State Duma Office of Russia. His agenda includes meetings with high-ranking Russian state leaders and representatives from major political parties. He will also meet with local leaders from regions in Russia that have cooperation ties with Viet Nam, representatives from the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, and veterans who fought in Viet Nam. Additionally, the top legislator will meet with representatives from major Russian companies collaborating with Viet Nam and notable Vietnamese businesses operating in Russia, Cuong added. -- VNS HA NOI -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and his spouse hosted a banquet in honour of Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his spouse, who are on an official visit to Viet Nam. In his keynote speech, Party General Secretary and President Lam highlighted the timing of the visit, which coincides with several important anniversaries, including the 79th anniversary of Viet Nam's National Day (September 2), the 51st anniversary of Guinea-Bissau's Independence Day (September 24), and the 51st founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (September 30). Reflecting on the historical bond, the top leader recalled that Viet Nam was among the first countries to recognise and establish diplomatic ties with Guinea-Bissau just six days after its declaration of independence. Viet Nam always remembers the support of African friends, including Guinea-Bissau, in its past struggle for national liberation, he said, adding that Viet Nam hopes to continuously nurture the traditional and friendly relationship between the two countries for further development. Lauding the outcomes of his talks with President Embalo, which led to consensus on key directions for synchronous cooperation in all priority areas and the signing of cooperation documents to create a legal framework conducive to the bilateral ties, the Vietnamese leader expressed his confidence that the visit, the first delegation exchange at the head of state level since the two countries established their diplomatic ties, would be a success, ushering in a new era of cooperation between Viet Nam and Guinea-Bissau, meeting the aspirations of their people and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and beyond. President Embalo, in his reply, underscored the deep connection between the two countries, noting that Viet Nam holds a special place in the hearts and memories of the African people. He underlined the shared values of peace, freedom, social justice, and prosperity for all, which both nations fought for during their struggles for national independence. The contents of the talks will be concretised through mechanisms that promote economic, trade, cultural, and scientific exchanges, he said. President Embalo invited Vietnamese investors to explore opportunities in Guinea-Bissau, particularly in rice production and cashew nut processing, to build mutually beneficial partnerships. The guest also affirmed that both countries would continue to support each other in international organisations, including the United Nations and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, to achieve sustainable development, protect the planet, and improve the quality of life for all. -- VNS HCM CITY The HCM City People's Committee Deputy Chairman Bui Xuan Cuong has urged the development of the citys urban development programme by 2040. Accordingly, the Department of Construction will focus on accelerating the implementation of the citys planning for the 2021-30 period, with a vision towards 2050, and adjustment of the city's general planning until 2040, with a vision to 2060 to carry out the evaluation and approval of the urban planning programme. The department will also be responsible for reviewing the legality and procedures for general planning of the citys urban development programme, and clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each agency and organisation during the implementation process. The citys urban development programme has the six following steps: The citys Department of Construction will cooperate with the Housing and Urban Development Institute under the Vietnam Institute of Architecture to create a programme, collect opinions from relevant agencies and units, and complete the programme. The citys Department of Planning and Architecture will conduct the appraisal and prepare an appraisal report. The citys Department of Construction will complete documents in accordance with the appraisal report and advise the municipal People's Committee to create a report and submit it to the municipal People's Council. The municipal People's Council will organise conferences and pass resolutions for approval. The citys Department of Construction will finalise the documents and submit them to the municipal People's Committee. The municipal People's Committee will approve the urban development programme through 2040. According to the overall urban planning scheme by 2040 with a vision to 2060, the city will be developed into a city of innovation, creativity, and dynamic development; a pioneer in a large metropolitan region; a centre of intellectual and international trade in the country; a service centre in the Asia-Pacific region; and a city with the highest quality of life and attractive working environment, diversified culture, heritage conservation and scenic river system, a sustainable urban infrastructure, and climate change adaptation by 2060. While Thu uc City will be established as a first class city and developed into a highly interactive and innovative urban area, serving as a driving force for the implementation of the 4th Industrial Revolution of HCM City. The smart citys infrastructure is composed of four functional layers, including nature, construction, digital technology and smart services. VNS BAC NINH Bac Ninh City Peoples Committee has held talks with paper production businesses from Phong Khe Ward, outlining plans to relocate them due to environmental concerns. Nguyen Manh Hieu, chairman of the Peoples Committee, revealed that 341 paper production facilities currently operate in Phong Khe Ward, with 228 located in residential areas on illegally occupied land. These facilities employ over 4,000 workers, many without proper labour contracts or insurance, the Voice of Viet Nam reported. "Most of these operations rely on outdated, discarded machinery from factories," Hieu said during the meeting on Thursday. "This results in low productivity and significant pollution of water, air, and land." Since November 2021, Bac Ninh authorities have intensified inspections, issued fines and planned the relocation of these businesses to ensure environmental sustainability. Following an environmental review in July, an inter-agency inspection team has assessed 70 of the 228 residential-based facilities, with seven refusing to cooperate. Most inspected businesses and 53 steam supply companies were found in violation of environmental, safety, tax and construction regulations. The city plans to relocate these businesses by 2029, offering relocation assistance of up to VN200 million (US$8,00) per household. New locations in industrial clusters in Bac Kan and Lao Cai provinces have been suggested for businesses wishing to continue operations. Efforts are underway to provide alternative employment for the displaced workers within Bac Ninhs industrial zones, ensuring they receive salaries equal to or better than their current earnings. Currently, 132 units are still operational. The inspection team aims to review 50 units in September, 50 more in October, and complete all inspections by November. Violators will be shut down immediately, with no need to wait for the December 31 deadline. Inspections will also target the Phong Khe I and II industrial clusters, with immediate closures for any non-compliant facilities, long before the 2029 deadline, according to Hieu. He said that Bac Ninh Province will not allocate land for recycled production within its borders, limiting future investments in the provinces industrial zones. Most business representatives agreed with the citys relocation policy but urged better communication to ensure public understanding. They also raised concerns about the capacity of wastewater treatment plants. Some indicated willingness to relocate to other industrial clusters within the province. However, some business owners argued that the inspection process was unfair, claiming they were coerced into signing agreements to dismantle and halt operations. In response, Hieu reiterated that all paper production facilities in Phong Khe must relocate by 2029, adding that any violations before then would lead to immediate closure. The citys goal is to ensure transparency, fairness, and the sustainable transformation of Phong Khe into a green and clean area. Under the citys relocation plan, all paper production within residential areas will cease by December 31. By the end of 2029, authorities will strictly manage the remaining facilities in the Phong Khe I and II industrial clusters. All operations in these clusters will cease by December 31, 2029, with the land repurposed for urban development, housing and commercial services. VNS Pedro "Pete" Arredondo (left), then chief of police for the Uvalde school district, was the presumed incident commander during the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School. City of Uvalde Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, shown in a booking photo, was the Uvalde school district police chief at the time of the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School. He is charged with child endangerment or abandonment, a felony, for his handling of the police response. He has pleaded not guilty. Associated Press Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, then police chief for the Uvalde school district, is shown on bodycam video in a hallway at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, the day 19 fourth graders and two teachers were killed by a teenage gunman. Courtesy City of Uvalde Houston attorney Paul C. Looney is representing former Uvalde school district police chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo against criminal charges of child endangerment stemming from the police response to the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Pedro Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde school district police chief who has been pilloried for his alleged inaction during the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, is asking a court to toss an indictment that accuses him of criminally endangering the lives of schoolchildren that day. In a motion filed in state district court in Uvalde on Friday, Arredondos lawyers assert that an indictment handed down in June by a Uvalde County grand jury fails to allege how Mr. Arredondos own conduct placed any of the victims in imminent danger. The motion goes on to say that the indictment acknowledges the victims were already in imminent danger by another. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A teenage gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022, in the worst school shooting in Texas history. In essence, Arredondos motion argues that the tragedy was the shooters fault and his alone. It asks the court to set aside the indictment, saying that to do otherwise would violate Arredondos constitutional right to due process. Pete is accused of placing those children in danger, and there is only one person that placed those children in danger, Arredondos lead attorney, Paul C. Looney of Houston, said in an interview. Looney said his client, who was fired by the school district three months after the massacre, is obviously having difficulty being employable. He said Arredondo was making a meager living selling barbecue from his home. Its a shame, Looney said. Hes a good man that did his best on that day, but right now hes caught up in a system that is bigger than he is. Christina Mitchell, district attorney for Uvalde and Real counties, did not respond to a request for comment on Looneys motion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Robb Elementary shooter, an 18-year-old armed with an AR-15-style rifle he had purchased on the internet, slipped into the school through an unlocked rear door, walked into a pair of interconnected fourth-grade classrooms, and opened fire. As the school districts police chief, Arredondo was the presumed incident commander, in charge of the overall police response. He has been widely criticized for failing to direct officers to breach the classrooms immediately and neutralize the attacker. Instead, Arredondo called for a SWAT team and ordered police to evacuate other classrooms in the building and to pursue possible negotiations with the shooter, an effort that proved fruitless. MEMORIAL: Remembering the Robb Elementary victims Arredondo said later that his aim was to avoid further injuries or loss of life from an exchange of gunfire with the assailant. Seventy-seven minutes passed before a team of Border Patrol agents and sheriffs deputies entered the classrooms and killed the gunman. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Adrian Gonzales, foreground right, helps other law enforcement officials evacuate students and staff from Robb Elementary School after a gunman entered a classroom and began shooting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Gonzales, then a Uvalde school police officer, was indicted this year along with the school district's then-police chief, Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, on charges of child abandonment or endangerment. Pete Luna/Uvalde Leader-News 'With criminal negligence' The grand jury indictment charged Arredondo and then-school police officer Adrian Gonzales with child abandonment or endangerment, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years behind bars. Those were the first, and so far the only, criminal charges against law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail. The indictment charged Arredondo with 10 counts of child endangerment, one for each of 10 named survivors said to have suffered physical or psychological injuries. Gonzales was charged with the same 10 counts and an additional 19, one for each of the children killed. The indictment accuses Arredondo of acting knowingly, recklessly and with criminal negligence when he decided to try to negotiate with the shooter. Advertisement Article continues below this ad RELATED: Arredondo an exile in his hometown Arredondo failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident, failed to respond as trained thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children at Robb Elementary School, the indictment said. It went on to say Arredondo violated policy by failing to establish a command center, which left police officers, Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement personnel without clear information or direction. Adrian Gonzales, center, and his lawyers walk into the Uvalde County Courthouse for his arraignment on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Gonzales was a school police officer at the time of the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary shooting. He and then-school district police chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo were charged this year with child abandonment or endangerment. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Moral versus legal duty In the motion to quash, Looney argues that the indictment is defective because it doesnt demonstrate that his client was legally obligated to take actions other than the ones he took. The indictment may invoke a moral duty to perform his job well, but it fails to invoke a legal duty, the motion states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It adds that under common law, local governments and their employees have no duty to protect citizens from the private actions of fellow citizens. The motion continues: The indictment does not allege that Mr. Arredondo engaged in any conduct that placed a child in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment. To the contrary, the language in the indictment itself makes clear that when Mr. Arredondo responded as part of his official duties, an active shooter incident was already in progress. Prosecutors have never explained why only Arredondo and Gonzales were charged. They were among at least 380 law enforcement personnel from two dozen local, state and federal agencies who responded to the shooting. Asked whether Arredondo might try to negotiate a guilty plea to a reduced charge, Looney said, I wouldnt plead this thing to a traffic ticket. He is in all likelihood a hero and not a villain. He had to improvise, he did the best he could and he probably saved a lot of lives, Looney said. HA NOI Van on International Airport in Quang Ninh Province will halt all aircraft operations from 4am to 4pm on Saturday. This temporary suspension comes as a precautionary measure against the looming threat of Super Typhoon Yagi, which is expected to bring intense winds and severe weather, posing a significant risk to airport safety. Two scheduled Vietnam Airlines flights, set to land at 8:05am and depart at 8:50am on Saturday, will be cancelled as a result. The airport is working closely with Vietnam Airlines to notify affected passengers and relevant service providers. In preparation for the storm, Van on International Airport is undertaking several protective measures, including securing equipment, dredging drainage systems and activating storm response plans as outlined by provincial authorities. Quang Ninh Province has also imposed a sea ban starting at 11am on Friday. The Department of Transport, the Quang Ninh Maritime Port Authority, the Inland Waterway Port Authority and coastal local authorities have suspended all maritime activity, prohibiting vessels from setting sail. According to the provincial hydrometeorological station, as of 4am on Friday, the eye of Super Typhoon Yagi was located over the northern waters of the East Sea at approximately 19.2 degrees north, 112.7 degrees east, or around 200 kilometres east-southeast of Hainan Island, China, and 620 kilometres southeast of Quang Ninh. With maximum sustained winds around the eye at level 16 (184-201km per hour) and gusts exceeding level 17, the typhoon was moving west at around 20km per hour. By midday on Friday, strong outer winds reaching level 6-7 are expected to develop in the eastern part of the Gulf of Tonkin, including over Bach Long Vy Island. By the evening, these winds will intensify to level 8-9, increasing further to level 10-11, with areas near the typhoons centre experiencing winds at level 12-14 and gusts exceeding level 17. Rough seas are expected to follow. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in Quang Ninh from midday through Friday afternoon, bringing strong winds to the Co To-ao Tran sea region and the island communes of Van on District. Winds in the northern region are expected to increase gradually to level 6-7, before reaching level 10-11 near the storms centre, with gusts at level 14-15. Heavy rainfall is predicted from Friday night until the morning of September 9 (Monday), with expected amounts ranging from 200 to 300mm across the province, and some areas potentially seeing over 400mm. This could lead to flooding in rivers and streams, traffic disruptions and inundation in low-lying areas and urban centres. Flash floods and landslides may occur in high-risk zones, particularly in construction areas and coal waste dumps. The storm's wide-reaching effects may trigger thunderstorms, tornadoes and strong gusts both before and during landfall. VNS HA NOI A press briefing on the 2024 Vietnamese Language Appreciation Day and a gala to honour the language was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) in Ha Noi on Friday. Nguyen Manh ong, Deputy Chairman of the SCOV, highlighted success of this years celebration, which included a variety of activities both at home and abroad which have made significant strides in promoting and preserving Vietnamese among overseas Vietnamese communities. The "Vietnamese Language Ambassador" contest attracted greater number of participants this year compared to 2023, with 158 entries from 14 countries. Among the five outstanding ambassadors named, one was an 8-year-old overseas Vietnamese student, and another was a Lao enthusiast for the Vietnamese language. The contest encourages younger generations to preserve the Vietnamese language, fostering cultural connections worldwide. The Gratitude initiative, organised in cooperation with the ministry, the Vietnam Education Publishing House, and various overseas Vietnamese associations, aims to honour individuals and organisations for their active promotion of the Vietnamese language preservation. It has been successfully implemented in countries like France and the Czech Republic, with plans for expansion. Efforts to establish the Vietnamese Language Bookshelf project have continued, with five bookshelves now supporting communities in countries such as Austria, Laos, and Hungary. Various Vietnamese cultural centres and associations worldwide have been actively involved in organising forums, seminars, and discussions on teaching methods for Vietnamese. Events like Lunar New Year and National Day celebrations are also integrated with Vietnamese language promotion efforts, contributing to the preservation of the cultural identity. The Beloved Vietnamese gala on September 8 will honour the top five ambassadors and recognise the contributions by individuals and organisations in promoting the Vietnamese language. VNS HA NOI According to Sputnik News, North Korea recently announced that it will officially resume international tourism activities by the end of 2024, nearly five years after the country completely closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this announcement, several travel companies in Viet Nam have begun issuing notifications about organising tours to North Korea next year. In Viet Nam, tours to North Korea surged after the second US-North Korea summit took place in Ha Noi in early 2019. Previously, Nguyen Cong Hoan, CEO of Flamingo Redtours, shared with Sputnik that the most convenient route for Vietnamese tourists travelling to North Korea is to fly to Beijing and then continue on to Pyongyang. On August 14, Koryo Tours, a travel agency based in Beijing, announced through its official website that tours to North Korea will resume from December. The first destination will be Samjiyon, a city near the Chinese border, with the possibility of opening up other locations across the country later. "We are delighted that North Korea is reopening after four years," said a representative of the travel agency, adding that their North Korean partners will provide specific schedules next week. KTG Tours, a tour operator specialising in North Korean travel, also announced that foreign tourists can visit Samjiyon from this winter, expressing hope that Pyongyang will soon welcome tourists again. Samjiyon is being developed by North Korea as a model of a 'civilised mountain town' with apartments, hotels, ski resorts and various new commercial facilities. VNS HA NOI Super typhoon Yagi claimed its first casualty in the capital, as a 41-year-old woman was killed after a 15-metre tree fell on top of her in the area near Linh am, Ha Noi. The tree, with a diameter of 30 centimetre, was uprooted and collapsed upon two people who were travelling on a motorbike at Nguyen Huu Tho Street. The woman, who was sitting at the back, died instantly, while the male driver is currently hospitalised in Bach Mai Hospital for a severe head injury. Local officials rushed to the scene to rescue the victims and clean up to prevent traffic disruptions. Elsewhere in the old quarter, another tree was also uprooted and destroyed an ancient house in Hang Ca Street, injuring three people. The tree trunk collapsed on the outer wall of the house, and even fell atop an electric car carrying tourists. Passengers on the car were fortunately unharmed, as the toppled over the hood of the car. The thirty-minute thunderstorm, caused by a storm cloud from Typhoon Yagi, caused heavy rainfall and tremendously strong winds in the capital. The storm also frightened many citizens, with many tried to get home early causing massive traffic jams during the rush hour. Main streets such as Hoang Van Thai, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Lang were clogged with vehicles, with cars and motorbikes literally stuck for around two hours in places such as Mai Dich Overpass in Cau Giay. Data from Google Maps suggested delays of up to 40 minutes on areas in Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan, and most of Ring Road No.3. VNS HA NOI - The Australian Government will permit up to 1,000 Vietnamese workers to be employed in its agricultural sector at any given time, as part of the labour mobility programme between the two countries. On September 6, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy announced the implementation of support measures for Vietnamese citizens under this programme. Accordingly, participating Vietnamese workers can undertake short-term work (lasting from six to nine months) or long-term assignments (from one to four years). The job positions available require only low to semi-skilled agricultural work, including crop cultivation, meat processing, aquaculture (including fish farming), and forestry. In early March, the prime ministers of both countries jointly announced the plan for the implementation of the programme. The selection of Vietnamese service providers for sending workers abroad and Australian employers participating in the programme is set to take place in September, with the choosing of the former coordinated by the ministry and Australian government. In the first year of the programme, one public service unit and up to six enterprises specialising in sending Vietnamese workers overseas will be selected. Recruitment fees will be paid by Australian employers to the Vietnamese service providers. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan stated that labour cooperation is a crucial component of the Vietnam-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. He noted that this agreement would meet the wishes of Vietnamese workers seeking to work in Australia to improve their language skills, gain knowledge, and enhance technical expertise in agriculture while earning higher incomes. At the same time, it would also cater to relevant demand from Australian employers. Australian Deputy Ambassador Renee Deschamps highlighted the significance of this cooperative programme for both sides. The nations are committed to ensuring the safety of participating workers and minimising risks related to fraud, unethical recruitment practices, and labour exploitation, she said. - VNA/VNS The joint venture agreement, signed on August 22 but announced on September 4 , marks a milestone in both parties' commitment to sustainable energy and supporting Vietnam's transition to a low-carbon economy. The partnership will be called CME-Vista and will aim to combine the expertise, resources, and technologies of both parties to accelerate the development of solar energy projects in Vietnam. Drawing on its extensive experience from investing and deploying 5,000MWp of solar projects globally, CME-Vista has established a robust foundation of financial and technical capabilities, primed to enhance the deployment of rooftop solar systems nationwide. By merging Vista Global and Samsung C&Ts advanced technical, and financial expertise with CMEs in-depth local knowledge of implementation, the partnership aims to deliver high-performance solar solutions that effectively address Vietnams increasing energy demands. This agreement underscores Samsung C&Ts broader commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, actively contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and promote renewable energy. The partnership marks the beginning of a new chapter in Vietnams energy landscape, as CME and Samsung C&T join forces with a shared commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. United by a dedication to innovation and sustainability, both companies are well-positioned to lead the rooftop solar revolution in Vietnam. As this joint venture progresses, it will be closely watched by industry stakeholders, policymakers, and the global renewable energy community. Both CME and Samsung C&T are eager to witness the positive impact of their collaboration, anticipating a substantial contribution to the growth of rooftop solar installations in Vietnam and the accelerated adoption of clean energy solutions nationwide. Samsung C&T Corporation, founded in 1938, is a global corporation with four business groups: engineering and construction, trading and investment, fashion, and resorts. It has evolved into a major player in the global construction industry with remarkable projects including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and Incheon Grand Bridge. Norsk Solar signs deal with CME Solar to promote solar energy solutions Norway's Norsk Solar has inked a deal with Vietnam's CME Solar to advance renewable energy initiatives in Vietnam, especially solar energy solutions in the country. CME Solar welcomes injection of $20 million from the responsiAbility Investments Fund A long-term senior secured debt financing contract worth up to $20 million was signed last week by responsAbility Investments and CME Solar Investment. Sao Do Group and CME Solar Company to invest in rooftop solar in Nam Dinh Vu IP In pursuit of the government's sustainable development objectives, Sao Do Group and CME Solar Investment JSC (CME Solar) have joined forces to invest in a rooftop solar power system within Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park (IP) in Haiphong. This financing will support the completion of PV Power's Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power plants, which are set to be Vietnam's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) to electricity plants. Located in the southern Dong Nai province, these two plants are expected to add 1,624 MW of capacity to Vietnam's electricity network. The plants play a crucial role in ensuring Vietnams energy security. Citi and ING acted as the Joint Coordinator and Joint Mandated Lead Arranger. Furthermore, Citi acted as K-SURE Agent, Global Facility Agent, Security Agent, Intercreditor Agent, and Account Bank and ING acted as SERV Agent for this project. Commenting on the financing, PetroVietnam Corporation CFO Nguyen Duy Giang said, We appreciate Citi and INGs support and partnership over the past few years to secure the $521.5 million loan towards the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants. Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants are key national projects and will help meet the growing demand for power in the country. The projects will open a new chapter in the formation and development of the LNG project chain in Vietnam. Pham Huu Hai, Citi Vietnams corporate banking head and Citi Hanois branch director said, Citi has been working with PV Power to support this initiative since 2020 and jointly provided a $300 million short-term loan. This project is a driving force to promote economic development and will reduce the power shortage in the countrys commercial hub in South Vietnam." Michiel de Vries, INGs global head of Structured Export Finance commented, ING is delighted to support PV Power with its structured export finance and energy sector expertise. We are keen that ING as SERV Agent could jointly arrange SERV cover for about $291.5 million of PV Power's total long-term ECA covered financing. We see further cooperation potential with European ECAs in Vietnam and the wider Asian market where ING is locally well represented. GE Vernovas Financial Services played a crucial role in securing the competitive ECA financing for PV Power and the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants, illustrating our commitment to supporting Vietnams energy security, said Marco Appolloni, SVP, GE Vernovas Financial Services business. Recently, Citi Vietnam was recognised as the Best Corporate Bank for 2024 by FinanceAsia, the regions premier capital markets publication, marking a significant milestone as the bank celebrates its 30-year anniversary in Vietnam. As one of the premier international financial institutions in Vietnam, Citi boasts a robust global network across 95 markets. Leveraging this extensive reach and expertise, the bank remains committed to delivering unmatched digital banking solutions and top-tier services to its clients. Citi's focus on digital innovation and customer-centricity highlights its dedication to providing best-in-class banking solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of both local and international clients. Citi hosts E-Commerce and Technology Summit 2024 Citi held the E-commerce and Technology Summit 2024 on August 21 in Ho Chi Minh City, focusing on sector growth in Southeast Asia. Citi report delivers insights to market opportunities with AI Citi has announced the release of a report which looks beyond the hype around AI potential and assesses market conditions, industry shifts, and key trends in investment. Students at Xuan Hong Primary School (Binh Phuoc) received gifts from Japfa Vietnam The donation is a part of an ongoing initiative named 'Japfa for Education'. The event took place across nine schools in the provinces of Long An, Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Kon Tum, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, and Soc Trang, with the involvement of local animal feed distributors. At Lien Ngoc Primary School in Dong Nai, My Duy Tinh, a Japfa feed dealer, remarked, It is my first experience collaborating with the company to deliver meaningful and practical gifts to disadvantaged students in our community. We hope that the support provided will serve as motivation for the students to excel in their studies during the upcoming school year. A portion of the funding for this initiative was generated through contributions from Japfa employees participating in the online Run for Transformation event, commemorating the company's 28th anniversary. My Duy Tinh gave gifts to students at Lien Ngoc Primary School (Dong Nai) Japfa officially entered the Vietnamese market in 1996 with the vision of becoming a leading provider of nutritional solutions derived from animal protein. Emphasising sustainable development as a core objective of its operations, Clemens Tan, general director of Japfa Vietnam, stated that the company prioritises the development of products sourced from clean raw materials and operates a safe farming system to ensure animal health while providing quality food for the community. Furthermore, Japfa actively collaborates with business partners on various community projects. Over the years, the company has engaged in numerous significant activities, including tree planting, blood donations, and support for impoverished communities affected by natural disasters and epidemics. Japfa Vietnam places particular emphasis on programmes aimed at enhancing the learning environment and promoting the physical health of children through the 'Japfa for Education' project. This long-standing effort has successfully delivered thousands of gifts and educational materials, provided nutritious food, and facilitated the construction and renovation of schools nationwide. 'Japfa for Education' has given thousands of gifts to students across the country With our commitment to cooperation for shared prosperity, the company is dedicated to fulfilling its social responsibilities to the communities in which Japfa Vietnam operates, while also creating value for partners, customers, and job opportunities for local people, Tan concluded. Japfa Vietnam invests VND400 billion to expand animal feed mill Japfa Comfeed Vietnam Limited Company has opened recently expanded a factory project in Huong Canh town, Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province. Japfa Comfeed Vietnam undergoes major restructuring for future sustainable growth As a leading enterprise in closed-loop farming models with nearly 30 years in the Vietnamese market, Japfa Comfeed Vietnam is undertaking significant restructuring to seize sustainable growth opportunities. Clemens Tan, general director of Japfa Comfeed Vietnam, spoke with VIR's Huong Nguyen about the challenges and opportunities in Vietnam's livestock market, and the company's new strategy to adapt and thrive in the coming years. 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. WATERLOO A Gilbertville man has been arrested for allegedly harassing a Black Hawk County judge. Sheriffs deputies arrested Kyle John Roberts, 39, on Aug. 30 for one count of second-offense stalking, a felony. Bond was set at $50,000. Authorities allege Roberts began fixating on Associate Court Judge Michelle Wagner almost 10 years ago, before she was a judge. At the time, Wagner was an assistant county attorney and had prosecuted Roberts on his first stalking charge, when he was accused of stalking a neighbor in Raymond and ultimately screaming profanities at her in 2014 before leading deputies on a brief chase. Roberts was convicted at trial, sentenced to prison and released in 2017. His 2014 victim asked the courts to extend a restraining order beyond the traditional five-year term, according to court records. Wagner was appointed to the bench in August 2021. Roberts appealed the conviction in the 2014 case, seeking $62,500 for what he called unlawful imprisonment and asking the courts for the return of a .22-caliber Marlin rifle and a Red Ryder BB gun. A follow-up brief ranted against Wagner, another judge, the county attorney and a sheriffs deputy. A 2024 Iowa Court of Appeals ruling sided with the state. The new charges allege Roberts sent messages to the Waterloo Police Department saying he will ruin the judges career and threatened to damage vehicles in the police department parking lot. He also allegedly sent correspondence to the County Treasurers Office with disparaging sexual connotation against the victim. On Aug. 28, he filed a court document stating Im going to sue this ugly bitch for defamation and exert these costs to her. If the court denies my complaint for defamation and prevents me from bringing this matter before a jury, something will happen. You have been warned. Acknowledge my innocence or deal with the consequences. Court records indicate the judge fears for her safety because of Roberts conduct. Drivers are 9 times more likely to be in a fatal accident during this time of the day Drivers are 9 times more likely to be in a fatal accident during this time of the day Comparing the danger of night driving to day driving Why night driving is more dangerous Shifting to standard time coincides with increased driving deaths during evening commutes Night driving danger varies by state WATERLOO -- In partnership with Allen College, the Waterloo Youth City Council will host a tour of Waterloo with stops at historic landmarks, prominent cultural features and other elements that have shaped the city. The guided bus tour is led by members of the Waterloo Historic Preservation Commission. The event begins at 9 a.m. Sept. 20. Participants will meet at Allen College, 1990 Heath St., at the entrance of Winter Hall, at 8:45 a.m. and return to campus at noon for lunch and discussion. Portions of the tour require short walking distances and attendees may choose to remain on the bus during these portions. For more information, contact the Waterloo Youth City Council at (319) 231-2401 or waterlooyouthcitycouncil@gmail.com. A registration form can be completed at forms.office.com/r/yEFQzUKzGG. In this file photo, new Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry gives a speech at Petra Nova Carbon Capture Plant Thursday, April 13, 2017, in Richmond. Perry is joining House Speaker Dade Phelans team as senior adviser. Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle Former Gov. Rick Perry is back in Texas government as a senior adviser to House Speaker Dade Phelan. Phelan made the announcement Thursday morning in a news release touting Perrys previous posts as a state representative, agriculture commissioner, lieutenant governor and governor. Perry, a staunch Republican who was the longest-serving governor in state history before running for president and serving as U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump, will be a senior adviser in a volunteer capacity. He joined Phelans team on Thursday and will serve until the start of the next legislative session in January. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Governor Perrys legacy of service to Texas is unparalleled, and I am honored to have him join our team as we prepare for the upcoming legislative session, Phelan said in a statement. From his time as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Agriculture Commissioner and State Representative, he understands every facet of the legislative process, and that will be a tremendous asset as we work to strengthen our states economy, improve education and ensure every members voice is heard in the Texas House this session. At the Texas Tribune Festival Thursday, Perry called Phelan a fair and honest broker, but repeatedly called on state leaders to figure out a way to work together. I get the concept of having policy disagreements. Dont let it feed over into personal animosity, Perry told the packed ballroom as he and Texas A&M University System Chanceller John Sharp regaled the crowd with stories on how they worked together across the political aisle throughout their careers. Thats my hope here that the Senate, House, the governor they can find the wisdom to come together to work on these issues that are important to state of Texas, Perry added. In joining the team, Perry gives Phelan a bona fide conservative on his side as he tries to shake off challenges for the chambers leadership from three other Republicans: Cypress Rep. Tom Oliverson, Stephenville Rep. Shelby Slawson and Mansfield Rep. David Cook. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Phelans challengers have accused the Beaumont Republican of being insufficiently conservative and holding up legislation supported by hard-line conservatives. Those criticisms have persisted even as Phelan oversaw the passage of some of the most conservative legislation in the states history on loosening gun restrictions and restricting abortion. Perry joins a team newly helmed by his old chief of staff and House compatriot, Mike Toomey, a political veteran who also previously served as a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott. Toomey joined the team last month in moves that are seen as efforts to placate criticisms that Phelan is insufficiently conservative and to repair relationships with Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the latter of whom remains a Phelan antagonist. This week, Patrick, a hardline social conservative, posted criticism of Phelan on social media, nicknaming him a RINORAD (Republican in Name Only, Really A Democrat) and questioning Phelans reasons for supporting the impeachment last year of Attorney General Ken Paxton on corruption and bribery allegations. Paxton, a conservative darling, also encouraged House members on social media this week to dump Dade. Perry is a Texas political stalwart, first joining the Texas House in 1985 as a Democrat before switching parties in 1989 as the states political winds shifted to favor Republicans. In 1990, he was elected agriculture commissioner before becoming lieutenant governor in 1999. When Gov. George W. Bush left the governors mansion for the White House after his election win in 2000, Perry was elevated to the governorship, a position he maintained until Jan. 2015. He remains the longest-serving governor in Texas history. Throughout his career, Perry has known how to navigate the states political shifts. After the 2010 tea party wave, Perry embraced the groups ideas and he was the first governor to emphasize the hardline border security push that is now commonplace in Texas government. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Perry said he was honored to join Phelans team at a crucial time in Texas history. The Texas House is not only where I began my career in public service, its a bedrock of balanced governance in our stategiving every voice, from the most rural to the most urban, a chance to be heard, Perry said in a statement. I look forward to working with the Speaker, his team and all House members to strengthen the institution and build on its proud legacy of leadership, innovation and conservative results. Together, we will keep Texas on the path of success for future generations. Kate McGee contributed to this report. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (31 August 6 September 2024) Part I (see Part II) From 31 August to 6 September 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 17 group strikes by long-range high-precision weaponry, including Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and attack UAVs, to hit enterprises of rocket and space and aviation industry, critical power objects, missile artillery weaponry, POL, and logistics depots. In addition, strikes were delivered at UAV assembly workshops, uncrewed surface vehicle depots as well as temporary deployment points of AFU, nationalists, and foreign mercenaries. The AFU 179th Joint Training Centre was struck in Poltava, where under supervision of foreign instructors, electronic warfare specialists and UAV operators, which deliver strikes at civilian objects on the territory of the Russian Federation, were trained. Units of the Sever Group of Forces continued the operation to eliminate the AFU formations in Kursk region. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery delivered strikes at concentration areas of personnel and hardware of six mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, two air assault brigades, one jaeger brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades, as well as thwarted attempts to attack and deploy reserves of the enemy. In Volchansk and Liptsy directions, losses were inflicted on formations of one assault brigade, one jaeger brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades. The AFU losses in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces amounted to up to 3,280 troops, nine tanks, 112 armoured fighting vehicles, 135 motor vehicles, 13 MLRS launchers, including four of U.S.-made HIMARS and five of MLRS systems, 34 field artillery guns, and 12 electronic warfare stations and counter-battery radars. Six counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments were repelled. Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and inflicted losses on formations of five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, one national guard brigade, and the Azov Special Operations Brigade. Fourteen counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,350 troops, three tanks, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 42 motor vehicles, 37 field artillery guns, with 21 of them supplied to Ukraine by Western countries. Moreover, 14 electronic warfare stations and counter-battery radars as well as 45 field ammunition depots were destroyed. Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of seven mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one infantry brigade, one airmobile brigade, three assault brigades of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades. Six counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 4,725 troops, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, 29 motor vehicles, and 45 field artillery guns, including 18 made by the NATO countries. Eleven electronic warfare stations and 20 field ammunition depots were destroyed. As a result of active and decisive actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Kirovo, Ptichye, Skuchnoye, Karlovka, Zavetnoye, and Zhuravka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Losses were inflicted on formations of five mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, one jaeger brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one national guard brigade, and one territorial defence brigade. Fifty-three counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled. The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 3,515 troops, four tanks, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, and 32 field artillery guns. Russian Defence Ministry Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (31 August 6 September 2024) Part II (see Part I) Units of the Vostok Group of Forces liberated Prechistovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), took more advantageous lines and positions, and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades. Ten counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 860 troops, three tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, 29 motor vehicles, six field artillery guns, including three Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery systems. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of two mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, one coastal defence brigade, and three territorial defence brigades. The AFU losses amounted to up to 485 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, 31 motor vehicles, and six field artillery guns, including four Western-made 155-mm howitzers. Moreover, three electronic warfare stations and four field ammunition depots were destroyed. Over the week, air defence units shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, and intercepted seven U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 20 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, 54 U.S.-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles as well as 367 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. Units of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed 11 Ukrainian uncrewed surface vehicles. Over the past week, 41 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact. In total, 642 airplanes and 283 helicopters, 31,068 unmanned aerial vehicles, 578 air defence missile systems, 17,947 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,446 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 14,158 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 25,735 units of support motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Russian Defence Ministry WtR Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts on the Express-News Crime Team. She can be reached at ezavala@express-news.net. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. Winona public schools officials will focus their grade reconfiguration plans on consolidating kindergarten students at Goodview Elementary and splitting first through fourth grades between Jefferson and Washington-Kosciusko elementaries. Out of six potential options, Winona Area Public Schools Board of Education chose Thursday to more thoroughly investigate the option that leaves fifth through 12th grades as they are. Attendance boundaries for the elementary schools would be reviewed to balance the number of students at each facility based on the changes. The district started investigating grade reconfiguration after a Winona Area Public Schools Staff Facilities Survey completed in May and June showed most respondents agreed changes were needed. Of the 145 people who responded, 121, or 83.4%, supported some sort of grade reconfiguration in the schools. The option selected was determined to be the most viable choice and the most likely to be enacted on a short timeline that includes possibly initiating the reconfiguration in the 2025-26 school year. While the board has chosen an option to focus on, no final determination has been made regarding changes. The board presented questions for district staff to investigate and plans to address those questions and answers at future meetings. Board members invited the public to participate at future meetings. Other themes considered included building an entirely new school, renovating or adding onto a current building to allow for a single elementary site, moving seventh and eighth grades to the high school, changing the location of the district offices to the Washington-Kosciusko Elementary building, and more. The board also considered an idea that was discussed earlier this year, in which two grades would be placed in each of the three elementary schools. The middle and high schools would remain as they are now. Superintendent Brad Berzinski, along with some of the board members, said last month they hoped a decision could be made by the end of December, especially if the reconfiguration is for the 2025-26 school year. If a decision cannot be made by then, a new board will have to make the decision. Three of the board's seven positions will be on the November ballot. None of the incumbents in seats up for re-election are running to retain their positions on the board. After years of being crammed in an outdated UW-Madison School of Veterinary Science building, staff, students and their patients finally have a bit of breathing room. The $152 million, 139,000-square-foot School of Veterinary Medicine expansion that houses its small animal inpatient services and specialty services such as surgery and cardiology opened in June. The expansion, at 515 Easterday Lane, is connected to the original building. And while its not yet at full capacity the original animal hospital just to the south is undergoing renovations, so some areas in the new expansion like the noncritical care unit are purposely left vacant to give wiggle room the expansion is allowing the school to better serve its patients and add treatments formerly unavailable in Wisconsin. The expansion is long-awaited: Veterinary Medicine leadership knew the school was running out of space more than a decade ago, and it took multiple budget cycles to get it included in the Universities of Wisconsins list of top major projects. It was included in the state budget in 2019 and construction started in 2021. Our number one job is to train the next generation as a School of Veterinary Medicine and to infuse along with that innovations, said Dean Jon Levine, who joined the school in August. You have to have the right facilities to train the next generation. And this school was doing incredible things in very constrained spaces ... what this project allows us to do is to fulfill the potential thats already here, and it allows us to very strategically grow the things we do to support the state and to support our students. The School of Veterinary Medicine, formally established in the 1970s, now has a caseload of nearly 30,000 patients a year and 23 specialties something the designers of the original 1983 building couldnt predict when they designed it to see 12,000 patients in 10 specialties, said Kristi Thorson, associate dean of advancement and administration. They had no way to anticipate the sheer amount of advanced technology, such as MRI and cardiology machines, those new specialties would require, or modern health care workspaces that demand about 400 computer workstations and twice as many monitors. Still, the School of Veterinary Medicine made do. For years, doctors carted anesthetized dogs, cats and other animals outside across the street to an MRI trailer, regardless of the weather. Gurneys and medical machines lined hallways; the dental surgery department was in a remodeled mens locker room. We didnt really have good workspaces for our employees, and they need to be calling our referring veterinarians, they need to be calling clients, Thorson said. So to have that space where theyre still accessible, available, they can have a quiet conversation ... that didnt exist. On the first floor of the expansion, the waiting room runs adjacent to 15 exam rooms. At most, they had eight exam rooms in the other building, but exam rooms often became flex space for other departments. In the new space, cats have their own waiting room around the corner and specific exam rooms are reserved for them so the scent of dogs or other animals doesnt permeate their space. Beyond the exam rooms, theres a maze of operating rooms, surgery prep, cardiology and imaging spaces. In most areas, theres a separate rounds room a few steps away for students to complete their work; in cardiology, students sit just outside the exam bays, near TVs showing live updates. The cardiology department has undergone one of the most dramatic redesigns in the new building: The supervisor desk alone in the new facility wouldnt fit in its old space, which was effectively the size of a faculty office. Kennels are no longer cozied up between desks and the door. The emergency room entrance sits at the corner of Easterday Lane and Observatory Drive, making it easy to find. And throughout the building, there pneumatic tube carriers, much like the ones in the drive-thru lanes of a bank, make it easier to ferry pharmaceutical orders throughout the building. On the second floor, clinical pathology where blood and other bodily samples are analyzed finds its home. The top pet names of the week adorn a board near the door the last week of August, it was Darlin and Little Poison. Labs also are on the second floor, where professors and student research assistants investigate animal medical issues that could also have implications for human health. The large animal hospital, which cares for cattle, horses and specialty species with feathers or scales, will remain in the 1983 south building. After renovations of that 249,000-square-foot building, it will serve as the outpatient building for services that dont require an overnight stay, such as primary care, dentistry and dermatology, said Christopher Snyder, director of the Animal Hospital and a dental surgeon. This was really an opportunity to spread out, to give people opportunity to really practice their best medicine and be their best selves, Snyder said. Imagine being packed like sardines in the other space: (That) certainly contributed to accessibility and collegiality, but also the stressors at the same time. Your circle was only so big, and if you were having a bad day, everybody elses circle is in yours. More than animal care Much of the research done in the School of Veterinary Medicine has implications for human health care. Before the School of Veterinary Medicines expansion opened, research grants were at risk of being lost because there wasnt space to carry them out. Nearly three-quarters of UW-Madisons infectious disease research is done there. The expansion triples the amount of research space, and the layout aims to drive collaboration between labs. Researchers can walk from lab to lab without \entering a hallway, and glass connecting doors make it feel less isolated. Professors Rob Lipinski and Chad Vezinas labs are right next to one anothers on the second floor, with the former studying how cleft lip and palate develops and the latter studying benign urinary diseases both health issues affecting humans and animals. Across the hall, other professors study infectious disease and bladder and cardiovascular issues. Being down the hall from clinical pathology opens up new research opportunities. Its not just the equipment, but research is competitive, and the way that we gain competitive edge is to come at it with new perspectives and ideas, Vezina said. The fact that were here, sharing equipment, seeing what each other is doing, can cause us to get ideas that we wouldnt have been able to come up with on our own. Keeping services in Wisconsin The expansion and renovations will allow the School of Veterinary Medicine to offer care that, before, patients had to find out of state. Dialysis is one service for which patients are sent to Illinois or Minnesota, Snyder said, as well as filtering out toxins that an animal may have ingested. When a pet has ingested a common household toxin such as antifreeze, time is of the essence. Adding services to the School of Veterinary Medicines repertoire reflects a change in the role pets play in peoples families, Snyder said. In his two decades in the veterinary medicine industry, people have transitioned from viewing a pet as an animal youd let spend its life outdoors, tethered to a tree, to being a legitimate family member. That shift has come with expectations of animal health care being on par with what a human family member experiences, Snyder said. In some cases, its life or death, because there are no other options, Snyder said. If you think about dialysis and things like that, vet med has gotten really good over generations of figuring out how to do things on a shoestring budget, but (that) doesnt always mean its the best way to do things, and its all about offering clients options. Editors note: This article has been updated to correct the address of the new expansion, which is 515 Easterday Lane. It also clarifies Kristi Thorsons comments on the need for workspaces.(tncms-asset)5c92eac0-ad53-5d55-bcb5-3ca0c40279e1[7](/tncms-asset)(tncms-asset)11886d8d-2819-55c1-89a6-2a922c7b9c14[8](/tncms-asset) 45-year old Martin Arellano Gonzalez was arrested in Fernley this week for allegedly kidnapping and luring a minor. On Wednesday, the Eureka County Sheriff's Office learned of the kidnapping, and it was determined that Gonzalez had fled the county. During a search for Gonzalez, officials learned that he had told others he was planning to flee to Mexico to escape arrest. Coordinating with the Churchill County, Lyon County and Washoe County Sheriff's Offices, as well as the Fallon Police Department and Nevada State Police, Gonzalez was found in Fernley and arrested. An investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact Eureka County Sheriff's Office at (775) 237-5330. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Adiah Namir Roberson, 17. She is accused of shooting and killing Daniel Shrewsbury on July 7. San Antonio Police Department San Antonio police are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a 17-year-old teen accused of shooting and killing a restaurant manager. Adiah Namir Roberson is wanted in connection with murder and forgery charges in the July death of Sonic Drive-In manager Daniel Shrewsbury, 33. On July 7, Roberson, Joshua Joseph, 27, and another woman arrived at the Sonic Drive-In in the 5500 block of Babcock Road where they are accused of attempting to pay for their food with counterfeit money. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shrewsbury denied their purchase, according to police. Roberson is accused of then stealing money from a tip jar and rushing out of the kitchen. As Shrewsbury tried get a picture of the license plate of the car Joseph was driving, Joseph told him he was going to get shot, police records indicate. They say Roberson exited the vehicle and shot Shrewsbury. The three individuals drove away from the Sonic Drive-In parking lot while Shrewsbury returned to the Sonic Drive-In and collapsed. EMS pronounced Shrewsbury dead. On Aug. 17, U.S. marshals arrested Joseph at his North Side home. He faces a murder charge because he threatened Shrewsbury during the dispute, police said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Joshua Albert Joseph, 27, faces a murder charge in connection to the death of Sonic Drive-In manager Daniel Shrewsbury. Raul Trey Lopez Roberson has fallen under the radar as police continue their search for her, according to a Crime Stoppers news release, She is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police are asking anyone with information about Roberson to call 210-224-7867 (STOP) or text "Tip 127 plus your tip" to CRIMES (274637). Food from the Mediterranean is a familiar favorite in the Bay Area. But while the traditions of countries like Spain, Italy, and Morocco are fully represented in our restaurant landscape, others havent yet broken through. Rafik Bouzidi is on a mission to make sure that Tunisias cuisine is the next to appear in the long-overdue spotlight. Executive chef and owner of Gola, Rafik Bouzidi. (Courtesy of Gola) Tunisian food is extremely attached to history, says Bouzidi, executive chef and owner of Gola, the citys only restaurant dedicated to Tunisian food. Located at the crossroads of the ancient world, tiny coastal Tunisia has witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations for almost 4,000 years, and each of those culturesfrom the Indigenous Berbers to the Phoenicians to the Arab Muslims to the Ottoman Empirehave left an imprint on the countrys culinary evolution. The Arab world called Tunisia the Green Land because it provided the whole Roman Empire with food and grains, says Bouzidi. The countrys north is known for dishes that make use of that agricultural bounty while, in coastal areas and the arid southern desert, meals commonly include things like seafood and bread baked in sand (khobz el mella). Although Tunisian and Moroccan food share some similarities, there is an essential difference between the two: heat. In general, Tunisian food is spicier than Moroccan food, says Bouzidi. Moroccan couscous, for example, is savory and sweet. Tunisian has a tomato based sauce and spice that goes up and up and up. That spice is the reason we know Moroccan food so much better than Tunisian in the U.S., explains Bouzidi. Moroccan food spread easily across the West because it was mild enough for the European palate when it emerged in the 1940s and 50s. But after decades of global immigration, weve developed not just a tolerance for but an obsession with the kind of heat and spice for which Tunisian food is known. The time is ripe for a Tunisian culinary invasion and Gola is leading the charge. Born and raised near the Tunisian capital of Tunis, Bouzidi moved to San Francisco as a student in 1999. It wasnt long before he pivoted to working in the restaurant industry, eventually opening his first restaurant, La Marsa, in Lower Nob Hill in 2016. Then, a little over a year ago, the chef went all in on the food of his homeland, relocating his operation to a larger space on Valencia Street and rebranding it Gola after the countrys traditional clay cooking vessels. A fish tagine and must-order lamb shank. (Courtesy of @golarestaurantsf) On the restaurants menu, Bouzidi tries to replicate the flavors he remembers from back home. Tabil, a golden spice mix made of sun-dried peppers, chiles, garlic, onions and other ingredients, is essential. Its a key conspirator in several of Golas dishes, including their Tunisian deviled eggs, a symphony of heat and flavor in which halved hard-boiled eggs are filled with a traditional mix of roasted tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and topped with subtly smoky roasted shrimp. Harissa, which was designated part of Tunisias Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2022, is just as, if not more, important. There are 10 different types of harissa, he says. Its not a condiment, we call it a dish. Then theres shakshuka, an egg dish everyone tries to claim but which really originated in Tunisias Jewish community, explains Bouzidi. A lot of people just use plain tomato sauce in their shakshuka but you cant call it shakshuka unless it has potatoes and peppers. At brunchwhich is temporarily on hold while the team works out staffingGolas comes in three rich, hearty, spice-accented varieties including one with lamb and beef sausage. Because Tunisian cuisine is still novel to the Bay Area, some may see it as an exotic, special occasion food. But that couldnt be farther from the truth, says Bouzidi. Many of the dishes on Golas menu are interpretations of street food. The grilled branzino, for example, is served with kefteji, a flavor-punching mix of deep fried potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, egg, and tabil. Others, like the oven-baked stews (tagines) served in ceramic gola, and the pillowy housemade flatbread, are frequently found on family tables throughout the country. Theres a lot Tunisian food can offer, says Bouzidi, but its an everyday food, as well. He hopes the city will enjoy Gola the same way they do other Mediterranean restaurants, as a place thats versatile enough for both a casual Tuesday night dinner and a Saturday night celebration. // Gola is open 5pm to 10pm Tuesday through Saturday; 819 Valencia St. (Mission), golarestaurantsf.com . Author Elizabeth Strout, 68, says that despite what people might think, her debut book was a long time coming. Everybody said, Oh, what an overnight success, she says of Amy and Isabelle, which became a best-selling novel when Strout was 42. Nobody knew I was writing. I stopped telling people years ago because it was too embarrassing its not like I had anything published so everyone was surprised by it. Her third book, Olive Kitteridge, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was adapted into an Emmy Awardwinning TV miniseries; and her latest novel, Tell Me Everything, out Sept. 10, introduces Kitteridge to Strouts beloved characters Lucy Barton and Bob Burgess. Strout shares with AARP the ups and downs of her writing journey, the advice shed give to a young writer and how she feels about aging. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Members only You graduated from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1982. What led you to choose law school? I had a social conscience, and I thought, OK, Im going to go and do good work. It was about that time some restaurant in Boston had been closed by lawyers for having been prejudiced against Black people. And I thought, Wow, lawyers can actually get that done. I was really impressed with that. So I thought, Im going to go to law school, and Im going to do that kind of work. And then I will continue to write at night. Which, of course, is pretty ill-advised. That wasnt a straight path either, was it? I worked in a department store [in Syracuse] after I had dropped out of law school for a year. I wasnt very good at it. They sent me up to sell mattresses on the eighth floor. I started on the second floor with womens stuff, but I didnt apparently sell well enough, and so they sent me up to mattresses. I never sold a mattress, so I went back to law school because I realized I was very interested in elderly people. The elderly women that would come into the store and stay in the womens lounge the whole day were very, very affecting to me. I realized that they were lonely, that they had no place to go, and I thought, Im gonna go back to law school, and Im going to be an elder lawyer, and Im gonna have a storefront right here on Main Street, and they can come and stay all day long if they want to. So that was my plan that got me back to law school to finish. In her latest novel, Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, and to the lives of her beloved characters Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge and Bob Burgess. Courtesy Random House What made you pivot to writing? I always wanted to be a writer, but nobody was even remotely interested in my work. I think I was about 16 [when] I started to send stories out [to publishers]. I could get nothing except the basic rejection notes for years. And so I was a little discouraged, I will admit. I was working as a waitress and a piano player and just doing millions of jobs. A lot of things I would try and do at night, so that I could have my days free. Chrissy Bernal has caught COVID-19 three times, most recently in October 2023. My symptoms were always pretty mild, she says. But after her third round of the virus, she developed extreme allergies to foods she used to eat all the time: oats, dairy, gluten, sesame seeds and peanuts. I literally have some level of anaphylaxis every single day, she says. In May, Bernal, 46, a public relations professional in Houston, went into anaphylactic shock during a virtual meeting. I had to inject myself with an Epi while everyone watched in horror on Zoom, she says. Members only Natalie Nichols, 53, has been struggling with debilitating asthma and severe food allergies since she first caught COVID more than three years ago. Last fall, I spent two-and-a-half months confined to bed, motionless, because moving, including holding a cellphone, made me too short of breath, she says. Shes also experienced brain fog, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms. Nichols, the founder of a nonprofit in Nacogdoches, Texas, recently underwent surgery to repair joint damage caused by COVID-induced inflammation. Lorraine W., of Clarence Center, New York, was looking forward to an active retirement when she was diagnosed with COVID in March 2020. Ive never returned to my pre-COVID self, says Lorraine, 65. Shes on medication to treat small blood vessel damage to her heart and continues to battle a lingering cough, fatigue and breathlessness, as well as kidney disease. Neurological changes have made her legs unsteady when she walks, requiring her to use balance poles. None of these conditions were present before COVID, Lorraine says. In June, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a comprehensive definition of long COVID: an infection-associated chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 infection and is present for at least three months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems. According to that definition, 18 million Americans have experienced long COVID; currently, more than 1 in 20 of us are living with its symptoms. Researchers have begun to link long-term COVID with another recent phenomenon: our shrinking life expectancy. The disease were forgetting COVID doesnt seem that scary anymore. More than 98 percent of the U.S. population has some degree of immunity from vaccination, prior infection or both and Paxlovid and other medications are available to counteract acute symptoms. For many of us, contracting COVID is like having a bad upper respiratory infection. But COVID isnt gone, says Ryan Hurt, M.D., director of the Long COVID Research and Clinical Program at the Mayo Clinic. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that COVID still kills at least 1,000 people every week around the globe but we only have data from about 40 countries, says Maria Van Kerkhove, M.D., director of WHOs Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention. Older adults and those with preexisting conditions remain among the most at-risk populations for severe, acute COVID. People 65 and older accounted for 63 percent of COVID-related hospitalizations and 88 percent of in-hospital deaths during the first seven months of 2023, according to CDC data. Although the dangers of acute COVID infection may have ebbed for many, the reality of long COVID is coming into view. Of those who contracted COVID-19 within the past four years, 10 to 20 percent have experienced long COVID. With every new case of acute COVID [the initial phase of infection when diagnosed or symptoms first appear], there is risk for developing long COVID, says Caitlin McAuley, D.O., a family physician at the Keck COVID Recovery Clinic in Los Angeles. Shes had patients who developed long COVID fully recover, get reinfected several times with no lingering effects, then develop another case that leads to a new bout of long COVID. Shes also seen patients who got COVID twice with no lingering effects, and the third time they ended up with prolonged symptoms. We still have a number of individuals who had the first wave of COVID who are suffering from long COVID symptoms now, several of them many years out, says Jerrold Kaplan, M.D., medical director of the COVID Rehabilitation and Recovery Program at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in Connecticut. Having escaped long COVID previously doesnt mean you wont face it in the future. Indeed, some research has suggested that catching multiple COVID-19 strains puts you at increased risk. A study published in 2022 found that reinfection can increase the risk of complications in major organ systems, and these risks persist at least six months beyond the initial infection. We dont yet know the true impact of catching COVID. Many chronic disease processes, such as cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer, take years to develop. And whether acute COVID-19 puts people at risk for some of these issues? Time will tell, Hurt says. What doctors do know is that patients are flocking to their offices complaining of symptoms they never had before COVID. Is long COVID boosting our death rate? In July, COVID accounted for less than 1 percent of all deaths in the U.S. Life expectancy in the U.S. is 77.5 years, reflecting an uptick over the past two years but still lower than prepandemic levels. Many factors contribute to that statistic, but its clear that the long-term effects of COVID have played a role. For example, a study in the journal Nature Medicine found that those hospitalized with COVID had a 29 percent greater risk of death in the three years after their infection. But what was also alarming is that in people who werent hospitalized, there was also an increased risk of a variety of medical issues, says John Baratta, founder and codirector of the COVID Recovery Clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even patients whod had mild bouts of COVID-19 had an increased risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological issues lingering for three years after the initial infection. Long COVID patients had a significantly increased risk of severe health issues affecting the brain, lungs and heart. We have long known that an acute case of COVID can compromise heart health: Compared with those who didnt contract COVID, people who caught the virus were 81 percent more likely to die of a cardiovascular complication in the ensuing three weeks, according to a study of 160,000 patients published by the European Society of Cardiology. But the risk lingers long after the symptoms abate. Those who caught the virus were five times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease as long as 18 months after infection, the same study found. Heart disease deaths, which had been on a downward trend for decades, began to spike in 2020 and remained high through 2022, the last year for which data is available. Stroke, blood clots in the legs leading to clots in the lungs, abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) and inflammation of the heart are among the challenges COVID poses, says Mohanakrishnan Sathyamoorthy, M.D., professor and chair of internal medicine at the Burnett School of Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas. In long COVID, this collection of cardiovascular disruptions can present as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), in which patients heart rates increase abnormally when they go from sitting or lying down to standing up. One theory to explain COVIDs long-term effect on the heart and the body in general centers on inflammation. Every time you get infected with COVID, there is a possible increased risk of long COVID, and some cardiac disorders can occur especially if you have a history of heart disease, including stroke, heart disease and heart attacks, says Pragna Patel, M.D., senior adviser for long COVID at the CDC. All of these problems can be exacerbated by the virus entering coronary tissue and triggering inflammatory responses that can damage the heart. Researchers say COVID may also alter the gut microbiome, a primary controller of inflammation, thereby triggering the immune system to rev up the condition. There is no single agreed-upon mechanism thats causing the issues, Baratta says. An individual may have multiple factors going on in their body, and not everyone will have the same underlying mechanism causing their symptoms, which increases the complexity of both research and treatment. One factor that seems to matter: vaccination status. Several studies show that vaccination can decrease the risk of developing long COVID, Patel says. Vaccination rates tend to increase with age, with people 75 and older being the most well vaccinated hence the most well protected from long COVID, Patel theorizes. That may explain why long COVID most commonly affects people ages 35 to 64; the risk seems to drop for those 65-plus, according to CDC data. Pinnacles National Park checks all the boxes for nature lovers. Thirty miles of hiking trails from gentle creek-side strolls to stiff cliff-hanging switchbacks. Giant monoliths. Rust-colored rock cloaked in a kaleidoscope of lichen. Getty Images Facts Park location: East of Central Californias Salinas Valley Acres: 26,674 Highest peak: North Chalone Peak, at 3,304 feet above sea level Lowest valley: South Chalone Creek, at 824 feet above sea level Miles of trails: 30-plus miles Main attraction: Balconies and Bear Gulch Caves Cost: $30 per-vehicle entrance fee, valid for seven straight days; $25 for motorcycles; $15 for bicycles or walk-in entry; $55 for Pinnacles annual passes Best way to see: On foot by hiking one of its 15 trails When to go to: Mid-February through mid-May for mild weather and splashy wildflowers Theres beauty everywhere you look. About 100 varieties of wildflowers bloom throughout the year, and more than 180 bird species, including North Americas largest bird, the critically endangered California condor and its majestic roughly 10-foot wingspan, can be spotted in the park. A concerto of calling quails, gobbling turkeys, drumming woodpeckers and whistling hummingbirds are also present. Dont let Pinnacles National Parks (PNP) status as Californias smallest and least-visited national park fool you. This mesmerizing volcanic wilderness on the southern edge of central Californias Gabilan Mountain Range is a hot spot for ecological diversity and outdoor recreation. It is blanketed by a vast network of chaparral forests, pine and oak woodlands, golden grasslands and 3,000-foot peaks. The park is where Chalon, Mutsun and other Native Americans lived and used bedrock mortars to grind acorns and pine nuts for millennia. Members only Long overshadowed by its ever-popular park brethren Yosemite, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree top the in-state visitor list Pinnacles holds a unique title of its own: Californias youngest national park. When President Barack Obama promoted the 26,674-acre wonderland in 2013, PNP became Americas 59th national park and the Golden States ninth such accreditation, the most of any state. The designation shed the parks longstanding national monument rank assigned by President Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago. A prime illustration of tectonic plate movement, PNP formed about 23 million years ago after numerous eruptions of the Neenach volcanic field near present-day Lancaster, California, 195 miles southeast of the park. In cooperation with the San Andreas Fault, the park traveled north to its current address over millions of years, where wind and water erosion have since shaped its eye-popping matrix of rock-strewn terrain. To this day, scientists estimate that Pinnacles is migrating northwest at a rate of 1.5 to 2 inches per year or, the same speed that our fingernails grow. In a state teeming with natural beauty and park options, Pinnacles 41 square miles of spellbinding topography flies under the radar and can be explored relatively crowd-free most of the year, especially on weekdays. In 2022, there were 275,023 visitors in the park, an uptick from its historical average of 150,000 to 200,000 people. Still, last years figure marked the eighth-lowest head count for national parks in the Lower 48. For park ranger Richard Moorer, condors and caves is what sets Pinnacles apart from the rest of the national park system. The California condor, one of the rarest birds in the world, is often seen soaring over Pinnacles, Moorer says. And there are two talus caves that are unusual as they are technically above ground. Moorers sagest advice when visiting this moving mountain: Just find a sunny spot to take in the wonder around you. Plan your trip Just east of the Salinas Valley, Pinnacles low-key status stems from its semisecluded location in central California. The park has two entrances the east and west with no connecting road between the two. To get from one side to the other, you must exit and drive around the park, which takes about an hour and a half. To access the west entrance, take Highway 101 either south from San Francisco or north from Los Angeles to Soledad. From there, youll take Highway 146 east to the gate. To access the east entrance, travel Highway 101 south to Highway 25 south. If traveling from the north, youll access Highway 25 through Hollister; if traveling from the south, youll connect to Highway 25 near King City. By air, depending on your departure city, consider flying into Monterey Regional Airport, about an hour closer to Pinnacles west entrance than San Francisco International Airport. The pint-size airport offers nonstop flights from nine U.S. cities, including major hubs such as Dallas, Denver and Phoenix. A great time to visit PNP is between mid-February and early June, when the weather is moderate, and the wildflowers are showy. Visitation numbers tend to peak at this time, especially on weekends. For solitude, arrive early on a weekday and youll have no problem with crowds or parking. As an alternative, Moorer recommends a fall visit. A 44-year-old man was stabbed several times by two attackers inside of vacant apartment unit at the Solara Apartment complex. Ken Branca A 44-year-old man is in critical condition after being stabbed several times inside a vacant apartment on the North Side, San Antonio police said. Police responded to a call for a stabbing around 2:30 a.m. at the Solara Apartments in the 11000 block of Parliament Drive. They found a man with several stab wounds, according to a preliminary police report. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A sergeant at the scene said the man was squatting in the vacant apartment when a man and woman forced their way in the apartment and stabbed him multiple times in the torso, back, and neck with a sharp object. The 44-year-old had run to another apartment building to get help. The couple, whose identities have not been released, ran away from the apartment complex, police said. The wounded man was unable to describe the attackers before being taken to University Hospital in critical condition. San Antonio police have begun searching homeless camps for the attackers in the incident. As of Friday morning, no arrests have been made. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Students walk across Texas State University's campus in San Marcos on April 25. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Under a new program, students from San Marcos high schools will be able to take courses at Texas State University to earn credit toward a degree there. The university said this week it has launched a pilot program with the roughly 8,100-student San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District under which seven seniors and 16 juniors are taking English, history, political science and math courses on campus this semester. In completing the courses, they will earn credit that can be used toward both their high school diplomas and a Texas State degree. Tuition and fees have been waived for the students, the university said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is an enormous win for high school students who have their hearts set on becoming Bobcats and extra incentive for those who havent chosen yet, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said in a written statement. By introducing college-level course work to students now, they will have a head start on what to expect when they eventually enroll. The program is the latest in a string of partnerships that Texas State has minted this year with an aim of spreading its influence and boosting its already-soaring enrollment. In April, the university and the Austin Community College District launched a program known as Bats to Cats. The partnership eases the way for Austin Community College students to transfer to Texas State by giving them greater access to the universitys counselors and even providing them with free tickets to sporting events. Last month, the university joined forces with Collin College a community college system with 11 locations in Collin County, north of Dallas to create a pathway that allows students to begin coursework at Collin College Technical Campus in Allen and go on to earn a degree at Texas State. Also in August, the universitys board of regents voted to expand its reach outside the United States for the first time by partnering with a group of Mexican investors known as Elisia Education Hub to establish a satellite campus in the city of Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico, about 150 miles northwest of Mexico City. The campus is expected to open in fall 2025. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Queretaro campus could prove to be the first in a string of overseas campuses affiliated with Texas State, the university said in a news release on Wednesday. That same day, Damphousse attended a signing ceremony in Santiago de Queretaro with Mauricio Kuri Gonzalez, the governor of the Mexican state also known as Queretaro. We want our students to get an international experience, because we live in a global society now, Damphousse told the Express-News last month. Were making a concerted effort to bring the world into San Marcos and Round Rock, and take San Marcos and Round Rock to the world. For the current semester, Texas State saw its enrollment surge to a record of just under 41,000 students. The prior record was just over 38,000 students during the fall semester of 2016. Getting more students here is a start, but retaining them after their freshman year is even more important, Damphousse said in the annual State of Texas State address last month. While it is great to aim for the largest freshman class today, our top priority must be on creating the largest graduating class four years from now. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court issued a contempt notice to Wikipedia for not disclosing information about edits made to a page on news agency ANI. The court cautioned Wikipedia to comply with Indian laws, stating, "if you don't like India, please don't work in India... we will ask government to block your site." The case was brought by ANI, which alleged defamation due to certain edits on Wikipedia referring to ANI as "the propaganda tool" of the Indian government. The court had previously ordered Wikipedia to disclose details about three accounts that made the edits. ANI claimed that this information had not been provided. Wikipedia, in its defense, explained that the delay was due to pending document submissions, exacerbated by its lack of a physical presence in India. However, Justice Navin Chawla was not persuaded by this argument. He remarked, "It is not a question of the defendant not being an entity in India. We will close your business transactions here. We will ask the government to block Wikipedia... Earlier also you took this position." The court has scheduled the next hearing for October, requiring a company representative to be present. In July, the Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees Wikipedia, clarified that it functions as a "technology host" and does not directly alter or add to the content on Wikipedia. Also Read: Times Now hosts Amazing Indians Awards 2024 in New Delhi Dhanuka Agritech, a leading name in Indian agri-input solutions, has released a moving new mini-feature film as part of its acclaimed *India ka Pranam, Har Kisaan ke Naam* campaign. The film, through the eyes of a young boy aspiring to become a farmer, delivers a powerful message about the future of agriculture in Indiaa profession that nurtures the nation. Building on the success of the 2022 campaign, this second instalment has already garnered widespread attention. The films simple yet profound messagethat the future of India lies in the hands of its farmershas resonated deeply with audiences across the country. "We are thrilled to unveil this film," said Ratnesh Kumar Pathak, Senior Deputy General Manager at Dhanuka Agritech. "This initiative is a continuation of our mission to uplift and honor the farming community. Through this film, we challenge the outdated belief that brilliant young minds cannot pursue farminga profession that is the backbone of our country. Farming is not just a livelihood; its a legacy, and we want to celebrate it. This film is our way of expressing deep gratitude to every farmer for their unwavering dedication and invaluable contributions." For over four decades, Dhanuka Agritech has stood alongside Indian farmers, understanding their challenges, successes, and the immense effort behind each harvest. The film is a tribute to these efforts and an inspiration to the next generation to embrace farming with pride. This campaign celebrates not just todays farmers, but also the future ones, reminding us all that farming is more than a professionits a legacy worth cherishing and nurturing. Also Read: Amit Dhanuka embarks on a collaborative journey with Shashank Khaitan Himalayan Elevation Kashmiri Saffron, a brand from Tata Consumer Products is celebrating Himalayan Day which is celebrated on 9th September every year and is an annual initiative dedicated to preserving and uplifting the unique Himalayan ecosystem and its communities. This year, the focus is on supporting the saffron farmers of Pampore, Kashmir, who are facing challenges due to declining yield of Kashmiri Saffron. As part of this years initiative, the brand in collaboration with Matamaal Foundation will be training Kashmiri Saffron farmers starting September, with on-ground sessions planned till October. 100% of the proceeds from all packs of Himalayan Elevation Kashmiri Saffron sold online, in the week of this Himalayan Day, will be used to train these farmers. These trainings will equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to cultivate saffron more efficiently, ensuring the sustainability of their craft. This initiative is in line with the brands commitment to giving back to the communities that are integral to the Himalayas. With this initiative, not only is the brand providing training to the saffron farmers of Kashmir to combat the declining yield but also giving them the hope they need to continue their craft in the face of environmental challenges. This initiative reflects the brands belief in the importance of sustainability and its dedication to making a positive impact on society. Consumers can scan the QR code on the back of each Himalayan Elevation Kashmiri Saffron pack to see the specific farmer whose livelihood they have helped uplift. This initiative thus allows consumers to see firsthand the impact their purchase is making on the lives of these farmers. Also Read: Kajol endorses Tata Himalayan Rock Salt as Desh ka No.1 Kriti Sanon has been riding a wave of success with back-to-back hits. The National Award-winning actress, known for her versatility, has delivered memorable performances across various genres. From playing a surrogate mother in Mimi to portraying a robot in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and an air hostess in Crew, Kriti continues to showcase her range and dedication to her craft. Her hard work is evident as she prepares for her upcoming project, Do Patti. Kriti's work ethic is commendable, as she has been managing demanding schedules with remarkable dedication. For her film Do Patti the actress worked for long hours of 16-17hrs non stop, while also juggling between shoots for Do Patti and Crew Produced under her banner, Blue Butterfly Films, and directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi, Do Patti features a gripping story set in the scenic hills of north India. Set to release on Netflix in 2024, this thriller marks both Kriti Sanon's debut in the genre and the first project from her production house. With Kajol also starring, the film promises to be a compelling and highly anticipated addition to Kriti's expanding filmography. Also Read: Kriti Sanon Steps into Production with Netflix's 'Do Patti,' Set for 2024 Release In a historic announcement, Gautam Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director of Raymond Group, addressed a gathering to mark a significant milestone for the companythe listing of its premium lifestyle business. Singhania emphasized that this event represents a pivotal moment in Raymond's storied history, especially as the company approaches its 100th anniversary next year. Turning Adversity into Opportunity Reflecting on the challenges faced over the past three years, Singhania described a period of intense transformation. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed severe difficulties for Raymond, including disrupted sales, high operating costs, and mounting debt. However, the company used this crisis as a catalyst for change. "We have turned this company around," Singhania stated, highlighting the substantial cost-cutting measures, the introduction of a skilled management team, and strategic business realignments that led to twelve consecutive quarters of strong performance. Raymond has not only achieved its target of becoming debt-free by 2025 but accomplished this goal two years ahead of schedule in 2023. The company has also strategically divested its FMCG business and announced the demerger of its lifestyle and real estate businesses. These moves, Singhania explained, were designed to streamline operations and focus on core competencies. A Unique Player in the Global Market Singhania stressed the unparalleled position of Raymond in the global lifestyle market. With nearly a century of experience in the lifestyle business, Raymond offers a comprehensive product rangefrom fabrics and garments to branded apparel, innerwear, sleepwear, ethnic wear, and home products. This extensive portfolio enables Raymond to provide an end-to-end solution to its customers, a capability that sets it apart from competitors. "There is absolutely no other company in the world that can deliver this kind of solution for you," he asserted. Raymond's business model is unique in its ability to cater to a diverse customer base, offering products that range from as low as INR 300 per meter to as high as INR 10 lakh per meter, all under a single brand. Singhania proudly noted, "From the taxi driver to Mr. Tata, everybody wears Raymond." Positioned for Growth in a Booming Market Singhania sees tremendous growth opportunities ahead, particularly in the Indian market. The ongoing expansion of the middle class, coupled with a surge in consumer spending, positions Raymond to capitalize on the booming demand for premium lifestyle products. He highlighted the significance of the upcoming wedding season, where Raymond has established itself as a dominant player, three times larger than its nearest competitor. Moreover, Singhania identified key macroeconomic trendssuch as the China Plus One strategy and manufacturing opportunities in Bangladeshthat favor Raymond's growth. "India is the right country, right place, right time," he said, underscoring the company's readiness to seize these opportunities. Commitment to Excellence and Shareholder Value The company's focus on governance and management quality is evident in the selection of top-tier board members and a world-class executive team. Singhania expressed confidence in their collective ability to drive Raymond forward, transforming it into a global leader. "My objective is to make this a world-class company," he affirmed. Looking ahead, Singhania is optimistic about the company's trajectory. He emphasized that the upcoming listing of the lifestyle business and the planned demerger of the real estate segment are part of Raymond's broader strategy to create substantial shareholder value. "There has always been a lot of disbelief in Raymond, but this is a new Raymond," he said, highlighting the company's recent achievements and renewed investor confidence. As Singhania eloquently put it, "Never is a word that doesn't exist in my dictionary." This phrase encapsulates the spirit of determination and resilience that has driven Raymond's remarkable turnaround and sets the stage for an exciting new chapter in its history. Also Read: Cineverse partners with Wurl to enhance FAST Channels Nykaa, Indias leading beauty and fashion retailer, today announced the appointment of Sukhleen Aneja as Senior Vice President and Business Head for Kay Beauty, Nykaas first ever celebrity beauty brand in partnership with Katrina Kaif. Her role will focus on propelling growth for Kay Beauty in International markets on the back of an extremely successful launch in India. Sukhleen will also hold responsibility for Nyveda, a brand based on Science of Ayurveda with a universal appeal in India and abroad, as well as provide strategic directions for few of the young brands in wellness and personal care. With over two decades of rich sales and marketing experiences across Fortune 500 organizations like Unilever, LOreal and Reckitt Benckiser, she was most recently the CEO of Brands at Good Glamm. Over her career, Sukhleen has demonstrated exceptional skills in scaling brands via creating strategic roadmaps, leading innovation, transforming businesses and creating agile organizations which set her up for success at Nykaa for Kay Beauty and Nyveda. Launched in 2019, Kay Beauty is Indias first celebrity makeup brand, co-created by Nykaa and Katrina Kaif. Reaching record sales of over Rs 150 cr annually, Kay beauty is extensively distributed across both online and offline channels including 150+ Nykaa stores and 450+ selective beauty retail outlets across India. Katrina is personally involved with Nykaas innovation team to create a makeup collection where each product has specific kare ingredients to nourish the skin, while at the same time delivering a long wear, high performance finish. With an unequivocal commitment to bringing the latest trends to the Indian market in an inclusive manner, Kay Beauty has innovated ahead of the market and seen some blockbuster product launches - latest of which was the Hydra creme lipstick range that sold extremely successfully across all channels. The brand is bolstered by the consumer love it has received by the inclusive and diverse Kay Community which is 1.5 million strong on Instagram, reiterating that #ItsKayToBeYou. Adwaita Nayar, Executive Director Nykaa, CEO Nykaa Fashion & Head of Owned Brands said, We are delighted to welcome Sukhleen Aneja to the Nykaa Family to lead the Kay Beauty and Nyveda businesses. Sukhleens extensive experience in building customer-centric brands will be invaluable as we up our ambition on both brands. For Kay Beauty specifically, her strategic vision, along with Katrinas marketing mind and might, will enable the Rs.150Cr brand to scale to the next level both domestically and internationally". Sukhleen Aneja, Senior Vice President and Business Head for Kay Beauty, remarked, "I am thrilled to join Nykaa and look forward to driving growth and innovation in Kay Beauty and Nyveda. Beauty continues to be under-penetrated in India and thats where the opportunity lies for creating strong and powerful consumer first brands". Sukhleen Anejas appointment underscores Nykaas commitment to innovation and excellence in the beauty industry. Her leadership is expected to drive significant advancements for Kay Beauty & Nyveda, reinforcing Nykaas position as a leader in the beauty space. Also Read: Nykaa Revives CID's ACP Pradyuman and Daya for Skincare Campaign One97 Communications Limited (OCL) that owns the brand Paytm, Indias leading payments and financial services distribution company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, has announced Paytm Travel Carnival Sale from September 5th to 9th, offering users exclusive discounts on flight, train, and bus tickets. This limited-time offer is designed to make festive travel more affordable. For flight bookings, Paytm is offering a flat 12% discount of up to 1,500 on payments made via the Axis Bank Credit Card using promo code FLYAXIS. On international flights, users can get a 10% discount of up to 5,000 with INTLAXIS. Additionally, users opting for Credit Card EMI can enjoy a 12% discount, up to 2,000 with FLYAXISEMI or 10% off up to 7,500, on international flights with INTLAXISEMI. To enable convenience, the company is also offering discounts on bus ticket bookings. Users get a flat 12% discount up to 300 with the promo code BUSFESTIVE. Paytm offers a Booking for Female feature that helps women travellers choose buses based on recommendations from other female travellers. Furthermore, Paytms Ticket Assure service helps users secure confirmed train tickets by offering options like nearby stations, connecting trains, and flexible dates, thereby increasing the chances of booking a confirmed seat. Users can book tickets at Zero Charges via UPI and also check the live train running status and PNR status on the Paytm app which enables them to travel at ease and stress free. As an authorized partner of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), it ensures a smooth and quick train ticket booking experience. The company also offers users can receive 100% refund on flight, bus and train tickets with Paytms Free Cancellation feature. Paytm Spokesperson said, As the trusted platform for millions of travellers, we aim to make travel planning as convenient and affordable as possible. With the Travel Carnival Sale, were offering incredible discounts across flights, trains, and buses, making it easier for travelers to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with their loved ones. With flexible payment options, seamless booking experiences, and benefits like free cancellations and travel insurance, we are committed to delivering exceptional value and a hassle-free travel experience for all our customers." The Travel Carnival Sale is part of Paytms ongoing commitment to providing value-driven travel solutions that cater to the diverse needs of Indian travelers. Also Read: Sameer Kapoor resigns from Paytm Ads GroupM, the media investment group of WPP, has announced the promotion of Richard Hartell to CEO of EssenceMediacom U.S., effective immediately. In his new role, Hartell will oversee U.S. operations, client relations, and business development for the agency, which has recently been recognized as one of the top-performing networks in WARC Media 100 and WARC Effectiveness 100 rankings. It was also named the largest media network globally by billings according to COMvergence. Hartell, who previously served as the Global CEO of Media Futures Group (MFG), GroupMs specialized team for Google, will continue to lead the global client relationship with Google while joining the GroupM North America leadership team. He will report to Sharb Farjami, CEO of GroupM North America. Farjami praised Hartell, saying, Richard is a bright, capable and proven leader at GroupM. He successfully led one of our most significant client relationships and has an unbeaten track record for driving success for the worlds leading brands over the years. His strategic skillset, industry expertise, and deep existing relationships with our clients make him a natural fit to lead EssenceMediacom U.S. into the future. Were excited for Richard to continue his success at the agency, delivering the best of what GroupM has to offer. Hartell brings over 25 years of experience in global media agencies and major brands. He joined EssenceMediacom (formerly Essence) in 2021 as the Global Chief Client Officer for Google. During his tenure, Hartell has led teams in strategy, planning, content, data, and technology, earning numerous industry awards and achieving profitable growth for clients. He was also instrumental in securing the first paid activation on the Las Vegas Exosphere and in guiding Google's investment in womens sports. Hartell expressed his enthusiasm about the new role, stating, Leading media for Google, at such a progressive agency as EssenceMediacom, has been the highlight of my career. I couldnt be more excited to continue this journey as we shape the next era of media within one of the worlds largest media agencies. This agency is home to the best talent in the business and were well-positioned to lead the way on how modern marketing through media, data and technology can make advertising work better for everyone. Nick Lawson, Global CEO of EssenceMediacom, highlighted Hartell's fit for the role, saying, Richards track record with Media Futures Group makes him a great fit to lead EssenceMediacom in the U.S. His dedication to the transformation and growth of our clients and our talent is unmatched. Richards tenacity and humanity is a winning combination. JiYoung Kim, Chief Operating Officer at GroupM North America and interim CEO of EssenceMediacom U.S., added, Richard is a force of nature in our business and a trusted partner of one of the worlds most premium brands. His expertise has no limit, and his deep understanding of our clients needs and challenges makes him uniquely positioned to secure their future growth. Im thrilled to continue working closely with Richard as I return to focus on my day-to-day role at GroupM. Before joining EssenceMediacom, Hartell spent nearly two decades at Publicis Media in various leadership roles, including Global Chief Strategy Officer and President of Strategy & Transformation. He also held positions at Starcom and Spark Foundry, working with clients such as Samsung, Mondelez, Heineken, and Citi in the UK and U.S. Outside of his professional life, Hartell is involved with the Junior Diabetes Research Fund. He resides in Manhattan with his wife and three children and will remain based in New York in his new role. Also Read: Morphy Richards launches new campaign for its Keraflow Hair Straightener Verizon Communications has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Frontier Communications in an all-cash deal valued at $20 billion (18bn). The acquisition of Frontier, the largest pure-play fibre internet provider in the US, will expand Verizons fibre footprint nationwide, enhancing its ability to deliver premium mobility and broadband services to both existing and new customers. This deal will also enhance Verizons intelligent edge network, supporting digital innovations such as AI and IoT. The integration of Frontiers fibre network into Verizons portfolio, which includes its Fios offering, will further strengthen Verizon's assets. Frontier has invested $4.1 billion in upgrading and expanding its fibre network over the last four years, with more than half of its revenue now coming from fibre products. Frontiers 2.2 million fibre subscribers across 25 states will join Verizons 7.4 million Fios connections in 9 states and Washington DC. In addition to Frontiers 7.2 million fibre locations, the company plans to build an additional 2.8 million fibre locations by the end of 2026. Hans Vestberg, Verizon's Chairman and CEO, emphasized the importance of connectivity: "Connectivity is essential in nearly every part of our lives and work, and no one delivers better than Verizon... we continuously look for ways to provide the best product and network experience to our customers." He added that the acquisition of Frontier is a "strategic fit" that will enhance Verizons ability to compete in more markets across the United States. Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier, highlighted the significance of the acquisition for Frontiers fibre network and shareholders: "Todays announcement is recognition of our progress building a best-in-class fibre network... I am confident that this delivers a significant and certain cash premium to Frontiers shareholders, while creating exciting new opportunities for our employees." Verizon will acquire Frontier for $38.50 per share in cash, representing a 43.7 per cent premium over Frontiers 90-day volume-weighted average share price as of September 3, 2024. The total transaction value is approximately $20 billion in enterprise value. The deal has been unanimously approved by both companies' Boards of Directors and is expected to close within 18 months, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. Verizon also reaffirmed its full-year 2024 guidance, which includes wireless service revenue growth of 2 to 3.5 per cent, adjusted EBITDA growth of 1 to 3 per cent, adjusted EPS of $4.50 to $4.70, capital expenditures between $17 billion and $17.5 billion, and an adjusted effective income tax rate of 22.5 to 24 per cent. Also Read: InfoVision welcomes Radhika Venkatraman to its Advisory Board A strong sense of dissatisfaction has emerged among Haryana voters against the BJP 2 The BJPs handling of key issues, such as the concerns of female wrestlers and the agitating farmers, has left much to be desired in the eyes of Haryanas voters. The partys critical stance toward these groups, rather than addressing their grievances, has alienated a significant portion of the electorate. This has created substantial challenges for the BJP as it attempts to retain power in the state. In contrast, the Congress has gained considerable momentum by standing in solidarity with aggrieved farmers and sportspersons during their crises. This show of support has earned the party goodwill, positioning it as a strong contender in the upcoming elections. Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia recently met with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, fueling speculation about their possible entry into politics. Sources suggest they may join the Congress party and potentially run as candidates in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. Phogat is reportedly being considered for either the Julana seat in Jind or the Charkhi Dadri constituency, while Punia may contest from Badli in Jhajjar district, even though there is already a sitting Congress MLA in that constituency. The meeting took place just before Gandhis departure for Kashmir for the Assembly election campaign. Currently, Amarjeet Dhanda of the Jannayak Janta Party holds the MLA seat for Julana. There is speculation that Congress may provide tough competition to the BJP in both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. Since 1999, there has been a notable trend in Haryana where the party or alliance that won the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha elections also went on to form the government in the state Assembly elections. In the last five pairs of general and Vidhan Sabha elections, this pattern has held, making the outcome of general elections in Haryana a key indicator for state-level politics. As a result, it is crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to perform well in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls, as it will strengthen their position ahead of the state elections later this year. This makes Haryana a significant battleground for both national and state-level politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP achieved a sweeping victory in Haryana, running independently and capitalizing on the nationalist sentiment that surged following the Balakot airstrikes. The internal split within the Chautala family, which led to Dushyant Chautala forming the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), also worked in the BJPs favor by dividing opposition votes. As a result, the BJP secured all 10 seats with a commanding 58 percent vote share, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was reduced to just 2 percent. The newly formed JJP made its debut with a modest 5 percent vote share, and the Congress garnered 28 percent of the votes. Ahead of the upcoming elections, the Congress is focused on consolidating support from key demographic groupsJats, Dalits, and Muslimswho together make up 50 percent of the states population. In 78 constituencies, these combined communities hold considerable influence, accounting for 40 percent of the local population. The Congress hopes to counter the BJPs dominance by leveraging the narrative that the saffron party may alter the constitution if it returns to power, a message aimed at resonating with these groups. Despite the BJPs strong 58 percent backing in 2019, Congress is strategizing to make inroads by appealing to this significant voter base. The BJP faces a tough contest in Haryana as Congress is determined to deliver a significant blow to the ruling party. BJP strategists are relying on a potential split in opposition votes to offset any losses. Given Haryanas status as a bellwether state, it is crucial for the BJP to secure more seats than Congress in the upcoming general elections. The bigger challenge for the BJP lies in the Vidhan Sabha polls, where it faces the task of retaining power while contending with a decade-long anti-incumbency sentiment. Performing well in the general elections is key for the BJP, as it would set a positive tone and improve its prospects for the state elections later this year. A strong showing in the general elections is essential to boost the partys momentum heading into the Assembly polls. With internal surveys indicating that Congress, the main opposition party, has an advantage going into the electionseven in areas where the BJP had previously made significant gainsthe ruling BJP is under pressure to regroup and address these challenges. A major point of concern for the party is growing public resentment, particularly against the previous administration led by Manohar Lal Khattar. This dissatisfaction is seen as a significant hurdle for the BJP as it attempts to retain power in Haryana amidst rising competition from Congress and other opposition forces. A strong sense of dissatisfaction has emerged among a large section of voters in Haryana, largely due to the BJP governments harsh response to protesting farmers over the past three years and other governance issues. This growing discontent has bolstered Congresss prospects for the upcoming Assembly election later this year, putting the BJP at risk of facing significant setbacks. The unrest also suggests that the BJP may experience losses in the states Lok Sabha seats, as public sentiment appears to be shifting away from the ruling party. Chinese, Somali presidents elevate bilateral ties Xinhua) 19:21, September 06, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced here on Friday the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Somalia in areas such as economy, trade, fisheries and human resources training, Xi said when meeting with Mohamud, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). He said China will continue to provide assistance to international peacekeeping operations in Somalia and support the country in enhancing its capabilities of independent development, counter-terrorism and maintaining stability. Mohamud expressed gratitude to China as it has supported Somalia in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and promoting economic development. Somalia aspires to security and stability, and regards China as a reliable and trustworthy partner and friend, Mohamud said, adding that his country hopes to constantly deepen friendship and cooperation with China. During the summit, the two sides signed bilateral cooperation documents covering fields such as radio and television. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net. Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Survey Flood-Hit Khammam, Telangana 2 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit the flood-affected areas of Khammam district in Telangana today, conducting an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by recent heavy rains and floods. Accompanying him on this visit will be Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay. The aerial survey will take place between 9 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., after which both ministers will hold a review meeting with state government officials. The officials are expected to brief Union Minister Chouhan on the extent of losses caused by the floods, particularly the impact on local agriculture. Chouhan will tour several key areas, including the Khammam, Madhira, and Paleru Assembly constituencies. During his visit, he will inspect agriculture fields to gain first-hand knowledge of the crop damage, and interact with farmers from a village in Kasumanchi mandal to understand their difficulties and challenges. A team from the Union Agriculture Ministry will accompany Chouhan, and they will hold discussions with state government officials to assess the damage and determine relief measures. This visit follows Chouhans aerial survey of flood-hit Vijayawada in neighboring Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. Joined by Andhra Pradeshs Information Technology Minister, Nara Lokesh, Chouhan surveyed various parts of the flood-affected region. He revealed that approximately 1.8 lakh hectares of crops were destroyed, impacting around two lakh farmers. Chouhan assured that both the Central and state governments will collaborate to provide necessary assistance to the farmers. He highlighted the severity of the recent floods, which resulted from an unprecedented 40 cm of rainfall within just two days, exacerbated by breaches in the Budameru Rivulet. The Union Minister also stressed the importance of long-term planning to combat future floods, emphasizing that illegal mining along the rivulet worsened the situation. He called for strengthening the Prakasam Barrage, which was designed 100 years ago to handle a maximum water discharge of 12 lakh cusecs, but is now under strain due to the increasing intensity of floods. As he embarked on his visit to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Chouhan assured both states of the Central governments full support. He emphasized, In this hour of crisis, the Central government stands fully with the people of the flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and will provide all possible help to them in overcoming the crisis. MONTGOMERY The board that manages Alabamas health care program for teachers is going to ask lawmakers for an additional $134 million in fiscal year 2026 to start plugging an expected $283 million shortfall in 2027. The request would bring state funding for educators insurance to $1.3 billion in 2026. the additional $134 million, as well as the up to $118.9 million from the reserve account. The board for the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan, or PEEHIP, also proposed transferring up to $79.4 million from a reserve account, though later upped the ask to be up to $118.9 million. The board discussed raising premiums on retiree members starting in 2025 to cover the cost increase as well, but ultimately opted to ask lawmakers for the additional $134 million, as well as the up to $118.9 million transfer. About 350,000 teachers, retirees and their dependents are currently enrolled in PEEHIP. Campus safety is an important consideration for anyone making decisions about college. Each fall, schools release information about safety incidents and crime. Ranking site Niche has used those reports, in part, for its 2025 annual rankings for Safest College Campuses in America . Out of ranked schools, the University of Mobile is listed as the safest in the state and the No. 77 safest school in America. Auburn University was ranked as the No. 7 safest school in the state. The University of Alabama did not make the list. Both major universities reported more incidents of crime than smaller schools in the state. Niche grades colleges by taking into account student reviews, campus crime rates, local crime, reports of residence hall date violence rates, residence hall rape rates, alcohol related arrests and drug related arrests. Crime statistics dont tell the whole story about safety, of course. A high number of reported crime incidents or violations, does not always mean that a campus is more dangerous. It could mean that students and faculty feel more comfortable coming forward when they are the victim of a crime or witness a violation. The 15 safest colleges in Alabama, according to Niche : University of Mobile, No. 77 nationally Athens State University, No. 110 nationally University of Montevallo, No. 168 nationally Samford University, No. 227 nationally Troy University, No. 256 nationally The University of West Alabama, No. 358 nationally Auburn University, No. 552 nationally Oakwood University, No. 589 nationally Faulkner University, No. 646 nationally Tuskegee University, No. 734 nationally The University of Alabama in Huntsville, No. 761 nationally Jacksonville State University, No. 807 nationally Huntingdon College, No. 836 nationally University of North Alabama, No. 865 nationally Talladega College, No. 902 nationally From 2020 to 2022, University of Mobile reported 0 criminal incidents and only 30 disciplinary referrals for drug abuse and liquor law violations, according to the most recent crime statistics available. Athens State University 21 reported crimes from 2020 to 2022 including property thefts, burglary, a liquor law violation, criminal trespassing, criminal mischief, unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, drug abuse violations and disciplinary referrals including weapons carrying and possession. The University of Montevallo reported 20 criminal incidents from 2020 to 2022 including fondling, rape, domestic violence and 302 student referrals for liquor law, drugs and weapons violations. Auburn University Police have responded to more than 900 reports of criminal incidents and violations so far in 2024. According to the most recent University of Alabama crime log , campus police and law enforcement have responded to about 80 incidents so far in 2024. Some schools, such as Alabama A&M, recently have added security measures. Two shootings recently occurred on the Huntsville campus . Last year, the university spent $600,000 on body cameras, surveillance grid upgrades, and other enhancements, such as outdoor cameras to monitor activity in parking lots and other key areas. This year, A&M opened a first of its kind Department of Public Safety substation inside Knight Complex, according to officials. As with most ranking systems it is not very clear how Niche gives each college its grade. The data comes from self reported student surveys, the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Education. You can see the full methodology here . Some safety tips the universities have provided are to be careful about giving out information concerning yourself and where you live; travel, walk or park in well-lit areas and with a companion whenever possible; make a copy of your I.D., license and credit cards to keep at home with your family in case yours are lost; lock your door when you are in the dorms and when you are away. If you or a student you know needs to report an incident, Alabama universities have a website where students can send a report and a department of public safety they can call if you ever feel unsafe. A Sylacauga City Council meeting was cut short after only 20 minutes Thursday following questions from several residents about recent Haitian immigration to the area. Council President Tiffany Nix brought the meeting to a close after several residents asked questions about how the city knew workers coming there were legal immigrants, who had determined this, and what effect they were having on crime and housing. After three residents asked questions during the meeting, Nix brought it to a close. Im going to cut it off, she said. One resident, saying she was concerned, asked who is heading up watching over this situation? Councilman Ashton Fowler said the first he was aware of immigrants in Sylacauga was when he saw them at church. He knows people are concerned, but immigrants cant be watched as though they have committed a criminal act. We found out when everybody found out, Fowler said. The first time I saw them, they came in our church. They wanted to come to Sunday School and church with us. Thats the first time I knew they were in town, and then there was three, then six, then eight. The ones at church with me are great people. They wanted to come to church, havent asked for a thing, worship and go home. Another resident asked why council members had not attempted to learn where immigrant workers are coming from on buses. Nix asked if anyone had actually seen anyone bused into town. From a video of the meeting, it did not appear anyone said they had. I also went by where theyre living, some of them, and theyre just sitting around there, not working, the resident asked. They supposedly came here to work. Someone pointed out people work night shifts. I want to welcome anyone to Sylacauga that wants to come to Sylacauga, Nix said. If youre here stimulating our economy, thank you. Thats how I feel about it. If people arent breaking the law, theyre not causing any problems, I dont...I dont see what the issue is. Another resident said, the attitude of the council throughout this process is entirely unacceptable. Do we know where the individuals were discussing are coming from? he asked. Where their point of origin is? Because youre treating them like lawful U.S. citizens, which they are not. Nix jumped in at that point. OK, so Im going to cut it off...again, we have no reason to launch an investigation or to treat people differently because of how they look. These individuals came here from Haiti, the man said. Haiti is a failed state. Their president was assassinated in 2021. Theres no way the State Department can vet these individuals... See also: Haitian immigrants fleeing unrest and facing exploitation find Alabama is the best place to live Immigrant workers have been a contentious issue in two Alabama communities this summer, with city officials in Albertville and Athens facing questions, such as the effect on crime, school overcrowding and housing. In August, photos of Haitian immigrants in Albertville being bused to and from work at a poultry processing plant prompted questions on social media, leading to what city officials called baseless accusations, and hurtful rhetoric. This led to a series of community meetings and the formation of a non-profit. Officials in both Albertville and Athens say Haitian immigrants make up a small percentage of the population, and they have seen no increase in crime since larger amounts of immigrants began arriving this year following unrest on the Caribbean island. On Aug. 26, Sylacauga Mayor Jim Heigl released a statement saying that the city is not a sanctuary city and does not have any plans to pursue that option in the future. As many of you know, current Sylacauga housing would not accommodate large influxes of population whether they are immigrant or citizens, the statement read. Year-to-year we struggle to accommodate new teachers and the general influx of local workers to house in Sylacauga, any additional increases in population would make those accommodations even difficult to attain. The statement continued, As with most tightknit small towns, new faces out among our stores and restaurants are easily identifiable. Sylacauga has recently had an influx of legal immigrants come into the area. Employment was the primary draw for these individuals when obtaining their visas for legal immigration to the area. As you go about your regular routines of living in Sylacauga, please be sure to extend our small town hospitality to these new faces. A central Alabama sheriff was arrested after he allegedly threatened county commissioners and disrupted a commission meeting. The arrest of Lowndes County Sheriff Christopher West stemmed from an argument West had with Lowndes County Commissioner Robert Harris over a plan to relocate sheriffs office investigators to the former town hall in Hayneville, Harris told WSFA in a story published Thursday. Harris accused the sheriff of threatening the commissioners as they were voting on the proposal and disrupting the tally at the June 24 meeting. Harris signed a warrant charging West with misdemeanor harassment and obstructing government operations, WSFA reported. West turned himself in to the county jail on Aug. 29, Hayneville Police Chief told the station. A student is under arrest after an alleged threat made on social media of a school shooting at Dothan Preparatory Academy, authorities announced Friday morning. Dothan City School officials were made aware about 8:30 p.m. Thursday of threats of violence circulating on social media, according to a statement issued by the school system. Police were immediately notified and launched an investigation. Lt. Scott Owens said extra security was put in place Friday morning at Dothan schools as a precaution to deter violence. Once the source of the threat was identified, the juvenile was taken into custody on a charge first-degree making a terrorist threat. The student is not being identified because of his or her age. Owens did not specify which school the suspect attended. Owens said more arrests could be made. He thanked those who came forward with information. When threats are made, regardless of the intent, the Dothan Police Department always takes those situations seriously and will hold those who make threats accountable in accordance with state law, he said. We appreciate those that knew of the threat who came forward to share their concerns with the Dothan Police Department. Dothan City Schools will follow up and apply appropriate disciplinary action according to their student handbook, Owens said. Just as Dothan City Schools said in their release, the Dothan Police Department also encourages parents to talk with their children about the seriousness of threats and the importance of reporting suspicious activities or threats to a trusted adult or school resource officer. Anyone with additional information about the incident or any potential threat is asked to contact police or Central Alabama Crimestoppers at 334-215-STOP, 833-AL1-STOP, or at P3TIPS.com. Eufaula City Schools canceled all classes and after-school activities Thursday after receiving a threat of violence, officials said. It was unclear what type of threat was made, but officials said it was targeted at the districts high school. Also Thursday, Walker County officials announced an increased security presence at Oakman area schools Thursday following threats made on social media. The purported threats came on the same day that a 14-year-old shot and killed two teachers and two students at a Georgia high school, according to news reports. A Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to the rape of an adolescent girl who was impregnated by him. Jermaine Powers, 42, was arrested in 2020 on charges of first-degree rape and second-degree rape. Authorities said the charges stemmed from Powers engaging in sexual intercourse with his ex-girlfriends 12-year-old daughter. The sexual abuse took place from January 2017 until July 2018. The abuse was discovered when the child became pregnant. DNA testing confirmed that Powers was the father. Powers pleaded guilty to second-degree rape, according to court records made public this week. In exchange, the first-degree rape charge was dismissed. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Kechia Davis sentenced Powers to 20 years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Tyerra Henderson prosecuted the case. Powers was represented by the Jefferson County Public Defenders Office. Authorities have released the names of two men found dead from gunshot wounds in a downtown Birmingham senior living facility, but circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unclear. Birmingham police initially said both mens deaths were being investigated as homicides, but Thursday night said one is a confirmed homicide and the other is unclassified pending autopsy. Detectives are not looking for any other suspects currently, said Sgt. LaQuitta Wade. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Friday identified the men as Roosevelt Walker, 66, and Larry Darnell Collins, 68. North Precinct officers were dispatched just before 11 a.m. Thursday to Freedom Manor apartments at 1617 Fifth Ave. North. The facility is operated by the Birmingham Housing Authorities and is for residents ages 62 and older. Wade said officers entered a fourth-floor apartment and found both victims unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. Two men were found shot to death Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, inside senior living facility Freedom Manor in downtown Birmingham(Carol Robinson) Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced them both dead on the scene. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said the men died between 9:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday. Both victims lived at Freedom Manor. They were found dead in an apartment of one of the victims. Wade said a friend with a key to the apartment made the discovery and called 911 immediately. This is a secure facility for senior citizens, Wade said. Autopsies are scheduled to take place today to help investigators determine the manner of death. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Alabama lawmakers got an update Thursday on the plans to spend $2.1 billion the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act, a bill passed by Congress to help states recover from the economic and healthcare costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Joint ARPA Oversight Committee heard a report on the status of water and sewer projects that will be funded, in part, with ARPA dollars. The Legislature approved plans in 2022 and 2023 for how Alabama will use its ARPA money. Lawmakers allocated the largest share, $615 million, to water and sewer projects. Lance LeFleur, director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, said $573 million of the $615 million is obligated toward almost 500 agreements for drinking water, clean water (wastewater treatment), and storm water projects. Fifteen other agreements await final approval. Congress required states to designate their ARPA funds for specific purposes by Dec. 31, 2024. The money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026. On the water and sewer projects, local governments have pledged $663 million in matching funds, bringing Alabamas total of new investment in water and sewer infrastructure to more than $1 billion. Although the money is pledged and most of the contracts are signed, the work is far from done. LeFleur said the bid process has been finished for 260 of the 498 projects. About $74 million has been spent so far. LeFleur said ADEM would monitor the projects to see if they advance at a pace to finish by the Dec. 31, 2026 deadline. LeFleur said its reasonable to expect that some projects will be unable to stay on track. He said ADEM is prepared to reallocate some of the money to other projects if necessary. ADEM has a list of water projects posted here. Sen. Chris Elliott, a Republican from Baldwin County, noted that there are applicants who did not receive the grant money that could be good candidates if some of the projects are not meeting their timelines. Elliott praised ADEMs work in setting up a plan to use the federal windfall in a way that will benefit the state for decades. Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, chairman of the Senates General Fund committee, said the ARPA program has been a success so far. I commend not just you Mr. LeFleur but all the state that has been involved in this thats handled it the way that we have, Albritton said. And the result has been we dont any stain on any of this. Weve handled it correctly. We are getting new infrastructure in the state that would not have been if we had not pushed this forward and done it in the correct way. We have construction going on in the state thats creating jobs, thats creating opportunities, thats improving the life of Alabama. And frankly I think we, the state of Alabama, needs to be proud of what weve done. Alabama received its ARPA funds in two $1.06 billion installments. Legislators, working in conjunction with the Gov. Kay Ivey administration, approved plans to spend the windfall in categories. Besides the water and sewer projects, they allocated the largest share to expansion of access to high-speed internet, or broadband. Lawmakers pledged $400 million in ARPA funds for prison construction. That is being used to help build a $1 billion, 4,000-bed prison in Elmore County. The state Finance Department, which is overseeing use of the ARPA funds, has a website with information about the program. Theres also more information here. The State Fair of Texas has banned guns following a shooting there last year. A reader wonders about the culpability of state lawmakers who have created conditions for gun violence. Jason Janik/Associated Press And uninsured drivers? I read the reasons for still another year of higher auto insurance rates for Texans. Climate change, mentioned throughout the article, is the big reason. I find it strange, however, there was not one word about uninsured drivers. Im sure that would account for a huge portion of the yearly increase, which is put on the backs of those of us who do follow the law and insure our vehicles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Donna Howington More guns, more deaths Weve read several times that a group of more than 70 legislators has signed a letter regarding the State Fair of Texas' decision to ban firearms at the event. Their reasoning is the new policy makes the fair less safe because gun free zones are magnets for crime because they present less of a threat to those who seek to do evil. Isnt this the same legislative body that created gun-free zones in schools, churches, public buildings and gave businesses the right to post signs declaring carrying of firearms in the building is not allowed? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mass killings have occurred in schools, a church and a Walmart that had the sign prohibiting the possession of firearms. And isnt this same legislative body that now requires, but doesnt adequately fund, armed guards in schools? It would seem the legislative body created a solution for a problem that was not widespread until they made it so. The embattled commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is declining to step down from leading the agency despite repeated calls from the governor that he do so immediately. Rear Adm. Kent Davis, who has been atop the ADVA since 2019, said in a statement Friday that inaccurate claims were being made about his offices mishandling of American Rescue Act Funds, and that none of the actions by the agency jeopardized the State of Alabama in fulfilling the obligations of the $2.1 billion in ARPA funds. We have continuously been transparent in our departments mission and day-to-day operations in our service to Alabamas 400,000 veterans, Davis said in a statement. This includes earlier this year when ADVA attempted to work with members of the Governors staff, cabinet and the Department of Finance regarding American Rescue Plan Act funds. Governors claims Ivey, in a letter also Friday, claims ADVA mishandled $7 million in ARPA grant funds, calling the matter particularly problematic because she says it jeopardized the states ARPA obligations and very nearly prevented veterans service providers from receiving needed funds. Ivey claims Davis did not cooperate with his fellow agency heads; and butted heads with the state executive branch agencies, state lawmakers and the states congressional delegation. This alone constitutes cause for your removal, Ivey wrote. Ivey has called a special meeting of the Board of Veterans Affairs for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Montgomery to consider Davis ouster. She has, in recent days, gotten the support from the top two state legislative leaders in House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville; and Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper. Our veterans have sacrificed so much in service of our country. These courageous men and women should be honored with resources and leadership that adequately reflect their service. I fully support @GovernorKayIvey in her decision to call for new leadership in the department. https://t.co/OpfD6uHtnJ Senator Greg Reed (@SenatorGregReed) September 6, 2024 She said her concerns about ADVAs handling of ARPA grant funding stems from a lack of submitting applications until January, less than six months before the deadline to obligate the federal funds. She said ADVA received the $7 million in November 2022 to provide mental health programs for Alabama veterans. Even after the grants were approved at such a late date, they raised one question after another from the Department of Finance and the Department of Mental Health (whose administrative support you enlisted due to its expertise in administering ARPA grants), Ivey wrote in her letter Friday to Davis to, once again, consider her call for him to step down. These questions included concerns about basic administrative issues such as proper award amounts and payment structure, the governor continued. Most critically, they included numerous, substantial concerns that the proposed grants would not comply with U.S. Treasury rules and other policies restricting use of these monies -- concerns that your department ultimately acknowledged were valid. Working relationships Ivey said that ADVAs administrative problems distracted senior officials at other state agencies from their work, as they handled the administration of ADVAs ARPA grant funds. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announces a project to widen I-65 from Alabaster to Calera and two other interstate projects on Aug. 31, 2023. (Governor's press office.) In my view as Governor, the resulting damage to your working relationship has become irreparable, Ivey said. Ivey included an April 2, letter from Kim Boswell, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH), in which she officially terminates its agreement to assist Davis in administering ARPA grant funds. Boswell, in her letter, accuses of ADVA of putting the ADMH at risk of potential audit findings and other negative consequences due to some questionable requests. One of the concerns raised includes an unnamed grant recipient who requested funding for lobbying. Boswell said that all our contracts prohibits the use of state and federal funds for lobbying. She said her agency did not receive a firm commitment to require the grantee to remove this time from their request and that the same entity is a member of the ADVA board. Ivey, on Thursday, announced she had removed Col. John Kilpatrick from his position as a member of the State Board of Affairs. Kilpatrick, in a statement through the Military Officers Association of America, said the following: My appointment to the Board was a result of my position as President of the Alabama Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America. Members of the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs serve at the pleasure of the Governor. It was my honor to serve our Veteran community as a member of the Board, and Im proud of the work I did on behalf of Alabama Veterans. I will continue to work every single day to improve access to high quality health care for Alabama Veterans and their families. Ethics None of the statements from Ivey, Davis or Kilpatrick included references to an ethics complaint filed with the Alabama Ethics Commission. According to Lagniappe, Davis filed an ethics complaint Boswell and others over possible collusion that prevented ADVA from receiving $7 million in ARPA funds and distributing them to veterans organizations. The complaint was also quickly dismissed by the Ethics Commission, the publication reported. Brandon Miller, a spokesman with the ADVA, said he had not seen the ethics complaint, and was unaware of what was in it. Ethics complaints are not considered public documents in Alabama and are not accessible for the publics viewing. However, the ethics complaint was submitted according to rules and regulations believing that it would be handled appropriately, Miller said. Unfortunately, it was released publicly, which may have (tainted) the process, before being dismissed by the Ethics Commission. Because ethics complaints are supposed to remain private, we do not discuss its content. Davis, in his statement, praised the work of ADVA for the past year. This has been an outstanding year for the ADVA as we have completed the first planned expansion of the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort and next week will dedicate our fifth State Veterans Home, which is named in honor of Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient and Alabama native Bennie G. Adkins, he said. We will continue to support Alabamas Veterans and their families by assisting them with benefits they have earned, finding housing for homeless, seeking non-profit assistance for funding, and providing referrals for mental and physical health care. It is my desire and will to continue advocating for Alabama Veterans. We have come a long way in supporting our nations heroes, but the mission is far from complete. I look forward to continuing the fight by their sides. More than a year before Colt Gray allegedly shot and killed two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School, local investigators questioned the boy about a disturbing tip theyd received from the FBI. Tipsters had seen someone on the online messaging platform Discord talking about plans to shoot up a school, and alerted the FBI. Federal authorities traced the Discord account to Jefferson, Georgia. The username included a reference to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter. Yes, the boy told the investigator, he once used Discord. But no, he said, he would never talk about committing a school shooting. I gotta take you at your word, and I hope youre being honest with me, Jackson County Sheriffs Office investigator Daniel Miller Jr. told the then-middle schooler before he left. Jackson County officers questioned Colt at his home for only a few minutes in May 2023 and later concluded he hadnt made the online threats, according to audio recordings, transcripts and a case file reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Its not anything that Im concerned about, Miller told the teens father two days later, according to a transcript. Authorities handling of the 2023 threat has taken on new significance in the wake of what is believed to be the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history. It raises questions whether authorities missed critical warning signs and if the tragedy could have been prevented. Gray, now 14, is accused of killing four people and injuring nine others Wednesday at Apalachee High School in neighboring Barrow County. His father, Colin Gray, 54, was arrested Thursday on charges related to the school shooting, including four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey said Colts father knowingly allowed his son to have a firearm. If investigators in 2023 asked to see the boys cellphone or computer, they didnt say so in their report. If they checked whether the familys guns matched photos posted to Discord with the threats, they didnt document that, either. In fact, its not clear that they had even reviewed the details of the FBIs tips before they conducted their brief interview with Colt and his father at their home in Jefferson. In a summary of their conversation, an investigator wrote that hed gotten a copy of the bureaus tip but couldnt open it on his cellphone. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she could not answer questions about the details of the investigation because Miller and others involved with the case had since left her department. Miller could not be reached for comment Thursday. They looked into it, yes they did, Mangum said in an interview. There were several IP addresses, and they tried to follow up with some of that too. In his conversation with the Jackson County Sheriffs investigator, with his father standing by, Colt quickly distanced himself from the threats. He said he once used Discord but said hed deleted his account a few months earlier, claiming it had been hacked. He promised he would never make a threat like one investigators were asking about. So you havent used Discord in a few months " Miller began to ask. Oh no, nuh uh, Colt interjected. and youre saying you didnt say anything like that? Miller finished. No, Colt answered, the only thing I have is TikTok, but I just go on there and watch videos. All right, well, fair enough, Miller concluded. Investigators had doubts about the information the FBI forwarded them, according to their report on the case. The Discord account had been linked to IP addresses elsewhere in the state, and it recently pinged from New York. Still, a captain from the sheriffs office assured the FBI that they had alerted nearby schools and planned to keep an eye on Colt, according to an email provided to the AJC. Its unclear which schools were notified: The case file doesnt mention any calls to schools, and Mangum said her captains email was the only record she had of the notification. School had already let out for summer just days before investigators looked into the 2023 threats. Jackson County School District, which Colt had already transferred out of, wasnt notified, spokesman Edward Hooper said. Jefferson City Schools spokeswoman Teresa Stier did not answer questions about whether Colts school at the time knew about the threats. The Barrow County School District, which includes Apalachee High, did not respond to a request for comment. Within days, investigators concluded that the evidence was inconsistent. Relaying his findings, Miller urged Colts father to do more to protect his sons identity online. I dont think your sons being dishonest at all, Miller said, adding later: People steal kids identities all the time. Officers conversations with Colt and his father shed new light on the boys fractured family life, his struggles in school and his challenges to fit in as he bounced between schools. Even so, his father told the investigator in 2023 he was shocked that his son would be investigated for violent threats. I dont know anything about him saying s*** like that, Colin Gray said. Im going to be mad as hell if he did, and then all the guns will go away. His son had access to guns, he said, but they were unloaded. He said hed been trying to teach his son how to use firearms safely and instill in him a respect for how powerful they are. He was proud that Colt had recently taken his first deer, telling an officer about a photo of his son with blood on his cheeks. It was just the greatest day ever, he said. Still, Colin Gray said that hed been concerned about his son in recent years. Colts mother and siblings had left the home, and Colt struggled with the separation, his father said. Colt had finished the seventh grade just the day before the FBI got word of the online threats, his first and only year at Jefferson Middle School, according to Jefferson City Schools. In 2022, he transferred from another middle school in Jackson County. His father told officers hed visited the new school regularly because Colt was struggling and was being bullied. Colt told him he wanted to move out of the school district, he said. In a later phone call, Colin Gray said his sons classmates had been pinching him and touching him. Hes gone through a lot, Colin Gray said, adding: It was just very difficult for him to go to school and not get picked on. As the investigators prepared to leave Colts house after their initial conversation, Miller made small talk with the teenager, who would soon be in eighth grade. The investigator gave him a word of advice: that high school is what really counts. The last four years is what matters, Miller told Colt. Get them good grades, man. It will set you up for the rest of your life. Two days later, the sheriffs office closed the investigation. 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed on Friday signed an ordinance that will require people carrying a concealed gun or carrying one in concealed in a vehicle to have a drivers license or another valid photo identification. The Montgomery City Council passed the ordinance earlier this week. A spokesperson for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement that the ordinance violates state law. The Code of Alabama plainly states that the Legislature is the sole regulator of firearms and related matters, the statement said. Reed said the new law is part of an overall effort to reduce crime. It shows not only that this administration is committed but our City Council is committed to doing everything in our power to try to make sure that our city is safer and doing the things that we can to get guns off the street and empower our police officers more and make our city safer for everyone that lives, works and plays within these limits, the mayor said. Reed was joined by several members of the City Council and Montgomery Interim Police Chief Jim Graboys. The ordinance, only four sentences long, says that if a person carrying a concealed firearm does not have a photo ID, police will confiscate the weapon. They will hold it for up to 30 days. The owner can reclaim it by showing a valid photo ID, providing proof of ownership, and paying a $150 fine. This gives law enforcement a tool to ensure proper identification is held in situations where an individual may be stopped, and weapons are recognized, Reed said. Alabama required a permit to carry a handgun concealed or in a vehicle until the Legislature repealed that law in 2022. The permitless carry law took effect in January 2023. Reed said the new ordinance is an example of how the city can respond independently to citizens concerns about crime and safety while he said they will also seek cooperation with the Legislature. We want to continue to work with our state partners but the city is where we find that most of the complaints come to, Reed said. And weve got to do the things that we can and challenge our state partners to do things they can, again, to help make our entire state safer whether you be in a rural area or an urban area in our city. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch wants the Legislature to change the states law to require people under 21 to purchase a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Burch said young offenders have increasingly been those involved in gun and gang-related violence in the past year, and that requiring them to carry a permit would give law enforcement a tool to seize the firearms before they are used violently. Updated at 2:30 to add statement from Attorney General Steve Marshalls office. Jefferson County sewer system (AL.com file)AL.com file A federal judge has lifted the longstanding order requiring Jefferson County to clean up environmental damage caused by its sewer system after significant improvements were made. U.S. District Court judge David Proctor on Thursday ended the consent decree that brought oversight of the sewer system for nearly 30 years. The issue created not only expensive repairs but led to the countys bankruptcy and corruption indictments for a group of officials and companies. And higher sewer bills for residents. The decree was the result of a 1996 lawsuit against the county by the Cahaba River Society and private citizens. They sued Jefferson County for violations, including unpermitted discharge of wastewater containing raw sewage into the Black Warrior and Cahaba Rivers and its tributaries in violation of the Clean Water Act. The decree contained a multiphase plan of implementing sewer system upgrades and monitoring to bring the system into compliance. Jefferson Countys sewer system is now light years ahead of where it was in the 1990s, said Beth Stewart, former executive director of the Cahaba River Society, who worked with the county throughout the consent decree. Everyone in the county is benefiting from cleaner water quality in our creeks, rivers and neighborhoods because of Jefferson Countys hard work and creative approaches. Since the decree both the county and Cahaba River Society, which is represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, cite significant improvements that justify an end to the oversight. As part of the agreement, the county committed to completing several additional capital improvement projects by early 2027 that are planned and funded to further reduce sewer overflows. The county has allocated millions in federal ARPA money for various upgrades to its sewer system. Recently, the county implemented a new notification system where people can sign up to be notified of sewer overflows in their area. We are proud of our compliance record to meet and even exceed the requirements of the decree and to achieve this milestone of closing this matter, said county Attorney T. A. Theo Lawson. Our team has worked very hard to bring this to a conclusion. Jefferson County has nine water reclamation facilities that serve about 600,000 citizens, including parts of Shelby and St. Clair counties. Since 1996, five of the countys facilities and all the sewer lines leading to them have reached compliance. The agreement releases the final four sewer basins serving communities in the Valley Creek, Shades Creek, Village Creek, Cahaba, and Five Mile Creek watersheds. Jefferson County manages more than 3,100 miles of sewer lines and treats more than 100 million gallons of wastewater per day. Our sewer system is one of the most important infrastructures that the County provides to both citizens and businesses, said Commission President Jimmie Stephens. Our goal was not just to meet the requirements, but exceed them, for the health and welfare of our citizens. The consent order for Jefferson County to clean up its sewer system wasnt without some pain. The repairs and financing led to more than $3 billion in sewer debt, which was a major cause of the countys 2011 bankruptcy - at the time the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Corruption surrounding the construction and financing of the sewer system project also led to the conviction of 21 people and five companies in connection with two federal probes. The county officially exited bankruptcy in 2013. The countys agreement with its creditors also has led to higher sewer bills. Alabama is set to receive more than $40 million in federal grants aimed at making rural and urban roads safer, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Thursday. The funding, part of $1 billion in grants made available through the bipartisan infrastructure laws Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, will go to 11 local and regional communities across Alabama to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries. Through new funding programs like Safe Streets and Roads for All, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities of all sizes make their roadways safer for everyone who uses them, said Buttigieg. We should be energized by the fact that together weve reduced traffic fatalities for more than two years in a row now but so much work remains to fully address the crisis on our roads. Todays roadway safety grants will deliver funding directly to 354 communities and continue the important work were doing to reduce traffic fatalities to the only number thats acceptable: zero. Nearly all of the $40,227,236 is earmarked for north Alabama; $21.64 million is headed to Huntsville and roughly $16 million is being awarded to Jackson County. In Huntsville, the grant will go toward the Holmes Avenue Medical Access Corridor: Safer Streets to Medical Access for Vulnerable Populations. The project funds a Complete Streets transformation on the 3.25-mile stretch of Holmes Avenue that runs from the University of Alabama Huntsville campus and Cummings Research Park to Spragins Street downtown, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In Jackson County, the money will aid the Jackson County Equitable Rural Roadway Improvements project. The grant will help implement countermeasures at nine rural roadway segments scattered throughout the county. The primary project focus is preventing rural roadway departures, crashes, and serious injuries. Rural roadways pose unique safety challenges in Jackson County, including a lack of shoulders, minimal striping, tight curves, elevation changes, and missing guardrails. The SS4A program gives local and tribal governments the resources to plan and implement the safety improvements that will make the most difference in their communities, said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg. They know what is best, and this program leverages that local expertise to save lives. Alabama is also receiving about $2.6 million for nine safety planning and demonstration projects throughout the state. North Alabamians who want to stop in at one of the states newest retailers of the year have many choices in Huntsville and Athens. The Alabama Retail Association honored Huntsvilles ChurchStreet Family Restaurant & Hospitality Group on Thursday at the groups 102 Gates Avenue headquarters, site of Mazzaras Vinoteca. ChurchStreet picked up the retail groups award for retailers with annual sales over $5 million. Stephanie Mell, co-owner with her husband, Matt, called the honor a team win for the groups employees. MONTGOMERY U.S. Rep. Barry Moore said he anticipates a difficult time for this country in the coming months and years, whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win the upcoming presidential election. Even if Trump wins with the right policies in place, were looking at a difficult time for this country, Moore told the well over one hundred people at a Montgomery Chamber of Commerce event Wednesday morning. No matter who wins, its going to take us some time. English News China, Africa continue deepening cooperation in tropical agricultural science, technology Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 6 Septembre 2024 Recently, the workshop on China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Sanya, south China's Hainan province. More than 130 representatives from agricultural research institutions, regional organizations, and enterprises in China and African countries came together to discuss topics such as innovation in China-Africa agricultural science and technology cooperation. By Cao Wenxuan, People's Daily In a banana seedling cultivation room of Crossfrontier International Ltd. in Kenya, rows of cultivation bottles filled with seedlings were neatly arranged. Lucy Mimano, the company's CEO, was carefully examining the growth of these seedlings. "It is crucial to consider the preparation of nutrient solution, the method of inoculating tissue culture seedlings, and specific factors such as temperature, humidity, and light conditions during the cultivation phase," said Mimano. Mimano had attended a training program organized by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), where she learned about the tissue culture technique for banana seedlings. To gain expertise in this technique, she visited the CATAS for a 28-day study program in 2014. "Chinese experts provided me with detailed guidance on how to efficiently develop the banana industry from production and management perspectives, which was of tremendous help to me," said Mimano. After returning to Kenya, she invested in and established the largest factory for producing tissue-cultured banana seedlings in the country, providing disease-free banana seedlings to farmers and enterprises in East and Central Africa. This has effectively promoted the development of the banana industry in Kenya. Mimano is not the only one. Every year, the CATAS welcomes groups of Africans to learn tropical agricultural techniques through visits and on-site learning and later apply their skills back in their home countries. In recent years, the CATAS has trained nearly 3,000 agricultural technicians from Africa. Besides, the CATAS has actively established platforms for international exchanges and cooperation, and conducted technical training for foreign assistance. Over 100 experts have been sent abroad to carry out foreign-aid projects in tropical agriculture. In recent years, China and Africa have deepened their cooperation in agricultural technology under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. By the end of 2023, China had established 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa. These facilities have boosted crop yields by an average of 30 to 60 percent in relevant regions, helping African countries improve their agricultural development and contributing Chinese wisdom to Africa's agricultural modernization. "In the future, we plan to implement various programs in Africa's main agricultural regions. These will focus on crops like cassava and plantains, and include techniques such as localized breeding, improved seed replacement, advanced cultivation techniques, post-harvest loss reduction and comprehensive utilization, and agricultural mechanization. Our goal is to help African countries increase their crop yields and enhance their capacity for self-sufficient food security," said Li Jihua, vice president of the CATAS. Recently, the workshop on China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Sanya, south China's Hainan province. More than 130 representatives from agricultural research institutions, regional organizations, and enterprises in China and African countries came together to discuss topics such as innovation in China-Africa agricultural science and technology cooperation. "China's tremendous success in increasing crop yields and advancing agricultural modernization through continuous technological innovation is something that Africa aspires to," said Felix Dapare Dakora, former president of the African Academy of Sciences. 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) English News China-aided Africa CDC makes new contribution to building China-Africa community of health for all Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 4 Septembre 2024 "The China-aided Africa CDC is technologically advanced and of top quality, providing Africa with an efficient, intelligent, and reliable disease control system," said Enetto Fred, senior engineer at the African Union Commission. By Huang Peizhao, People's Daily In the southwest of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, stands the headquarters building of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This is the first well-equiped disease control center with modernized office and laboratory conditions on the African continent, serving as a symbol of friendship and collaboration between China and Africa. Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa CDC was undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). With a total construction area of nearly 23,600 square meters, the project consists of two office buildings and two laboratory buildings. The facilities include administrative offices, an emergency response center, an information center, biological laboratories, and expert apartments. The design of the project drew inspiration from the double helix structure of DNA, which symbolizes life. The main office buildings on both sides resemble hands holding up, symbolizing unity, compassion, and strength. In the main building of the headquarters, the emergency command center is equipped with a large display that shows a map of Africa along with various charts such as bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts. All kinds of infectious disease data are presented on the display. It is learned that the Africa CDC has a dedicated application that enables doctors from all over Africa to upload disease data in a timely manner, ensuring real-time updates and providing a basis for disease control decisions. In addition, an informatization system of the Africa CDC promotes quick and accurate exchange of business data between different modules. The data center provides reliable infrastructure support for the Africa CDC's business application information system. The unified management platform caters to operations, maintenance, and user services, meeting the Africa CDC's high-security, low-cost, and flexible business requirements. The laboratory buildings were officially unveiled in November last year, and a total of 10 laboratories at biosafety level (BSL)-I, BSL-II, and BSL-III were set up. Among them, the BSL-III laboratories have extremely high standards and requirements for biosafety technology, making them suitable for studying highly pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins that primarily infect humans through respiratory routes. "This is the first high-level laboratory for highly pathogenic microorganisms established by China for an international multilateral organization," said Zhang Yi, resident senior advisor assigned from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC) to the Africa CDC. The establishment of the BSL-III laboratories has brought China's scientific innovation achievements to the infrastructure-deficient Africa, effectively helping African countries enhance their disease diagnosis, surveillance, and response capabilities. "This vividly depicts the shared future and mutual support between China and Africa," said Wu Jiuyi, deputy general manager of CCECC Ethiopia. Since the commencement of the Headquarters Building Phase I Project of the Africa CDC in December 2020, Chinese builders have closely collaborated with various African stakeholders, overcoming numerous challenges. In just 25 months, they have completed the construction, making a new contribution to the building of a China-Africa community of health for all. "The China-aided Africa CDC is technologically advanced and of top quality, providing Africa with an efficient, intelligent, and reliable disease control system," said Enetto Fred, senior engineer at the African Union Commission. Fred believes that the application of a series of intelligent information systems can help staff make efficient and science-based decisions at the fastest speed, meet the demands of disease emergency response, and further enhance Africa's capacity in preventing and managing pandemics and infectious diseases. Infectious disease doctor Tameni at a comprehensive hospital in Ethiopia's Bishoftu expressed gratitude to China, saying, "The Africa CDC allows us to align with the world's advanced medical standards." 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) English News China further expands development space through institutional opening up Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 4 Septembre 2024 At the Global Free Ports Development Forum during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023, an initiative calling for more partnership between free trade zones (FTZ) across the globe was proposed and launched by Hainan and other 25 free trade zones and ports across the world. So far, 32 free trade zones and ports have joined the initiative. By Li Bin, Sun Haitian, People's Daily The Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), as a significant strategic initiative of China's reform and opening up, is creating new prospects. At the plant of Sinopec Hainan Petrochemical Co., Ltd., imported crude oil is processed into new materials, as well as petroleum and chemicals. Hainan Xiangliang Fodder Co., Ltd. has benefited from a "reception first, inspection later" policy for its imported grains. The grains, after going through deep processing, are then transported and sold to Chinese inland regions. This approach saves time and warehousing costs for the company, and allows it to enjoy tax exemptions on value-added sales of processed imported goods in China. Besides, a near-zero carbon demonstration zone has been launched in Boao within the Hainan FTP, and the ocean space resource is being developed and utilized in a multi-dimensional way. So far, Hainan has released 146 cases of innovation of institutional integration in 17 batches. It is steadily expanding institutional opening up to build itself into a high-standard and high-quality FTP. Promoting reform and development though opening up is an important means for China to make continuous achievements in modernization. From the establishment of 22 pilot free trade zones (FTZs) to the emergence of the Hainan FTP, and from the release of the Foreign Investment Law to the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the alignment with high-standard international economic and trade rules and steady expansion of institutional openness have opened up greater space for China's development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) outlined plans for refining the institutions and mechanisms for high-standard opening up, which involve steadily expanding institutional opening up and a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. Steadily expanding institutional opening up is key to high-standard opening up. It helps build new drivers of opening up, and new momentum and advantages of China's development. Compared to opening up based on flows of goods and factors of production, institutional opening up is on a higher level. It embodies China's pursuit of a more proactive strategy of opening up. China's negative list for foreign investment, which was initially launched at pilot FTZs, has been promoted nationwide. From the initial 190 items to the current 31 items in the national version and 27 items in the pilot FTZ version, the shortened negative list for foreign investment has further widened market access, making China's opening-up more attractive to foreign investors. The China (Shanghai) Pilot FTZ has launched a single window for international trade and a copyright service center to better protect intellectual property rights. The Hainan FTP has built a business service system that is "responsive to all requests, non-intrusive when unnecessary, and faithful to all promises." These approaches have enhanced policy offerings and service quality while reducing burdens on businesses and vitalizing the market. These measures aim at fostering a business environment that is more solidly based on market and rule of law and is up to international standards, and creating an institutional environment that is transparent, stable and predictable, which will make the Chinese market more attractive to global resources and production factors. When it comes to steadily expanding institutional opening up, expansion is the goal while the key lies in maintaining a steady approach. In expanding institutional opening up in the financial sector, it is important for China to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, streamline restrictive measures, and strengthen risk prevention and control throughout the entire process to better safeguard national financial security. In furthering opening up the services sector, China attaches equal importance to science-based planning at the top level and the replicable experiences gained from the active exploration in 28 pilot regions. Earlier this year, the General Office of China's State Council issued an action plan to steadily promote high-level opening up and make greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment. In the first seven months of 2024, the number of newly established foreign-invested businesses in China hit 31,654, a year-on-year increase of 11.4 percent, with continuously improved foreign investment structure. At the Global Free Ports Development Forum during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023, an initiative calling for more partnership between free trade zones (FTZ) across the globe was proposed and launched by Hainan and other 25 free trade zones and ports across the world. So far, 32 free trade zones and ports have joined the initiative. By both bringing in high-standard international economic and trade rules and attracting foreign investment, China has promoted mutual learning and integration of its domestic and international rules, amplifying the interplay between its domestic and international markets and resources. It is believed that as long as China pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up and steadily expands institutional opening up, it will continuously create new opportunities for the world with its own development. 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) In recent days, various Israeli former captives of the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip have gone public in the Israeli media with their ordeal, and their reportage is uniform. Every one of their different captors comes across as a psychopathic bully. Being kidnapped and becoming a hostage to Muslims means more than just loss of freedom; it means constant, 24-7 abuse, punishment physical and psychological, in particular, endless humiliation. Israels YNETnews.com quoted freed hostage Almog Meir regarding his abuser: If he did not like how we walked around the apartment, he would say, You were up, fine, now you will sit for a week and not move. If you go to the bathroom, you must crawl there. I dont want you to stand. This is bullying for bullyings sake. Almog added, They often just wanted to punch me. You disconnect from your feelings, from the humiliation. He would take this pen and tie our mouths around it. For days, we would have cuts in our mouths. Sometimes we were bound by chains and would have the rust wash off us when we showered. The lock on the chains would cut us to the bone. Image: Terrorists used the blood of their Jewish victims to pay homage to Allah. X screen grab. What the MSM never covers is the religious dimension of the cruelty that the Jewish hostages in Muslim hands in Gaza are subject to daily. The Koran mandates oppression and humiliation for Jews, and that was the relationship over fourteen centuries. For example, yearly in a Muslim polity, a public ceremony would feature the leader of the Jewish community, commonly the chief rabbi, presenting barrels of coins to the pasha, which was the annual jezya tax, a penalty for the Jews refusing to convert to Islam and for the right to continue practicing Judaism for another year. During the ceremony, the pasha would slap the rabbi in the face for continuing to live according to the Jews false Torah and not the Koran and for refusing to admit that Islam, not Judaism, is the correct version of the religion of Ibrahim. That is the way it was in 18th century Algiers, where the Jews were ordered to wear only black garments and were let out of their ghetto (hara in Algerian Arabic) only a few days a week. It is a misconception among the semi-educated that the word Islam is related to salaam/peace (which is just the Arabic mispronunciation of the Hebrew shalom). It does not mean peace but submission. Islam venerates submission. Abed/slave is a respectable name for a Muslim man. The names Abdel and Abdullah both mean slave of God, for slavery is a virtue. Allah wants slaves, not free-thinking, independent individuals. An Israeli friend, like so many foreign admirers of America, once asked me what makes America great and special, and I immediately answered, Freedomthe liberty of the individual as the highest value. The first American revolutionaries in Boston called themselves the Sons of Liberty. In Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell is a national treasure. In New York Harbor stands the Statue of Liberty, which word is the opposite of submission. The Muslims in Gaza voted freely for the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas) in 2006 to be their government. The Brotherhood is a non-nationalist organization founded in 1928 that has nothing to do with those Arabs who now identify as Palestinians. (The only people in 1928 calling themselves Palestinians were Zionist pioneer Jews restoring their peoples barren homeland to habitability.) On October 7, 2023, the Brotherhood in Gaza exposed itself to the world to be a cult of sadistic sex maniacs who, as jailers, are addicted to the domination and submission of their captives. Their Jewish victims have, of course, been rapedboth the men and womenwhenever the urge comes upon these brutal men with the ethics of Neanderthals. In captivity, the Muslim Brothers commonly call a Jewish hostage donkey (hamr), an animal Arabs still in use in Judea and Samaria as a beast of burden. The IDF has uncovered all kinds of materials in Gaza, including instructions to the invaders on October 7 to kill and capture not only soldiers but women, children, and babies, reflecting a culture in which no distinction is made between combatants and non-combatants. For them, war is killing infidels, all of whom are worthy targets. That commitment to their jihad is one major reason why the 1993 Oslo Peace Process between Arafat and the two Israeli Marxists Rabin and Peres bombed (pun intended). Those two atheists did not understand that when Arafat swore off terrorism as part of their peace agreement, not only did that liar not mean it, but he did not understand it. None of these Muslim terrorists understand terror as people in civilized societies experience their ghastly atrocities. For them, 9/11 was a beautiful thing, the massacre of people at random. War for them is killing the enemy, torturing the enemy, and mutilating the enemy. Nothing is out of bounds. On October 7, one terrorist was known to use an Israeli cell phone to call his mommy and daddy in Gaza and exult, I just killed ten Jews! Arent you proud of me!? The West must wake up to the reality of the war against civilized humanity that Islam is waging, with Israel as the tip of the spear. Islam is a totalitarian ideology in a class with Nazism and Communism, and, not coincidentally, all three are rooted in a satanic hatred of Jews. Three thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven years ago, the Jewish nation was born in its escape from Egypt, the greatest slave revolt in history. Judaism is a religion that celebrates that escape every spring for a week. The Jewish national epic inspired Americas rebels against King George III. They cursed him as Pharoah, and when the Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776, gave Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin the job of designing a seal for the new state, one idea was for a scene of Moses standing on the shore, extending his hand over the sea to drown Pharoah, who is sitting in an open chariot, a crown on his head and a sword in his hand, as rays from the Pillar of Fire in the clouds reach Moses, to express that he acts by the command of the Deity. All dictators and tyrants hate Jews, most especially devotees of a religion that glorifies submission. Islamic culture is this generations successor to fascism, only the expanse of its empire over fifty-six officially Muslim nation-states dwarfs in size the great empires in history. Muslims are swamping the U.K. and Europe and are preparing the same fate for the U.S.A. Only Barack Hussein Obama might know how many of the millions that conman Biden (likely on Obamas instructions) let into the country are Muslim Brotherhood members. Judging by recent elections in Europe, people there seem to be finally facing up to the menace of the Muslim enemies within. No less must Americans face the presence in their country of now more than 3,000 mosques financed from abroad that are, in effect, advance outposts of the global jihad for the wished-for eventual Muslim conquest of America. Islam is a polygamous culture, something illegal in all 50 states. Patriotic citizens in the vicinity of a mosque might want to lodge a complaint with the proper authorities that this institution fosters illegality and, therefore, should be shut down by a marshal or sheriff armed, much as one would a crack house or house of ill repute. This might be a start toward the goal of legally declaring radical Islamic precepts as illegal in the States as Nazism is in post-War Germany. We did it with Mormonisms polygamy, and we can do it with Islams polygamy as well as its other unsavory and unconstitutional practices and beliefs. Shai ben-Tekoas PHANTOM NATION: Inventing the Palestinians as the Obstacle to Peace is available at Amazon.com in hard cover or a Kindle ebook. His podcasts can be heard on www.phantom-nation.com. Next month, October 7, will mark the first anniversary of Hamas' surprise attack on Israel, in which over 1,100 Israelis -- mostly civilians -- were ruthlessly murdered in their homes. The chaotic political fallout that ensued afterward would involve the occupation of college campuses across the United States by protesters denouncing Zionism and colonialism, as well as the declaration that Israel was somehow an "apartheid state," despite that definitionally not being the case. Any mourning for the victims of Hamas' attack was quickly drowned out by extremist American college students some 6,000 miles away who arrogantly believe a handful of social theories aimed at "decolonization" can adequately explain and remedy a conflict that has been raging for over a century. As of the time of this writing, protests have resumed at Columbia University following the beginning of the fall semester, demanding that the university divest from Israel due to its ongoing war efforts in Gaza. Following the attack, social media feeds were quickly inundated with Instagram infographic posts from pro-Palestine propaganda accounts that deliberately oversimplified and omitted factual information crucial for contextualizing the conflict. This of course prompted the vast majority of the conservative intelligentsia to go full "debate bro" on the subject, resulting in long, winding debates about who first inhabited the region we now call Israel and Palestine, who attacked first, various contested definitions of the word "genocide," and so on. The mainstream conservative effort to counter the activist rhetoric, however -- no matter how rigorous or well-informed -- was futile. Despite both sides' adamant referrals to the "history" of the conflict, very little attention was paid, beyond merely in passing, to the ideological and theoretical underpinnings of the pro-Palestine side, which, upon further examination, helps to uncover the political pathology of left-wing anti-colonial activism. The Left's relentless insistence that Israel is a colonial power hell-bent on oppressing and genociding innocent Palestinians is instructive because it reveals its broader commitment to deconstructing anything Western or West-adjacent in the name of emancipating the victims of European colonization. The activist rhetoric at various American universities in particular owes its intellectual ancestry to postcolonial theory, a distinctly postmodern outgrowth of critical theory that applies the usual social and cultural constructivism of left-wing theorizing to European colonization. Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay in their book Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity -- and Why This Harms Everybody, trace the origins of current postcolonial theory to Palestinian-American philosopher and Columbia professor Edward Said, the so-called "father" of postcolonial theory (the authors also note the influence of earlier intellectuals like the Afro-Caribbean philosopher Frantz Fanon, who, while lacking the postmodern attitude of later theorists, nevertheless inspired Said by his examination of the psychological impacts of the subjugation of native cultures and languages brought on by European colonialism). In his book Orientalism, published in 1979, Said laid the intellectual foundations of postcolonial theory and specifically drew upon the postmodern knowledge and political principles as put forward by Michel Foucault. The knowledge principle essentially holds that there is no such thing as objective knowledge, but rather that knowledge is merely a set of socially constructed "discourses" inherent to any society, as well as the postmodern political principle, which holds that society is nothing more than a series of socially constructed power structures that determine what can and cannot be known. "Orientalism," i.e. the West's cultural caricature of the East, Said argues, is legitimated by western discourses, which justifies colonialism by that particular conception of knowledge. Most notable here is the ideological obsession with power, or the broad postulation that all human suffering can be attributed to a series of socially constructed power structures that exist to elevate a certain group of people at the expense of others. This framework is evident in many other forms of left-wing theory, such as critical race theory, gender studies, and so on. It is regularly employed by activists in their efforts to subvert Western ways of thinking, which they believe to be systemically discriminatory and oppressive. It is perhaps impossible to overstate how much influence Said's work would have on future generations of postcolonial theorists in the academy, as well as the student activists who now knowingly or unknowingly espouse it. It is why we often see decolonization efforts at universities aimed at removing statues found to be offensive or racist, or the shift away from "Eurocentric" curricula in the humanities. It is why you have Palestinian activist organizations on college campuses proudly displaying propaganda art illustrating the infamous Hamas paragliders that were used on the October 7 attacks. It is why you have certain professors at Ivy League universities publicly saying that they found Hamas' attack on Israel to be "exhilarating" and "energizing" at student rallies, or that Israel has a so-called "monopoly of violence." How one seriously defines "monopoly" in this context has yet to be elaborated upon. It is also why debates about the history of the conflict in an attempt to counter pro-Palestinian talking points are usually futile; not because those attempts are not based in truth, but because the activists and intellectuals espousing them often operate on an entirely different conception of knowledge, which holds that the western (or American) point of view of the conflict is merely a socially constructed discourse meant to uphold the oppressors' (Israel) monopoly on power. It is therefore not at all surprising to see Palestinian activists commit to a historical revisionism that paints Palestine as the undisputed victim of a genocidal Jewish state (this also explains why the Left in general commits to historical revisionism in other cases, such as claiming that America was founded upon the first arrival of slaves in 1619). What makes the institutionalization of postcolonial theory so dangerous is its widespread move from a small band of Ivory Tower intellectuals to the impressionable minds of young, self-proclaimed activists who seem prepared to act on what they believe in. Postcolonial theory initially expressed itself through performative university exercises -- removing statues, mission statements, academic papers, and stolen land acknowledgments. It now expresses itself through a widespread willingness to absolve heinous crimes by radical Islamic terrorists in pursuit of the abstract goals of revolution and liberation. Image: Ted Eytan Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well in Liz Cheney's head. The former congresswoman and daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in the election. I guess that President Trump is more dangerous to our democracy than a woman who won't answer questions from reporters or anyone else. This is the story: Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris, Cheney said in a video of remarks posted to X. The university separately provided a clip of Cheneys remarks to NBC News. The former congresswoman said in her remarks that it is crucially important for people to understand that people do not have the luxury of writing in candidates names, particularly in swing states. The Harris campaign welcomed Cheney's support. "She is a patriot who loves this country and puts our democracy and our Constitution first," Harris campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon said in a statement Wednesday night. "Vice President Harris will be a president for all Americans, regardless of political party. For any American who is looking to reject the chaos and division of Donald Trump, turn the page, and pursue a new way forward that protects our freedoms and defends the American values we all believe in, there is a place for you in the Harris-Walz coalition, and we will continue working to earn your support. Yes, we do not have the luxury of other options. All we have is Trump and an ultra-liberal from California. And there you have it. Liz is now a patriot. Gone are the days when her father was a war criminal and the devil. Amazing how that happens. I don't remember Democrats praising Rep. Cheney when she voted with President Trump. Again, amazing how quickly we go from war criminal to patriot. My suggestion is that Liz Cheney answer a simple question: Do you hate Trump that much that you want a President Harris filling the courts with liberal judges? Many are expecting Sonia Sotomayor to retire owing to ill health. A vote for Harris is a vote for Harris picking out the kind of justice Harris thinks should replace her. Does Liz really want Harris to appoint the same kind of judges they hate in Wyoming? Or the same kind of judicial activists that your father used to talk about in his own campaign? So TDS took another one over the line. My suggestion to Liz is to visit a psychiatrist and get Trump out of her head. It may bring some peace to her family. P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Beginning in 2007, to get Obama into office, the media abandoned objectivity, even while still claiming to be objective. In 2016, a New York Times writer argued that Trump was such a unique threat that journalism shouldnt measure itself against any one campaigns definition of fairness. Objectivity, he said, was untenable. And just the other day, James Carville, the architect of Bill Clintons 1992 victory, issued marching orders to the media: F**k your objectivity. The media continue to operate under those guidelines, attacking the Trump campaign in ways never before seen in American history. One of the prime ways the media do this is through reporting that relies heavily on omission to convey an impression that is the opposite of the truth. The AP did that yesterday, and the Kamala campaign used that technique to its advantage. Following the Georgia shooting (which occurred because the FBI failed to follow up on a known threat), JD Vance said, I don't like this. I don't like to admit this. I don't like that this is a fact of life. But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets, and we have got to bolster security at our schools so that a person who walks through the front door...weve got to bolster security so that if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children, they're not able to. In other words, JD Vance believes that the problem is that schools are soft targets because the tragic reality of the world is that there are psychos out there. To protect our children, we need to make our schools more secure. No one would disagree with that. But heres how the AP framed Vances statement: That headline is a blatant lie by omission, for it makes it appear that Vance himself is a psycho whos fine with kids being killed in schools. Its not until one gets to the small print that the truth comes out. Naturally, the Kamala campaign seized on this AP framing: Our statement on JD Vance calling school shootings a fact of life https://t.co/8OfUFHHzaL pic.twitter.com/rFFF3i4qa2 Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 6, 2024 The video link is honest, but how many people do you think will pay attention to that link? The Trump campaign understood that few would and instantly shot out a response: Kamala's interns just released a statement pushing FAKE NEWS that the Associated Press just retracted. Watch the full video and you'll clearly see that JD Vance does not say what they claim he said. These morons do nothing but lie every single day. https://t.co/CBKVC5Favg pic.twitter.com/HGXWLSVqQU Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 6, 2024 Meanwhile, the AP, faced with valid attacks on its honesty, deleted the original tweet: New: The AP has officially deleted a tweet which deliberately misquoted JD Vance on school shootings as a fact of life Vance said I dont like that this is a fact of life, but if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets pic.twitter.com/5cZgb96ekY The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) September 6, 2024 Of course, that deletion was irrelevant. As the old adage goes, a lie travels halfway around the world before the truth puts its pants on. Thus, the widely read Daily Mail had this headline: JD Vance calls school shootings a fact of life in wake of Georgia massacre; psychos are going to go after our kids. The medias full-court press doesnt stop with dishonesty, though. Media outlets are so frantic that the New York Times is joining with the Washington Postits ostensible rivalto paint Donald Trump as an existential danger to the First Amendments promise of a free press. Thus, the WaPo is running an opinion piece by A.G. Sulzbergerthe New York Timess Chairmanattacking Donald Trump by claiming that he will destroy press freedom. Interestingly, Sulzberger neglects to mention a few relevant facts: To claim that Donald Trump is an existential threat to the media is ludicrous. The real existential threat to America and the Constitution is a mainstream media that has vast control over what the American people think, and that pretends to be objective, even while engaging in the largest political attack ever witnessed against a mainstream candidate. By the way, if youre wondering who you want to side with in this warTrump or the medialook at the medias values. The media are for open borders, sterilizing and castrating children, erasing women, pornography in schools, destroying our energy sector, fighting endless wars with no discernable benefit for America, destroying Israel, elevating Iran and its anti-Western satellites, seizing our guns (which are every citizens last bulwark against tyranny, as the Nazis, Soviets, and Chinese communists all knew), and replacing UN law as the primary law in America. While their attacks are against Trump personally, what they really hate is that he threatens this openly expressed agenda. Image by Andrea Widburg using AI. Move over, Aurora. Venezuelan thugs have got bigger plans than just taking over one apartment building in a Denver suburb. Seems they're after a lot of them, actually, and have gotten it down to a routine. Just north of Dallas, Texas, illegally present Tren de Aragua thugs may have reportedly taken an apartment building or two. According to the Daily Mail: In a startling and surprising admission, the Dallas Police Department confirmed Tren De Aragua is in North Texas committing crimes, DailyMail.com can reveal. The notorious South American mob best known for sex trafficking girls and women and exploiting their fellow Venezuelans, crossed the US-Mexico border in recent years- as DailyMail.com was first to report- mixed in with asylum-seeking migrants, and is behind a crime wave stretching from Miami to New York. Last week in Aurora, Colorado, gang members were seen in a video storming an apartment complex armed to the hilt with assault rifles and banging on doors. In North Texas, the criminal organization's presence had been rumored for at least a year, but for the first time ever, law enforcement officials have publicly confirmed their arrival. 'We have had gang activity in the north Dallas area linked to the Tren De Aragua gang from Venezuela,' Dallas Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Pryor told DailyMail.com. Texas cops stopped short of detailing what specific crimes TdA, as the gang is known by federal agents, has been involved in locally-- citing on-going investigations. The Mail noted that they've already infiltrated ride-share apps and food delivery apps in the area, so good luck to those companies who have customers appreciative of not being shaken down. They may need it. But there also have been scattered reports from locals of at least two apartment takeovers, on Twitter: We alledgedly have a Venezuelan gang taking over the Versailles apartments in North Dallas. Its not far from me! Well several miles or so! #VenezuelanGangs https://t.co/e55OQaBzJR Leigh10021 (@tarheel_texas) September 3, 2024 After a @libsoftiktok video of a Dallas man nearly being beaten to death in an apartment parking lot by Venezuelan illegal immigrants, @DallasPD issued a statement revealing the Tren de Aragua gang has been operating in Dallas. The beating occurred at The Oaks of North Dallas pic.twitter.com/JVjIG2Tyzo PJ Paul (@RealPJPaul) September 5, 2024 A few days ago, there were muddled reports out of Chicago of Venezuelan illegal alien gang takeovers of apartments there, too: BREAKING: 32 Venezuelan gang members reportedly overran an apartment complex in Chicago. 911 audio of the emergency has been released. "6124 S King: caller says 32 Venezuelans are trespassing in the building, they are showing guns in the courtyard and they have motorcycles in pic.twitter.com/2zKr1KkW0T Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 3, 2024 Authorities there denied anything amiss. But obviously, something disturbing is going on with these repeated stories around various parts of the country, wherever illegals are bussed or flown to by the Harris-Biden administration's open border. Most denials by authorities in these places, starting with Colorado, have been found to be woefully wrong. If you ask what an apartment takeover by a Venezuelan gang is, what comes to mind is a conversation I had with blogging great Miguel Octavio, then at his home in Chacaito, a nice neighborhood in Caracas, in December 2005. One side of the house faced a shantytown below. I recall that Miguel told me that gangs controlled that slum, and chaos reigned through much of the day with loud music, robberies, and assorted thug activity, one of them crashing a car in the street the night before. Gangs shook down residents for "protection" money whether they liked paying it or not. At about 10:00 p.m., the machine guns came out and the gang shut down the noise, presumably so that gangsters could get their sleep. They maintained an order of sorts, though not the kind of order anyone in a free society would care to live in. The gangs called the shots, the gangs made money from the residents, and the gangs ruled the roost. It may be that a similar dynamic is playing out in U.S. cities with apartment buildings on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas still ruled by defund-the-police leaders little policing and leftist district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crime. There may even be politicians who are happy to take their payoffs, or get-out-the-vote efforts, which they are known to have been adept at back in Venezuela. That's an ideal environment for lawless groups to operate in as these thugs would know so well from Caracas. Now they are here, and find the operating environment very comparable to the one they came from. And with that going on, it may well be in more cities than just Aurora, north Dallas and Chicago that they are operating, or plan to operate in. The Daily Mail said that the Tren de Aragua gang set up its regional headquarters in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, though how they would co-exist with Mexico's fearsome cartels is unknown. They could be in cahoots together, or something else may be going on. Bottom line here is that this activity is organized, both in the apartment takeover aspect, and the pattern repeating from city to city. That's bad news for us, because it suggests they know their way around the system, including who to pay off and which judge or prosecutor to find themselves at the mercy of. We need a secure border. Unless Trump wins, meet your new building managers https://t.co/3RL4apRKc8 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 6, 2024 As Eric Hoffer once mentioned, the U.S. is becoming increasingly Latinamericanized, and this unwelcome gang aspect underlines it. Why the heck is the Harris-Biden administration importing this? Image: Screen shot from Twitter video The Tennessee Star released this week a 2023 journal written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale. The release of the journal provides very little new information about the shooters motives but raises interesting questions about the publics right to review all the investigative material including, and especially, mental health records. The 2023 journal entries are a rambling diatribe by Hale, lamenting having been born a female and whining about how misunderstood she is by her parents and particularly her father. She alleges that she is a victim of having been born the wrong sex and having a broken brain. Most of the pages are about Hales desire to die, and only then will she be happy. Clearly, there are many mental health issues involved with Hale leading up to the shooting. The question is, what caused Hales decent into suicidal and homicidal ideation? Remember that it was reported by The Tennessee Star that Hale had been a psychiatric patient at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) for two decades. Hale had been diagnosed with at least five mental illnesses and had received cocktails of psychiatric drugs as treatment. Some of the adverse events associated with just the known drugs (Lorazepam, Buspirone, Lexapro, Hydroxyzine, and Prozac) Hale had been prescribed could be responsible for the shooters deadly thoughts. So why are Hales mental health records being withheld (Evidence Item #46 Psych File) from public review? Its no secret that Vanderbilt treated Hale most of her life. The treatment provided to Hale included talk therapy and mind-altering psychotropic drugs cocktails of them. Who wants to bet that not one of the psychiatrists, therapists, or M.D.s at Vanderbilt ever advised Hales parents or Hale that none of the psychiatric drugs being prescribed actually treats any known abnormality in the brain? In other words, it is likely that not one of Hales treating physicians ever said, Hey, we dont know what is causing your behavior, but these drugs will make you feel different. They arent treating any abnormality in your brain because there are no known abnormalities in your brain for any of our psychiatric diagnoses. This is called informed consent telling patients the truth about a diagnosis and treatment. No one can say whether this information was provided to Hale because Hales mental health records havent been made public. But the right people have seen the mental health records. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC) has a lot of information about Hale. The BTAC knows so much about Hale that it sent a memo to the chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) recommending that legacy tokens (documents that may claim credit for attacks/motives) should not be disseminated to the public. One of the reasons provided for not disseminating the shooters documents was because the information within a shooters documents could contribute to future attacks. Perhaps. Its interesting, though, that the FBIs BTAC did not list cocktails of mind-altering drugs as a possible reason for mass shootings. This is of interest because prescribed psychiatric drugs often are part of the shooters history. The BTAC has seen Hales journals and, undoubtedly, has also seen Hales mental health records, which describe the blow-by-blow psychiatric drug treatments prescribed to Hale over a twenty-year period. Why wouldnt the FBIs BTAC want the public to have that legacy token information? Is the FBI covering for the pharmaceutical or behavioral health industries? After all, every time there is a mass shooting, legislatures go into crisis management mode and legislate billions of dollars for increased mental health services to fix a shooter problem. Never fails. A mass shooting happens, and suddenly, the reason for the violence becomes not enough mental health. This is bizarre. Over the last thirty years, hundreds of billions of dollars have been poured into increased mental health services on a state and federal level. Ironically, no one is getting better. The data bear this out. More people are suffering from mental illness than ever before. Worse, more people are taking prescribed mind-altering drugs to make it through the day. How is this possible? Despite boatloads of money being thrown at mental health services, why isnt the number of mentally ill going down? Why arent the mentally ill getting better? More importantly, why havent legislators asked this question? As part of that line of questioning, lawmakers need to have all the information available to them about the shooters to make effective policy decisions. That mental health laws are being passed and billions of dollars are being appropriated without all the information is a scandal. Its time for lawmakers to pass legislation that forces the mental health information of mass shooters be made public. Until lawmakers are armed with all the information about these events, no laws will appropriately address what may be the cause of these senseless attacks. And continuing to throw money at what clearly isnt working is the definition of insanity. Image: ElisaRiva via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Google Photos is getting a couple of long-awaited features that make it even better. The company is enhancing the services search system so that it can understand phrases in natural language. Additionally, Ask Photos is now available to some Google Photos users in the form of early access. Google Photos search system is now much more powerful The Google Photos search system is one of its most appreciated features. However, considering all the capabilities that AI has demonstrated, many users agree that it could significantly improve. The current search system is based on keywords or phrases to get related results. However, sometimes it could be difficult to find a keyword that would bring you a specific photo. Google was aware of the problem, so it improved the Photos search system. Now, instead of just using robot-style keywords or phrases, you can use phrases in more natural language. For example, lets say you want to find photos of yourself with your friend named Alice. Instead of using Alice, you can use the phrase Alice and me laughing. Google offers other example phrases like Kayaking on a lake surrounded by mountains and Emma painting in the backyard. This is a big deal, as it makes it much easier to find very specific pictures among hundreds or thousands. Additionally, you can now sort results by date or relevance. Its surprising that the latter wasnt possible before, but better late than never, right? Google Photos Ask Photos early access begins; first in the US The other big Google Photos-related announcement is the start of Ask Photos early access. As an early access feature, Ask Photos is currently only available in English to a select group of users in the United States. If youre not aware, Ask Photos is the result of Geminis integration into Google Photos. If you thought the enhanced search capabilities were impressive, the new feature goes even further. Ask Photos allows you to ask very specific Google Photos questions using natural language. While this sounds similar to enhanced search, its actually something much deeper. Photos integration with Gemini makes it capable of understanding conversational prompts. It allows you to not only find pictures but also extract data from them according to your requirements. You can also ask questions about situations or moments you experienced. For example, Ask Photos supports questions like Where did we camp last time we went to Yosemite? For instance, you can ask Where did we camp last time we went to Yosemite? or What did we eat at the hotel in Stanley? You can even ask something like, Whats my cars license plate number?. The original May announcement demonstrated that Ask Photos can create memories using chronologically sorted images. For example, you could ask for photos to show your childs progress in learning to swim. There is no date yet for the widespread rollout of Ask Photos. However, you can sign up here to be on the early access waitlist. During HONORs big IFA launch on Thursday, launching the Magic V3 globally, the company compared the new foldable to the iPhone 15 Pro Max quite a bit during its presentation. Versus comparing it to a number of other foldables on the market. HONOR did compare it a few times to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but for the most part, it was the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Why? According to HONOR CEO George Zhao, to be frank, today I do not find that any foldable can compete with HONOR Magic V3. No real competitor in the foldable category. So HONOR is looking for competitors in the bar phone category, and is comparing the Magic V3 to bar phones like the Galaxy S and iPhone. On the one hand, Zhao is correct. When it comes to foldables, theres not really anything that can compete. While we have foldables like the vivo X Fold 3 Pro and the OnePlus Open with very good cameras and displays, neither are as thin or lightweight as the Magic V3. The HONOR Magic V3 is just 9.9mm thick when folded, and 4.35mm when unfolded. Actually making it thinner than many slab phones when folded. And it weighs in at 226g. Thats also lighter than a lot of slab phones, for example, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is 232g and it has a smaller battery. HONOR is very confident in the Magic V3 HONOR seems to be very confident with the Magic V3 this year. Its been on a media blitz showing how light the foldable is, as well as how far ahead it is of its Western competitors like Samsung. There were a few slides in the presentation on Thursday about how Samsung was able to shave off 1.3mm in width on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. But its still about 2.2mm thicker than the Magic V3. Theres also the camera setup, including a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 50-megapixel 3.5x telephoto, and a 40-megapixel ultrawide, which has been providing some impressive pictures during my testing with the Magic V3. In fact, Ive been comparing its camera to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and its somewhat mindblowing how much better it is. So, HONOR should be confident in the Magic V3; this is a really well-built phone. The only major problem now is going to be software. As I mentioned in my review, I still think theres more that HONOR can do to make MagicOS really take advantage of the larger screen here. Unfortunately, we Westerners will never really get to use this phone. Since it doesnt work fully on US networks, it will be pretty pricey to import, as it does start at 1,999 in Europe. Nanoleaf has announced its latest lighting product this week called Blocks and these new panels are a neat way to customize your game room. Adding to the growing lineup of different shapes Nanoleaf offers, Blocks come in squares of varying sizes, and like most of Nanoleafs other options, they sync together for a complete lighting experience that lights up your room. They do more than just add lighting to your space, though, as the Blocks panels come in a few different types. There are Blocks Squares and Blocks Small Squares, which are just like the Triangles and Hexagons panels in large and small sizes. Where things start to differentiate are with the remaining three types. Blocks Textured Squares are sort of like the regular Squares but with a 3D look to them for some added style. The most exciting of the bunch are the Blocks Shelves and Blocks Light Pegboard. With the Shelves, you can easily display your figurines, plants, or anything else you might want on a shelf. With the Light Pegboard, you can slot in hooks to mount your controllers, headphones, and other gaming and tech accessories. And the beauty of it all is that they mix and match. So you can work in the shelves and pegboard panels with the regular ones. Nanoleaf Blocks panels have edge-to-edge lighting This is perhaps one of the bigger details of this announcement. Nanoleafs lighting products are extremely popular, and for good reason. But a common complaint has been that the light panels have darker spots where the lighting isnt as bright and that there are corners of the panels that have no lighting at all. Nanoleaf has taken those criticisms to heart and has made the Blocks offer edge-to-edge lighting. So every bit of surface area has light coming through. Nanoleaf says that this should also help ensure there arent any dark spots like with its other Shapes panels. Blocks have support for Google Home, Apple Home, and more All of Nanoleafs products so far have worked over Wi-Fi and that isnt stopping here. Blocks will connect to your network the same way. You can also use the companion app on your phone to control everything from scenes to brightness. You can also use your voice to control the lights through Google Home, Apple Home, Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. They support screen mirroring too. You can set up screen mirroring with the Blocks in two ways. Via the PC app, or by syncing Blocks with the Nanoleaf 4D camera kit, which makes it possible to mirror anything on your screen and not just whats visible on your PC. Nanoleaf Blocks go up for pre-order today and start at $199.99 for the Blocks Squares Smarter Kit. Theres also the Combo XL bundle that includes some of the Blocks Shelves and Blocks Light Pegboard panels for $249.99. The United States said Thursday it had secured the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua, the latest mass transfer by President Daniel Ortega's increasingly authoritarian government. The White House said that the prisoners included members of faith organizations, students and others viewed by Ortega and his team as a "threat to their authoritarian rule." The freed prisoners arrived Thursday in nearby Guatemala, whose reformist President Bernardo Arevalo has worked closely with Washington on the key issue of migration, the State Department said. They will have the opportunity to seek to move to the United States. "We urge the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Nicaragua," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "The Nicaraguan people want and deserve a restored democracy where all can exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, free from fear of persecution or reprisal." The latest move follows the mass release of more than 200 prisoners in February 2023 who were flown to the United States. The former prisoners have largely welcomed being able to leave, although some human rights activists view Ortega's move cynically, seeing him as trying to get rid of perceived opponents while at least attempting to curry favor with Washington. The latest release includes 13 members of Mountain Gateway, an evangelical Christian group based in Texas, the White House said. Nicaraguan authorities earlier this year accused members of the group, which conducts mass gospel campaigns as well as humanitarian work, of money laundering and organized crime. Mountain Gateway strongly denied the charges, saying that Nicaraguan authorities were able to review its budgeting. Ortega, a 78-year-old former leftist guerrilla who battled US-backed forces in the 1980s, returned to power in 2007 and initially had been seen as more moderate. But he has since lifted presidential term limits, seized control of all branches of government and led a sweeping crackdown on groups including the Catholic Church and NGOs seen as threats to his rule. Snapchat is a messaging app that is very popular among young people. That makes it an ideal target for potential sexual predators looking for new victims. An investigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice found that this is exactly what has been happening, which is why it has filed a lawsuit against Snap. Apparently, the company is not implementing sufficient measures to attack the situation. New Mexico files lawsuit against Snap for failing to protect children from sextortion Vanishing chats is one of the features that made Snapchat popular among young people. Messages that are only viewable once, or for 24 hours based on your settings, provide a certain level of privacy. Plus, the app sends a notification if any of the users take a screenshot of the conversation or even the profile. Therefore, young people use the app to send suggestive multimedia content, since theoretically, it will never leave the chat without you knowing it. That said, the attorney general of New Mexico claims that this is not the case. According to the state Department of Justices investigation, Snap has misled users into believing that photos and videos sent on their platform will disappear, but predators can permanently capture this content and they have created a virtual yearbook of child sexual images that are traded, sold, and stored indefinitely. Basically, New Mexico is suing the company for failing to protect children from sextortion. The prosecutor claims that Snapchat fosters the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and facilitates child sexual exploitation. The months-long investigation uncovered more than 10,000 records related to CSAM from Snap in the last year alone. It even claims that sextortion scripts are freely available on the internet, but Snapchat does not block them. Plus, Snapchat would make it easier for malicious actors to find others with similar intentions through the recommendation algorithm. The lawsuit also mentions problems related to app addiction The lawsuit doesnt just address issues related to sextortion and CSAM. It also blames Snapchat for creating problems with the apps addiction. This has led some of its users to depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, body dysmorphia and other mental health issues, according to the suit. New Mexico holds Snap accountable for designing its app with the goal of making it addictive. This is not the first time that New Mexico has sued a large messaging or social media service. The state Department of Justice had previously sued Meta, alleging similar grounds to those in Snaps suit. The lawmakers claim that these platforms are prioritizing profits over childrens safety. Sonys PS5 Pro design seems all but confirmed at this point, with the company having recently teased what the console will look like. The PS5 Pro is Sonys midcycle refresh of the PS5 thats expected to launch sometime later this year. More than a few details about the console have surfaced via leaks and rumors over the past several months. But so far nothing has been officially confirmed. Sony itself also hasnt confirmed the console even exists. However, it seems that the company has teased both the consoles existence and design recently. It was hiding in plain sight the whole time no less. The details of the design were spotted in a blog post on September 5 on Sonys official PlayStation blog. The post was put out to celebrate 30 years of PlayStation as a brand. In that post, Sony included an image with a giant 30th Anniversary message next to the PlayStation logo. It looks normal at first glance, but if you look closely, you can spot the teaser in the background. Behind the large 30th Anniversary label, you can see Sonys familiar PlayStation shapes that make up the action buttons on its controllers. With each shape being comprised of icons for all the different PlayStation hardware over the years. Its here that you can spot the design of the upcoming PS5 Pro. Sonys PS5 Pro design teaser is the spitting image of a recent leak If you still havent seen it, you can see the PS5 Pro icon right behind the bottom part of the 3 in 30th Anniversary. This wasnt the first time this design has popped up, however. Back on August 29, Dealabs Billbil-kun admitted to having seen the final packaging for the console, and thereby the design of the console on that packaging. While they didnt post an actual image of the box, they did share a sketch of what the console looked like. Wouldnt you know it, the teaser of the design Sony hid inside of its 30th Anniversary image looks just like that sketch. Its not quite an official confirmation, but it might as well be. Because theres no reason Sony would put that design on an official image if it werent the final design of the console. The plan is to launch the PS5 Pro in November With Sony now teasing the PS5 Pro, it would seem that an announcement is imminent. That seems especially likely when you factor in the planned launch window. According to Insider Gaming (via Wccftech), Sony plans to launch the PS5 Pro sometime in November. This lines up with most of the other rumors suggesting a Fall release. Whatever Sonys official plans are, it looks like theyll be public soon. TECNO has just announced its AI vision at IFA 2024 in Berlin. In other words, the company introduced a series of AI functions that will enhance productivity, provide more practical value, and offer easier creative fun. TECNO talked about its AI vision at IFA 2024 The company says that these features will soon be rolled out to its smart device ecosystem. TECNO has always been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in emerging global markets, said Jack Guo, a General Manager of TECNO. TECNO says that it wants to deliver Pracital AI to its consumers. In other words, the company wants to offer features that integrate into the daily life of its consumers to help them out, basically. Further AI investments are planned TECNO AI vision integrates the most advanced AI features on the market, such as AI writing, translation, search, drawing, and more, says TECNO. The company also said that it plans to invest further in its AI strategy. It will firstly focus on AI language localization, and that includes minority language translation and semantic recognition development. The second focus will be on the integration of AI and local apps. TECNOs AI assistant Ella comes with Gemini support TECNO already offers a Gemini-integrated Ella AI Assistant on its devices, by the way. Ella AI is able to engage in streams of conversation with users, instead of providing a single response per interaction. TECNO offers Real-Time Translation thanks to AI, and the same goes for AI Writing function. TECNO AI Assistant can generate a summary of a long text without a problem, thats just one example. There are a number of AI features on offer The company also mentioned AI Search, which is another member of its AI arsenal. This feature allows you to learn about the world with the swipe of a finger on the screen. Whether you want to get a particular recipe, an image, or buy a piece of clothing youve spotted on social media networks. TECNO offers various other AI functions, such as AI Artboard, AI Image Editing, AI Video Productions, and so on. The company is constantly improving those products, and it seemingly has big plans for the future. Shakari Briggs is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at shakari.briggs@houstonchronicle.com. Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, she worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. Shakari comes to the Houston newsroom with experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career. Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn is to set out the Governments commitment to a new chapter in UK-Ireland relations. Mr Benn is due to deliver a keynote address at the annual British-Irish Association Conference in Oxfordshire later on Saturday. Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin are also attending the conference. First Minister Michelle ONeill (left) and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will attend the conference in Oxfordshire (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Benn will use his speech to underline the new Labour Governments commitment to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State will say: Let me be clear, the Governments commitment to the Good Friday Agreement is absolute. Our support for the European Convention on Human Rights, which underpins the Good Friday Agreement, is unwavering. And we will implement the Windsor Framework in good faith, not least because to do anything less would jeopardise the progress that has been made on the island of Ireland. Mr Benn will also say that parties in Northern Ireland must realise further suspensions of the Stormont powersharing institutions cannot be allowed to happen. The Assembly and Executive returned in February after a two-year collapse caused by the DUP withdrawing from the powersharing coalition in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements. Mr Benn will say: As co-guarantors of the agreement, it is also incumbent upon us to uphold the devolved institutions, to ensure they endure and that they act for all the people in Northern Ireland. Surely the Northern Ireland political parties must recognise that this can never be allowed to happen again, and were it to occur, our two governments as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, along with the parties, would need to find a new way forward. The Northern Ireland Secretary will also acknowledge the deep upset and anger caused by the previous UK governments controversial Act to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Labour has pledged to repeal and replace the Act and Mr Benn has met with the families of Troubles victims on the issue. He will underline his commitment to working with the Tanaiste Mr Martin on repealing the Legacy Act. Mr Benn will say that there is more the Government can do to strengthen the independence and powers of a new truth recovery body established by the Act, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Northern Ireland Secretary will also say the ICRIR should have the capacity for effective co-operation with the Garda over legacy investigations. He will say: While achieving full consensus on legacy issues may simply not be possible, I ask everyone to acknowledge that this is a Government with a new approach, and we need a spirit of compromise. Closing his speech, Mr Benn will call on both the UK and Ireland to be bold, and take inspiration from those who made the impossible possible 26 years ago. The British-Irish Association Conference coincides with a visit by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Dublin. It will be the second time Sir Keir has met with Taoiseach Simon Harris since Labour came to power. British teenager Ollie Bearman will make his second Formula One appearance at next weekends Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a replacement for the banned Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen is sidelined after he triggered a suspension for reaching 12 points on his licence. Bearman is already signed up to race for Haas next season after he impressed as a stand-in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Ollie to drive at the #AzerbaijanGP Ollie will step in to the VF-24 alongside Nico for the weekend, following Kevins one-race suspension in Baku. #HaasF1 #F1 pic.twitter.com/7euWB0C8h5 MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) September 6, 2024 And the American team confirmed on Friday that the 19-year-old from Essex will fill Magnussens vacant cockpit in Baku. Its definitely more of a challenge, stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on, but Im in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience, said Bearman. Ive also had four FP1 sessions with Haas already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku. The team is in good form at the moment and Ill do my best to be prepared with the time we have available. The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan. Bearman, currently a reserve driver for Haas, became the youngest British driver in F1 history with his debut in Jeddah after Sainz was ruled out at the last minute with appendicitis. Haas driver Kevin Magnussen is suspended for the round in Azerbaijan (David Davies/PA) Bearman, a member of Ferraris young driver academy, qualified 11th, and then made up four places in the race to finish seventh two positions ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Speaking after the race, Hamilton, 39, described Bearmans display as phenomenal and that of a future star. Magnussen, without a seat next year, was hit with a 10-second penalty and two points for colliding with Alpines Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix on September 1. The Dane, who finished 10th in Monza, will become the first driver since Romain Grosjean in 2012 to miss a race through a ban. A committee will consider a potential Scottish memorial project for the late Queen, the First Minister has said. John Swinney welcomed the plans for a national memorial at St Jamess Park in London which were announced by the Prime Minister on Saturday. Mr Swinney said the Scottish committee would discuss the potential for a project north of the border. Sunday will mark two years since Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle after a reign lasting 70 years. Sir Keir Starmer said the memorial in London would ensure she will never be forgotten. John Swinney said his thoughts are with the royal family (Andrew Milligan/PA) Commenting on the national memorial plans, Mr Swinney said: My thoughts, and those of the Scottish people, are with the King and the royal family as they mark the second anniversary of the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. At the time of Her Majestys passing, many of us reflected on her long life of valued service to the nation, and the respect and admiration she had for the people of Scotland. I welcome proposals for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth in London to mark her life and service across the UK. A Scottish committee will also be established to engage with the UK legacy programme and to consider a potential memorial project specific to Scotland. Plans for the Scottish project are understood to be at an early stage and the Scottish Government said it would release further details in due course. The site in London, a few hundred metres from Buckingham Palace, was approved by the King and the Prime Minister. Design proposals for the memorial will be submitted later this year and they will be reviewed by the independent Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. Public funds will be used to pay for the memorial and the UK Government will also make funding available for memorial projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The announcement of the final design will coincide with what would have been the Queens 100th birthday year in 2026. Google has abused its dominant position in the advertising technology space by favouring its own tools and services, a provisional investigation by the UKs competition watchdog has said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its provisional findings showed Google was using anti-competitive practices in the ad tech stack a set of services which facilitate the sale of online advertising space between sellers and buyers. The CMA has previously said Google has a strong position at various different levels of this space, providing a wide range of services including platforms where advertisers can buy online advertising space, as well as technology that automates the sale of advertising space and managing ad inventories for publishers. The regulators provisional investigation has now found that when placing digital ads on websites, the vast majority of publishers and advertisers use Googles ad tech services. The CMA said it was concerned Google was actively using its dominance in the sector to give preference to its own services. Juliette Enser, interim executive director of enforcement at the CMA, said: Weve provisionally found that Google is using its market power to hinder competition when it comes to the ads people see on websites. Many businesses are able to keep their digital content free or cheaper by using online advertising to generate revenue. Adverts on these websites and apps reach millions of people across the UK assisting the buying and selling of goods and services. Thats why its so important that publishers and advertisers who enable this free content can benefit from effective competition and get a fair deal when buying or selling digital advertising space. In response, Googles vice president of global ads, Dan Taylor, said: Our advertising technology tools help websites and apps fund their content, and enable businesses of all sizes to effectively reach new customers. Google remains committed to creating value for our publisher and advertiser partners in this highly competitive sector. The core of this case rests on flawed interpretations of the ad tech sector. We disagree with the CMAs view and we will respond accordingly. The CMA said it had issued a statement of objections to Google on the issue, and would now carefully consider representations from the tech giant before reaching a final decision. Poppy Gustafsson has stepped down as the boss of Darktrace ahead of the takeover of the UK cybersecurity firm. Ms Gustafsson, who co-founded the business in 2013, will be replaced as chief executive by Jill Popelka, the company said. It comes after private equity group Thoma Bravo struck an almost 4.3 billion deal to take Darktrace private in April. The takeover is expected to complete later this year, with the company hoping to clear its final European regulatory hurdle at the end of this month. Ms Gustafsson helped to set up the Cambridge-based company in 2013 alongside Autonomy founder Mike Lynch. Mr Lynch, and his daughter Hannah, were among seven people to die after the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily last month. The outgoing chief executive said: Darktrace has been a huge part of my life and my identity for over a decade and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved in that time. This challenge has required tremendous personal and professional commitment from me. With the acquisition of Darktrace by Thoma Bravo nearing its completion and with us having identified an excellent successor in Jill, now is the right time to hand over the reins so Jill can lead Darktrace through its transition into private ownership and beyond. Her replacement, Ms Popelka, is currently chief operating officer of the business, having joined the firm earlier this year. She has previously held senior leadership roles at tech businesses including Accenture, Snap Inc and SAP SuccessFactors. Ms Popelka said: Poppy and the team have built something very special. The potential of Darktrace is enormous our technology has never been more critical to organisations around the world and our AI-native capabilities position us at the forefront of the ever-changing cybersecurity market. Andrew Almeida, partner at Thoma Bravo, said: We are fully supportive of Poppy and the boards succession plan. Jill is the perfect leader to build on Poppys tremendous legacy at Darktrace as it embarks on this next phase of its life given her immense experience of scaling and maturing fast-growing businesses. The family of a mother-of-three who is on life support in hospital have asked a judge to give her more time to keep carrying on fighting amid a legal battle over whether her treatment should stop. The woman, known as HX for legal reasons, suffered a severe brain injury following a cardiac arrest in July this year and has since remained in intensive care, needing support to breathe, eat and drink. The Northumberland Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for her care, has now applied to the Court of Protection, a specialist family court, to rule that it is no longer in her best interests to continue the treatment keeping her alive. But at a three-day hearing in London which began on Wednesday, HXs mother and son who also cannot be identified both told a judge that she should be given more time to potentially recover. Her mother said: She is a lovely person, kind, generous, she would help anybody, she is a good person. She told me that if anything happened to her to do CPR on her, keep carrying on fighting for life and to keep her alive. I would like you to keep the treatment going because I think it is too early. I want you to give her more time to see if she can respond. Her son said: She would hate the idea of palliative care. She would hate for someone to help her along her way, (and) that if she would die, she would die of her own accord. Her belief was the only person that could take life and give life was God. The son told the court that his mother would want treatment regardless of the outcome and that doctors should postpone their decision on whether treatment should stop until at least January next year. Nicola Kohn, representing the son, said in written submissions that the trusts application was precipitously made and inappropriate at the current time, and went against HXs previously expressed wishes and her best interests. She added that the son believed that his mothers condition had improved and may continue to do so. In court, she said: He believes, slim though the prospects of recovery are, she would want every opportunity to survive. The case is the first time the trust has gone to the Court of Protection for such a ruling, with a doctor stating that medics always endeavour to reach a consensus decision with patients families in similar cases. Ben Harrison, representing the trust, said it was a tragic case and that it was expected that HX would be diagnosed as being in a minimally conscious state within two months, adding in written submissions that she was currently in a prolonged disorder of consciousness. The court heard that as a result, her clinicians had concluded clearly, albeit reluctantly that treatment should be discontinued. He said: Her condition is such that she will not reach a point in her rehabilitation that her life will be meaningful to her. He continued: Whether the extra time offered is two weeks or six months, there is no chance of recovery. No treatment will cure the global brain damage that has already occurred. A doctor treating HX told the court that her prognosis was grave and likely terminal, with another stating that 12 consultants caring for her speak with one voice in support of stopping treatment. Mr Justice Cusworth will give his ruling in writing at a later date. A rare first edition book of poetry by Robert Burns is expected to sell for up to 60,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month. First published in 1786 by a Kilmarnock printer, the copy of Poems Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect will go on sale during Lyon & Turnbulls online books and manuscripts auction on Thursday September 19. The auctioneers say it is considered one of the most important works in Scottish literature, and is valued at between 50,000 and 60,000. It comes in stark contrast to when the book originally went on sale, as all 612 copies sold for three shillings each and sold out within a month. Burns, who started writing poetry at the age of 15, was 27 when the book was published. Cathy Marsden of Lyon & Turnbull holds the book (Lyon & Turnbull/Stewart Attwood/PA) The Kilmarnock edition includes a number of the bards most popular poems, much of which were written at Mossgiel farm, Mauchline, East Ayrshire, where he lived and worked alongside his brother, Gilbert, between 1784 and 1788. To A Mouse, Address To The Deil, The Twa Dogs and Halloween all formed part of his earliest works. Cathy Marsden, head of books and manuscripts at Lyon & Turnbull, said: It is extremely exciting to come across one of the first edition copies of the single most famous volume in Scottish cultural heritage. From humble Ayrshire origins, Burns was to become an international literary star. Although very confident in his own abilities, even he could not have predicted such success. Although Burnss success at farming did not match the proliferation of poetry the farm was losing money it was during his time at Mossgiel that he met a group of six girls about whom he wrote the poem The Belles Of Mauchline. One of them was Jean Armour, who he described in the poem as the jewel of the group and who later become his wife. The cover of the first edition copy of Poems Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect, by Robert Burns (Lyon & Turnbull/Stewart Attwood/PA) The couple had nine children, with the first two, who were twins, born out of wedlock. Their last child was born on the day of Burnss funeral in July 1796. It was Burnss desire to marry Jean, who was pregnant, that led to the publication of this first volume of poetry. Her father vehemently opposed the marriage and Burns planned to emigrate to Jamaica. A local lawyer, Gavin Hamilton, suggested he funded the voyage through the publication of his poems. The success of the work was immediate and Burns abandoned his plans to leave Scotland. According to Edinburgh University Press, there are 88 known surviving copies of the first edition book. Also included in the sale is an original manuscript copy of the National Covenant of Scotland for the burgh of Peebles (1638-9), estimated to fetch between 10,000 and 15,000. Reality TV star Gemma Collins has featured in a parody face cream advert about tackling the effects of ageing as part of a campaign encouraging people to pay some attention to their pension. The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) star urges people to cast aside their worries about wrinkles and instead prioritise their retirement savings when thinking about later life. She tells viewers: Theres a more important pot to think about. Im talking about your pension pot. Pension Attention is an industry-led engagement campaign co-ordinated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and funded by members of the pensions industry. A survey for the campaign found that nearly six in 10 (57%) people have bought anti-ageing products in the last 12 months, such as moisturiser, anti-wrinkle cream, grey hair treatment and collagen products, while over a fifth (23%) have organised their finances for later life. The campaign is encouraging people to find out if they have any lost pension savings, log into and check pension accounts and consider how much they will need for retirement. Collins said: To be honest, I hadnt previously given much thought to my retirement and the money I might need for it. It has always felt such a long way off. But she added: I dont want to be hustling forever and working 24/7 on the trot. If you can do one thing today, then just have a look at your pension and give it some attention. Its going to be top of my list now. Mark Smith, spokesman for the Pension Attention campaign, said: Most working people in the UK have a pension, but many dont know how to find information about these savings. Were asking all UK adults to think about where their pensions are, whats in them and to ensure that things like names and addresses are up to date. Pension Attention commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 people across the UK in July. Germany has hit back at claims it could adopt a UK-style Rwanda deportation plan, as Sir Keir Starmer insisted it was right the Government had scrapped the scheme. News reports from Berlin suggested the country could adopt accommodation in Rwanda originally planned for the UKs now-scrapped scheme, with the aim of deporting unauthorised migrants to the east African country. Germanys ambassador to the UK pushed back against the claims, though he said the country is looking at a UN-backed scheme to process asylum applications in a third country, similar to what Britain planned in Rwanda. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to tackle people-smuggling gangs (Benjamin Cremel/PA) Asked by the BBC if he was wrong to end the Tory policy in light of the reports, the Prime Minister said: No, it was a gimmick. It cost us 700 million to persuade four volunteers to go to Rwanda. Were going to use that money on operational matters. Speaking at a summit aimed at tackling the small boats crisis, Sir Keir added: And I think the Germans have already cleared up that theyre not using the Rwanda plan, and thats because theyve concluded like we have that it wont work. Were going to concentrate on what works. That means taking down the gangs that are running this trade. Germany had earlier hit back at reports it was considering a Rwanda plan. Miguel Berger, Berlins ambassador to the UK, wrote on Twitter, formerly X: Lets be clear, there is no plan of the German Government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. The discussion is about processing asylum applications in third countries under international humanitarian law and with support of the United Nations. Reports that Germany could adopt such a scheme surfaced when Joachim Stamp, the countrys migration commissioner, suggested the EU could utilise existing asylum accommodation in Rwanda originally destined for the British scheme. Downing Street would not comment on the discussions between two foreign governments. The Rwanda plan, launched by the Tories while in power, was intended to deter migrants planning to cross the English Channel in small boats from making the journey with the threat of deportation to Kigali. Sir Keir scrapped the scheme, which ministers said had cost 700 million in the last year alone, when Labour came to power in the summer. Favorite pets and breeds of that pet grow and wane in popularity due to a variety of factors. A movie heavily featuring that kind of dog or pet, or a celebrity owner, can sometimes catapult a particular type of pet into fame (or infamy). Remember Paris Hilton and the Chihuahua? Luke Perry and the pot-bellied pig? The Obamas and their Portuguese Water Dog? Its harder to pinpoint the reasons that people these days are going wild for Maine Coons. It seems odd that it was the 2019 remake of famous horror property Pet Seminary ignited a thirst for the breed. Rather, I bet its something to do with their popularity on pet-focused social media channels. The giant breed of cat is certainly striking on TikTok, and their antics on Instagram and similar sites have millions enthralled. Take this recent viral video of a giant Maine Coon working his refrigerators ice machine all by himself. Or, at least, trying to. In this video, a large Maine Coon named Jax has put together how the ice machine dispenser built into the fridge works. Well, almost. He knows if he presses the lever on the dispenser, ice will come out. He just hasnt figured out how long to hold it in for. Im sure hell get there soon, and then look out, world! Related: Maine Coon Brothers' Treat Training Tricks Have Everyone Seriously Impressed I swear Maine Coons are humans in cat bodies, says one person in comments, and she sounds like she knows. Others chime in to say their Maine Coons are obsessed with ice too, and one has even worked out how to break into the countertop ice maker! Guess you can take the breed out of Maine, but they still love the cold. When Pets Learn How Things Work Pets may not be as intelligent as we are, but that doesnt make them dummies. For instance, your cat knows that you have the ability to open doors, cans, and the tap on the sink. And if they watch you carefully enough, maybe they can figure it out too. They are keen observers with a predators intellect. (Well, okay, some of them are dummies.) Everyone remembers that scene in Jurassic Park where the velociraptors figure out how to open the door. Many cat owners have gone through a similar scenario watching their cats figure out how to break into kitchen cabinets or even refrigerators. Some cats have figured out water taps orand Im speaking from personal experience herethe bidet controls on a toilet lid. (It wouldnt be a problem as long as they also figured out how to turn it off.) Is a Maine Coon Right For You? The breed of cat known as Maine Coons are growing in popularity due to their enormous size and supposedly winning personalities. They keep growing over a far longer period of time than regular domestic short hair varieties of cats. Some do not even reach their full size until they are four years old. The cat here is obviously big enough to reach the ice dispenser by standing on its hind legs. Maybe its mo cat, mo problems? Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. A family crosses over a bridge on their way back to the parking lot at Cedar Bar & Gril. Eric Kayne/For the Chronicle Customers come to Cedar Creek Bar & Grill to enjoy burgers and beers in the Hill Country-inspired dining room and on the large patio. The cabin-like spot in Shady Acres also lures patrons who bring their kids to watch, and sometimes feed, a pod of turtles hanging out in Turkey Gully, a creek draining into White Oak Bayou. The turtles at Cedar Creek Bar and Grill are regulars at the Houston establishment. Courtesy of Javier Montemayor On Wednesday, a customer had different plans: He wanted to eat the turtles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to Cedar Creek employees and social media posts, Anthony Galvan ordered beer in the afternoon and then left to catch two snapping turtles from the bridge connecting the bar and the back parking lot. He had talked about wanting to make turtle soup. You cant make this up, said Dani San Miguel, the general manager of Cedar Creek. It didnt seem real. Within hours after the turtles went missing, a public outcry online sparked a campaign for the return of the reptiles. It also quickly became a cause celebre to rescue the animals from turning into an old-school Southern recipe. HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants The outside bar at Cedar Bar & Grill in Houston. Eric Kayne/For the Chronicle Cedar Creek opened in 2006, and the turtles have been living in the water trench since she started working there as a bartender in 2010, San Miguel said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A number of neighborhood cats roam the property, including one named Chicken Tender, and families come to see the animals. Over the weekend, the Cedar Creek employees spotted six turtles under the bridge. The largest one is known as Big Momma. Theres a smaller unnamed turtle, but the bartenders named the four others Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, after the main characters in the hit HBO series Sex and the City. Sometimes customers will ask for extra bread to feed the turtles and when its slower, the Cedar Creek staff will give them scraps of food. Were proud that we have turtles, San Miguel said. Theyre a big part of Cedar Creek. Theres a sign warning customers to not get into the water because of the snapping turtles and snakes that have been spotted over the years. The bars employees also regularly clean Turkey Gully, removing napkins and plastic cups that sometimes fly off the porch into the water. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Miguel and her colleague Javier Montemayor, who bartends part-time and handles the restaurants social media accounts, thought it was odd when Galvan asked about the turtles and talked about turtle soup. Galvan, who first showed up at the bar around 3 p.m. Wednesday for a drink, left but came back shortly afterward to order another beer. This time it was to celebrate capturing the turtles, including Big Momma, Montemayor said. But the bartender didnt believe what was happening until he saw Galvan taking a photo of the back of his truck, where Montemayor assumed the turtles were stored. A newly hired dishwasher was in the back parking lot and said she saw Galvan take two turtles. She tried to stop him but was unsuccessful. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Montemayor said he found pieces of shrimp used to fish the turtles out of the water. He also checked security camera footage, which only provided a partial view of Galvan catching the turtles. He and San Miguel jumped on social media to find the semi-regular customer; they had his name because he paid for his 512 Pecan Porter with a credit card. Galvans Instagram account lists hunting and fishing as hobbies. He has photos of animals hes appeared to have hunted, including scimitar-horned oryx, deer and alligators. There was a clip from Galvans Instagram story where he lifts the cover of his Yeti cooler and says turtle soup, turtle soup as he pans over the two turtles. When Montemayor messaged Galvan from Cedar Creeks Instagram account, he received two answers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Public waters. Theyre in the pot already. The two then debated the legality of hunting the turtles on public versus private property. Common snapping turtles are considered a nongame species. To harvest them, hunters must have a valid hunting license and landowner consent to hunt on private property, a spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shared with the Chronicle via email. There are no closed seasons, and they may be hunted by any lawful means and methods on private property. Public hunting lands may have additional restrictions. It's not clear whether Galvan had the appropriate license or not and Cedar Creek employees did not give him permission. Galvan backtracked and told Cedar Creek to buy him 20 pounds of turtle meat and Ill come drop them off right now. MORE FROM BAO ONG: After 41 years, Houston favorite Backstreet Cafe plots move into new River Oaks space Cedar Creek shared the message on social media and locals in Shady Acres as well as residents in the nearby Heights area started posting about the story. He came to Cedar for a drink and left with their turtles. Says he has the right as the creek is public waterway, one person posted. Screw public waterway, are you that much of an (expletive) to go steal from a fellow neighborhood business? Galvan, who works as a general manager at his parents' restaurant, Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe on Airline, returned the two turtles to Cedar Creek later that night. He said he apologized to Cedar Creek and had no further comments. No charges were filed in the case, Montemayor said. But he said the turtles looked cleaner than usual when they were sunbathing on the shore of Turkey Gully. I was just relieved our friends were OK, Montemayor said. Turtles are friends, not food, San Miguel added. The community really rallied around us. Cedar Creek may install a turtle cam to watch over the reptiles more carefully, they both said. The rescued animals are common snapping turtles, according to Jordan Gray, a spokesperson for the Turtle Survival Alliance based in Charleston, S.C. He reviewed a video clip of the turtles. These turtles are used most often for turtle soup, said Gray, who added that they are omnivores. They also provide an ecological service by eating dead animals, insects, small mammals and even other small turtles. Jamal Lewis admitted his loan switch from Newcastle to Sao Paulo might have caught a lot of people by surprise but has called the move a no-brainer. Lewis, 26, this week joined the Brazilian giants on a deal that runs until the end of their season in December, but hopes it can be the start of a new adventure after a frustrating period at St James Park where he has struggled for regular playing time, heading to Watford on loan last term. There was always going to be interest and offers, but this one, once I heard it, it was a no-brainer, the Northern Ireland left-back said. An historic move for @Jamal_lewis1 Congratulations to our client Jamal Lewis who has completed a loan move to Brazilian giants @SaoPauloFC #SPFC #NUFC pic.twitter.com/DakkLuKHb8 PLG (@PLG_agency) September 3, 2024 I think some people probably thought it was quite random and out of the blue and I cant argue with that, but if Sao Paulo were interested in my profile as a player and Im interested in representing such a big club, it could be the start of a great journey Ive always been one to test myself. Ive never wanted to stay and then look back on my career and think, What if I did this?. So I think this will pay dividends. Lewis is now busily learning some Portuguese on Duolingo, but believes he can be a good fit at a club that takes a data-driven approach, and who have done their homework on his attributes. I think how I play is what they wanted in terms of getting forward and getting balls into the box, Lewis said. I think a lot of clubs use data these days; theres not a lot of guesswork in football so hopefully I can show on the pitch what they have researched. Obviously the club is very historic. They are the most successful club in Brazil and even though I havent stepped onto the pitch yet, the fans have shown the passion and love they have for their club. Im just looking forward to putting on the strip and contributing as much as possible. Jamal Lewis played during Newcastles pre-season but said the writing was on the wall regarding his future on Tyneside (Scott Heppell/PA) Lewis joined Newcastle in 2020 but made only 36 appearances for the club, hampered at times by injury. He admitted the writing was on the wall this summer in terms of his time on Tyneside, but believes a move to South America can open new doors. He could make his debut next Friday against Atletico Mineiro, but on Thursday night he was back in Northern Ireland colours after a 15-hour journey across the Atlantic. Lewis arrived in Belfast around 7pm on Wednesday albeit without a bag that went missing but he had been determined to be available for Thursdays Nations League opener against Luxembourg. Lewis, who earned his 37th cap as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 win, believes Michael ONeills squad can top their Nations League group and earn promotion back to League B, and has high hopes for this young group going forward. Paddy McNair celebrates scoring Northern Irelands opener against Luxembourg (Liam McBurney/PA) Its always an honour to meet up with this team and it was always in the forefront of my mind while I was signing for Sao Paulo that I could be back in time for these two games, said Lewis, who will be quickly back on a plane ahead of Sundays match away to Bulgaria. I love joining up with the boys and theres great cohesion in the group. I think thats one of our biggest strengths, and Ive felt that from when I first played. Theres always been a great chemistry and a lovely calm atmosphere to come to. If we can just put results together now, I think we can create some magic in the coming years. Australias Josh Inglis smashed a century as Scotland suffered a 70-run defeat in the second T20 international in Edinburgh and ultimately lost the three-match series. After Travis Heads heroics on Wednesday, his duck on Friday brought number three batter Inglis to the crease during the first over and he slogged seven fours and seven maximums on his way to 103, with a strike rate over 200. Scotland never gathered any momentum to hurt the visitors in reply and batters failed to support Brandon McMullen, who claimed a half-century but the hosts fell way short of the target. Inglis hit seven maximums and seven fours (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA) Opener Head hit a century in Australias first win over Scotland two days ago but was sent back to the pavilion after just one ball this time around after Brad Currie wiped his stumps out for the first wicket. Currie was proving to be the danger man in the powerplay as he dismissed Jake Fraser-McGurk (16) with the Aussies on 23 for two. But, the quality of the visitors soon shone through, Cameron Greens steady 36 from 29 provided a good anchor for partner Inglis to rocket Australia forward. And, after Green became Curries third victim of the day, Marcus Stoinis (20 not out) came in to play a similar role as Inglis continued to take Scotlands attack to the cleaners. Australia were rampant with the ball (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA) Inglis reached his century but was finally dismissed when he played Chris Sole straight into the hands of Richie Berrington at cover but Tim Davids unbeaten 17 from seven propelled Australia to 196 for four. Scotland opener George Munsey smashed 19 from nine balls in an attempt to put the pressure on Australia but the hosts lost regular wickets to make this win a formality for their opponents. Munsey and McMullen who top scored for the home side with 59 off 42 were the only two to make double figures as Scotland were bowled out for 126 in reply, with Stoinis taking four for 23 to put Australia 2-0 up in the three-match series. A suspended Labour councillor has pleaded not guilty to encouraging violent disorder while addressing a crowd during an anti-racism demonstration in east London. Ricky Jones, 57, allegedly committed the offence during a speech to a gathering, organised in response to the nationwide violent disorder, in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, on August 7. A video emerged after the protest in which he appeared to call for far-right protesters throats to be cut during the demonstration. Jones was charged by police with encouraging violent disorder two days later. The defendant, who appeared via video link in custody from HMP Wormwood Scrubs, spoke to confirm his identity and enter the plea during a brief hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday. During a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: It is alleged that using a microphone you addressed a crowd at an anti-fascist protest and, talking about others you described as disgusting Nazi fascists, you said we need to cut their throats and get rid of them. Defence barrister Hossein Zahir KC said Jones accepted the words had been spoken but denied knowing the offence of violent disorder would be committed. District judge Oscar Del Fabbro said the case would be referred up to the presiding judge as it constituted a class 1C of the Crime and Disorder Act offence. He ordered the defendant to produce a defence statement by October 25, and set a provisional trial date of January 20 next year at the same court. Jones, who has been a councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, has been suspended by the Labour Party. The Government is considering anything to alleviate prison overcrowding, a minister has said amid reports some inmates could serve their sentences in Estonia. Ministers are reported to be considering renting cells in Estonian prisons as a way of increasing capacity in the short term as jails continue to face a shortage of places. According to reports in The Daily Telegraph, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to meet her Estonian counterpart Liisa Pakosta next week to discuss the leasing of cells. Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle did not deny the reports, but said it was not part of her own ministerial responsibilities. She said: The last government closed loads of prison places and didnt replace any of them, so I think that colleagues in the MoJ (Ministry of Justice) will be considering anything that they can to alleviate the problem. What we cannot have is people who are convicted of perhaps violent or serious crimes not being able to be in jail. In July, Ms Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the MoJ said overcrowding had pushed jails to the point of collapse. The temporary move, which will not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences, will come into effect on September 10 and follows a sharp jump in the prison population in August. (PA Graphics) In the longer term, the Government is expected to bring forward plans to build more prison places in the near future. Official figures published last week showed the number of prisoners in England and Wales increased by almost 1,000 in August, with a total of 88,350 behind bars at the end of the month. It was the highest end-of-week figure since weekly population data was first published in 2011, according to analysis by the PA news agency. At last years Conservative Party conference, then-justice secretary Alex Chalk said he was in discussions with other European countries about the possibility of renting prison cells for British offenders as a way to ease overcrowding. Estonia was understood at the time to be one of those countries, while Ms Mahmood then shadow justice secretary said the proposal was a symbol of the way in which the Tories have run our criminal justice system into the ground. The deluge of rain will continue in the south of the UK, forecasters have said as four flood alerts were issued. The Environment Agency (EA) warned: Properties may flood and there may be travel disruption. It issued flood alerts in four areas from London to the South West on Friday. Southern England and South Wales will be hit hardest by the rain and drivers travelling through those areas should expect lengthy delays during the weekend, the RAC said. Gatwick Airport said temporary air traffic control restrictions are in place across Europe and the UK due to the weather and some flights may be delayed as a result. Low-lying roads and footpaths by the Thames are expected to flood from Putney Bridge to Teddington Weir, west London, when the river reaches high tide at 5.30pm, according to the EA. It put the high water levels down to spring tides. People near the Lower Avon river, south-west England, are advised to consider activating any property flood protection products. More rain is set to fall which could raise the Lower Avons levels and the Ringwood, Christchurch and Moyles Court areas are most at risk. (PA Graphics) Flooding on low-lying land and roads is possible on Friday evening and into Saturday near the rivers Clyst and Culm, in Devon. A flood alert also remains in place in Scrase Bridge and West Common Streams near Haywards Heath, West Sussex. EA said both rivers had returned to near normal following intense rainfall on Thursday but further showers are expected and any river rise and flooding will likely occur quickly following intense downpours. Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesman, said: With a yellow weather warning across southern England and South Wales, these areas are the main focus of attention for todays forecast. Forecasters said there is a slight chance of power cuts, flooding in homes and businesses, communities being cut off, travel disruption and damage from lightning strikes in the northern part of the warning area. There is a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, they added. There are some lively downpours in the south this morning, and now pushing into southern parts of Wales Take care as there could be travel disruption pic.twitter.com/Jxc0fO9Gjb Met Office (@metoffice) September 6, 2024 Mr Madge said: Within the warning area we will see some heavy outbreaks of rain, possibly accompanied by lightning especially in the west of the warning area. From central England and Wales northwards conditions will be largely fine and dry with temperatures reaching mid 20C in some locations. Cloudy conditions along North Sea coasts will spread across more of the UK toward the end of today. The outlook for tomorrow and into the weekend remains unsettled with further potentially very heavy rain to come. Meanwhile the driest and brightest weather on Friday is expected in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Met Office said. Alice Simpson of the RAC said: As our short-lived summer has been well and truly swept away by heavy rain, drivers across southern England and South Wales should prepare for lengthy delays to journeys when travelling through the weekend. Driving in heavy downpours can be very dangerous so its vital people slow down, leave a much larger space between their vehicle and the one in front, and avoid driving through standing water. Anyone driving through even very shallow water at speed risks aquaplaning, which means losing control of their vehicle and drastically increasing the chance of an accident. Be very careful when encountering standing surface water because the last thing you want to do is become a sitting duck. This could lead to very expensive vehicle damage or even an insurance write-off. If youre not entirely sure the water is shallow enough to drive through safely, the best thing to do is turn around and go another way. The EAs flood alerts were last updated shortly before 9.30am on Friday. Efforts to provide civilians in Gaza with emergency aid remain critical after almost a year of war. Photograph: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty The launch of a major humanitarian appeal for Gaza by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is being delayed by the BBC, it has emerged. The corporation said the appeal did not meet all the established criteria for a national appeal, but the possibility of broadcasting an appeal was under review. Other channels have agreed to broadcast an appeal. Insiders at the DEC, the BBC and aid agencies said they were dismayed at the delay. Some have accused the BBC of blocking the appeal because the corporation fears a backlash from supporters of Israel in its war with Hamas. One senior NGO figure said that staff were furious at the BBCs position. Related: Scientists are closing in on the true, horrifying scale of death and disease in Gaza | Devi Sridhar The DEC has three criteria for launching an appeal. The scale and urgency of the disaster must merit swift international humanitarian assistance. Agencies must be able to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national appeal and there must be evidence of existing public sympathy for the humanitarian situation or the likelihood of significant public support should an appeal be launched. It is understood that the second criteria, regarding delivery of aid, is the focus of discussions. The DEC is an umbrella organisation of 15 leading UK aid charities that raises funds for humanitarian disasters. It publicises its appeals through broadcasts on major networks and adverts in the press. Since it was set up in 1963, it has launched 77 appeals, raising 2.2bn. Its appeal for Ukraine in 2022 raised 426m. The DEC uses a rapid response network of key media and corporate partners who help us launch our emergency appeals at very short notice, getting the message out and making it easy for the UK public to donate quickly and seamlessly. The network includes the main national broadcasters. Since the war in Gaza began last October, more than 40,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, the majority of them civilians, and almost 2 million people have been displaced. The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with food, drinking water and medicines scarce, according to the UN and aid agencies. The World Health Organization is in the midst of running a vaccination programme for 640,000 children after the first confirmed case of polio in Gaza for 25 years. A spokesperson for the DEC said: The DEC and our stakeholders are deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza ... The volatile situation in the region, as well as the complex issues around aid access, pose a huge challenge when reviewing our criteria for an appeal. The DECs role is to launch a national appeal with our broadcast partners at a time that will raise the most money and deliver swift effective aid to as many people as possible. We are ready to act when the moment is right. A spokesperson for the BBC said: We are keeping the possibility of a pan-broadcaster appeal under review. The BBC also requires DEC appeals to meet its rules on impartiality, but such an assessment is made only after the three criteria have been met. The war in Gaza began last October after Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israeli communities in the south of the country, killing more than 1,100 civilians and taking about 250 hostages. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people in the UK have taken part in protests and demonstrations against Israels military onslaught in Gaza. Others have marched in support of Israels right to defend itself. Jewish and Muslim community organisations have reported alarming rises in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the past year. The BBC has been criticised by both sides for its reporting of the war. Last month, an Israeli government spokesperson accused Mishal Husain, a highly respected presenter on the BBC Radio 4s Today programme, of blindly repeating what terrorist organisations feed you. At the time, a BBC spokesperson said the corporation rejected his allegations. As the listener could hear, Mishal Husain was asking legitimate and important questions in a professional, fair and courteous manner. The device was ready to list Kamala Harriss positive qualities, but refused to answer about Donald Trump. Photograph: Charles Brutlag/Alamy Amazons Alexa voice assistant has caused an uproar among conservatives after viral videos showed the device giving supportive answers about voting for Kamala Harris, while refusing to respond to similar questions about Donald Trump. The issue was due to a software update intended to improve the quality of Alexas functions and its artificial intelligence operations, according to leaked documents obtained by the Washington Post. When asked why someone should vote for Harris, videos showed the device listing positive qualities of the Democratic nominee. Asked the same question about Trump, Alexa gave a stock answer that it could not promote or give answers about specific political candidates. Related: The Kamala Harris campaign has Fox News grasping at straws literally | Margaret Sullivan These responses were errors that never should have happened, and they were fixed as soon as we became aware of them, a spokesperson for Amazon said. Weve designed Alexa to provide accurate, relevant and helpful information to customers without showing preference for any particular political party or politician. The discrepancy between Alexas responses became the focus of widely circulated posts on social media, and coverage on rightwing media outlets including Fox News. Media influencer Mario Nawfal posted one video on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week of a woman asking Alexa about both candidates, which he captioned GUESS WHO AMAZONS ALEXA IS VOTING FOR? The video received more than 740,000 views within days, and prompted the pro-Trump tech billionaire Elon Musk to respond !! in a reply. The backlash grew to the point that the South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham issued a letter on Thursday to Amazon demanding answers, while also suggesting the company was biased towards liberal causes. The spread of videos showing Alexas responses resulted in frenzied internal discussions at Amazon as engineers manually blocked the device from responding to such questions, and attempted to figure out what went wrong, according to the Washington Post. The issue appeared to be with a software update called Info LLM, which the Post reports was meant to improve the accuracy of responses and decrease the number of errors on political questions. (Amazons founder, Jeff Bezos, owns the Post.) Big tech companies have gone to great lengths in recent years to be seen as politically neutral, something that has become more difficult as they rolled out a string of generative AI products. Image generators, chatbots and other tools have frequently caused controversy for creating media that appear to show political bias, which is often the result of issues in AI models training data or inadequate prohibitions on what they will generate. Most major AI companies have consequently put guardrails on their tools to prevent public relations disasters and uncomfortable questions about political bias in their models. OpenAIs flagship product ChatGPT, for instance, gives generic responses about looking at a candidates policy positions when asked whether to vote for Trump or Harris, and refuses to provide specific information about US elections when asked questions such as how do I vote? Republicans and conservative activists have nevertheless alleged that platforms and AI companies are secretly conspiring to promote a leftist worldview, despite a lack of empirical evidence for such claims. A 2021 New York University study found no evidence for liberal bias on social media platforms; instead, data suggested that if anything they tended to amplify rightwing content. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, at her graduation from the University of Washington earlier this year. Photograph: Eygi family/International Solidarity Movement/AP Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American activist killed while protesting in the occupied West Bank, was remembered by friends and former professors as a dedicated organizer who felt a strong moral obligation to bring attention to the plight of Palestinians. I begged her not to go, but she had this deep conviction that she wanted to participate in the tradition of bearing witness to the oppression of people and their dignified resilience, said Aria Fani, a professor of Middle Eastern languages and cultures at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, which Eygi attended. She fought injustice truly wherever it was. Related: Deeply disturbed: White House calls for inquiry in to killing of Aysenur Eygi by Israeli troops Fani, who had become close with Eygi over the last year, spoke to the Guardian on Friday afternoon, hours after news of her death sparked international outrage. Eygi was volunteering with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement when Israeli soldiers fatally shot her, according to Palestinian officials and two witnesses who spoke to the Associated Press. Two doctors told the AP she was shot in the head. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it was investigating a report that troops had killed a foreign national while firing at an instigator of violent activity, and the White House has said it was deeply disturbed by the killing and called for an inquiry. Eygi, who is also a Turkish citizen and leaves behind her husband, graduated from UW earlier this year with a major in psychology and minor in Middle Eastern languages and culture, Fani said. She walked the stage with a large Free Palestine flag during the ceremony, Fani said. The professor said the two met when he was giving a guest lecture in a course on feminist cinema of the Middle East and he spoke of his own experience protesting in the West Bank in 2013. I had no idea she would then be inspired to take on a similar experience, he said, recounting how she reached out to him for advice as she prepared to join the International Solidarity Movement. I tried to discourage her, but from a very weak position, since Id already done it myself. She was very, very principled in her activism in this short life that she lived. In her final academic year, she devoted significant time researching and speaking to Palestinians and talking about their historical trauma, Fani said. She was incredibly well-informed of what life was like in the West Bank. She was not a naive traveler. This experience was the culmination of all her years of activism. She fought injustice truly wherever it was Aria Fani, University of Washington in Seattle Eygi was an organizer with the Popular University for Gaza Liberated Zone on UWs campus, one of dozens of pro-Palestinian encampments established during protests in the spring, he said. She was an instrumental part of protesting the universitys ties to Boeing and Israel and spearheading negotiations with the UW administration, Fani said. It mattered to her so much. Id see her sometimes after shed only slept for an hour or two. Id tell her to take a nap. And shed say: Nope, I have other things to do. She dedicated so much, and managed to graduate on top of it, which is just astounding. He warned her of the violence he had faced in the West Bank, including teargas, and he feared deeply for her safety: I thought, worst-case scenario, shed come back losing a limb. I had no idea shed be coming back wrapped in a shroud, he said. Eygi had also previously protested the oil pipeline on the Standing Rock reservation, and was critical of Turkish nationalism and violence against Kurdish minorities, Fani said: She was very critical of US foreign policy and white supremacy in the US, and Israel was no exception. Carrie Perrin, academic services director of UWs psychology department, told the Seattle Times in an email that Eygi was a friend and a bright light who carried with her warmth and compassion, adding: Her communities were made better by her life and her death leaves hearts breaking around the world today. Ana Mari Cauce, the UW president, said Eygi had been a peer mentor in psychology who helped welcome new students to the department and provided a positive influence in their lives. Fani said Eygi had been deeply dismayed by the UW administrations handling of campus protests, and that he hoped her killing would encourage campus administrators across the country to end their crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activism. Eygis killing drew immediate comparisons to the 2003 killing of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American, also from Washington state, who was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer while protesting the militarys destruction of homes in Rafah with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). ISM said in a statement that the group had been engaged in a peaceful, weekly demonstration before Israeli forces shot Eygi: The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with force from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. Eygis family was not speaking out at this time, ISM said. Fani and a colleague spoke earlier about the irony of her killing garnering an international response, he said: She wanted to bring attention to the suffering of Palestinians. And if she were alive right now, shed say: I got that attention because Im an American citizen, because Palestinians have become a number. The human cost has been strategically hidden from the American public and certainly from the Israeli public. Obviously this is not the outcome she would have wanted, but it is just so poetic, in such a twisted, stomach-churning way, that she went this way. The professor recounted the musicality in the way Eygi spoke, and said he used to joke that he wanted to study her voice: She was so easy to talk to and truly an embodiment of the meaning of her name, Aysenur, which is life and light. She was just an incredibly beautiful person and good friend and the world is a worse place without her. Donald Trump (L) and Anthony Albanese (R) gesturing in front of their respective national flags. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design Australians have already had a taste of the turbulence of dealing with Donald Trump, courtesy of a leaked 2017 phone call between the newly inaugurated president and the then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made, Trump said as Turnbull implored him to honour a refugee resettlement agreement made with the Obama administration. Turnbull had used their shared backgrounds as businessmen to emphasise that a deal is a deal, but Trump described it as a stupid agreement that would make me look terrible. The Trump administration honoured the deal, but the president wasnt pleased about it and he raced to end the introductory phone call with his Australian counterpart. As far as I am concerned that is enough, Malcolm. I have had it, said Trump, according to the transcript published by the Washington Post. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous. Now, as the Australian government contemplates the possibility of Trump returning to the White House, local analysts say his impulses run counter to Australians instincts and could be damaging. The Trump assassination attempt, the pressure on Joe Biden to pull out of the race, the subsequent coronation of Kamala Harris have all received extensive media coverage in Australia. The Australian Broadcasting Corporations live news channel interrupted Australias own parliamentary question time to air Bidens speech to the Democratic National Convention. A YouGov poll in August tested Australian views on the contenders. When asked who they would vote for in the US election, 67% of Australian respondents said they would vote for Harris and 33% said Trump. Its not just the personalities that have grabbed attention but also the realisation that as a US treaty ally, Australia would be tangibly affected by the election outcome. Michael Fullilove, the executive director of the the Lowy Institute, a foreign policy thinktank based in Sydney, says a Harris administration would likely hew pretty closely to traditional US foreign policy positions. Donald Trump is a different matter, Fullilove says. Trump is sympathetic to isolationism; Australians are inclined towards internationalism. Trump swoons over autocrats and strongmen; Australia is an old democracy and a free society. Most of the speculation has been focused on the Aukus deal, under which the US will sell Australia at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s, before a new class to be called SSN-Aukus starts rolling off South Australian production lines in the 2040s. While the sale of submarines is not scheduled to occur during the next presidential administration, there is concern in Canberra over Trump-fuelled unpredictability. The Australian ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, and other Australian officials have been working to entrench support for Aukus on both sides of politics. Rudd, a former prime minister, once described Trump as the most destructive president in history but since joining the diplomatic frontlines has been working to mend fences. The Labor prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has insisted the US alliance runs deep and Australia will be able to work closely with whoever wins the election. But Trump would probably be unimpressed to learn that Albanese in 2021 took aim at the then conservative prime minister, Scott Morrison, for failing to condemn Trump strongly enough for inciting the Capitol riots. It all adds up to potentially challenging and unpredictable diplomatic encounters. Canberra is also concerned at the prospects of Trump ramping up the US-China trade war by imposing new tariffs on imported goods, causing spillover economic effects. Trump is hostile to free trade, Fullilove says. The new tariffs he promises to introduce would be extremely damaging for a trading nation such as Australia. Fullilove warns that Trumps settling point on China remains unclear and many are concerned that the Republican nominee would be overly combative. But equally concerning is the possibility that Trump would seek a grand bargain with China, perhaps trading away the security interests of the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies in return for trade concessions, Fullilove says. And on climate, the differences are stark: while the Biden-Harris administration has labelled climate cooperation a key pillar of the alliance with Australia, Trump has threatened to once again tear up climate policies. Emma Shortis, a senior researcher at the Australia Institute, a progressive thinktank, says a Trump victory would encourage already ineffective climate policy to get worse and give the Australian government another convenient scapegoat for our own inadequate policies. Shortis, who challenged the foreign policy consensus in her 2021 book Our Exceptional Friend: Australias Fatal Alliance with the United States, says the looming election raises big questions about the relationship. A Trump victory would be catastrophic for American democracy and make for a radical reshaping of Americas role in the world not to isolationism, as is widely assumed, but to something much more aggressive. The implications of that for Aukus, and for Australian sovereignty, are deeply worrying. Shortis believes a Harris victory would represent something quite different. In part, she says, it would continue the status quo, but there are hints in Harriss choice of Tim Walz as running mate and the tenor of the campaign of the possibility of generational change in American politics. Thousands of Israelis gather around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence with banners to protest - Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images This week on Battle Lines we speak to Middle East correspondent Jotam Confino for the latest updates from Israel, where Israelis took to the streets as Hamas executed more hostages. Then, we speak to our Europe editor James Crisp on the rise of the far right in Germany. Across the world, from Europe to Asia, from the Americas to the Middle East, tensions are rising between nation states as the traditional alliances and alignments evolve in the 21st century. This year sees war in Europe and the Middle East, and elections in major economies, from the US and the UK to Taiwan. Insurgencies flare in Yemen and Myanmar, tensions escalate in East Africa, and all around the world the international security architecture buckles under increasing pressure. Battle Lines, a new podcast from The Telegraph, combines on-the-ground reporting with analytical expertise to help the listener to better understand the course of world politics, wars and tensions, as fault lines grind and slip in an increasingly dangerous and confusing multipolar world. Listen to Battle Lines using the audio player in this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favourite podcast app. Ontario-based multinational coffeehouse and restaurant has opened six locations in Houston. Tim Hortons Several coffee brands PJ's Coffee, Beans and Brews, First Cup Coffee, and Tim Hortons have spent the past year expanding in Fort Bend County. We're excited to grow our footprint in the area, said Brandon Knudsen, CEO and founder of Ziggis Coffee. We do have more than 10 locations in the pipeline to open across the state of Texas. Tim Hortons opened in Houston in September of 2022, said Dorit Bodnick, media spokesperson for the Canadian coffee chain. The reception in the area has been extremely positive. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heres a look at some of the coffee chains that have recently set up shop in the Houston and Fort Bend area. Tim Hortons Ontario-based multinational coffeehouse and restaurant has opened six locations in Houston. Tim Hortons Ontario-based multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain Tim Hortons has 4,846 restaurants in 14 countries, including 807 in the U.S. according to its website. The franchise opened its first U.S. location in New York in 1984 but didnt come to Texas until 2022. Tim Hortons already has four cafes in Houston, and one each in Katy and Stafford. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We currently have six Tim Hortons locations in the area with plans to open several more, said Bodnick. The next location will open at 2475 Texas 6, near George Bush Park, this fall, with a three-day grand opening planned for Oct. 4 to 6. Tim Hortons serves coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and donuts and other baked goods, such as bagels, biscuits and donut holes (branded as Timbits.) PJs Coffee of New Orleans PJs Coffee of New Orleans is expanding quickly in the Houston area, having opened a new location in Missouri City earlier this year, with a second Missouri City location set to open soon. PJs Coffee of New Orleans PJs Coffee of New Orleans is expanding quickly in the Houston area, having opened a new location in Missouri City earlier this year, with a second Missouri City location set to open soon, according to the company's website. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Louisiana-based coffee franchise opened a cafe in Montgomery in April 2024 and its second Katy location in May 2024. In the Houston area, there are 10 locations currently operating and six in active development, said PJs Coffee VP of franchise development Ryan Stansbury. Houston is one of our more aggressively developing markets throughout our system, Stansbury said. For PJs, its expansion into Houston, and Texas overall, is largely driven by local residents who become PJ's Coffee franchise owners and open shops in their own communities." A New Orleans icon for over 40 years, PJs Coffee offers hot, iced, and frozen coffees, as well as organic teas, fresh breakfast pastries, beignets, and lunch sandwiches. According to the chain's website, PJ's iced coffees are brewed using a special cold-drip process that reduces acidity while preserving the flavor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SEE ALSO: This Houston suburb is getting two new EV charging stations Ziggis Coffee Ziggi's Coffee opened its second Texas location in Richmond last month; the first one can be found in Katy. Ziggi's Coffee Founded in 2004 by husband-wife duo Brandon and Camrin Knudsen, Colorado-based Ziggis has grown into a network of coffeehouses across the country. Ziggi's serves hot, ice or blended coffees, smoothies, Italian sodas as well as breakfast sandwiches and snacks. Ziggi's Coffee opened its second Texas location in Richmond last month; the first one can be found in Katy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We really strive to provide an experience that caters to our guest experience from our product variety to our service, Knudsen said. Although the first two Texas locations are in the Fort Bend area, Knudsen explained that the company's main goal was not to target markets but to identify the right franchisees. If we have great people and operators come to us and show interest to bring a Ziggi's to their local community, we love to consider it, he said. That was the case for the growth in this particular market. Knudsen added that the customer response in Richmond had been fantastic. They have a great team, and again, the local owners, Vance and Emily Baker, are wonderful operators and committed to infusing their business into the community, he said. Ziggis serves more than 50 signature drinks, offering numerous flavors and ways for customers to customize their orders. Additionally, we have put a lot of work into providing a more robust food menu than some of our more direct competitors have, Knudsen said. FORT BEND INSIDER: Never miss a story with our bi-weekly newsletter Beans & Brews Beans and Brews Coffeehouse plans to open a location in Richmond. Beans and Brews Coffeehouse Utah-based Beans & Brews Coffeehouse came Texas this year, and its first Houston area location in Spring is now open. Construction on a second cafe began in June, with an estimated cost of $300,000, and is expected to be completed by December, according to this Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. The new location will be at 8727 Grand Mission Blvd., Richmond. Beans & Brews first opened in Salt Lake City in 1993 and has become known for serving small-batch, high-altitude craft roasted coffee, specialty beverages and oven-toasted sandwiches, according to its website. Bruce Lehrmann has been given more time to refile the grounds of his appeal against his defamation trial loss after missing court-set deadlines. Photograph: Don Arnold/Getty Images Bruce Lehrmann has been given extra time to refile the grounds of his appeal against his defamation trial loss to Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson, after he missed court-set deadlines. In a hastily arranged hearing at the federal court in Sydney on Friday, Justice Wendy Abraham said the former Liberal staffer was in breach of court orders for failing to file his updated appeal before the due date on 29 August. Abraham gave Lehrmann an extension until Friday 13 September to file any updated notice of appeal and until 19 September for final written submissions in respect to the costs and stay applications. Related: Bruce Lehrmann to ask appeals court to set aside $2m costs order for failed defamation suit Lehrmanns notice of appeal was filed at the latest possible time, on Friday 31 May. His appeal is based on a claim that he was denied procedural fairness by Justice Michael Lee. In April, Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann was not defamed by Wilkinson and Ten when The Project broadcast an interview with Brittany Higgins on 15 February 2021 in which she alleged she was raped by a staffer. Lehrmann has always denied the allegation and he pleaded not guilty at the criminal trial of the matter, which was aborted due to juror misconduct. Lehrmann did not appear in court on Friday, and was represented by criminal solicitor Zali Burrows. Burrows told the court Lehrmann had struggled to recover $117,000 in court costs, which he should have been exempt from, and which he needed as a matter of urgency to use to pay the senior barrister Guy Reynolds to finalise the amended appeal. She said there were a lot of moneys paid in respect of hearing allocation fees, filing fees, which my client didnt have to pay at the time because he was on Centrelink. My client had made an application to the registrar in respect to a refund for the fees but there was a technical issue so if you could deal with that expeditiously we need that money for him to settle the amended appeal which has been drafted, she said. Abraham questioned why Burrows had not raised the issue sooner. Without any notice, you want this court, as in me, to deal with a matter that is a matter you havent yet filed before the registrar so you can succeed in that matter, so you can brief somebody who can then settle and were not going to get the amended grounds until after that? she said. You are in breach of orders of which I have no explanation Why is this being raised today for the first time? I do not propose to make any orders in relation to applications that are still not filed you will need to file it with the registrar for expedition and anything in support to get it expedited if thats what you wish. Tens lawyer Tim Senior said he was very concerned that things Burrows had said in the hearing were going to hijack and disrupt appeals proceedings, adding they had received no explanation as to why the appellant had not filed necessary orders, or how much further time was required. Theres so much uncertainty involved I dont really know what to say, he said. Were concerned about the impact of this timetable we dont know why Mr Lehrmann has delayed after so much time. The case will be back in court on 14 October, alongside an application from Network Ten for Lehrmann to put up $200,000 in security for costs ahead of the appeal. The Ten application is based on the belief that as Lehrmann is unemployed and without significant means to pay its costs the network could be saddled with the bill. Children attend classes at a foster home of the New Hope Foundation on the outskirts of Beijing - Ng Han Guan/AP China is banning the adoption of its children to parents overseas as it grapples with a demographic crisis. Hundreds of American families have been left in limbo by the sudden scrapping of Chinas decades-long intercountry adoption programme. The foreign ministry said the decision was made in line with the spirit of relevant international covenants adding that foreigners will only be permitted to adopt stepchildren and children of blood relatives in China. We express our appreciation to those foreign governments and families, who wish to adopt Chinese children, for their good intention and the love and kindness they have shown, Mao Ning, a spokesman, said. The brief statement has caused turmoil for prospective parents who had received approval to adopt in late 2019 and early 2020 and have connected with the children over video calls since and prepared their homes for their arrival. Spanish couples take their newly adopted Chinese children for a walk in Beijing's Tiananmen Square - Greg Baker/AP Before the pandemic struck, China was a top country of origin for international adoption, with parents from overseas taking in more than 160,000 of its children since 1992. American families have adopted 82,674 children from China, the most from any foreign country. The state department said that Chinas civil affairs ministry confirmed it had completed processing of cases with previously issued travel authorisations, but that only exceptional cases would be processed in future. We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoptions, and we sympathise with their situation, the state department said in a statement. The boom in overseas adoption came at a time when China enforced a strict one-child policy on families, leaving many children abandoned. Adoptees have largely been girls and children with special needs. As in other countries that have been the source of foreign adoptions, the system has been tainted by allegations of exploitation and the trafficking of children. In 2015, the government raised the limit to two children per family and in 2021 removed all restrictions. It now encourages young couples to have large families to counter a growing birth rate crisis. The number of newborn babies fell to 9.02 million in 2023, and the overall population declined for the second consecutive year. While the ban aligns China with a wider international trend to curb inter-country adoptions this will offer little comfort to those already waiting in the queue. At least six families told The New York Times that they were in a panic, devastated by the news they would no longer be able to adopt the children they had been matched with in China. Courtney Moore and her husband, from near Houston, said that they had sent packages every year for holidays to a young boy in an orphanage in the southern Chinese city of Guiyang. Its really hard that there are hundreds of families that are waiting, that have a place prepared and we sit here hopeless, with our hands tied, said Ms Moore. A young girl in bed blows her nose, with medicine next to her Scientists have discovered how to cut the length of a childs cold by two days. Giving saline nasal drops was found to significantly shorten the length of time that symptoms were suffered. The study found that drops made up of a concentration of salt could also cut the chance of passing on colds to family members. The research, which has not yet been published in an academic journal, was presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Vienna. Prof Steve Cunningham, from the University of Edinburgh, who worked on the randomised controlled trial, said: Children have up to 10 to 12 upper respiratory tract infections what we refer to as colds per year, which have a big impact on them and their families. There are medicines to improve symptoms, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, but no treatments that can make a cold get better quicker. We found that children using salt-water nose drops had cold symptoms for an average of six days where those with usual care had symptoms for eight days. The children receiving salt-water nose drops also needed fewer medicines during their illness. Prof Cunningham said that the 2.6 per cent salt-water concentration of drops used in the study cannot currently be bought over the counter and needs to be made by parents. His team plans to release simple instructions and a video within the next few days to help parents do this at home. 'Children have up to 10 to 12 upper respiratory tract infections what we refer to as colds per year,' the scientists said - Hispanolistic/E+ He added that he hoped the research will encourage use of hypertonic saline nose drops by healthcare professionals (3 per cent hypertonic saline solutions are available) until an over-the-counter or pharmacy preparation for this purpose can be made available. Prof Cunningham explained how salt may work to cut the length of colds. He said: Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Chloride is used by the cells lining the nose and windpipes to produce hypochlorous acid within cells, which they use to defend against virus infection. By giving extra chloride to the lining cells, this helps the cells produce more hypochlorous acid, which helps suppress viral replication, reducing the length of the virus infection, and therefore the duration of symptoms. The research team recruited 407 children aged up to six for the study. They were given either salt-water nasal drops or usual care when they developed a cold. Some 301 children developed a cold, and for 150 of these, their parents were given sea salt and taught to make and apply salt-water nose drops to the childrens noses three drops per nostril, a minimum of four times per day, until well. The other 151 children received usual care. In children given the drops, fewer households reported family members catching a cold. Forty-six per cent of households passed on the cold, versus 61 per cent in the homes that did not use the drops. Eighty-two per cent of parents said that the nose drops helped their child get better quickly, while 81 per cent said they would use nose drops in the future. Very safe for children Dr Matthew Siggins, a research fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, who was not involved in the study, said that the research showed a degree of success with reducing the length of symptoms, albeit only moderately. He said that the new trial matched results from a larger study in adults, which also found that the use of saline water reduced symptoms by about two days on average. Dr Siggins called for future studies that could help design sprays that can more effectively suppress symptoms and spread. He said: For now, saline seems a cheap and easy approach that may help somewhat ease the experience of your and your childrens next cold. Dr Andy Whittamore, the clinical lead at the charity Asthma + Lung UK, said: Shortening the time a child is poorly with a cold, with such an easily accessible solution such as salt-water nasal drops, will be a relief to parents and carers. The saline drops can even be made at home, are very safe for children and are easy to administer. Although colds are commonplace for children and rarely dangerous, in a recent survey, Asthma + Lung UK found around three in four people found colds and flu made their lung condition symptoms worse. Therefore, reducing the time someone is ill and contagious will help stop the spread of these respiratory infections. However, if your child is having a flare up of their lung condition you should follow their action plan and seek medical help. This is just what Ive been used to, growing up Anna Russell dines with a friend at Coco's Cantina in Auckland. Photograph: Natasha Hopkins/The Guardian Its 5pm on Aucklands Karangahape Road, and the tables spilling on to the street outside Cocos Cantina are full but these arent your usual sticky toddlers, or after-work suits. As the sun glints off the dusky-pink frames of her glasses, Gabriella Stead, 32, says she doesnt care if its uncool to tuck into Italian food this early; she and Max Coombes, 34, are hungry. Its meant to be kind of cringey and embarrassing to eat early because it means you care about digestion, but its all about having enough time before bed, says Stead, who lives nearby and says she regularly dines at this hour. When youre out later, you just see people drinking. Two tables across, the law student Rosa Clarke and her friend Anna Russell, both 22, are sharing a margherita pizza, pasta pomodoro and arancini balls. After this Ill have the whole evening to go to the gym, shower, and do whatever I want, Russell, an analyst, says. This is just what Ive been used to, growing up. In New Zealands largest city, no-shame early eating has become entwined in a dining culture where booking a table past 8.30pm at weekends is a rarity. According to a survey by international food magazine Chefs Pencil, restaurants in Auckland take the earliest last orders in the world, alongside Luxembourg. Meanwhile in Rome, Mumbai and Buenos Aires, theyre still dining out at midnight at weekends. Australians tend to eat dinner early, too, with average last seating times around 9pm. In London the average is 9.45pm. If its not happening before 7.30 here, then its not going to happen, says Cocos front-of-house manager, Kira Mance Freire, of their dinner rush. At 5.30pm, their service is in full swing; they introduced a happy hour to draw in the creatives and students, young people who dont drink as much and want to be home early, especially if they have sport the next day. Nearby, a table of Whitecliffe art school graduates are sharing sangria and cutting up collages while they wait for their meals. What time do they eat in other places? asks the uni student Kieran Panui, 19. Between 9 and 11pm on average, the Guardian informs him. Really? I just find that bizarre. For restaurateurs, the culture of eating early presents an opportunity. Many have adapted, offering early dinner specials or using platforms such as First Table, a third-party booking system which draws in early diners with half-price meals. Its founder, Mat Weir, says the app has grown exponentially since he started it a decade ago, with 900 restaurants now on the books, almost 300 of those in Auckland. Culturally in NZ we do dine earlier, but the majority of people would go out at that primetime spot of 7pm, Weir says. For others, hospitality has always meant being flexible. As a businessman, I like the fact people want to eat earlier, and then when people come from overseas they want to eat later, says Michael Dearth, who owns fine dining restaurant The Grove and Italian joint Baduzzi. Someone comes in, they have a great time, theyre well watered, having a nice meal and a nice night, and then I get to sell the table again. In a post-pandemic world, Im just hustling to make it work. At 6.15pm down the road at Apero, the restaurant is three-quarters full. The World fashion designer Benny Castles, here with his parents, says early dining is instilled in colonial Kiwi farming culture and the way cities are designed, especially Auckland with its urban sprawl and limited public transport. You dont become friends with a New Zealander until youve been invited into their household, so a lot of people eat at home. If you come out youll do it early, and then go home to suburbia. I mean, whats in our culture, the six-o-clock swill? We didnt exactly develop the aperitif. When he opened Apero in 2014, the restaurateur Ismo Koski, whose hospitality career has spanned Australia, the UK, and Canada, says he had the romantic notion of staying open late, but there was no market for it. Youd be standing around twiddling your thumbs. You might have people who walk in about 9.30 after a show and if the kitchen is still going well do it, but rarely will we send food after 10pm. A few doors down at Java, friends Vivi Armelia, 24, and Sherleen Agustin are catching up for a 6.45pm dinner. The pair went to high school together in the Indonesian city of Pontianak, and Armelia says she was surprised when she moved to Auckland, aged 18, how early everything closed. In Indonesia the shops would be open so wed still be hanging out, eating or shopping at 9 or 10pm. It feels very quiet here for me. By 7.30pm around the corner at Ponsonby Central, theres no seats left at Argentinian restaurant El Sizzling Chorizo. A customer sneaks up to pay before his date can, and as hes processing the mans payment, the manager and Argentinian Tomas Villas, says the evening started getting busy from 5pm, and he will close the kitchen at 8.30pm. Hell have his own dinner two and a half hours later, at 11pm, despite living in New Zealand for seven years. I just cant get used to it, he says. At 8.30pm, waiters at Baduzzi are taking dessert orders. Its still buzzing, but beginning to empty out; the last booking was for 7.30pm. As he leans on a ledge after the rush, the duty manager, Jackson Blomfield, reckons its shifted earlier even compared with a couple of years ago, post-Covid, with people less likely to go out again once theyre home. He excuses himself to go and seat a surprise walk-in table. That will be our last for the night, Id say, he says, checking the time. Its 8.45pm. Almost bedtime. Huge hall close to the Main Railway Station in Dortmund, trestle tables are laid out to accommodate hundreds of refugees who arrived earlier in the day 6 September 2015 from Hungary via Austria Wir schaffen das, we can do this. These were the words used by then German chancellor Angela Merkel in the summer of 2015 to signify that her country could accept and integrate unlimited numbers of refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war and other conflicts. In the intervening years, around 2.85 million have claimed asylum in Germany. Ms Merkels remarks exemplified an attitude then widespread across Europes political class that migration at any scale could be managed by wealthy Western countries and that any opposition to this stance was shameful. Unsurprisingly, this disdain for popular sentiment produced a backlash: the widespread rise of insurgent political parties opposed to large-scale migration. One by one, European leaders who took Ms Merkels line have either been voted out of office or have adopted much tougher policies. With the election of Giorgia Meloni in Italy in 2022, a major European power is led by a politician for whom opposition to mass migration is one of her core political issues. But taking a robust stance has not been a hallmark exclusively of the Right. The Social Democrat-led Danish government has also been notably firm. Now France and Germany are also moving. Frances new prime minister Michel Barnier may be infamous in the UK for his intransigence during the Brexit negotiations, but in his own homeland his stance on immigration is perhaps better known. When he was vying for the centre-Rights nomination for the 2022 presidential election, he called for a stop to non-European immigration for three to five years. Now it has emerged that the centre-Left German government may consider adopting a version of Britains Rwanda plan, abandoned by Sir Keir Starmer. Joachim Stamp, Berlins migration commissioner, has stated that offshore processing of asylum applicants is an option. More gallingly for British taxpayers who paid for them, Mr Stamp has pointed out that Germany could utilise the existing structures in Rwanda that were prepared for the British, but are now superfluous thanks to Labours decision. All of this serves to expose the yawning chasm in Sir Keirs illegal migration plans. He is keen to say that his Government is resetting relations with Europe; a new era of cooperation is apparently upon us. Yet, by abandoning the Rwanda scheme and claiming that the problem can be solved merely through more effective law enforcement, Britain is heading in the opposite direction of virtually the whole of the Continent. Europes failed policies are unlikely to work any better for the UK. This is one lesson Sir Keir could usefully learn from the European Union. Caroline Darian testified against her father in a case which has shocked the country - GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The daughter of a French pensioner accused of enlisting more than 70 men to rape his drugged wife has called her father the worst sexual predator in the past 20 years. Caroline Darian, 45, testified against her father, Dominique Pelicot, on Friday on the fifth day of a court case that has shocked the country. How do you rebuild yourself from the ashes, when your father is undoubtedly one of the greatest sexual predators of the last 20 years? Ms Darian, who uses a pen name, told the packed courtroom. Pelicot, 71, is accused of heavily sedating his wife of more than 50 years, Gisele Pelicot, and inviting men recruited from an online chat forum to rape her in their home in the small town of Mazan in Provence between 2011 to 2020. His alleged crimes were discovered by chance after he was arrested for secretly filming up womens skirts in a supermarket in 2020. Dominique Pelicot is accused of heavily sedating his wife During her testimony, Ms Darian looked up towards the ceiling when she appeared close to tears. She spoke of a closely knit family who overcame hardships and of a doting father who was affectionate and supportive. I loved my father, I loved the image of the man I thought I knew, I loved the image of this healthy, caring, considerate man, she told the court. After learning about her mothers rape, Ms Darian was taken to a police station where she was shown photos of a naked woman, lying in the foetal position. At first, she said she didnt recognise the woman. I dont sleep like that, she remembered thinking. Caroline Darian (pictured left) and her mother Gisele Pelicot (centre) speaking on the fifth day of court - GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock It was only after the investigator pointed out a brown spot on her cheek that she realised that the photo was her and that her father had taken it without her knowing. There I discover myself and I understand that the man who was my father in whom I had total confidence, who I thought had integrity, who respected his daughter, who was proud of her, who had always encouraged her, I discover that in fact, my father photographed me without my knowledge, naked, she said. Ms Darian told the court she believed her father drugged her as well. Pelicots daughters-in-law, Celine, 48, and Aurore, 37, also testified and spoke of feeling violated after discovering their father-in-law had secretly taken photos of them in the shower and their bathing suits without their consent. Aurore also recalled an incident in 2020 in which her school-aged daughters asked their grandfather for a toy in the supermarket. He replied: Id be very happy to get it for you if you pose naked for me, she said, adding that she always felt unease around her father-in-law. Alice Guo, centre, was arrested in Tangerang on Tuesday before being deported from Indonesia. Photograph: Ditjen Imigrasi/AP Alice Guo, a fugitive former mayor of a town in the Philippines accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, has arrived back in the Philippines after she was deported from Indonesia. Guo, whose case has gripped the Philippines, was the subject of an arrest warrant after she failed to appear before a Senate inquiry investigating financial scams and human trafficking found to be taking place at a sprawling compound in her town, Bamban, in Tarlac province. She was arrested on Tuesday at a hotel in the Indonesian city of Tangerang. She arrived in Manila on Friday on a private plane flanked by Philippine law enforcement authorities, including the countrys interior minister, Benjamin Abalos Jr, who led her handover from Indonesian authorities in Jakarta. I have received death threats and I am asking for the help [of Philippine authorities], Guo told a press briefing shortly after her arrival in Manila. Related: Cognac, tortoises and a pink-striped helicopter: inside the mystery of Alice Guo, the missing Philippines mayor Guo has faced questions from senators and investigators over her business dealings and alleged links to the compound. Increasingly, she has also been quizzed over her identity due to discrepancies in her documents, and allegations she was in fact Chinese. One senator questioned if she was a Chinese spy. Guo has denied any wrongdoing and maintains she is the love child of a Chinese man and his wifes helper, who was a Filipina. It had been reported on Wednesday that her extradition could face complications as Indonesia hoped for her to be handed over in exchange for the Australian national Gregor Haas, who is wanted by Jakarta for alleged drug smuggling a charge that could lead to the death penalty. However, the department of justice undersecretary, Nicholas Felix Ty, told the Philippine news outlet Rappler on Wednesday that there had been no official request from Indonesia for a prisoner swap. Krishna Murti, the chief of the international division of Indonesias national police, told Associated Press in Jakarta that exchange efforts are still being negotiated over the return of Haas. Guo had already been dismissed from her post as mayor for grave misconduct, and on Thursday an arrest was issued against her for two counts of graft. In addition, the Philippines anti-money laundering council recently filed several charges of money laundering against her and 35 others before the department of justice, accusing them of laundering more than 100m pesos (1.3m). The presidential anti-organised crime commission has also filed qualified human trafficking charges, now under consideration by the office of the prosecutor. Reuters contributed to this report One newlywed couple dubbed Romeo and Juliet may be forced to resign after marrying in August - Alexander Spatari With cash-dispensing machines that give instructions in Latin, it is a financial institution like no other, but the Vaticans bank is mired in controversy after decreeing that if two employees fall in love and want to marry, one of them must resign. The regulation is intended to combat nepotism and conflicts of interest. But it has scotched the future of a couple dubbed Romeo and Juliet by the Catholic press who work at the bank and recently married. Love allegedly blossomed after their eyes met across a crowded teller counter. They were married in a church in Fregene, a beach town on the coast near Rome, on August 31. But under the draconian rule, their work contracts will expire within 30 days of the wedding unless one of them voluntarily resigns from the Vatican bank, which is officially known as the IOR, an Italian acronym meaning the Institute for the Works of Religion. The decree states: In order to ensure equal treatment, the celebration of a canonical marriage between an employee of the Institute and another employee of the Institute, or of other administrations of the Vatican City State, constitutes a cause for loss of hiring requirements. The loss of employment is considered to have been overcome, however, for one of the two spouses if the other ceases his or her employment relationship with the institute and with other Vatican administrations within 30 days of the celebration of the canonical marriage. The bank said that the objective of the rule was to guarantee conditions of equal treatment of all employees during their entire period of service. Given that the institute has a little over 100 employees in just one location, without any branches, this rule is fundamental for preventing inevitable conflicts of interest of a professional sort among potential spouses, as well as possible doubts about family-related management among its clients and the broader public. The young couples quandary has caused consternation within the towering stone walls of the Vatican City State, the smallest country in the world. How is it possible that an internal regulation can supersede the sacrament? an anonymous insider was quoted as saying. Protests have been lodged by the ADLV, an association of lay employees similar to a union, which has expressed solidarity with the couple. Family endangered by bureaucratic rules Weve tried to initiate a process of mediation with the bank, presenting the argument that plans to start a new family must not be endangered by bureaucratic rules. We are also consulting experts in canon law, a spokesman told Il Messaggero newspaper. The couples only hope now is that the Pope himself may intervene. That seems unlikely, at least in the short term Francis is in the middle of a 12-day, 20,000 mile apostolic visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. The 87-year-old pontiff is not due back in Rome until September 13 and will need to recuperate for a while from one of the longest journeys ever undertaken by a pope. There are likely to be other, more pressing matters on his desk once he returns home. The bank occupies a 15th-century tower that was once used as a papal prison. Its entrance is watched over by pantaloon-wearing soldiers from the Swiss Guard who are responsible for the safety of the Pope. The institution, once dubbed by Forbes the most secret bank in the world, manages funds and accounts held by the Holy See, Catholic charities around the world and individual cardinals, priests and nuns. After years of corruption allegations, Pope Francis embarked on a campaign to clean up the bank, demanding greater transparency and better compliance with anti-money laundering and tax evasion regulations. Hunter Biden leaving federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday - David Swanson Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal tax charges, a surprise move meant to spare his family another painful and embarrassing criminal trial after his gun case conviction just months ago. His decision to plead guilty to misdemeanour and felony charges without the benefits of a deal with prosecutors, caps a long-running saga over his legal woes that have cast a shadow over his father, Joe Bidens political career. It came hours after jury selection was supposed to begin in the case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million (1.1 million) in taxes. The presidents son was already facing potential prison time after his June conviction on felony gun charges in a trial that aired unflattering and salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction. Hunter Biden arrives at court with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden - Jae C Hong/AP The tax trial was expected to showcase more potentially lurid evidence as well as details about Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings, which Republicans have seized on to try to paint the Biden family as corrupt. I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment, Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement after he entered his plea. For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty. Although President Joe Bidens decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential election muted the potential political implications of the tax case, the trial was expected to carry a heavy emotional toll for the president in the final months of his five-decade political career. Abbe Lowell, Biden's lawyer, told the judge that his client intended to change his plea - CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Hunter put his family first today, and it was a brave and loving thing for him to do, defence attorney Abbe Lowell told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles. Hunter Biden, 54, quickly responded guilty as the judge read out each of the nine counts. He showed no emotion as he walked out the courthouse holding his wifes hand. He ignored questions shouted at him by reporters before climbing into an SUV and driving off. The charges carry up to 17 years behind bars, but federal sentencing guidelines are likely to call for a much shorter sentence. He faces up to $1.35 million in fines. Sentencing is set for December 16 in front of US District Judge Mark Scarsi, who was nominated to the bench by Donald Trump. He faces sentencing in the Delaware case on November 13 the week after the general election. Those charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though he is likely to get far less time or avoid prison entirely. Biden was flanked by Secret Service agents as he arrived in court - RINGO CHIU/AFP More than 100 potential jurors had been brought to the courthouse on Thursday to begin the process of picking the panel to hear the case alleging a four-year scheme to avoid paying taxes while spending wildly on things like strippers, luxury hotels and exotic cars. Prosecutors were caught off guard when Hunter Bidens lawyer told the judge on Thursday morning that Hunter wanted to enter whats known as an Alford plea, under which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction. Special counsel David Weiss team objected to such a plea, telling the judge that Hunter Biden is not entitled to plead guilty on special terms that apply only to him. Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty, prosecutor Leo Wise said. After a break in the hearing, Hunter Bidens lawyers said he had decided to plead guilty to all nine charges. The number of people in prison in England and Wales has risen from about 40,000 in 1991 to more than 88,000. Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images Ministers have dismissed claims that Labour is considering sending criminals convicted in England and Wales to Estonia to serve their prison sentences. The Telegraph reported that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was investigating all viable options to increase capacity after the Baltic state said it had offered to rent out spare capacity to other countries. Citing government sources, the newspaper said the solution was on the table after mens prisons in England and Wales almost ran out of cells last month with 83 spare spaces. On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the MoJ, which oversees the prison estate, said that the plan was assessed by the last government and carries considerable and significant costs. The new government inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons on the point of collapse, a statement said. While we are considering all practical options to increase prison capacity and keep the public safe, there are no plans to introduce this measure. Related: Prisons crisis needs radical solutions in England and Wales, say former top judges Earlier, Downing Street had also distanced itself from reports. A No 10 spokesperson said renting prison cells in Estonia had been the policy of the previous government and current ministers had made no such plans or announcement with regard to Estonia. They added: More broadly, we would always look at options that are practical and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. In an overhaul of the criminal justice system, Labour is planning to build more prisons in the long term. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has also decided to undertake an urgent independent review of sentencing legislation and practice. Official figures published on Friday showed that the prison population had reached a record high, with 88,521 people behind bars, 171 more than the previous record set at the end of last week.The Telegraph reported that Estonias low crime rate had left its prisons half empty, prompting hopes that criminals convicted in England and Wales could provide a 30m (25m) boost to the countrys public finances. Mahmood and Liisa Pakosta, her Estonian counterpart, were expected to discuss prison leasing on the sidelines of a Council of Europe event in Vilnius, Lithuania, it was claimed. Pakosta told the Telegraph: The UK and Estonia have a history of successful international cooperation, and such a partnership would create further opportunities to benefit and learn from each other. Sending offenders to Estonia was first proposed by Alex Chalk, the former justice secretary, at last years Conservative conference. Labour criticised the idea at the time as an example of Tory incompetence and underinvestment, while the Prison Reform Trust called it half-baked. The number of people in prison in England and Wales has risen from about 40,000 in 1991 to more than 88,000, with an increase of more than 1,000 over the past four weeks. Next week, about 1,500 people are due to be released from prison under an emergency measure that reduces from 50% to 40% the proportion of custodial sentences to be served in prison for some. The SDS40 scheme, which will free 5,500 prisoners across two months, will be launched on 10 September for those serving sentences of five years or less. A second category of prisoners those who have served sentences of five years or more will be released on 22 October. Jamila Al-Shami and her sons, Amin Al-Husseini, and Jamil Al-Husseini greet deputies at the Arab American Cultural Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Houston, as mourners gathered after the funeral of Precinct 4 deputy constable Maher Husseinis funeral. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Friends and loved ones lower the body of slain Harris County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Maher Husseini into the ground for burial Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home & Cemetery in The Woodlands. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Family members and loved ones grieve after the burial of Harris County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Maher Husseini on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home & Cemetery in The Woodlands. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The casket of Harris County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Maher Husseini leaves Masjid Al Salem Mosque after friends, family and law enforcement gathered for funeral prayers, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Spring. Husseini was shot and killed in his vehicle while heading to work along Richmond Avenue on Tuesday, Sept. 3, in southwest Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Emergency medical personnel transport a handcuffed man to a waiting ambulance on 81st Street at Channelview Drive in Galveston on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. The man was wanted in connection to the fatal shooting of a Harris County constable earlier in the day. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News Sgt. C. Cipriano, a member of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office Honor Guard, watches the burial of slain Deputy Constable Maher Husseini on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home & Cemetery in The Woodlands. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jamila Al-Shami hugs a guest as her sons, Amin Al-Husseini, left, and Jamil Al-Husseini watch at the Arab American Cultural Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Houston, as mourners gathered after the funeral of Precinct 4 deputy constable Maher Husseinis funeral. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Tow truck drivers pull a car belonging to the suspect in a fatal police shooting out of the Houston Ship Channel near Channelview and 81st Street on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 in Galveston. The owner of the vehicle, who got out of the car and swam, is suspected of shooting at and killing a Houston Constable in west Houston as he was making his way to work. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The man accused in the killing of a Harris County deputy constable approached the Precinct 4 employees vehicle and shot him at least 13 times, little more than 10 minutes after the two met at a nearby parking lot to have a cordial interaction, court records show. Precinct 4 Cpl. Maher Husseini, a three-year veteran of the office, was shot and killed around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 8900 block of Richmond Avenue in west Houston. Police found his personal vehicle, a Jaguar, with a shattered drivers side window and four bullet holes on the passenger side at the intersection near Fondren Road. Bullet holes at a fatal shooting scene at Richmond Avenue and Fondren Road are photographed Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 in Houston. An off-duty Harris County Pct. 4 deputy constable was shot and killed in the vehicle. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Charging documents filed against Athir Samir Dawood Murady, 40, in Harris County laid out the frantic moments before and after the shooting. Investigators collected dash camera video from Husseinis Jaguar that showed that Husseini met Murady 10 to 15 minutes before the shooting in a parking lot near the 3300 block of South Gessner, about 1.3 miles from the shooting, court records show. The two are described as shaking hands and having a cordial interaction before Husseini got back in his vehicle and turned onto Richmond Avenue. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Husseini watched his rearview mirror as Murady followed him through multiple intersections before the shooting, prosecutors allege. MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Slain Harris County constable deputy remembered for devotion to community safety Law enforcement officers watch the water in Galveston Bay along Channelview Drive on Monday, Sept. 3, 2024, as officers take into custody a man wanted in connection to the fatal shooting of a Harris County constable. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News In the minutes and hours after the first calls came in, detectives worked across law enforcement agencies to identify a suspect through license plate scanning cameras, called flock cameras, and to track the vehicle to Galveston. Detectives also learned that the suspect had switched out his plates before the shooting. Murady, who remained in the Galveston County Jail, has not yet made a court appearance in Harris County on a murder charge. Officials with the Harris County District Attorneys Office did not immediately have a date for when that might happen. Murady has also been charged with evading arrest in Galveston County, where he was arrested and taken to the hospital hours after the fatal shooting, court records show. He does not yet have a listed defense attorney in either county. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Galveston Police Dept. take photos of a car they pulled out of the Houston Ship Channel on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 in Galveston. The owner of the vehicle, who got out of the car and swam, is suspected of shooting at and killing a Houston Constable deputy in west Houston as he was making his way to work. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Galveston police received word just before 3 p.m. that a suspect in the fatal shooting of a deputy constable might be on the island, Around 4 p.m., Deputy City Marshal Sgt. Nick Yeley noticed a vehicle matching the fleeing one's description in the 6700 block of Broadway, officials said. He called dispatch and kept sight of the vehicle before meeting officers at a parking lot where they prepared to stop the vehicle. The man then drove into the Channelview neighborhood where he drove his vehicle into Galveston Bay, police said. He abandoned the car and ran into deeper water, where he was later retrieved. Husseini joined the constable' office in 2021 and had been promoted to corporal the week before his death, Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said. Husseini previously ran for sheriff in Montgomery County, as a Democrat, in 2020, past Houston Chronicle coverage shows, while leading private company Jaguar Security and Investigations. His sheriff's campaign focused on creating mental health programs for those charged with crimes, remodeling jails and improving pay for detention officers. Under pilot schemes, GPs have been able to refer patients for 12-week rehabilitation programmes in gyms, pools and leisure centres Swimming and gym rehab schemes could be prescribed on the NHS to help solve Britains worklessness crisis. Back pain sufferers have been referred by their GP for swimming or exercise sessions under pilot schemes at 94 sites. Researchers said the exercise schemes could mean millions of people suffering from musculoskeletal pain could receive help sooner, instead of being left to languish on NHS waiting lists. Now, officials at the Department of Health and Social Care are examining whether the scheme should be rolled out across the country to boost the economy and help thousands of people get back to work. A record 2.8 million people are out of work because of long-term sickness. Of those, almost half have a musculoskeletal health condition, such as back pain, arthritis or joint problems. In addition, 3.7 million people are in work but with a health condition such as back pain that limits the amount of work they can do. Under pilot schemes, GPs have been able to refer such patients for 12-week rehabilitation programmes in gyms, pools and leisure centres. The courses were funded by UKRI Innovate a government quango meaning they were free for patients. Any wider rollout would need to be funded by local authorities or the NHS. Reduction in pain levels The first results from 94 sites that tested the approach saw 44 per cent of participants reported a noticeable reduction in their pain levels. The findings, from 1,631 people, also show that on average, those taking part in the sessions attended around four other classes and activities offered by leisure centres, on average, in an extra boost to their health. In the trials, leisure operators hosted personalised physical activity sessions focused on progressive exercise rehabilitation, as well as education on how to maintain mobility and reduce pain. Those taking part had help from instructors in person and online advice. An evaluation of the schemes found that as well as helping participants reduce pain levels, they also saw a fall in anxiety levels. Experts said the schemes could dramatically reduce pressures on the NHS, allowing patients to manage conditions that might otherwise require appointments with orthopaedic consultants. In other cases, it could ensure that patients struggling with conditions like knee arthritis or lower back pain are able to manage pain allowing them to remain in work while they wait to see a specialist. Official monthly figures show 340,816 people waiting for treatment for musculoskeletal conditions in May this year, an 11 per cent rise in a year. In the pilot schemes, participants suffering from such problems were able to refer themselves for help, with programmes advertised in leisure centres and on social media, while referrals could be made by GPs. Musculoskeletal conditions cost 6.3bn a year Musculoskeletal conditions are the primary cause of disability among older adults in the UK, affecting more than 20 million people every year. Estimates suggest they account for up to 30 per cent of GP appointments, and 30 million lost work days, with an estimated cost to the NHS of 6.3 billion a year. Data from the pilot schemes found that eight in 10 of those who signed up were doing low levels of activity before they took part in the programme. Those who took part did so for an average of seven weeks. Two-fifths of participants had at least a 15 per cent improvement in pain levels, the marker for a clinically important difference. The model of the pilot was designed by ukactive, a fitness not-for-profit industry association, along with social enterprise Good Boost and ESCAPE-pain, which provides rehab schemes, and charities Orthopaedic Research UK and Arthritis Action. Unnecessary pain prevents work Mike Farrar, the chairman of ukactive, said: Musculoskeletal conditions are putting an increasing burden on our nations health and our economy, with millions of people suffering unnecessary pain and many prevented from working or even doing simple everyday tasks. The results of this pilot mean the Government has a ready-made blueprint to reduce the pressure on the NHS and at the same time improve economic productivity by using gyms and leisure centres to deliver personalised support for people with MSK conditions. Our sector should have a lead role in reducing the UKs pain and this model has the potential to be replicated to support those with other long-term health conditions too. We are ready to work with the Government to deploy our sectors facilities and expertise to get the UK moving again. Noha Al Afifi, interim chief executive of Arthritis Action, said: Our arthritis community groups have brought individuals with arthritis together at a local level, introducing them to the benefits of exercise. It has been rewarding to hear the individual stories of how these physical activity sessions have impacted pain levels and reduced symptoms in participants. We urge the Government to recognise the success of the project and help us to widen its impact. Click here to view this content. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: More than 20 million people live with a musculoskeletal condition in the UK. With the right care and support, we know that many of these people could better manage their condition, improving their quality of life and enabling them to rejoin the workforce. The Government is exploring ways of further supporting people with health conditions and disabled people to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities, and help them to get into and stay in employment. We welcome this report and will consider its findings as we develop this work. Mother helps children get ready for school Parents have been asked to provide evidence they can no longer afford private school fees to secure a place at a state school. An email sent out by Buckinghamshire council, seen by The Telegraph, showed a mother being told her daughter had been rejected by two local secondary schools because they are full. She was then asked to prove her financial situation in order for her daughter to be considered for another school in the area. The mother, who asked not to be named, had applied for a place at two schools via the councils online portal amid fears she could be priced out of her daughters private school by the Governments VAT raid. The email from Buckinghamshire council said: Unfortunately we cannot offer any places at your preferred school/s as they are full. The email continued: In this circumstance, we would normally advocate that [the child] should remain at their current school. However, if you can provide evidence that you can no longer finance the independent school fees, please advise and we can make a local authority non-preference allocation. Councils must not ask for parents financial status All children in England between the ages of five and 16 are legally entitled to a free place at a state school. The Governments school admissions code also states that in some cases, local authorities may seek supplementary information from parents if schools are oversubscribed. However, the code states that councils must not ask for information relating to a familys financial status, criminal convictions, language ability, disabilities or medical conditions. Buckinghamshire councils website claims it has received a large number of applications for schools in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, and that schools are currently oversubscribed. Data from the council show that just five state secondary schools out of a total 38 in Buckinghamshire had places available for Year 7 students at the latest count in July, while only four had spaces for pupils in Year 8 and three in Year 9. It comes amid concerns that some local councils could become swamped with applications for state school places if parents are priced out by fee increases as a result of the decision to add VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent to private school fees from Jan 1 2025. The Government has leant on estimates drawn up by the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicting that up to 40,000 private school children could be forced out under the plans. However, education figures have warned that there will likely be stark regional variations, and that councils with a range of top grammar schools will likely see the sharpest rise in inquiries for places. Schools absorb some of cost A raft of prominent private schools announced last week that they would raise fees from January when the tax rise comes into force. Eton College became the first to announce it would pass on the 20 per cent VAT in full to parents, meaning fees will rise to 63,000 in January. Others have decided to absorb at least some of the cost. St Pauls School, in central London, announced a 9 per cent fee rise from January as a result of ongoing efforts to keep costs down. The parent who received the email from Buckinghamshire Council told The Telegraph that her daughters private school had also chosen to soak up some of the VAT. The school announced it would increase fees for senior school pupils by 1,200 from January, although the mother said she feared it could choose to raise them again at a later date which would price the family out. Council apologises for choice of language A spokesman for Buckinghamshire council said they wanted to apologise for the choice of language and insisted it did not reflect any formal policy. Anita Cranmer, the councils cabinet member for education and childrens services, said: We believe this wording was taken from an individual correspondence rather than being a formal policy and we apologise for the choice of language; we are happy to confirm this direct with the family and will not be seeking personal financial information from them or any other Buckinghamshire family. The intention was to seek confirmation in this case as to whether the family was relinquishing the childs current school place and would definitely be seeking an in year school place even though their preferred school is full, or whether they would be staying at their current school which is often the case when families arent able to get a place at a preferred school. She added that Buckinghamshire council had seen higher numbers of in year applications from families with children in the independent sector in recent months. We have been able to offer a number of children from independent schools a place in their preferred school where they have applied in year, but this is not always possible, such as in this case. If a family still wishes to move from their current school provision in spite of not being able to get a place at their preferred school, we would explore a non-preference offer in a school with space, she said. We have capacity in our schools across the county but this does vary in some areas; as a result we can offer some, but not all families their preferred place if they request an in year move. Education tax will be a disaster Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, told The Telegraph: The financial attack on parents sending their children to independent schools from the Labour Government is going to force thousands of children out of the private sector and overcrowd the state system. It is the Government who need to come up with the funds to ensure the state sector is able to cope with this influx of pupils. Damian Hinds, the shadow education secretary, told The Telegraph: Labours education tax, brought in right in the middle of a school year, will be a disaster. Thousands of pupils will be priced out of independent schools and with the state sector not having the capacity to absorb them, and no plan from the Labour Government to mitigate this, it will be parents, teachers and pupils that will ultimately pay the price. We will hold this new Labour Government to account on their behalf. 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. There has been an approximately 75 per cent increase in private sector fees since 2000 and the number of children in independent schools has remained steady, so we do not expect ending tax breaks for private schools to have a significant impact on the state sector. Click here to view this content. UK company ManiLife has won multiple Great Taste Awards since launching in 2016. (Hikaru Funnell) Founder Stu Macdonald may well be number crunching as an accountant instead of spreading the love of his fast-rising peanut butter brand. There is a strategy and logic that is imposed in hindsight with a lot of entrepreneurial stories, says Macdonald, who set up ManiLife in 2016. At the time, it was a piece about how peanut butter in the UK was rubbish, how we talk about French wine, Colombian coffee or Belgian chocolate but peanut butter is just smooth and crunchy. For me there was an obvious link between the two. There was no market testing, we imported a ton, reacted and kept going. The story goes that, having been offered a job at "Big Four" accountancy firm PwC, Macdonald says he took the decision to move to Argentina and build up enough guilt to become an accountant for three years". Read more: 'How we launched a kombucha brand from our bedroom' By chance, he fell into work with a peanut butter social enterprise in Argentina. In the process I started to fall in love with the product, he recalls. I went round to soup kitchens teaching families and children how to use it and the nutritious benefits. It was magic. Macdonald started experimenting with flavours and sold jars to the expat community. He also drove to Cordoba to meet the family running the peanut estate he still sources from today. Then, looking at the market back home, he realised there was no craft or provenance in the peanut category. ManiLife founder Stu Macdonald, left, still sources from the same Argentinian farm. On returning to the UK, after a stint in accountancy, he decided to set up "the worlds first provenance-led peanut butter brand" and tell the story of where the ingredients heralded from. But disaster struck when the first ton of peanuts arrived and his production partner pulled out, leaving Macdonald with 25kg bags stacked in his bedroom and no one to make it. By hook or by crook, he pulled together over 40 friends, rented out his local rugby club kitchen and spent the summer making 4,000 jars. We did it one jar at a time. It was hellish but formative, muses Maconald. The experience sowed the seeds of what the entrepreneur refers to as getting it done at all costs. Serendipity, adds Macdonald, has also played a large part in ManiLifes journey. We transitioned from a provenance brand to making it in a way that no one had been naive enough to try, he says, and we discovered deep roast peanut butter by accident and overcooking the nuts. These flavours are now globally sold as Deep Roast and, earlier this year, its Crunchy product was voted Britains best peanut butter in a taste test by The Times. Read More: Meet the 'jokers from London' who sold 100,000 blocks of butter in first 10 weeks People inherently understand that to get the best products you have to get the best ingredients, says Macdonald. Before ManiLife, peanut butter had average ingredients as there was this belief that it was just mashed up and it didnt make a difference. We figured out that it did. It took six months for Macdonalds fledgling business to sell that first ton of peanut butter. Today, the craft brand produces between 60 and 80 tonnes per month, in contrast to the mass producers of market leaders like Whole Earth, Meridian and Sun-Pat. As a small batch manufacturer, the challenge is that there is an element of craft and art compared to large competitors, says Macdonald. We have chosen to do it this way and I do think that ManiLife is the benchmark of quality. There have been challenges along the way. In 2018, ManiLifes warehouse and packing sites moved in the same week that his first employee left the firm. Several tonnes of unroasted product made it through the supply chain and onto supermarket shelves. What that uncovered was that there werent the right checks to stop it happening, admits Macdonald. On the flip side, it taught us to introduce a degree of rigour, testing and checks. ManiLife founder Stu Macdonald started his craft peanut butter business in 2016. Macdonald has also nearly run out of funds three times and racked up 30,000 of credit card debt to keep the business afloat. Crowdfunding, however, has proved highly beneficial, with three Seedr rounds accruing over 1m. It has attested to the brands support. This includes one customer who had forgotten to take a ManiLife jar in her birth kit to hospital, which Macdonald quickly Ubered a jar to. Yotam Ottolenghi, Joe Wicks and Claudia Winkelman are well-known fans of the brand, while consumers have also sent poems and paintings to the company. That is one of the things that keeps you going when times are tough, says Macdonald. The big drive for me is to make people happy. According to a Market Data Forecast report, the UK is the growth engine in the peanut butter sector, with sales in Europe rising over 10% annually. It led The New York Times to run a piece last month headlined, The British have finally learned to love peanut butter. Read More: Meet the founder behind UK's No.1 kefir brand There is a significant portion of the British public who are mad for it, says Macdonald, with ManiLife valued close to 13m and now part of a 120m category in the UK. Its a bit of a cult following. The long-term trend is leaning towards quality. We now aim to double our growth over the next three years. Behind the brand: ManiLife founder on Health is key as sole founder The business started with 45 friends who worked for nothing. We have always been a community-led brand and everyone coming together. Although I have been a sole founder and there have been challenges with that, I absolutely didnt create this on my own. "It wasnt due to control or lack of trust, it was more due to compulsion and being conscious of how you show up. If you dont look after yourself as a leader, the knock on effects are far greater than you personally. I burnt out in 2021 as I hadnt taken a holiday in six years. I was taking it too seriously. Work expands into all spaces if you let it. Marketing wins "A rocket moment was in Germany where we sent product to an amazing person called Pamela Reif. She agreed to make some content and link it back to one of our retailers there. She was an insane fan which we didnt know about. She did minutes of videos and we sold three months of stock in seven hours. The impact of that drives the business and we are fortunate." Watch: Peanut butter is a liquid, according to TSA Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Russian President Vladimir Putin The US government this week revealed in a treasure trove of never before seen material the scale of covert Russian plots to influence Americas upcoming presidential election. As Russian tanks and jets wage war in Ukraine, Moscow is employing other, more covert forms of warfare to take the fight to the West in the hope of a victory for Donald Trump and to reduce Washingtons vital support for Kyiv. It is long past time for Washington and its allies to fight back. But first, the details. According to the US Justice Department, Russian state media outlet RT, formerly known as Russia Today, funnelled $10 million to a US-based company as part of a scheme to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging. The company, founded by former RT employees, pumped out content on social media, including by contracted American pundits. As an example, the company allegedly contracted an American commentator to accuse Ukraine of orchestrating a terror attack in Moscow that was actually committed by ISIS. The US government also accused RaHDit, a hacker group run by former and current Russian intelligence officials, of disseminating and amplifying RT disinformation and propaganda. Separately, the Justice Department revealed that the Kremlin directed three Russian companies to covertly spread Russian government propaganda aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and influencing elections in the US and other countries. They used fake social media profiles, fabricated influencers, and impersonated legitimate news websites to spread their content. As noted in internal documents from one of the companies, the Russians targeted voters in key swing states and pushed themes such as job loss for white Americans and purported crime committed by people of color and immigrants (including new immigrants from Ukraine). This is not a new phenomenon. During the Cold War, Soviet operatives routinely conducted covert active measures aimed at weakening or influencing the United States and other foreign countries. Nowadays, Moscow draws on a similar playbook, updated for the age of social media, which can spread Russian disinformation faster and in a more targeted manner. US intelligence views Russia as the predominant threat to US elections. Amid increased scrutiny on Russian disinformation, it says Moscow is working to better hide its hand, enhance its reach, and create content that resonates more with US audiences. In addition to using front companies and bogus social media accounts, the Russians have employed artificial intelligence to create deep fakes and boost their social media bots. Of course, Russia is not only interested in US elections. Earlier this year, Moscow once again attempted to interfere in the UK and EU political realm. The United States, Britain, and Canada all accused Russia of trying to interfere in Moldovas upcoming presidential election in October; Moscow will also likely interfere with the elections in Georgia scheduled for that same month. The revanchist Kremlin has worked diligently to capitalise on political, cultural, and socioeconomic divides in Western countries. In the US, the Russians exploit issues such as abortion, gun control, and migration, and the Israel-Palestine crisis, aiming to weaken the West while boosting preferred candidates and undermining Western support for Ukraine. China and other authoritarian adversaries are learning from Russias experience, increasing the threat to Western democracies. Since Russias interference in the 2016 US presidential election, Washington has taken measures to safeguard American electoral processes and expose Russian influence operations. This is a good first step but its not enough. The US and its allies also need to go on the offensive. Western countries should conduct information operations that harness the truth to fuel opposition to Putin within Russia and other countries. These operations should not try to sell the American Dream but should rather play to messages that will resonate with their target audiences. For example, Western information operations could target ethnic minority groups in Russia that face systemic repression and have suffered disproportionate casualties for Putins war in Ukraine. The West should also challenge Moscow in the Global South, where Russian propaganda is often more popular than Western media. Information operations are a key way Russia seeks to weaken America and its Western allies. It is high time for the US government to catch up and modernise its own information warfare playbook. Only by giving Putin a taste of his own medicine can Washington compete against Moscow in the information space. Dr Ivana Stradner is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington DC JD Vance was speaking at a campaign event in Arizona on Thursday - REUTERS Click here to view this content. JD Vance has said school shootings are a fact of life and called for security in classrooms, not gun control, to stop them. The Republican vice presidential nominee told an audience of supporters in Arizona that if these psychos are going to go after our kids weve got to be prepared for it. We dont have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. Weve got to deal with it, he said. I dont like that this is a fact of life, but if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realise that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. Weve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children theyre not able. The comments came in the aftermath of a shooting at Apalachee High School, near Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday. (Left) Colt Gray, 14, and his father (Right) have been arrested Two students and two teachers were shot dead. A 14-year-old boy, Colt Gray, has been take into custody and charged with four counts of felony murder. Prosecutors said on Thursday that his father also faces charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for allowing his son to possess a weapon. The incident has reignited an age-old debate about American gun ownership and how best to protect children from shootings in the classroom. Mr Vance said the four murders in Georgia were a tragedy and sent condolences to the families of victims, but reiterated his opposition to gun controls that have been proposed by Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Victims Christian Angulo, Cristina Irimie, Richard Aspinwall and Mason Schermerhorn are pictured He said that data shows states that have greater gun controls do not have lower incidence of school shootings, and that security in schools was the only way to reduce the vulnerability of children. In response to Mr Vances comments, Harris-Walz spokesperson Ammar Moussa said: Donald Trump and JD Vance will always choose the NRA and gun lobby over our children. That is the choice in this election. Mr Vance is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights to bear arms under the US Constitution, and both he and Trump have spoken against proposed federal legislation to make it harder to buy guns, or to ban high-powered weapons. He attracted criticism earlier this year for calling a proposed ban on bump stocks, a device that modifies a semiautomatic weapon to allow it to fire continuously, a huge distraction. My daughters murder was a fact of life? On Thursday Fred Guttenberg, the father of a victim of the Parkland school shooting in 2018, condemned Mr Vances comments. School shootings are a fact of life? My daughter Jaimes murder was a fact of life? he said on X. I cant wait to make your exit from having any say in our public safety a fact of life. I cant wait to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Last year Mr Guttenberg spoke to The Telegraph about the epidemic of US gun ownership. Mr Vances appearance in Arizona on Thursday was otherwise dedicated to the issue of the US southern border, which he said had been overrun with illegal migration under the Biden administration. He called for the immediate deportation of undocumented migrants, and tougher policing to crack down on South American cartels operating in Arizona and Texas. Click here to view this content. Sir Keir Starmer wants to adopt the same approach as he did with the violent disorder that broke out last month across parts of Britain - Benjamin Cremel/via Reuters Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to tackle the people-smuggling gangs behind the small boats the same way he took on the rioters. The Prime Minister said he was absolutely confident he could take down the gangs by adopting the same approach as he did with the violent disorder that broke out last month across parts of Britain. As with the riots when he called a summit of police chiefs to agree tactics ahead of the disorder, Sir Keir met with spy chiefs, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force on Friday to discuss operational strategy for tackling the people-smuggling gangs. In the disorder just a few weeks ago, we were an active Government. We sat round the table with law enforcement and the police to make sure that we got the desired outcome and made sure we could deliver in that case with justice, he told the BBC in an interview. Im absolutely determined to take the same approach here, active Government, operational summit, making sure that we are going to retake control of our borders, take these gangs down. Police face rioters in Rotherham, one of many locations around the country where disorder broke out last month - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe Labour has switched resources from the scrapped Rwanda scheme into trying to disrupt and destroy the supply routes for boats, engines and equipment and the criminal networks supporting the people-smuggling gangs in Europe. The party said that the increasing number of unseaworthy boats used by the gangs is evidence of its success. It is also setting up a Border Security Command to bring together NCA, Border Force and intelligence agencies with an extra 1,000 investigators given anti-terror-style powers to crack down on people smugglers. The new commander is expected to be appointed within weeks. Sir Keir said: Im absolutely convinced that we can do the hard job of taking down these gangs who are exploiting people by putting them in boats to go across the Channel. He said it would require closer international co-operation. One example, 80 per cent of the boats that are being used across the channel are coming through Germany, said Sir Keir. Thats why I spoke to Chancellor Scholz about how we can work together to take those down before they even get to the French border. [I had] a similar conversation with President Macron last week about what we can do at the northern border of France. So were bearing down on all angles here, but I think were beginning to make some real progress. Labour is setting up a Border Security Command with an extra 1,000 investigators given anti-terror-style powers to crack down on people-smugglers - UKNIP The summit comes at the end of a week in which at least 12 people died after their boat was ripped apart off the northern French coast as they attempted to cross the Channel. Some 1,276 people have already crossed the Channel this week, bringing the total for the year so far to 22,328 about 648 more than at the same point last year, but 5,269 less than in 2022. Since the general election, 8,754 people have made the crossing, which is less than in the same two-month period in either 2022 or 2023. Speaking before the summit, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said: The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners. At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced. She also told broadcasters that the Government was making progress on clearing the asylum backlog and returning those with no right to be in the UK, so that we can end these very costly asylum hotels. Some 1,276 people have already crossed the Channel this week, bringing the total for the year so far to 22,328 - Benoit Tessier/Reuters Earlier on Friday, Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, accused Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Cooper of having surrendered to the smuggling gangs after scrapping the Conservatives Rwanda policy. Mr Jenrick, the current front-runner for the Tory leadership, said: Yvette Cooper will meet the National Crime Agency and police chiefs today, and theyll tell her what they told me when I was the minister, which is that although its important that we do that work, it is not sufficient. You have to have a deterrent. Danish-born Tate Modern director Karin Hindsbo - DAVID B TORCH/NYTNS/REDUX/EYEVINE Tate Modern will explore different ways of collecting indigenous art, the gallerys director has suggested. Karin Hindsbo said one of Britains most popular museums cannot have the same classical ownership structure of some of these artworks such as when they belong to their community. The gallerys use of the term indigenous art does not refer to work by British artists but instead to native minorities in other countries, such as Aboriginals in Australia, Maori in New Zealand and Inuit in Canada. Ms Hindsbo said Tate Modern plans to expand the number of exhibitions of indigenous art as part of a huge focus on inclusion and diversity and a wider effort to expand the canon of art history. She told The Art Newspaper: Over the past decade there has been a huge focus on inclusion and diversity, in terms of both the collection and the programme. That will continue, because there is still so much to be done. But Ms Hindsbo, 50, said some indigenous artworks would not be acquired permanently by the gallery, which welcomed five million visitors through its doors last year, and will instead arrive on long-term loans. She said: We need to rethink the whole ownership structure of work by indigenous artists. When you work with indigenous artists, some of the works belong to their community. So you cannot have the same classical ownership structure. Sometimes you need to think in new ways. You need to commit perhaps to loans of the works. Click here to view this content. She added: For example, it could be some kind of dual solution or contract with the community. You cannot make the same kind of contract with one individual or gallery. It could be a long-term loan. With indigenous practice, you need to think about the arrangements much more carefully. Ms Hindsbo said Tate Modern would display the work of Emily Kam Kngwarray, the Aboriginal Australian artist, next year and also put together an initiative on Sami and Inuit art in Nordic Europe. The Danish-born director was previously head of Norways national museum in Oslo and director of Kode Museums in Bergen. The Tates current indigenous art collections include a woven hanging by Outi Pieski, a Sami artist from Finland, and pencil drawings by Shuvinai Ashoona, a Canada-born Inuit. Others include a painting by Abel Rodriguez, a Nanuya man from Colombia, and an installation of fruit by Mexican-born Maya-Kaqchikel artist Edgar Calel. Elsewhere in the interview, Ms Hindsbo also said she did not support environmental protesters who deface artworks in public galleries. In recent years, Just Stop Oil activists have thrown soup at Vincent van Goghs Sunflowers at the National Gallery and glued themselves to the frames of a copy of The Last Supper in the Royal Academy, John Constables The Hay Wain in the National Gallery and Van Goghs Peach Trees in Blossom at the Courtauld Gallery. I sympathise with the cause On climate action, I completely understand why this is an important area, Ms Hindsbo said. I do understand that activists want to draw attention to climate change and why it is an emergency. So I sympathise with the cause, not with the action taken. If you target an artwork you do not have the knowledge of when you actually are making irreparable damage and when you are not. I cannot see how destroying art can help a cause, even though I sympathise with the cause. Speaking to The Telegraph, Karin Hindsbo, the gallerys director, said some permanent acquisitions of indigenous art would continue. I am delighted that Tate is permanently acquiring more work by indigenous artists and we will continue to do so, she said. There are specific instances where we have used alternative models of ownership, and these illustrate how working with artists from different communities can help us rethink our institutional structures. But that rethinking doesnt mean we will stop bringing great artworks by indigenous artists into our permanent collection, ensuring they are represented in art history in perpetuity. Tony Blair speaking on LBC radio on Thursday. Photograph: James Manning/PA Grenfell campaigners have called on Tony Blair to apologise and take responsibility for decisions made by his government that contributed to the fire that killed 72 people. The former prime minister said on Thursday that tragedies such as the west London fire, which came after years of missed opportunities to regulate combustible cladding, were a result of unavoidable mistakes. The final report of the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire was published this week and included several criticisms of decisions made under Blairs premiership. While David Camerons governments bonfire of red tape received some of the strongest censure, the 1,700-page report by the inquirys chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, also detailed failings under New Labour. Highly combustible cladding caused the 2017 fire at the 24-storey block of flats to spread uncontrollably. The report said that during Blairs first term his government failed to heed the warning from the environment and transport select committee in 1999 that it should not take a serious fire in which people were killed [for steps to be] taken to minimise the risks posed by some external cladding systems. Related: Do public inquiries work? What comes after Grenfell and other UK disasters Another missed opportunity came at the start of Blairs second term in 2001, when the government failed to pay due regard to the striking results of a large-scale test of aluminium composite cladding panels which burned violently. The report said it failed to even publish the results of the test and took no steps to ascertain the extent to which panels of that kind were in use. When Blair was asked on Thursday whether he accepted that tragedies such as Grenfell and other scandals meant there had been a failure of leadership in government, he replied: This is a difficult thing to say, but its the honest truth however good your system is and however well-intentioned it is, and however hard people work, theyre going to make mistakes. He added: Its important that you hold people accountable for those mistakes, of course, but I dont think youre ever going to get a situation where decisions are perfectly taken in perfect circumstances and there arent accidents or tragedies that occur. Yvette Williams, the founder of Justice4Grenfell, said: Blairs got a lot to answer for. He needs to take responsibility for things that he played a hand in doing. He was a good prime minister in some ways but some real shit went down in his government and were still seeing the lasting effects of it today. She said Blairs use of the word accidents in his comments made her feel like its just jettisoning our lives at whim they can be cast away at any time, because accidents happen. But they dont just happen. In all of these things, somebody made a choice along the way, and they made that choice because our lives are cheap and they dont matter. On Wednesday dozens of MPs left the Commons at once before Keir Starmer made a statement on the Grenfell report. Williams said: Its like parliament emptying how many slaps in the face can you take? Damel Carayol, whose cousin and her daughter were killed in the fire, invited Blair to explain his words. Of course you apologise. Its a simple thing to do. You admit what youve done wrong for what his government were involved in that contributed to Grenfell happening, of course you apologise. Were not talking about mistakes happening. Were talking about the neglect and ignoring what needed to be done, ignoring the implementation of recommendations. Its cause and effect. Stephen Mackenzie, a fire security consultant, said of Blairs remarks: Its incredibly arrogant from an experienced statesman and politician. The problems with the legislation and guidance stems from his government. Much of the cladding was installed during his governments tenure and Gordon Browns follow-on. Emma Dent Coad, who was a Kensington MP at the time of the fire, said of Blairs comments: This was an avoidable atrocity What he says is complete nonsense. The former Labour MP, who is now an independent councillor, added: Tony Blair needs to actually read the report and not just pull opinions out of his back pocket. A spokesperson for Blair said: Mr Blairs remarks have been taken completely out of context. He wasnt asked about any specific inquiry but whether in general the standards of leadership in government today had declined as evidenced by the Grenfell, Post Office and tainted blood scandals. Since the tainted blood scandal went back to the 1980s and in the 1960s and 1970s there were also inquiries into different tragedies and failures in government, he was merely pointing out that unfortunately such failures were not only recent. He was in no way seeking to diminish the responsibility of governments, including any of his own, for such failures or minimising the seriousness of the Grenfell Tower inquirys findings of multiple failures across a range of institutions. It was an appalling tragedy, he has the deepest sympathy for all who were affected, who lost family and friends, the survivors living with the consequences today, the first responders, and the community itself. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. Photograph: Facebook The White House said it was deeply disturbed by the death of an American woman who, according to Palestinian officials and witnesses, was shot in the head by Israeli troops during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The White House also called for Israel to investigate her killing, which has caused strong reactions across the international community. The US state department confirmed the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a volunteer peace activist with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Eygi a US-Turkey dual national died on Friday after being fatally shot during a regular protest against settlement expansion in Beita near Nablus, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The ISM, which organises foreign volunteers in the Palestinian territories, said Israeli forces intentionally shot and killed an international human rights activist during the weekly protest on Friday morning. It did not name the volunteer. Related: American-Turkish woman shot dead at anti-settler protest in West Bank The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with violence from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. The volunteer died shortly after being transported to a local hospital in Nablus, the ISM said in a statement. The individuals family had requested privacy as they mourn their loss, it said. Their wish to grieve in peace should be respected by all, as they navigate this tragic and difficult situation. The US has not said whether Eygi had been shot by Israeli troops. We are urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death, and will have more to say as we learn more, Matthew Miller, a state department spokesperson, said. The US ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, echoed those comments, posting to X his deepest condolences to Eygis family and loved ones. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens, he added. The White House said it had contacted the Israeli government and requested an investigation into Eygis killing. We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones, said Sean Savett, the White Houses national security council spokesperson. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, the countrys top diplomat, deplored the tragic loss. When we have more info, we will share it, make it available and, as necessary, well act on it, Blinken told reporters, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Turkeys foreign ministry said it had learned with great sorrow that a Turkish national had been killed. Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned Israels barbaric intervention against a civilian protest that he said led to Eygis killing. The Israeli military admitted to firing at the demonstrators and said it was looking into reports that a foreign national was killed. The Israel Defense Forces said it responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them. Eygi graduated from the University of Washington earlier this year, according to Aria Fani, an assistant professor of Middle Eastern languages and cultures. Fani said Eygi was an exceptional student and person. He said he had seen Eygi about two months earlier and urged her not to go to the West Bank because he was worried for her safety there. The University of Washington said she had been a peer mentor there, having helped welcome new students to the department and provided a positive influence in their lives. In a statement, the universitys president, Ana Mari Cauce, described Eygis killing as awful and said she called for a ceasefire and resolution to the crisis on the West Bank. My heart goes out to Aysenurs family, friends and loved ones, she added. Pramila Jayapal, the US representative for the area, said in a statement that Eygis death was a terrible tragedy. My office is actively working to gather more information on the events that led to her death, Jayapal said. I am very troubled by the reports that she was killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The Netanyahu government has done nothing to stop settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, often encouraged by rightwing ministers of the Netanyahu government. The killing of an American citizen is a terrible proof point in this senseless war of rising tensions in the region. Eygi is the third ISM activist to have been killed since 2000, according to the Associated Press. She was the 18th demonstrator to be killed in Beita since 2020, the ISM said. In 2003, while protesting against the Israeli militarys destruction of houses in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Rachel Corrie a 23-year-old US citizen from Olympia in Washington state was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer. A month later, Tom Hurndall, a 22-year-old Briton, was shot in the head while he was helping Palestinian children cross a street in Rafah. He died the following year. An Israeli soldier was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison. In August, an American activist said he was shot in the leg by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita. The man, who spoke to the AFP using a pseudonym, said Israeli troops were firing teargas at us, live rounds and that he was shot while he was running away. The official conservation advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee said the dusky sea snakes last remaining stronghold was Scott Reef, where Woodsides gas project will drill. Photograph: Chris Malam Conservation scientists advising the federal government have called for fossil fuel activity in the location of Woodsides proposed multibillion gas project to be urgently reviewed to protect the stronghold of an endangered sea snake. The dusky sea snake, Aipysurus fuscus, was placed on the countrys threatened species list this week and is known only to exist on a small number of reefs off the Western Australia Kimberley coastline. The official conservation advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee said the snakes last remaining stronghold was Scott Reef. Global heating was damaging the coral reefs that provide habitat for the snake, the advice said, and warmer temperatures were directly affecting the species. Oil spills and marine noise was also likely affecting the snake. Last month it was revealed the WA state governments Environmental Protection Authority had assessed Woodsides Browse basin project as unacceptable. The project will drill at Scott Reef. Related: By a nose: Australian science prize goes to team who use odours to distract predators from endangered species The advice said Scott Reef should be designated a critical area for the snakes protection from known and potential impacts caused by the local fossil fuel industry, including development of the Torosa gas field. Fossil fuel industry activities across the Browse Basin and elsewhere in Commonwealth waters of the Timor Sea should be urgently reviewed, the advice said, to determine if known and potential impacts to the dusky sea are adequately considered and avoided. All excessive or constant marine noise needed to be eliminated including from drilling and shipping, the advice said, which could cause fatal or debilitating barotrauma or stress-related reductions in immunity, feeding and growth of sea snakes including the dusky sea snake at nearby reefs and shoals. But the advice also said the effects of marine noise on snakes were poorly known and under-researched. A range of other steps were needed, the advice said, including extensive monitoring and research into the snakes and their habitat. Joe Rafalowicz, head of climate and energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the listing of the snake should be a wake-up call for Woodside and the federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, who will need to make a decision on the Browse project. He said that Pliberseks commitment to no more extinctions under the Labor government will ring hollow if she does not immediately follow her own departments advice to protect Scott Reef from the fossil fuel industry. Crucial reforms to our national nature law have stalled in parliament which means Woodside can get away with drilling for gas in critical habitat for the dusky sea snake, as the species was listed after Woodsides approval document was submitted. Jess Beckerling, the executive director of the Conservation Council of WA, said Woodside wanted to drill up to 50 gas wells around Scott Reef. The government must heed its call for an urgent review of potential impacts from Woodsides plan, she said. To protect the endangered dusky sea snake, and all the other marine life at Scott Reef, the government must refuse Woodsides Browse gas proposal. Guardian Australia has approached Plibersek for comment. Woodside said in a statement it had considered environmental impacts on all listed species and developed management plans for its proposed Browse project, including the dusky sea snake. While the Browse development would occur in the vicinity of the Scott Reef region, no activities or planned impacts are expected to affect the type of complex reef habitats that are the primary habitat of the dusky sea snake. No physical contact was expected on Scott Reef, the statement said. We expect the management measures and commitments we have previously made to mitigate any potential environmental impacts associated with Browse to be relevant to the dusky sea snake. Steven Hotze, center, is flanked by his attorneys as he arrives for his voter fraud case in the 177th Court at the Harris Co. Criminal Courts building Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke/Contributor Conservative activist Steven Hotze has been charged with two more felonies in connection to a bizarre confrontation that left an air conditioning repairman facing the barrel of a gun held by a man investigating conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The aggravated robbery and engaging organized criminal activity charges double the number of allegations Hotze was already facing over a 2020 incident where a private investigator, Mark Aguirre, is accused of tailing and attacking the repairman, wrongfully believing that he had thousands of fraudulent ballots in his vehicle. MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE: Nearly 100 Houston-area dogs rescued from Alabama farm where at least one was found shot Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to court records, Hotze on Aug. 19 was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on the two new counts. Hotze on Thursday made his first court appearance in connection to the new charges, and had new bond conditions set. The indictments allege Hotze, Aguirre and "unknown third person or persons" conspired to threaten David Lopez-Zuniga with bodily injury and used a gun to threaten him. Hotze and Aguirre were already charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint related to the same Oct. 19, 2020, incident. Those two charges -- which they've pleaded not guilty to -- are still pending, according to court records. Aguirre was also previously charged with a second count of aggravated assault over the alleged intentional car crash. While Aguirre is named in the Hotze indictment for organized criminal activity, he hadn't been charged as of Friday, according to court records. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hotze's attorney, Jared Woodfill, called the new indictment "lawfare" and said it was an example of District Attorney Kim Ogg, who spoke at a Tea Party event Thursday and has endorsed Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, "punishing someone for their political views" "Obviously, they feel that they have a very weak case on the older charges," Woodfill said. "Its not so much about getting the conviction, its more about trying to embarrass and harass." Hotze appeared in court Thursday morning, and was released from the jail around midnight, Woodfill said. Hotze hired Aguirre as part of an privately-funded voter fraud investigation into the 2020 election, according to court records Aguirre has been accused of slamming his black SUV into the back of the repairman David Lopez-Zuniga's truck and drawing a pistol. He ordered the repairman to the ground and put a knee on his back, according to prosecutors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Aguirre was alleged to believe the repairman had ballots in his truck. Instead, there were only air conditioning parts and tools, prosecutors said. Aguirre later told police he had followed the repairman for four days. Aguirre was hired by Hotze's Liberty Center for God and Country to investigate a conspiracy theory that Democrats had collected fraudulent ballots leading up to the November 2020 presidential election, according to prosecutors. Hotze has derided the previous charges as "bogus" and denied that he was at the scene of the confrontation. In July, Hotze's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the charges, accusing the DA's office of hiding documents and collaborating with the attorney representing Lopez-Zuniga in a separate civil lawsuit. Around the same time, Aguirre's attorney filed a motion to sever his criminal case from Hotze's and argued that the two needed to be tried separately so that Aguirre's lawyers could potentially cross-examine Hotze as a witness in a trial. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Maria Corina Machado says she will not go into exile despite Nicolas Maduros crackdown on his opponents and critics. Photograph: Pedro Rances Mattey/AFP/Getty Images The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has called for a global movement, similar to the international campaign against apartheid in South Africa, to help rescue her country from Nicolas Maduros criminal tyranny. Speaking to foreign journalists as Maduro stepped up his post-election crackdown, Machado said she hoped Venezuelas struggle for democracy would become a world cause just as South Africas did in the 60s, 70s and 80s. We want to engage not only with governments but with the people. We want democrats from all around the world Europeans, Asians, Africans, [and] of course Latin Americans and North Americans to understand how important this moment is, said Machado, a charismatic conservative who is the central figure in the opposition battle to end Maduros 11-year rule. The worldwide anti-apartheid campaign did not in itself bring about South Africas transition to democracy but global pressure and the economic, academic and cultural boycott movement is understood to have played an important role in freeing the country from white minority rule in the early 1990s. Venezuelas opposition says its candidate in the 28 July presidential election, the ex-diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, won a landslide and has published detailed vote breakdowns from more than 25,000 of 30,027 voting booths which seem to confirm that. But Maduro insists he won and on Friday a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, who ran in Machados place after she was banned from the election. That move was met with deep concern by the leftwing governments of Brazil and Colombia whose presidents have been trying to promote dialogue towards a peaceful solution. The UKs minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jenny Chapman, called the warrant unacceptable and politically motivated. Gonzalezs whereabouts is unclear and his lawyer has said he is moving from house to house to avoid capture. Several important opposition figures have been arrested in recent days, including Machados close confidant, the lawyer Perkins Rocha. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch denounced the shockingly brutal crackdown in Venezuela that has seen more than 1,700 people jailed, including about 114 children and teens. But Machado insisted she would not be going into exile. Every day that goes by is harder and riskier, that is true. We are facing a ruthless regime that is capable of anything they have no limits in their cruelty. Nonetheless, I believe my duty is to stay in Venezuela, she said. Maduros apparent determination to stay in power and the continued support of the armed forces and authoritarian allies such as China and Russia has frustrated hopes for political change after one of the worst peacetime economic collapses in modern history. He will remain president de facto, the EUs foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, conceded last week as he announced that its states did not accept Maduros claim to victory. Maduros decision to put one of his most hardline allies, Diosdado Cabello, in charge of the interior ministry suggests he plans to double down on repression designed to snuff out the latest challenge to his rule before being sworn in for a third term in January. However, Machado said there was still life in the oppositions attempt to negotiate a peaceful and orderly transition towards a new government led by Gonzalez. I dont think we are in a stalemate. I think there are things moving and some [of those things] are not obvious but they are [happening], Machado said, adding that some terrified figures from within Maduros political movement had contacted her campaign because they understood the situation was unsustainable. We have never been stronger than we are today and the regime has never been weaker, Machado added, with growing international consensus over the magnitude of the [electoral] meltdown Maduro had suffered. He lost in every single state in places where the regime used to win with 80 or 90% of the vote, they lost In poor areas, in rich areas, in rural areas, in urban areas, all around the country, she said. We are not the same country we were a year ago two months ago [even]. A section of the M62 will be shut while a key rail bridge is dismantled and replaced - Network Rail The closure of a major motorway will coincide with disruption to rail services to bring a weekend of travel chaos to north-west England. National Highways will shut a section of the M62 in Greater Manchester from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday to allow Network Rail to dismantle and replace a key rail bridge. The motorway, which links Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds, carries about 120,000 passengers a day. Its partial closure is expected to cause disruption for motorists travelling to Newcastle for the Great North Run on Sunday, which will have close to 60,000 participants and thousands of spectators. Tony Rich, spokesman for the AA, said: Runners heading from the North-West to the Great North Run are advised to familiarise themselves with the diversion route, in addition to their running route, to avoid heavy traffic scuppering a personal best. The purpose built worksite where the new bridge is being constructed - Network Rail The bridge, which is nearly 60 years old, carries trains running between Manchester and Rochdale over the M62, including freight services transporting materials to and from Drax power station near Selby in North Yorkshire. Network Rail said the bridge was critical to the function of 6 per cent of the UKs energy supply. While it is being rebuilt, the railway between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale will also be closed from Friday until September 25. The M62 will close again from September 20 to September 23 as the new bridge is installed. National Highways said the planned weekend closures of the M62 were the first in recent memory. Gary Farrell, National Highways senior network planner, said the company was urging drivers to avoid this section of the M62 by delaying journeys or planning alternative routes. He added that anyone who needed to use the motorway on that weekend should follow the official diversions and not rely on satnav advice. The motorway closure will coincide with a staff shortage on some train services between Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool over the weekend. Train operator Northern has warned that short notice cancellations are expected due to train crew being unavailable and has advised passengers not to travel between certain major stations. This includes between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge; Manchester Victoria and Chester; Manchester Piccadilly and Chester; Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke; and Liverpool Lime Street and Blackpool North. The bridge carries trains running between Manchester and Rochdale - Network Rail The operator said that services in and around the North-West may also be subject to disruption and very short notice cancellations, and encouraged passengers to plan and check journeys before travel. Northern has made several cancellations in recent months, particularly on Sundays, as many train drivers and other crew members do not have Sunday working in their contracts, with operators relying on them to work extra shifts to run timetabled services. The company has been issued with a breach notice by the Department for Transport, which requires the operator to produce an improvement plan. A spokesman for Northern said: Our customers have experienced higher levels of cancellations in recent weeks and for that we are sorry. The underlying reason for services being cancelled remains traincrew availability and Sundays being contractually outside of the working week. The breach notice issued by the Department for Transport is being taken incredibly seriously and improving the reliability of our timetable remains our top priority. Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed frustration with the supply of long-range missiles for use in occupied Ukraine. Photograph: Heiko Becker/Reuters Volodymyr Zelenskiy has complained that it has become increasingly difficult to use Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets in occupied Ukraine because of a lack of supplies and reduced cooperation from the US, UK and France. The Ukrainian president flew to Germany to lobby western defence leaders amid growing concern in Kyiv that vital support from key allies for long-range missile strikes in Crimea had diminished as the war approaches a third winter. Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed to be able to threaten targets inside Russias internationally recognised borders with Anglo-French Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missiles and US Atacms ballistic missiles, repeating a demand he has made on several occasions previously. But he then went further and suggested it was even becoming difficult in practice to strike Russian targets on occupied Ukrainian territory, which has been permitted by supplying countries for months. Now we hear that your long-range policy has not changed, but we see changes in the Atacms, Storm Shadows and Scalps a shortage of missiles and cooperation, Zelenskiy said on Friday at the start of a day-long summit of western defence ministers at Ramstein airbase in Germany. And this applies even to our territory, which is occupied by Russia, including Crimea. We think it is wrong that there are such steps. We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, he said. Ukraine has been pressing for months to be allowed to use the two types of missile, which both have a range of at least 190 miles, to strike military targets well inside Russian territory. At the meeting on Friday, multiple countries seemed to be persuaded that Ukraine should get the green light, which could add to pressure on the US. Many countries are in favour, said Laurynas Kasciunas, Lithuanias defence minister. Many, many. But the question is not the number of countries, but countries who give [those] missiles. By announcing Lithuanias support, Kasciunas said, he hoped to help convince other countries. Canadas defence minister, Bill Blair, said he hoped other western allies also got behind the push. Canada did not have long-range munitions it could provide on its own, he said. There have been complaints from Ukraine until now behind the scenes that cooperation with the UK, in particular, has worsened, preventing the use of Storm Shadow in Crimea. British ministers and officials say this is not the case, and one senior source said there had been definitely no change on the permitted use of the missiles. The UK announced at the meeting that it would send an extra 650 air defence missiles to Ukraine at a cost of 162m. Kyiv argues that it is locked in an unfair fight in which Russia can bomb military and civilian sites anywhere inside Ukraine while its own western allies do not allow it to strike back at airfields, military bases and significant infrastructure targets. This week a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava hit a military training institute, killing at least 51 people. A rare attack on the western city of Lviv killed seven, including four members of one family. Last month a senior Ukrainian official called on the west to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow in a demonstration strike on a target near Moscow, in hope that the threat of war spreading to the Russian heartlands could persuade the Kremlin to consider peace negotiations. However, led by the White House, western countries including the UK and France have been reluctant to loosen restrictions on the use of the missiles, partly for fear that Moscow could consider it escalatory. Ukraine says concerns about a Russian threat to the west are exaggerated and that it has obtained and used other weapons, such as Leopard tanks and F-16 fighters, without triggering a wider crisis with Moscow. Zelenskiy also argued that Vladimir Putin would only respond to a show of Ukrainian strength, and otherwise would continue to try to make further territorial conquests in the eastern Donbas region. It is Putin who doesnt want peace, Zelenskiy said. He is obsessed with territorial conquests. He wants our cities or the ruins that remain of them. And that is why we need strength. We need to force Russia to seek peace. We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need peace or Putin? Shortly after his speech, the Ramstein meeting went into private session, allowing Zelenskiy to personally address ministers led by Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary. Also present was Austins British counterpart, John Healey. Ukraines overall military situation remains difficult, with Russia advancing towards the strategic town of Pokrovsk at the heart of the Donbas front. Last month Kyiv tried to hit back by launching a surprise incursion into Russias Kursk region, and it now holds 1,300 sq km of territory, Zelenskiy said. Austin, speaking immediately after Zelenskiy, thanked the Ukrainian president. We hear your urgency. And we share it, he said at the close of the public session. He said the US would unveil details of a further $250m military aid package for Ukraine later on Friday, and was working to help design and build a replacement for the Soviet standard S-300 air defence system. Pentagon officials confirmed that the US was considering whether to supply JASSM cruise missiles, which have a range of at least 230 miles. The air-launched JASSM can be carried by F-16s, now being used by Ukraines air force. Britains Ministry of Defence said there had been no change in the UKs position on Storm Shadow or other weapons supplied to Kyiv. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine, it said. The Governments reforms to Ofsted will not create an easier system, the Education Secretary has warned school leaders. Changes announced by the Government mean that schools will no longer be issued with one of four headline grades for overall effectiveness outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate when inspected. This academic year, parents will still be able to see the four grades across the existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. From early 2025, the Government will also introduce regional improvement teams that will work with struggling schools to address areas of weakness. In cases of the most serious concern, the Government will continue to intervene, including by issuing an academy order, which may in some cases mean transferring to new management. In an interview with Tes magazine, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: School leaders need to be aware that this is not going to be an easier system. It is going to be a different system and in many ways a more robust system that will shine a light on areas where there is poor performance (and) where we need to make more progress, especially when it comes to support for children experiencing the greatest levels of disadvantage. It comes after the Conservative shadow education secretary warned the reforms risk being a step backwards in terms of schools improvement. Damian Hinds said: I worry these changes mean less transparency for parents and a step backwards from a proven school improvement approach with academy trusts to a directive top-down approach, and I urge the Secretary of State and her minister to assess the true impact this will have on young peoples prospects before its too late. Ms Phillipson also spoke about other areas of focus in her new role during the interview, including reforms to the system for children with Send (Special educational needs and disabilities). She told Tes: In order to secure long-term reform, we need buy-in to that change and we need to work through what the options are. So I would urge for a bit of patiencebecause the last thing parents or teachers would want to see is for the system to become even more difficult than is the case right now. We are spending a lot of money as a country on what sometimes amounts to very poor outcomes for vulnerable children. Speaking on childrens social care, she said much of the money being spent by the Department for Education is on crisis intervention when it needs to focus on early intervention, Tes reported. She accused the previous government of placing the issue in a too-difficult box which has left schools in a situation where they are having to deal with safeguarding concerns and worries that go beyond their level of expertise, according to the magazine. A painter and decorator who fuelled a fire outside a hotel housing hundreds of asylum seekers in Rotherham has been handed the longest prison sentence so far over the riots in August. Thomas Birley was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of five years, at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday. Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Birley, 27, his case was unquestionably one of the most serious of the dozens he has dealt with in the last month in relation to the rioting outside the Holiday Inn Express, at Manvers, on August 4. The court heard how Birley, of Rowms Lane, Swinton, Rotherham, was involved in many of the worst incidents on that Sunday afternoon, including adding wood to the fire in the large industrial bin which had been pushed against an exit and helping place a further bin on top of the one ablaze. Birley was also filmed throwing missiles at the police, squaring up to officers while brandishing a police baton and throwing a large bin which crashed into a line of police with riot shields. The defendant became the first person to be sentenced for arson with intent to endanger life following the 12 hours of violence in Manvers, which left 64 police officers, three horses and a dog injured. Judge Richardson heard how 22 staff in the hotel barricaded themselves into the hotels panic room with freezers and thought they were going to burn to death. He said he needed to pass an extended sentence due to Birleys ongoing dangerousness, which included the extended five-year licence period. People smugglers should not be able to get away with putting lives at risk, the Home Secretary has said ahead of a summit aimed at destroying the gangs involved in the trade. Yvette Cooper said crossings were down in July and August compared to previous years, but lives were still being lost and smuggling gangs were still operating along the French coast. Speaking ahead of a meeting with the Prime Minister and law enforcement officials on plans to tackle people smugglers, she told broadcasters: Those gangs should not be able to get away with it, and thats why we are determined to go after them. She stressed that the new Government was both hiring more investigators for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and working more closely with other European nations to address the issue. Senior ministers including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer also attended Fridays summit at the NCA headquarters in London, alongside representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the intelligence community. An analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary which dives into the gangs capability was expected to be examined at the summit, which also considered closer collaboration with European agencies such as Europol, and advancing the new Border Security Command. Yvette Cooper told broadcasters people smugglers should not be able to get away with it (Benjamin Cremel/PA) The summit comes at the end of a week which saw the deaths of at least 12 people die after their boat was ripped apart off the northern French coast while they attempted to cross the Channel. Some 1,276 people have already crossed the Channel this week, bringing the total for the year so far to 22,328 around 648 more than at the same point last year but 5,269 less than in 2022. Since the general election, 8,754 people have made the crossing, less than in the same two-month period in either 2022 or 2023. Speaking before the summit, Ms Cooper said: The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. Channel crossings have continued throughout 2024 (PA Graphics) But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners. At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced. She also told broadcasters that the Government was making progress on clearing the asylum backlog and returning those with no right to be in the UK so that we can end these very costly asylum hotels. Earlier on Friday, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick accused Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Cooper of having surrendered to the smuggling gangs after scrapping the Conservatives Rwanda policy. Mr Jenrick, the current frontrunner for the Tory leadership, said: Yvette Cooper will meet the National Crime Agency and police chiefs today, and theyll tell her what they told me when I was the minister, which is that although its important that we do that work, it is not sufficient. You have to have a deterrent. The prison population has reached a new record high as ministers are reported to be considering renting jail cells in Estonia to ease overcrowding. Official figures showed there were 88,521 people behind bars on Friday, 171 more than the previous record set at the end of last week. The prison population has risen by 1,025 people over the past four weeks and now stands at its highest level since weekly population data was first published in 2011, according to analysis by the PA news agency. The sharp rise is likely to have been driven by the number of people remanded in custody or given jail sentences following the recent disorder across parts of the country. The latest figures come just days before the Governments temporary early release scheme is due to come into effect on September 10. In July, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the point of collapse. The policy will not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The new Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons on the point of collapse. It has been forced to introduce an early release programme to stop a crisis that would have overwhelmed the criminal justice system, meaning we would no longer be able to lock up dangerous criminals and protect the public. (PA Graphics) Along with the early release scheme, the Government plans to recruit 1,000 new trainee probation officers by March 2025 to meet additional demand. The Government is also reported to be investigating the possibility of sending some inmates to prisons in Estonia to increase capacity in the short term. According to reports in The Daily Telegraph, Ms Mahmood is expected to meet her Estonian counterpart Liisa Pakosta next week to discuss the leasing of cells. Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle did not deny the reports, but said it was not part of her own ministerial responsibilities. She said: The last government closed loads of prison places and didnt replace any of them, so I think that colleagues in the MoJ will be considering anything that they can to alleviate the problem. What we cannot have is people who are convicted of perhaps violent or serious crimes not being able to be in jail. The prison population reached a record high on Friday (Danny Lawson/PA) In the longer term, the Government is expected to bring forward plans to build more prison places in the near future. A Number 10 spokeswoman said renting prison cells in Estonia had been the policy of the previous government and current ministers had made no such plans or announcement with regard to Estonia. She added: More broadly, we would always look at options that are practical and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. At last years Conservative Party conference, then-justice secretary Alex Chalk said he was in discussions with other European countries about the possibility of renting prison cells for British offenders as a way to ease overcrowding. Estonia was understood at the time to be one of those countries, while Ms Mahmood then shadow justice secretary said the proposal was a symbol of the way in which the Tories have run our criminal justice system into the ground. Speaking after the latest figures were released, Sir Keir Starmer said he had been shocked by what weve found in the prison system, adding that he had inherited a situation where the last government didnt build the prisons we need. In an interview with the BBC, the Prime Minister added: It was very difficult during the disorder. I wont hide from that. Every day we were having to look at how many prison places that we had in order to arrest people who needed to be arrested. No Prime Minister should be in the position of having to concern him or herself with Are there enough prison places?, so were doing whats necessary. Well turn it around. Insurers failed appeals against a landmark ruling over a 16 million Covid-19 pandemic-losses claim brought by Londons ExCel centre could allow thousands of other businesses to pursue payouts, lawyers have said. On Friday, the Court of Appeal rejected a bid by insurance firms to reverse a June 2023 High Court decision over insurance policies and claims for business interruption losses linked to the disease outbreak. Last year, a judge ruled in favour of policyholders in a number of test cases, including legal action by the owners of ExCel conference centre, as part of years-long litigation over insurance claims linked to the pandemic. Businesses were previously forced to close amid Covid-19 restrictions being imposed (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The cases, which included similar claims brought by a hairdresser, gyms, restaurants and nightclub owners, centred on whether at the premises clauses in insurance policies covered Covid-19 related closures. Mr Justice Jacobs concluded that a January 2021 Supreme Court decision in another test case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority over the wording of policies also applied to at the premises cover. At a hearing in London in June, insurance firms, including Allianz, Aviva and Zurich in the ExCel case, sought to challenge the judges ruling. In a 50-page written ruling, Lord Justice Males, Lord Justice Popplewell and Lady Justice Andrews dismissed all appeals. The judges said the Supreme Court ruling had focused on insurance cover for disease outbreaks within a specified radius of a policyholders premises. The FCA test case saw the UKs highest court decide what a policyholder had to prove in order to recover losses suffered as a result of closures triggered by the Governments response to Covid-19. The ExCel centre at the Royal Victoria Docks in east London (Nick Ansell/PA) The judges concluded: It follows that the Governments order or advice to close the ExCeL centre was caused by what is agreed to have been an occurrence of Covid-19 at the centre, operating in combination with all other cases of Covid-19 in the country which had occurred. The same analysis applies to the other policies. On the assumption that there were occurrences of Covid-19 at each of the policyholders premises, those occurrences together with all other cases of Covid-19 in the country were a cause of the closure of those premises. In ordering the national lockdown, therefore, the Government was responding to the fact of disease having occurred at each of these premises. Agreeing with Mr Justice Jacobs conclusion, they added: Although there are differences between radius and at the premises clauses, those differences do not materially affect the nature of the causal link which must be proved, save that in the case of at the premises clauses the occurrence of disease must be at the premises themselves and not within a specified distance from them. Aaron Le Marquer, head of policyholder disputes at law firm Stewarts, which represented the ExCel centre, said: This ruling confirms that thousands of businesses affected by the Covid lockdowns who have not yet had a payout from their insurers may now be able to pursue a claim. Many policyholders who were previously denied cover may in fact have significant payments available to them under their insurance policies. A spokesperson for Allianz UK said: We are reviewing the Court of Appeal judgment and considering the implications of the decision. We will also be in touch with any customers who are affected by the at the premises cases to provide them with an update on their outstanding claims. Aviva declined to comment. The Prime Minister will make his second visit to the USA since coming to office a matter of months ago, according to the White House. Sir Keir Starmer is due to visit Washington DC and meet with President Joe Biden on September 13. The meeting will be the second of its kind between the leaders since Sir Keir came to office in July, and comes just two months before Americans go to the polls for the presidential election. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Their first White House bilateral took place as Sir Keir attended the Nato summit just days after Labour won the election. Since then, Mr Biden has announced he will not be seeking a second term as president following concerns about his health. His vice president Kamala Harris will instead be the Democratic Partys candidate for Americas highest office. A statement from the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders will have an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest. Robust support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression will be on the table, as well as securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last met the US President at the Nato summit, shortly after Labours election win (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Sir Keir and the President will also discuss the protection of international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. The statement from the Biden White House added: They will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK co-operation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience. President Biden will underscore the importance of continuing to strengthen the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has travelled to Berlin and Paris, as he seeks to build trust with the leaders of the UKs close EU allies. Watch Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin announce 'scary' new career move What did you miss? Strictly Come Dancing pro Nikita Kuzmin stopped by the Lorraine studio on Thursday morning (5 September) to promote his 2025 solo tour Midnight Dancer. Kicking back with host Lorraine Kelly, the Ukrainian-Italian opened up about leaving the "warm blanket" of the BBC ballroom and heading out on his own for the first time ever around the UK and Ireland. Midnight Dancer begins 8 March at Bromley's Churchill Theatre before pitstops in Cardiff, Nottingham, London, Leicester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, and Llandudno on the way to its 21 May curtain-closer at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre. Nikita Kuzmin promoting his 2025 tour on Lorraine. (Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock) ((Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)) What, how and why? "It's quite scary actually, being honest," admitted Nikita, who questioned why he'd been given his own tour and why people would come out to see him. "But it's just so exciting. I have so many ideas, so many projects and you just wanna go out there, hopefully you know... give back to the people who spend their money to come to see me. Dance together, celebrate together, maybe have a gin and tonic together." Pictured with Strictly 2023 partner Layton Williams. (BBC/Guy Levy) (BBC/Guy Levy) Further along, Scottish star Lorraine highlighted the importance of Nikita's family. "My family I owe absolutely everything for the person I am today, I'm getting emotional just thinking about that," he responded. "I always envisioned this mist on the stage on my own show and my nan, my mum, my dad, my sister and obviously my girlfriend just sitting in the front row. "It's happening next year. It's wild, I'm just in a very lucky position to even think of that you know." The choreographer will be back on Strictly this month. (ITV) ((ITV)) Nikita Kuzmin's close bond with Layton Williams This has been a big year for Kuzmin's career. As well as continuing with his Strictly appearance, the dancer shocked fans when he starred on Celebrity Big Brother in March. The TV personality made the final of the rebooted reality series. During the Big Brother stint, the dancer said he had the loyalty of Layton Williams who he danced with on Strictly Come Dancing last year. The same-sex Strictly couple became really close on screen and their friendship has continued after the show. Kuzmin revealed details about their friendship now while appearing on Lorraine. He said: "Yeah, he's my man. Yeah we are (really good pals). We just chatted yesterday, yeah, I had the best year. I owe so much to Layton. He's the best person. He's obviously a fantastic dancer but to have such a lovely guy who stands by your side. Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly. (BBC) "Even when I went into the Big Brother house, he was defending me. He was there all the time. He was there for my girlfriend. He was there for my family. He was always there. He's honestly the best person." Earlier on in the programme, Lorraine discussed the two newly announced dates in London for the Oasis reunion, which sparked widespread outrage last week with its dynamic pricing. Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV. Read more: This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/strictly-nikita-kuzmin-scary-career-move-tour-103355650.html Peter Warren is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at peter.warren@houstonchronicle.com. Peter previously lived in Dallas, where he covered the sports as a freelancer for the Dallas Morning News and other outlets. He has been published in Texas Highways Magazine, DMagazine.com, the Star Tribune and Bowlers Journal International. Peter graduated from Northwestern University in 2021. The Queen enthused about homegrown produce when she met RAF families who have transformed a corner of an Air Force base into a smallholding. Camilla visited RAF Leeming where bees and chickens are kept and vegetables grown on an allotment all a stones throw from where jet fighters land. She arrived in blustery, sunny conditions which whipped up her hair as she was greeted by a guard of honour after her plane touched down at the base in North Yorkshire. Camilla meets threemonthold Rose Stubbings and her mother Harriet in the allotment (Phil Noble/PA) As she toured the wellness project, which the servicemen and women say provides them with a haven away from their military duties, Camilla told one family eating fresh eggs, they always taste much better. Organisers of the initiative rescued a group of hens from a battery farm when it closed and have also taken on a number of rare breed chickens, with the eggs sold via an honesty box In a poly-tunnel, families grow a wide range of produce from tomatoes and courgettes to peppers and herbs. A flypast overhead as Camilla tours the base (Phil Noble/PA) Camilla chatted to radar engineer Kyle Hewitt and spoke to his three children about the vegetables grown on the base: They taste much better if you pull them up and cook them, much better than shop-bought carrots. The base is home to a squadron training Qatari airmen alongside UK pilots, the 90 Signals Unit, a cyber-security team, and the Counter Uncrewed Air System (C-UAS), which targets drones and has been working with the French authorities during the Olympics and Paralympics. Camilla met representatives from 11 Squadron QEAF (Qatar Emiri Air Force), who performed a flypast, and others from the 90 Signals Unit and C-UAS. Radar technician Liam Barsby, who helps organise the wellness project, said about its benefits: It makes things a lot better, gives you a lot of things to do in the week and is really positive for your wellbeing. At least 17 students have been killed and 14 injured following a fire in an elementary school dormitory in central Kenya, while a further 70 children remain unaccounted for, authorities said Friday. The inferno occurred late Thursday at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, in the countrys Nyeri county, Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service said. She added their bodies had been burnt beyond recognition. The cause of fire is unknown at this time but we will update the public when we know more, Onyango told CNN. Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said in a statement Friday that the fire broke out at around midnight in the male dormitory of the mixed private boarding school, adding that more than 150 boys were in the dormitory at the time. Kenyas education ministry said 824 students 402 boys and 422 girls were enrolled in the school. It added that 156 of the boys and around 160 girls were boarders while the rest were day scholars. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said that 70 children are still unaccounted for. We still have 70 kids that are unaccounted that does not mean they are perished or they are injured. The word is that they are unaccounted for. We are praying and hoping for the best, he said at a press conference Friday. Gachagua said that some parents, hearing the news of the fire, came to the school to collect their children without informing school officials. I am appealing to each and every parent who took their child from here to report so that we know where that child is, he said. Part of the dormitory where the blaze took place is seen following the fire at the school. - AP Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday offered his condolences. Describing the incident as devastating news, Ruto said our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, in a post on X. I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account, his post continued, adding his government was mobilizing all the necessary resources to support the affected families. Kenya Red Cross personnel and relatives try to comfort a woman reacting near the burned-out dormitory. - AP Distraught parents converged on the school Friday morning, waiting anxiously for news as authorities searched for bodies and survivors. The Kenya Red Cross also posted a statement Friday, saying it would provide psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families. The statement added that 11 children have so far been taken to hospital, with the area of the fire cordoned off by police. Kenya Red Cross, alongside a multi-agency response team, is currently on the ground responding add has set up a tracing desk at the school, the statement continued. School fires often attributed to arson and overcrowding are relatively common in Kenya, where similar tragedies have led to multiple casualties in the past. In 2017, at least nine students died when a boarding school in the capital Nairobi erupted in flames. The government said at the time that the fire was not an accident but an arson, and part of a rising trend of deliberate school fires. From 2015 to 2016 around 350 schools had caught fire, according to official figures reported by Reuters. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNNs Nimi Princewill and Eve Brennan contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Taking multiple medications to control blood pressure may be difficult for patients. Wataru Yanagida/Getty Images This article originally appeared on Medical News Today Most people with hypertension need to take multiple medications, which adds to their pill burden. A new study from the University of South Wales found that a new pill combining low doses of three different anti-hypertensive medications surpassed a current high quality standard care treatment plan using one anti-hypertensive drug. The new triple combination medication for treating hypertension is called GMRx2. Researchers estimate that about 1.28 billion adults around the world have hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. There are a variety of medications available to treat high blood pressure. It is not uncommon for a person to have to take multiple different medications for blood pressure on a daily basis. Having multiple medications to take each day can increase a persons medication burden or pill burden. Past studies show that a persons total medication burden may be associated with non-adherence to prescribed drugs. A new study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found a new pill that combines low doses of three different anti-hypertensive medications surpassed a current high-quality standard care treatment plan starting with only one anti-hypertensive drug. Combination pill vs. standard treatment for hypertension This study was part of the Phase 3 clinical trial of the new triple combination hypertension medication called GMRx2, manufactured by George Medicines. For this study, researchers recruited about 300 Black African study participants with uncontrolled hypertension living in Nigeria. Half of the participants received the GMRx2, a once-daily pill combining low doses of three anti-hypertensive medications: telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide. It is a single pill combination of three medicines, each at low doses with multiple mechanisms it increases efficacy and with low doses it minimizes side effects, Anthony Rodgers, PhD, professorial fellow at the The George Institute for Global Health at the University of New South Wales in Australia and corresponding author of this study told Medical News Today. The other half of the study participant pool received the current high blood pressure standard care treatment plan recommended by the Nigerian Ministry of Health, which starts with one medication and is followed by second and third drugs added as needed. This new paradigm is based on the evidence that at low doses, most benefits are maintained and most adverse effects avoided, Rodgers explained. It is important to test any new paradigm against well implemented current practices. Drop in systolic blood pressure after 6 months After six months of treatment, Rodgers and his team found that study participants taking the GMRx2 combination pill had a 31 mmHg lower home systolic blood pressure, compared to a 26 mmHg lower in the group following standard care protocols. Previous research correlates a 5 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure to a reduced risk for major cardiovascular events by about 10%. Finding large and sustained blood pressure reductions are important each mmHg of raised blood pressure raises your chance of a cardiovascular event (heart attack or stroke) by about 2%, Rodgers said. 81% achieve blood pressure control after one month The scientists also discovered that after only one month, 81% of study participants receiving the GMRx2 combination pill achieved clinic-measured blood pressure control versus 55% following standard care for hypertension. This improvement continued at six months with 82% of the GMRx2 achieving control, compared to 72% receiving standard treatment. These were certainly the kind of results we were hoping for, Rodgers said. It is worth bearing in mind that standard care in this trial was much better than average care even in high income countries, such good results are rarely seen. So it was especially exciting to see the new strategy do even better. The main priority is to make this available to patients, he continued. We submitted to the FDA last month and plan to submit to other countries, including in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, as soon as possible. Following on from this we see the next stage is implementation research, to guide the optimal ways to scale up this important innovation. Helping relieve the pill burden After reviewing this study, Nicole Weinberg, MD, a board certified cardiologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told MNT she felt it was a really positive study. Those medications that have multiple drugs in them improve compliance because they reduce what we call peoples pill burden. People can get exhausted taking multiple pills during the course of the day, but we know with hypertension, many peoples blood pressure is not controlled with just one drug, so it does generally require that people are on more than one drug, and so thats generally more than one pill, Weinberg explained. And so you can imagine how this becomes exhausting for the patient who maybe doesnt even just have blood pressure issues maybe has blood pressure issues as well as other things, so theyre taking a whole bunch of medications, she continued. Something like this improves compliance and is overall beneficial for the patient and their medical problem. This is not the first drug thats been proposed with multiple drugs in it, but every time I have had a patient that has the opportunity to be on a drug where theres a combination of pills together and it eliminates even one or two pills that they have to take, they are very happy. Nicole Weinberg, MD MNT also spoke with Jennifer Wong, MD, a board certified cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this study. It is useful to have studies like this and it makes sense that simplifying the medication might really have better outcomes. Hypertension is something that many people cant feel when they have it and that leads to serious consequences. So trying to simplify regimen and encouraging patients to take their medications to control it can improve outcomes, Wong said. View the original article on Medical News Today MARTINSBURG, W.Va. In the basement research lab of the agency that regulates America's firearms, two dozen 3D printers hummed, stringing thermoplastic filament into computer-designed patterns that would harden and eventually become a gun. At the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Services Center, a sprawling complex behind high steel fence in the hills of West Virginia, ATF staff download the latest blueprints for guns and for the add-on devices called auto-sears. These small pieces modify guns for rapid-fire and are classified as machine guns themselves. As the $2,500 printers showed, hobbyists and criminals can easily exploit rapidly improving technology. The agency is trying to keep up. On Friday, ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced new initiatives to crack down on the proliferation of 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices, MCDs, that may resemble a bottle opener or Lego, but convert semi-automatic rifles and handguns into guns capable of illegal automatic fire. A 3D printer creates a machinegun conversion device during a demonstration by ATF officials. At ATFs research facility, firearms enforcement officers are just as fluent in calibers and rates of fire as slicing or the process of converting a digital model into printing instructions for a 3D printer. In 39 minutes, for 40 cents in materials, they had printed a piece of plastic that could sell on the street for hundreds of dollars. It could also land you in prison for 10 years. "MCDs can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities," Monaco said. "The proliferation of these MCD devices requires our immediate and sustained attention." Monaco announced a new Department of Justice committee to develop strategies on the devices; a training protocol for law enforcement to spot and seize the devices; and a U.S. attorney-led effort to prioritize cases involving the devices. U.S. attorneys in individual states have previously attempted enforcement actions with buzzy names like Operation Flip the Switch, Operation Kill Switch and Project Switch Off in reference to the nicknames for the Glock switches or chips that attach to the popular handgun to turn it into a machine gun. An ATF official demonstrates the power of 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices in a rifle on a range the ATF uses to test firearms. In addition to the enhanced focus on finding and charging producers of the illegal devices, the ATF is looking for help from both academics and the 3D printing companies, known as the additive manufacturing industry. ATF's Dettelbach said the industry could do more to stem the illegal misuse of their products. "We cant fix this threat to public safety alone. We need to raise awareness, educate the public and we need to enlist outside help with collaboration from the best minds to make real progress," Dettelbach said. Dettelbach said the devices now represent the majority of illegal guns seized in firearm trafficking cases nationwide. After years of raising alarms, gun safety groups applauded the effort Friday to find new solutions for the machine gun conversion devices. Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun safety, equated the effort to those by color printers decades ago to help prevent counterfeit currency. In that case, businesses stepped up to put controls into place to prevent scanners and printers from helping criminals. "This is an extremely serious problem that will only get worse as the tech gets better, so it is essential that the private sector work with law enforcement on gun safety solutions," Suplina said. "In the era of 3D printing, we must do the same for downloadable guns and accessories." A 3D-printed machinegun conversion device (orange) is installed in a 3d-printed Glock-style pistol for demonstration purposes. Personally made firearms that fire one shot at a time are legal, as is 3D printing certain guns as a hobbyist. But further manufacturing faces a key legal test in October when the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case about ghost guns without serial numbers and parts kits. Some cities, like Chicago, have turned the focus toward Glock itself in lawsuits despite the company having no association with the illegal devices that counterfeit its trademarks. Chicago and other states argue the handgun giant should make its weapons more difficult to convert. The latest ATF accounting of the devices suggests thousands of the imported or home-printed pieces of plastic are already in circulation in the United States. In a tour of ATFs testing facility in West Virginia, agency officials said manufacturers often market the illegal devices online with code words such as keychains, bottle openers or fidget spinners, when in reality theyre solely designed to modify rifles or pistols into machine guns. The 1934 law that banned Thompson submachine guns includes language banning the devices since they fall under the definition: Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun. Officials have pointed to the 2023 shooting death of Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire in Pennsylvania as evidence of the deadly consequences of the devices. The man who shot McIntire used a pistol equipped with an extended magazine and illegal conversion device. Theyve also been used in mass shootings, such as the 2022 shooting in Sacramento that left six dead and 12 wounded; and a 2019 shooting by a street gang in Fresno, California, that killed four and wounded six. Nick Penzenstadler is a reporter on the USA TODAY investigations team. Contact him at npenz@usatoday.com or @npenzenstadler, or on Signal at (720) 507-5273. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Feds launch machine gun crackdown By Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday it was incumbent on both Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to say yes on remaining issues to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, which has faced obstacles in negotiations across months. "Based on what I have seen, 90% is agreed but there are a few critical issues that remain," including the so-called Philadelphi corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, Blinken said at a press briefing in Haiti. He said there were also some gaps in the agreement in how Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged. "I expect in the coming days, we will share with Israel, and they (Qatar and Egypt) will share with Hamas our thoughts, the three of us, on exactly how to resolve remaining outstanding questions," Blinken said, referring to the U.S. and mediators Qatar and Egypt. President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31, but since then gaps have remained on a final agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza. Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor. This week, Turkey, five Arab countries including regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority joined Egypt in rejecting Israel's demand to keep its troops deployed in the Philadelphi corridor. Asked whether it was still possible for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations, Blinken said "there remains an opportunity" to do that if a ceasefire was achieved in Gaza. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered last Oct. 7 when Hamas 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 over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; additional reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen Coates) FILE - Fotios "Freddy" Geas appears for a court proceeding in his defense in the Al Bruno murder case, April 14, 2009, in Springfield, Mass. (Don Treeger/The Republican via AP, File) CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) A former Mafia hitman already serving life in prison was sentenced to 25 years Friday in the 2018 fatal prison bludgeoning of notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger. Prosecutors said Fotios Freddy Geas used a lock attached to a belt to repeatedly hit the 89-year-old Bulger in the head hours after he arrived at the troubled U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton, from another lockup in Florida in October 2018. Defense attorneys disputed that characterization Friday, saying Geas hit Bulger with his fist. The Justice Department said last year that it would not seek the death penalty against Geas in Bulgers killing. The sentences 15 years for voluntary manslaughter and 10 years for assault resulting in serious bodily injury will be served consecutively with each other as well to the current life term for Geas. U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh agreed to a sentencing recommendation from prosecutors that was longer than government guidelines. Kleeh said he found the final result to be fair, reasonable and just. The judge dismissed more serious charges that included murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which each carried maximum penalties of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower said the sentence recommendation was based in part on the ages of Bulger and Geas, 57. Mr. Geas is not really going to have an opportunity to step outside, Flower said. That is where he's going to spend the rest of his days. Geas declined to make a statement in court prior to sentencing. Bulger, who ran the largely Irish gang in Boston in the 1970s and 80s, also served as an FBI informant who ratted on his gangs main rival, according to the bureau. Bulger strongly denied ever being a government informant. Bulger became one of the nations most wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994 thanks to a tip from his FBI handler that he was about to be indicted. He was captured at age 81 after more than 16 years on the run and convicted in 2013 in 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes. Another Hazelton prisoner, Massachusetts gangster Paul J. DeCologero, was sentenced to more than four years in prison in August on an assault charge in Bulgers killing. Prosecutors said he acted as a lookout for Geas. A third inmate, Sean McKinnon, pleaded guilty in June to lying to FBI special agents. McKinnon was given no additional prison time and was returned to Florida to finish his supervised release. He had served a sentence for stealing guns from a firearms dealer. According to court records, prisoners found out ahead of time that Bulger would be arriving at the West Virginia facility. DeCologero and Geas spent about seven minutes in Bulgers cell during the attack. A prisoner testified to a grand jury that DeCologero told him Bulger was a snitch and they planned to kill him as soon as he came into their unit. Geas was a close associate of the Mafia and acted as an enforcer but was not an official made member because he is Greek, not Italian. He and his brother were sentenced to life in 2011 for their roles in several violent crimes, including the 2003 killing of Adolfo Big Al Bruno, a Genovese crime family boss in Springfield, Massachusetts. Another mobster ordered Brunos killing because he was upset that Bruno had talked to the FBI, prosecutors said. Plea deals for Geas, DeCologero and McKinnon were disclosed May 13. Geas and DeCologero were identified as suspects shortly after Bulgers death, but they remained uncharged for years as the investigation dragged on. After the killing, experts criticized Bulgers transfer to Hazelton, where workers had already been sounding the alarm about violence and understaffing, and his placement in the general population instead of more protective housing. A Justice Department inspector general investigation found in 2022 that the killing was the result of multiple layers of management failures, widespread incompetence and flawed policies at the federal Bureau of Prisons. The inspector general found no evidence of malicious intent by any bureau employees but said a series of bureaucratic blunders left Bulger at the mercy of rival gangsters. In court Friday, defense attorney Nathan Chambers called the Bureau of Prisons' conduct "shocking and egregious. He said Geas disputed some witness statements that were included in a presentencing report and noted an autopsy showed the cause of death was a single blow to the left ear. There's no evidence that a weapon was used, let alone a padlock, Chambers said. Flower later said the defense and prosecutors previously agreed to the facts in the case, including who went in and out of Bulger's cell, and what happened to Bulger. Also in 2022, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Bulgers family against the bureau and 30 unidentified prison system employees. In July, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the bureau following reporting from The Associated Press that exposed systemic corruption in the federal prison system and led to increased congressional scrutiny. A.G. Sulzberger, the New York Times publisher, sounded the alarm Thursday on the quiet war against press freedoms unleashed by authoritarians around the world and said Americans should understand the anti-media playbook that Donald Trump might employ in a second term. In an op-ed published by one of the Times main rivals, The Washington Post, Sulzberger warned that Trump and his allies have repeatedly threatened the press and said he wanted the Times to ensure we are prepared for whatever is to come. My colleagues and I have spent months studying how press freedom has been attacked in Hungary as well as in other democracies such as India and Brazil, he wrote. The techniques include sowing public distrust in independent journalism and normalizing the harassment of journalists to create a climate hospitable to crackdowns on the media; using government authorities, like taxation, to punish offending journalists and news organizations while rewarding those who demonstrate fealty to their leadership; and filing meritless lawsuits and exploiting the courts to make it more costly to report the news. The effectiveness of this playbook should not be underestimated, Sulzberger wrote. The Times publisher said he didnt wish to wade into politics, but Trumps anti-press words and actions declaring media outlets the enemy of the people and suggesting the use of government to quash dissent must be taken seriously. I believe the risk is shared by our entire profession, as well as all who depend on it, he wrote. In championing the need for trustworthy news and information, Sulzberger called on his peers to bolster protections, which includes teaching staffers how to protect themselves and their sources, preparing for legal fights and harassment, and pushing back against campaigns that seek to unjustly undermine trust in news media. Sulzberger occasionally writes essays to prompt journalism industry dialogue about key issues. Last year, he wrote for the Columbia Journalism Review about the debate around objectivity in journalism. This year, with Trumps anti-media rhetoric again front and center, he wanted to write about what an escalating campaign against the American press could look like. Sulzberger approached it as a summer project of sorts. To ensure we are prepared for whatever is to come, my colleagues and I have spent months studying how press freedom has been attacked in Hungary as well as in other democracies such as India and Brazil, he wrote in the essay. The political and media environments in each country are different, and the campaigns have seen varying tactics and levels of success, but the pattern of anti-press action reveals common threads. Sulzberger thought extensively about the best way to publish the essay whether in the pages of The Times or elsewhere. He wound up placing it with the Post, an unorthodox move given the long history of competition between the two publications. The collaboration makes a clear statement about the importance of solidarity in the face of existential threats to press freedom. Im grateful to The Post for running the piece, especially given the length (and the suspect institutional affiliations of its author, he wrote in an email to associates on Thursday. Theyve been a great partner on the cause of press freedom over many decades and its great to see that tradition continue. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former Vice President Dick Cheney announced Friday that he will cast his ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris this fall, confirming news that was first made public by his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, earlier in the day. Both Cheneys are Republicans, and the elder served under President George W. Bush. The younger Cheney, who endorsed Harris earlier this week, is one of former President Donald Trumps most prominent conservative critics. "In our nations 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," Dick Cheney said in a statement. "He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again." As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, he added. Harris campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon said that the vice president was proud to have Cheneys support. He joins hundreds of Republicans who are backing the Vice President and her patriotic vision of America over former President Trump, because, as Vice President Cheney said, the very future of our republic is at stake in this election, OMalley Dillon said in a statement. In a Truth Social post Friday night, Trump bashed both Cheneys, using the acronym for Republican in Name Only. Dick Cheney is an irrelevant RINO, along with his daughter, who lost by the largest margin in the History of Congressional Races!" he wrote. Liz Cheney was ousted in 2021 from her position in House Republican leadership after criticizing Trump. In 2022, she lost her congressional primary race to a Trump-backed challenger. During the midterm campaign cycle, Dick Cheney taped an advertisement for his daughters campaign, in which he called Trump a coward. Liz Cheney revealed who her father would vote for during an interview Friday at the Texas Tribune Festival. "Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris," she said. "If you think about the moment that were in, and you think about how serious this moment is, my dad believes and hes said publicly that theres never been an individual in our country who is as grave a threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is," Cheney added. "And thats the moment that were facing." Asked for comment Friday about her remarks, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung replied, Who the f--- is Liz Cheney? Liz Cheney had said when announcing her support for Harris on Wednesday that people do not have "the luxury of writing in candidates names, particularly in swing states." "Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris," she said. Cheney said on Friday that she has not spoken with Harris this week. The former Wyoming congresswoman also said during her Friday interview with The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich that she would support Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, in his Senate bid. Allred is challenging Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who has served in the Senate since 2013. "Here in Texas, you guys do have a tremendous, serious candidate running for the United States Senate, and his name is " she paused as the audience cheered and Leibovich asked them to let her speak. "Its not Ted Cruz," she said. Cheney went on to praise Allred's credentials, noting the time she served in the House with him. "We need people who are going to serve in good faith," Cheney said. "We need people who are honorable public servants, and in this race, that is Colin Allred. So Ill be working on his behalf." In a statement, Allred called Cheney a "patriot" and said he was "honored to have her support." "Though we may not agree on everything, weve been able to find common ground by putting our country over political parties," Allred said. "Importantly, we both believe in protecting our democracy, our constitution and the foundational promise of our great country. And we both agree that Texans cannot afford six more years of Ted Cruz." The Allred campaign also noted that he and Cheney cosponsored more than 50 bills together, a nod to their efforts to work across the aisle. When reached for comment, a Cruz campaign spokesperson called Cheney the poster child of flip-flopping. Were definitely super surprised to hear that Liz Cheney, the poster child of flip-flopping, is endorsing Colin Allred, the spokesperson said. Two years ago, the voters of Wyoming overwhelmingly rejected her, just like the voters of Texas will overwhelmingly reject Colin Allred this November. But hey, misery loves company. The Cheneys are the latest in a steady stream of Republicans who, despite policy differences, say they plan to cast ballots for Harris. Last week, more than 200 Republicans who have worked for both Bush presidents, Sen. Mitt Romney and the late Sen. John McCain announced that they are backing Harris. "Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. Thats to be expected," said the former staffers said in a statement. "The alternative, however, is simply untenable." Several prominent GOP critics of Trump, including former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, appeared onstage at the Democratic National Convention last month to back Harris. In his speech, Kinzinger urged voters to "put country first" and argued that Trump has "suffocated the soul" of the GOP. Republicans may be at a disadvantage when it comes to winning one of Rhode Island's U.S. Senate seats, but that hasn't stopped two candidates Raymond McKay and Patricia Morgan from entering the race. Before they face off in the Sept. 10 GOP primary, The Providence Journal invited each candidate to fill out a short questionnaire about topics such as offshore wind farms, in vitro fertilization, and immigration. Below you'll find their written responses, presented in alphabetical order by last name. Answers have been edited only to conform with AP style, and not for spelling or grammar. Additionally, each candidate was instructed to limit responses to each question to 75 words. The winner of the September primary will face Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in November. Should the government end all subsidies to offshore wind farms? McKay: Yes if the OSW industry is a commercially viable project, then the businesses and their financial backers,whether that be stockholders, banks, etc. should be able to move these projects forward and assume the risks without the American taxpayer underwriting it. Morgan: Yes. Offshore wind turbines produce the most expensive electricity, which is intermittent and unreliable, and requires 24/7 backup by natural gas plants. Ratepayers are feeling the pain as more and more solar and wind are added to the grid and their monthly bills soar. Massive amounts of diesel fuel are used to install the turbines and they destroy the natural marine environment. We shouldnt be subsidizing this destructive and inefficient technology. State Rep. Patricia Morgan and Ray McKay, contenders for the Republican nomination to seek the Senate seat now held by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, take part in WPRI's "Newsmakers" debate. Sen. JD Vance has proposed hiking the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $5,000. Is that a good idea? Why or why not? McKay: Increasing the CTC to reflect changes in the CPI, as is similarly done for Social Security, is a prudent measure for American families. A one-time bump based on CPI from the last permanent increase to reflect years of stagnation may be appropriate, remembering that the government has no money, except for that it takes fromits citizens. Morgan: Yes, we should. As a mother of 3 boys, I know how expensive children are, but they bring incredible joy and meaning to our lives, and they secure the future of our country. They become the new workforce and caregivers as each generation ages. We want to help and encourage parents by removing some of the financial strain. It is an investment for the future that is a benefit to all of us. Would you support legislation guaranteeing access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment? McKay: As a health care coverage issue mandating that insurers cover this procedure, as was set forth during the House of Representatives June 13th votes, I would say no. As a national law allowing IVF, I look at this as a States Rights (10th Amendment issue) and the states should take care of this. So, I would vote no to a federal law that overrides a States Rights issue. Morgan: Of course. Having children is the single most rewarding part of our lives. How wonderful that medical technology has made it possible for challenged couples to have children. Let them have all the joys of cuddles, tears, scraped knees and poison ivy, nights of worry and times of celebration, car insurance, homework and teacher conferences. They make the richness of life. Everyone should have access to this technology that makes it possible. Was President Trump right to kill the bipartisan immigration and border security deal that was on the table earlier this year? McKay: President Trump was not in office. Therefore, he did not cast a vote to stop it. He like all Americans, has an opinion. The bill failed as it had severe flaws in it that did not protect the sovereignty and security of the American nation and did not put U.S. citizens and taxpayers concerns first. Morgan: Trump didnt kill that bill. Public opinion did. That bill codified Biden administration practices that have allowed more than 10 to 12 million people to cross illegally into our country, including criminals, terrorists, drug dealers and human traffickers. The bill codified 5000 illegal entries daily with no realistic provisions to stop the crossings. Instead, House bill HR-2 should be passed by the Senate. Its provisions allow us to regain sovereignty over our borders. Should the U.S. and Israel launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran? McKay: As an 11-year Army veteran, who understands that it is the soldier who would bear the burdens of warfare, I would look to strong civilian leadership to reach a diplomatic solution to reduce/defuse tensions rather than a pre-emptive strike. Morgan: This administration lifted the sanctions that deterred nuclear development and gave billions to Iran. It has used this newfound wealth to fund terrorist organizations and pursue nuclear weapons. We must continue using the Abraham Accords to build alliances and enhance Israels security. Building a regional security architecture will strengthen our response to this dangerous foe and its terrorist proxies. However, at this time, tensions are too high and alliances too weak for a preemptive strike. Staff writers Patrick Anderson and Katherine Gregg contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island September 10 primary: Guide to GOP U.S. Senate candidates Chinese, Burundian presidents announce elevation of bilateral ties Xinhua) 21:35, September 06, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is here for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is here for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The two leaders announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi said China-Burundi relations have stood the test of changes in the international landscape. Continuously promoting bilateral relations is in the interests of both countries, and is of exemplary significance for Global South countries to unite and strengthen themselves, he said. Xi expressed the hope that the two countries will take the implementation of the summit outcomes as an opportunity to further enhance their relations. China is ready to strengthen experience sharing and cooperation in capacity building with Burundi in areas such as reform and development, rural revitalization and poverty alleviation, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields including infrastructure, agriculture, economy and trade, Xi said. He said China will strengthen international coordination with Burundi to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The Burundian government is committed to advancing industrialization and agricultural modernization so that people can live a better life, Ndayishimiye said, underscoring the important role of China's support to and cooperation with Burundi. He welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest in Burundi and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in mining, agriculture, infrastructure and other fields. During the summit, the two sides signed a raft of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including the Belt and Road cooperation, economic partnership, agricultural cooperation and coffee beans export to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is here for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Barbie Robinson, then-Harris County Public Health director, speaks during a press conference to introduce the Holistic Alternative Responder Team (HART) on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Houston. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Barbie Robinson, the director of Harris Countys Public Health Department, plans to sue the county after she was fired on Friday amid scrutiny of her departments contracts, according to a statement from her lawyer. Robinson filed a human relations complaint referral form against Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia on June 14, alleging racial, gender and age discrimination, which the Chronicle recently obtained through a public information request. On the form, a standard document used by the county human resources department, Robinson claimed that for two years Garcia engaged in an unrelenting pattern of behavior of public bullying, intimidation, false accusations, and innuendo about my performance. Those complaints are the true fundamental issues at hand, according to Robinsons attorney, Chukwudi Chuck Egbuonu. In the complaint, Robinson said she reported the behavior previously to County Administrator Diana Ramirez and others. Advertisement Article continues below this ad COUNTY FIRING: Top Harris County health official fired after Chronicle investigation into $6 million contract Instead of properly responding to Ms. Robinsons complaints of harassment and taking adequate steps to deter the conduct she was subjected to, the County has decided to engage in a retaliatory and defamatory crusade to attack her character and distract from its illegal adverse employment actions, Egbuonu said in a statement. A spokesperson for Ramirez declined to comment on Egbuonus statement. A spokesperson for Garcia said that Ramirez was Robinsons direct supervisor and responsible for the termination decision. He added that given the possible existence of a lawsuit, he would say nothing further. The county, meanwhile, released the termination letter that Ramirez sent Robinson on Friday, in which Ramirez said she questioned Robinsons judgment and ability to lead the department. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ramirez referenced two specific events to support the firing: the Chronicles investigation last week into the departments contract with DEMA Consulting & Management and a consulting contract Robinson signed with Yuba County in California, which Ramirez said she did not disclose to Harris County leadership. Ramirez met with Robinson on Aug. 28 to discuss those episodes and found Robinsons answers unsatisfactory, the letter said. In the letter, Ramirez said Robinson did not inform her that the Chronicles article was coming, and she was not present at Commissioners Court last Tuesday when elected leaders had questions for the public health director about the program discussed in the article. Ramirez also said the discovery of Robinsons work as a Yuba County contractor was another matter that the then-health director failed to disclose to her supervisor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In any high-performing organization it is a common expectation that department heads communicate with their supervisors directly, Ramirez wrote. It is also the norm to expect those communications to be honest, clear, and timely, particularly when it relates to any problems or issues that may ultimately have to be resolved by the governing board. Egbuonu, Robinsons attorney, said that Ramirezs termination letter was categorically false and a pretext for the Countys illegal actions. He said the countys allegations are a mischaracterization of Ms. Robinsons high-performing tenure and accomplishments. Barbie Robinson, director, Harris County Public Health, participates in a joint press conference to introduce the Holistic Alternative Responder Team (HART) and Gun Violence Interruption Programs Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 in Houston. The items presented to Commissioners Court by Commissioner Rodney Ellis support Harris Countys commitment to advancing innovative and effective approaches to reducing crime and improving community safety. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The episodes in question The Chronicles investigation found Robinson was pivotal in bringing DEMA to Harris County, and several communications from the companys former CEO, Michelle Patino, during the contracting process raised possible conflicts of interest. Robinson knew DEMAs work from her previous role as health director in Sonoma County, where DEMA had previously operated. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She brought the company to Harris County initially to run two COVID-19 health clinics, but DEMA soon would win a more competitive contract to respond to certain nonviolent 911 calls. During the competitive process for that contract, Patino emailed Robinson, offering her a part-time legal consulting job in California, even though Robinson is not a practicing attorney. Two months later, Robinson served on the evaluation committee that recommended DEMA for the job. Robinson denied ever seeing the job offer email before the Chronicle asked her about it, and said it did not have any impact on her impartiality on the evaluation committee. The Texan was the first to report Robinsons contract with Yuba County. The contract, available on that countys website, would pay her up to $195,000 over three years to assess that countys behavioral health system and advise on best practices. The agenda item from January 2024, when the contract was approved, cites Robinsons work experience, including her leadership of Harris County Public Health. Rachel Abbott, Yuba Countys public information officer, said the county moved to update its 50-year-old behavioral health system after California voters passed Proposition 1, an initiative that changed financing for mental health care in the state. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As you can imagine, its a complicated topic with many moving parts, and this objective required a technical expert (of which there is an incredibly small pool) to help advise on behalf of Yuba County and its most vulnerable community members, Abbott said. The county has paid Robinson for $6,503.75 in services so far, Abbott said, as well as $3,851.70 for a visit to California. Harris County does not have a written policy about accepting outside work, according to the Office of County Administration. While there is no written policy, there is a common expectation that department heads communicate with their supervisors directly, especially on issues that can erode public trust, said Brooke Boyett, communications director for county administrator. The Yuba contract was awarded in January and not disclosed to the County Administrator. The Texan reported that Robinson said the work was approved by former County Administrator David Berry. The termination letter states that Robinson referenced other involved individuals in the Yuba County contract, but Ramirez was unable to verify the contract details with them. It is unclear whether Berry was one of the individuals whom Ramirez was referencing. Berry did not respond to a request for comment. PeopleImages - Getty Images If youre after your sleekest, shiniest strands ever (think the popular glass hair trend), then you might want to consider a hair Botox treatment. Don't worry: The name itself is a bit misleading. No needles will be flying at your scalp, and there is not actual Botox or filler involved either. Instead, youll kick back in the salon chair and chill while your stylist does all the work. Hair Botox is a 100 percent vegan, deep conditioning treatment that will keep your hairs texture intact while leaving it smoother and more hydrated than before, says Kayla Ciambrone, a Florida-based pro stylist at Salon Gaudi , where she regularly performs the service. The name comes from the way the product worksas a filler for individual hair fibers, sealing split ends and giving hair a new sleekness and fullness to reduce frizz. Meet the experts: Kayla Ciambrone is a Florida-based pro stylist at Salon Gaudi . Brendan Camp, MD, is a double board-certified dermatologist based in New York When your locks are looking a little limpor when you feel like heat and stress have caused some breakage or damagehair Botox can help you turn back the clock and reset. Like any other treatment though, its a good idea to familiarize yourself with the process to decide if its right for you. What is hair Botox? While no actual injectables are involved in hair Botox, your stylist will likely start with a consultation prior to application of the product, which is essentially a non-chemical concentrate that can include ingredients like vitamin B5, vitamin E, collagen complex, antioxidants, and caviar oil, depending on the exact product. According to Ciambrone, these ingredients nurture your hair, fighting free radicals to combat the signs of aging locks, from brittle strands to broken fibers. Collagen helps to further repair your hair, while the oils in the treatment help to soften and seal the hair cuticle. Every treatment will be a little different, depending on your level of damage. We assess your hair, says Ciambrone. Depending on the texture of your hair and the desired result, the hair Botox is left on your hair anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Once its time to rinse out the product, your stylist will use a special pH balancing shampoo and conditioner. Your hair is then blow-dried and flat ironed and cannot be washed or get wet for at least 48 hours, she says. I recommend 72 hours, if the client can wait. According to Ciambrone, pricing for hair Botox starts at about $200 for shoulder-length hair and increases depending on hair density and length. The benefits of hair Botox If you're getting ready for your first hair Botox treatment, Ciambrone says there are a few benefits you can expect to get out of it that lasts anywhere from two to four months. The treatment will: Reduce the appearance of frizz and split ends Hydrate and condition strands Add moisture Create a sleek and fuller appearance Think of hair Botox as a maintenance-like conditioning type of treatment. All hair can benefit from an addition of proteins and hydrating elements from time to time, which is essentially what this treatment delivers. That said, Ciambrone recommends that only a licensed cosmetologist or stylist apply the treatment for best results. The difference between hair Botox and a keratin treatment Some people confuse hair Botox treatments with keratin treatments because the end results can be similar. Many keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, which reduces frizz and straightens strands chemicallyversus hair Botox working with your hairs natural texture for a more subtle effect. While keratin is often used to straighten and de-frizz hair, especially thick curly hair, hair botox will not change the texture of your hair, says Ciambrone. One last thing to also keep in mind is that keratin and hair Botox should never be done at the same time. Which treatment is best for each client depends on their hairs integrity, texture, and their desired goal, says Ciambrone. All of this is determined during the initial consultation when a client comes in. Who should get hair Botox? Again, because no harsh chemicals are involved in hair Botox, Ciambrone says its safe for any type of hair, whether natural, color-treated, or chemical-treated. She notes that its especially restorative for those with thinning hair or hair that's damaged or dull. Sure opting for a deep conditioner might seem like the ideal option, but hair Botox may be considered the better choice because of its fortifying ingredients such as oils, antioxidants, and collagen, notes Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist based in New York. For people with damaged hair the added collagen, "is thought to help correct for imperfections in the hair shaft to improve its appearance and texture," says Dr. Camp. Botox also might be your preference if you're going for a particular look or feel. For example, if you're hair is feeling dry or lacking shine, you might want those guaranteed benefits from hair Botox if you have a deep conditioning mask that isn't helping you achieve that already. How often can hair Botox be done? While you can expect your hair Botox treatment to last around three monthsgive or take a few weeksthere are a few things you can do to prolong the benefits. Ciambrone suggests washing your hair with a gentle, paraben- and sulfate-free shampoo no more than two to three times a week. To take it a step further, you might consider sleeping on a silk pillowcase or sleeping with a bonnet on. Hair Botox isnt considered particularly harsh for your hair at all, but Ciambrone says you can still have too much of a good thing when it comes to this treatment, particularly if youre doing other things to your hair. I would not recommend doing any form of smoothing and/or texture treatment services more than every two months to maintain the integrity of your hair, she says. You Might Also Like Former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally in Bozeman, Mont., on Aug. 9. Irans cyber operation targeting the campaign of former President Donald Trump is likely still active, an FBI official said Friday, even after U.S. officials and tech firms exposed a successful Iranian hack. Iran and other foreign adversaries are seeking to shape the outcome of the upcoming election and Tehran will probably continue the operation as part of its broader goals aimed at undermining Americas democratic process, said the FBI official, who spoke on condition of anonymity along with intelligence officials at a briefing for reporters. They will likely still have that kind of longer-term strategic interest in that type of activity, the FBI official said, referring to the recent hack. They may just have to reconstitute or pivot to different access points and kind of make tweaks to how they are conducting those operations. The Trump campaign said last month it had been hacked and that Iranian actors had stolen and distributed internal documents. Stolen confidential material was leaked to three news organizations, Politico, The New York Times and The Washington Post. But those outlets have not revealed details or published what they received. Iran also tried but failed to hack the now-suspended re-election campaign of President Joe Biden. Cybersecurity experts say Iran likely has more stolen information in reserve and could try to leak that material closer to the election. Im sure they didnt send the whole treasure trove over, said Javed Ali, a former senior counterterrorism official and now an associate professor at the University of Michigan. The FBI officials comments were part of a teleconference by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on foreign actors efforts to meddle in the U.S. election. Former President Donald Trump reacts at a rally, in Johnstown, Pa., on Aug. 30. Irans hack reflected how Tehran is mounting a greater effort to try to influence this years election, intelligence officials told reporters. Iran is using spear-phishing tactics to gain access to people with ties to both presidential campaigns and covert social media accounts to try to denigrate Trump. Microsoft last month released a report describing how in June an Iranian military intelligence unit sent a spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign from a compromised email account of a former senior advisor. Russia, Iran, China and other actors are all ramping up their efforts to influence the November vote as Election Day approaches, intelligence officials said. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia poses the biggest threat by a foreign actor to this years elections as it employs ever more sophisticated tactics to undermine the U.S. and weaken U.S. support to Ukraine. Through veiled propaganda and disinformation on social media and websites that purport to be legitimate news outlets, Russia is trying to bolster support for Trump and undercut his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, intelligence officials said. An array of activities are supporting Moscows efforts to influence photo preferences in favor of the former president and diminish the prospects of the vice president, an intelligence official said. U.S. officials have said that the Kremlin aims to back Trump in its information warfare, a pattern that dates to 2016. Earlier this week the Biden administration announced a series of measures designed to expose and counter Russias election meddling efforts. The actions included sanctions, the seizure of web domains that Moscow allegedly used to churn out disinformation about Ukraine and an indictment outlining an effort to funnel money to right-wing commentators in the U.S. The Justice Department indictment accuses two employees of the Russia-backed media network RT of orchestrating a scheme to send millions of dollars to prominent conservative influencers through a Tennessee-based media company, while keeping links to Russia hidden. The project funded English-language videos that were often consistent with Moscows interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions in order to weaken U.S. opposition to Russian interests, including its invasion of Ukraine, according to the indictment. Despite the crackdown on Russias activities and the seizure of web domains, intelligence officials said Moscow still has a substantial capability to interfere in the election. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said publicly that he favors Harris in the election, but intelligence officials said the statement is not credible. The intelligence community does not take Putins public statements as representative of Russias covert intentions, the intelligence official said. There are many examples over the past several years where Putins public statements do not align with Russian actions. For example, his comments that he would not invade Ukraine. As for China, intelligence officials said Beijing is not attempting to shape the outcome of the presidential contest but is focusing instead on down ballot races, targeting candidates it sees as threatening the regimes core interests. China also is continuing its longstanding efforts to build relationships with U.S. officials and entities at state and local levels, because it perceives Washington as largely opposed to China, the intelligence official said. Apart from Russia, Iran and China, other countries are testing the boundaries of election meddling, with some foreign governments lobbying political figures to try to curry favor in the event they are elected, the intelligence official said. The official declined to say which countries were lobbying. By Alvise Armellini and Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) - Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano quit on Friday after a controversy over a consultancy role for his former mistress had become an embarrassment for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. Sangiuliano, a 62-year-old former journalist, had faced a media storm since self-proclaimed fashion entrepreneur Maria Rosaria Boccia said last month she had been nominated "Adviser to the minister for major events". The culture ministry initially denied such an appointment, but Sangiuliano later explained he had agreed to take her on as an unpaid consultant before changing his mind due to conflict of interest. "I deem it necessary for the institutions and for myself to hand in my resignation," Sangiuliano said in Friday's letter to the prime minister, defending his record and denying any breach of ministerial rules. In a tearful prime time TV interview on Wednesday, Sangiuliano had acknowledged that Boccia had been his lover, apologised to his wife and Meloni, and said the prime minister had rejected his first offer to resign. The case has dominated front pages and evoked comparisons with past sex-and-politics scandals, including the infamous "bunga bunga" night parties hosted by former premier Silvio Berlusconi. In past weeks, Boccia has filled her Instagram account with pictures of herself accompanying Sangiuliano to various public events and showing that she had access to ministry offices and documents. INVESTIGATIONS Angelo Bonelli, leader of the opposition Green Europe party, filed a complaint to police this week, urging them to investigate the minister for possible misuse of public funds and disclosure of confidential information. Italy's Audit Court is also looking into the case, its representatives said on Friday. Sangiuliano, who repeatedly said "not a single euro" of public money was spent on Boccia, reacted by saying it would give him a chance to clear his position. Presenting his achievements in his resignation letter, including fighting alleged cronyism in the disbursement of cinema subsidies, he said this work could "not be sullied and especially stopped by matters of gossip." Meloni paid tribute on X to Sangiuliano as a "capable person and an honest man." She picked to replace him Alessandro Giuli, head of the MAXXI contemporary arts museum in Rome and also a former journalist. It was the first change in her right-wing coalition government, which currently chairs the G7 forum of leading democracies and has over the past two years looked solid, with high popularity ratings and facing a divided opposition. Sangiuliano was politically close to Meloni, but not a member of her party. He was a gaffe-prone minister, saying for example at an awards ceremony that he would "try to read" the books that, as a juror, he was supposed to have already read. (Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Angelo Amante; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Homeless veterans encampment, in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2021. LOS ANGELES The VA must build more than 2,500 units of housing for homeless veterans on its sprawling campus in west Los Angeles, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter also said in his 124-page ruling that leases on portions of the Veterans Administration property to private schools, UCLA and businesses are illegal because they do not benefit veterans. "Each administration since 2011 has been warned by the VAs own Office of the Inspector General, federal courts, and veterans that they were not doing enough to house veterans in Los Angeles," Carter wrote. Despite these warnings, the VA has not made good on its promise to build housing for veterans., he continued. The cost of the VAs inaction is veterans lives. He ordered the VA to build 750 temporary housing units within 12 to 18 months and gave the agency six months to plan another 1,800 units of permanent housing. He also ordered the agency to begin construction within 18 months on a town center and wellness area for veterans on the nearly 400-acre campus. The VA said in a statement that it's "committed to providing permanent supportive housing to homeless Veterans on the grounds of the West LA Campus as quickly as possible." "While we do not comment on ongoing litigation, we at VA are carefully reviewing the Courts decision and will continue to do everything in our power to end Veteran homelessness both in Los Angeles and across America," the statement said. The VA did not say how it would disengage from the leases nor how much it would cost. Friday's ruling stems from a yearslong battle over the campus that was founded in the late 1880s as a soldiers home for disabled volunteer service members. Portions deteriorated over generations and homeless encampments gradually began to pop up outside its perimeter. The stretch of tents, some displaying American flags, became a dystopian symbol of government failure. In 2022, a group of disabled veterans experiencing homelessness filed a complaint over the lack of housing on the campus near the affluent neighborhoods of Brentwood and Westwood. "This nation cannot genuinely hold itself out as the home of the brave so long as the brave do not have a home," Mark Rosenbaum, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, told reporters Friday. The decision comes after the federal government changed a policy last month that had disqualified some disabled veterans from receiving subsidized housing. The new policy raised the limit on how much income a veteran can earn to qualify for housing assistance through the Department of Housing and Urban Developments supportive housing program. Before the adjustment, some veterans who received full disability benefits did not qualify for subsidized housing because their benefits were considered compensation and made their income too high. The VA said the change was not directly tied to the Los Angeles case but instead reflected the departments commitment to ending veteran homelessness nationally. No Veteran should be homeless in this country they swore to defend, and we will not rest until Veteran homelessness is a thing of the past," the VA said in a statement at the time. Attorneys for Iowa's Libertarian congressional candidates told a judge Thursday the candidates were unfairly removed from the November general election ballot, while lawyers for the state said the Libertarian Party failed to follow Iowa law when nominating its candidates. The two-hour court hearing Thursday afternoon will determine whether Libertarian nominees Nicholas Gluba in the 1st District, Marco Battaglia in the 3rd District and Charles Aldrich in the 4th District, will appear on Iowans' ballots this fall. Last week, the State Objection Panel voted 2-1 to remove the three candidates from the ballot, siding with challenges from Republican voters who said the Libertarian Party's caucuses and county conventions failed to adhere to the law. Libertarian Party of Iowa Chair Jules Cutler speaks during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. Jules Cutler, chair of the Libertarian Party of Iowa and an attorney for the Libertarian candidates, said the challenges to the party's candidates amount to bullying. "The big kid on the block does not like the fact that the new kid on the block is coming to play," she said. "Thats what this case is about." Alan Ostergren, an attorney representing the Republican voters who challenged the Libertarian candidates, said the Libertarians need to follow the same guidelines as candidates from other parties. "No candidate has an unfettered right to access to the general election ballot," he said. "To get on the general election ballot, that candidate has to follow certain rules." Attorney Alan Ostergren speaks during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. Aldrich told reporters after the hearing that the candidates shouldn't be punished if the party failed to follow the rules. "We had no control over what they did to get us on the ballot," he said. "So its a party issue, its not a candidate issue. So the candidates should be on the ballot. If they want to go against the party, thats up to them. But we did our part. We got on the ballot. They kicked us off." Libertarian congressional candidate Charles Aldrich listens during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. The case could have implications on the 1st and 3rd district races in particular, which are being heavily contested by both Republicans and Democrats. Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn won his 3rd District seat in 2022 by just over 2,000 votes, with no Libertarian on the ballot. Polk County District Court Judge Michael Huppert said he will issue a decision quickly. On Tuesday, Huppert ordered the state to delay certifying its general election ballots until the issue has been decided. Any decision Huppert makes is expected to be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which Huppert acknowledged when wrapping up the hearing. "I will endeavor to get a ruling out that addresses all of these issues in relatively short order and perhaps get the matter en route to where its probably going to be ultimately decided," he said. Polk County District Court Judge Michael Huppert speaks during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. Libertarian caucus and convention procedures at issue Iowa law requires political parties to follow certain steps when nominating candidates at a convention. The Republican voters who objected to the three Libertarian candidates said the Libertarian Party improperly held its county conventions on the same night as its precinct caucuses on Jan. 15, even though state law says county convention delegates don't begin their terms until the day after they are chosen. The panel also found that the Libertarian Party failed to notify county auditors of the results of its precinct caucuses, including the names of the people elected as county convention delegates, as required by state law. "These are the kind of neutral, nondiscriminatory rules that apply to all candidates and are easily complied with," said Alan Ostergren, an attorney representing the Republican voters who challenged the Libertarian candidates. "The Libertarians have never suggested, they have never shown, that somehow it was impossible for them to comply with their obligations to do basic party organization tasks. They simply didnt do it." Attorney Jennifer De Kock speaks during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. Jen De Kock, an attorney for Battaglia, said the Libertarian Party's caucuses and conventions were substantially in compliance with the law in question, Iowa Code Chapter 43. While the party began its county conventions 181 minutes before midnight, she said, that shouldn't justify keeping candidates off the ballot. "Weve acknowledged that proceeding to convention from caucus before 181 minutes had passed did not literally satisfy the statutory requirement," she said. "Yet the caucus and convention processes fulfilled these minimum objectives of Chapter 43." Libertarians say GOP can't object to its nominating procedures Attorneys for the Libertarians argued the State Objection Panel went outside its authority in finding that the Libertarian Party didn't follow state law when nominating its candidates. Iowa Code Chapter 43.24 allows voters to challenge candidates' place on the ballot based on their nominating papers or their certificate of nomination. The candidates say the State Objection Panel went outside its authority by sustaining an objection related to the Libertarian Party's conventions. De Kock said the State Objection Panel is not authorized "to poke its nose" into the minutia of a political party's caucuses and conventions. "The objections were dealing with today are outside the purview of this panel," she said. "This panel is supposed to look at certificates of nomination and petitions for nomination. We are not talking about the greater scheme of voting rights in Iowa under the entirety of Chapter 43." Patrick Valencia, a deputy solicitor general in the Iowa attorney general's office, said the candidates' nomination certificates were invalid because they were not nominated by properly elected delegates at the Libertarian Party's convention. Deputy Solicitor General of Iowa Patrick Valencia speaks during a hearing on three Libertarian congressional candidates appearing on the 2024 general election ballot at Polk County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Des Moines. "The legal sufficiency of the certificate of nomination is what objections can be made for," he said. "And here the objectors said this this certificate was legally insufficient because the person who issued it had no authority to issue it." When do Iowa ballots need to be printed? Any decision in the case will have to come soon. Iowa's ballots must be printed before Sept. 21 the date when military and overseas ballots must be mailed to voters under federal law. Early voting for all other voters begins Oct. 16. The election is Nov. 5. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Libertarians argue for reinstatement on Iowa ballot in court hearing The National Security Agency is revealing aspects it never disclosed before about its role in helping the U.S. government track down Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda founder and terrorist who orchestrated numerous deadly strikes on U.S. and Western targets including, most notoriously, the attacks of September 11, 2001. In a new podcast series called "No Such Podcast" that debuted this week, current and former senior NSA officials who were involved in the decade-long search for bin Laden after 9/11 describe how the highly secretive operation unfolded before culminating in the 2011 raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Bin Laden had fled. "I remember late night meetings in the fall of 2001, we'd sit around a table and say, 'How do we find him?'" recounts Jon Darby, former NSA director of operations, according to a transcript of the first episode released by the agency. "And one of the early theories was a courier, somebody that's going to be taking care of him. But that was 2001." Darby described the operation as "ultra-compartmented," with no more than 50 of the tens of thousands of NSA employees aware of the effort until after the day of the Abbottabad raid. "So the government had decided to carry out this special forces raid. So what's NSA's role at that point? Our job is to make sure there are no threats to those choppers that are flying in and on the way out," Darby said, in an apparent allusion to the risk that the two Black Hawk helicopters that had secretly entered Pakistan's airspace could be intercepted. "So we had people poised, you know, ready to provide any indications and warning of threats to those helicopters," he said. NSA aided Ukraine after Russia's invasion Natalie Laing, the current director of operations at NSA who was also interviewed for the podcast, offered an overview of the fundamentals of signals intelligence, the NSA's core focus, and described more recent examples of the agency's role in informing U.S. policymakers, foreign partners, and the Ukrainian government about the imminence of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Signals intelligence is information about targets obtained from electronic signals and communications from those targets such as phone calls, texts, radio waves and other things that create digital data. "[W]e collected those signals and we were able to see that Russia had the plans and intentions to invade Ukraine before they invaded," she said, adding that personnel from U.S. Cyber Command, which works hand-in-glove with the NSA, were dispatched overseas to help Kyiv strengthen its cyber defenses. "Cyber Command was able to send before the invasion, again, a small team over to Ukraine to help them look through their networks and point to some activity that seemed to be Russian activity there, so they could shore up their networks from a cybersecurity perspective," Laing said. She also explained how signals intelligence collected by NSA helped the U.S. government determine the Chinese origins of a chemical used to synthesize fentanyl, whose illicit influx into the country American agencies have deemed a national security threat. U.S. intel agencies pulling back the curtain more Once so secretive its very existence was classified, the NSA has sought in recent years to pull back the curtain on some of its operations and to share more cybersecurity information with non-government entities and the public. In launching its own podcast, the NSA joins other American intelligence agencies including the CIA, which started a podcast, "The Langley Files," in 2022, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, whose podcast "Connections" was released in 2020 in an effort to demystify some of their work, albeit through carefully choreographed, in-house productions. Efforts to better shape the public narrative surrounding the NSA's activities follows the 2013 disclosures by former contractor Edward Snowden of classified U.S. government mass surveillance programs, which ignited a firestorm of controversy that intelligence officials have acknowledged did lasting damage to the reputation of the American intelligence community. "Because it's sensitive, we can't talk about some of our work, but it's time to start telling more stories that we can talk about, sharing more of that expertise, and highlighting these incredible public servants," Sara Siegle, NSA's Chief of Strategic Communications, said in a statement. The NSA aims to release six more episodes on major podcast platforms through next month. Sneak peek: The Case of the Black Swan (Part 1) How the school shooting epidemic still grips the U.S. Authorities give details on arrest of Georgia school shooting suspect's father Dave McCormick, the GOP candidate who hopes to unseat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in November, has pointed to his experience as a business leader as evidence that he would make an effective representative for Pennsylvania. But his time as CEO of the Connecticut-based Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund, has also drawn scrutiny from his rivals, who have blasted him for the firm's investments in companies tied to the Chinese military or involved in fentanyl production. More: The dynamics of the brewing tug-of-war with David McCormick over Bob Casey's Senate seat The Fund, a 2023 book written by New York Times finance reporter Rob Copeland, offers some additional insight into McCormicks years at Bridgewater and how he claimed the sought-after CEO position. "The Fund" charts the story of how Bridgewater Associates grew into a powerhouse and an arena for its idiosyncratic founder, Ray Dalio, to experiment with radical transparency and other guidelines he developed for self-improvement and success. Dalio sought to implement this framework, called his principles, by videorecording or recording audio of meetings and private conversations; holding public trials to resolve workplace disputes; creating baseball cards for each employee to rate their strengths and weaknesses; and, at times, dressing down employees until they dissolved into tears, according to the book. The Fund also lays out the intense contest over who would become Dalios successor at Bridgewater Associates and the way McCormick managed to rise within this high-pressure system. It describes controversial decisions McCormick made as CEO, such as encouraging close relationships with an oil company owned by the Saudi Arabia royal family, and instances when he pressed former Bridgewater employees to remain silent about unwanted sexual advances they said they experienced at the company. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick arrives at a Donald Trump rally in Harrisburg on July 31. McCormicks campaign spokeswoman, Elizabeth Gregory, didnt address specific claims from The Fund, objecting to what she called a retread from a year-old book. But she contrasted the candidates experience as a businessman with Casey, whom she called a weak career politician. Dave is proud to have led Bridgewater, which successfully invested money on behalf of pensions for teachers, firefighter and police officers, and FreeMarkets, which created hundreds of jobs in Western Pennsylvania, she said in a prepared statement. McCormicks colleague at Pittsburgh-based FreeMarkets, where he worked before Bridgewater, said the Republican is widely respected in the business world. Dave is the ultimate leader, and when we worked together at FreeMarkets he operated with the utmost integrity while working to create jobs here in Western Pennsylvania, the former colleague, John Starr, said in a statement. McCormick joined Bridgewater in 2009, serving as president and co-CEO of the company before spending a couple years as the sole CEO. He exited in 2022 to pursue a Senate run in Pennsylvania. Here are several details from The Fund about McCormicks time at Bridgewater: McCormick rose through the ranks as others wilted under pressure The book describes a parade of characters who were under consideration to replace Dalio as leader of the hedge fund and the missteps and palace intrigue that snuffed out some of the companys rising stars. McCormick noticed that Dalio had a tendency to humiliate those closest to him at the hedge fund, according to Copeland. But McCormick managed to pick his way through these minefields over the years and avoid incurring Dalios wrath. His success related in part to steering clear of confrontations with Dalio, the book suggests, describing a couple occasions in which McCormick sided with the funds founder over a colleague in a dispute. While some saw his behavior as disingenuous, others sympathized with McCormick for simply doing what was necessary to survive at Bridgewater and deal with the mercurial Dalio, the book reports. All McCormick was guilty of was agreeing reflexively with Dalio which made him savvy, if nothing else, Copeland writes about one such run-in. Eventually, McCormick, who dubbed himself the Ray whisperer, became co-CEO with another colleague before later assuming the role of the firms sole head. More: Dave McCormick's pro-family agenda touches on IVF, adoption, school choice, social media As CEO, McCormick pushed to expand business with China, Saudi Arabia McCormick took the helm during a time when clients were pulling their money out of the hedge fund due to lackluster investment returns, according to the book. Dalio had long been courting business in China, even cultivating relationships with high-ranking government officials there. As head of the firm, McCormick supported continuing to expand Chinese clientele and also argued for close ties in Saudi Arabia and with Saudi Aramco, the large oil company owned by the nations royal family, the book reports. No shortage of people at Bridgewater felt that the relationship was risky and even unethical; Saudi Aramco was de facto controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, infamous for his reported orchestration of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi among other human rights abuses, Copeland wrote. However, McCormick argued at Bridgewater that by the firms staying quiet on the countrys human rights record, Saudi money would continue to roll in. And when a group of LGBTQ employees wanted to hang a Pride flag at the company headquarters, McCormick resisted the move, worried that it could offend clients in the Middle East, according to the book. Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate, appears during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in July. Woman said McCormick pressed her to be 'supportive public presence' after she alleged impropriety Included in the book are several accounts of how Dalio and other Bridgewater executives, such as McCormick, handled misconduct allegations In one case, a female employee accused then-CEO Greg Jensen of grabbing her bottom during a party. Dalio examined video footage from the gathering and told the woman, Katina Stefanova, he didnt see any evidence that the touching had occurred. She let the allegations go at the time, according to the book. Stefanova, who was later fired for breaking one of Bridgewaters personal trading policies, founded her own company. The book describes how years after the fact, Dalio called her to a meeting with McCormick, purportedly to discuss her business venture. During the sit-down meeting at a diner, McCormick brought up that hed heard journalists were looking into allegations of impropriety by Jensen and others at Bridgwater. Dalio pushed the woman to deny that Jensen had ever groped her. She reminded (Dalio) that she had never recanted her story. Maybe youre remembering it wrong, Dalio offered. Stefanova assured him that she wasnt, according to Copeland's book. McCormick piped up, leaning in, Maybe the issue is that you arent being a supportive public presence for us. Finally, Stefanova understood the urgency of the meeting. Dalio and McCormick had just wanted to remind her that they had the power to destroy her business if she didnt toe the line. Another woman said McCormick warned her shed be mired in litigation if she broke silence Another time, a female Bridgewater employee complained that a male colleague was making her feel uncomfortable; at one point, she said the man cornered her in a conference room late in the evening, and she threatened to press charges against him if he continued to approach her, according to the book. She also complained to the Bridgewater legal team that many generally felt afraid and pressured by men at the firm. And after she began dating a coworker, her boss at Bridgewater handed her a calendar and asked her to mark off the days the couple had had sex, according to the book. More: McCormick has loaned his campaign $2 million so far but lags Casey on campaign cash Ultimately, Copeland writes, the woman left with a severance and settlement that barred her from talking about her experience. Shortly before leaving, she also received an unexpected in-person visit from Bridgewater co-CEO David McCormick. He told her that if she ever broke the agreement, she would be in litigation for the rest of her life. McCormicks campaign didnt speak directly to the situations involving this woman and Stefanova, but his former chief of staff at Bridgewater said she always found him to be an incredible force for good. Dave continues to be a champion of mine, and I know Im one of many women who felt supported by him, the former colleague, Memi Kirikoglu, said in a prepared statement. Dave operates with the highest levels of integrity and always held himself and others to the highest standards. After Dalio publicly insulted McCormicks wife, the relationship chilled The book surfaces a party Dalio held to celebrate McCormicks marriage to Dina Powell, a powerful businesswoman and former member of the Trump administration. In his toast to the couple, Dalio praised McCormick as a talented and trusted colleague who could be anything he wants including president of the United States, according to the book. Ivanka Trump and White House Senior Counselor for Economic Initiatives Dina Powell, whom Ivanka Trump helped bring on board to the Trump administration, mix with business leaders such as former General Electric CEO Jack Welch at a policy forum in 2017. Dalio then stunned the guests by characterizing Powell, on the other hand, as the best party girl in America. McCormick, the book contends, was infuriated by the comment, and the moment altered the mens relationship going forward, Copeland wrote. Powell, a longtime political operative, prodded her husband to leave Bridgewater and run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022. He lost the GOP primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz that year but later announced his intent to seek Caseys seat in 2024. Bethany Rodgers is a USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania capital bureau investigative journalist. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 5 details about Dave McCormick's time as Bridgewater hedge fund exec CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) -Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Friday he was optimistic of a breakthrough in talks between Moscow and Kyiv to keep Russian gas flowing through Ukraine to several European countries. The European Union and Ukraine have asked Azerbaijan to facilitate discussions with Russia about a gas transit deal that is set to expire at the end of this year. Aliyev said he had a "certain optimism" on the latest discussions between Russia and Ukraine, adding: "We think that there is a ground for breakthrough but probably it will be premature for me to go into much detail". The Azerbaijani president, who on Thursday met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome in his third visit to the country since 2020, was addressing the TEHA Forum in Cernobbio, Italy, which every September gathers businessmen and policymakers to discuss the geopolitical and economic outlook. While the EU has cut most of its Russian gas imports, some central European countries, including Austria, still depend on gas from Russia via a pipeline that crosses Ukraine. "We just want to support those countries and also Ukraine because if the transit stops Ukraine's gas distribution system will be absolutely paralysed," Aliyev said. Azerbaijan plays a major role in the EU's energy security, Aliyev said, adding that seven of the 10 countries which rely on the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline network for their gas supplies are members of the bloc. "Probably that is why the European Commission calls Azerbaijan a pan-European gas supplier and also a reliable partner," he said. Built to diversify the EU's energy supplies by bringing natural gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe, the Southern Gas Corridor network runs across 3,500 km from Azerbaijan to Italy. "With extensions and inter-connectors the pipeline covers a broad European and Eurasian geography with a strong potential to grow: because today we're in ... negotiations with at least three European countries with respect to gas supply," he said. (Reporting by Francesca Landini and Giancarlo Navach; Writing by Valentina Za; Editing by Giulia Segreti, Alex Richardson and Alexander Smith) By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) -Thousands of students rallied in Bangladesh on Thursday to mark the one-month anniversary of the fall of long-serving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after deadly protests. Students, teachers and families of those killed in the unrest joined the "March for Martyrs" carrying the national flag and chanting slogans such as "Blood of the martyrs is our power". The anti-government protests started in July as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas and escalated into a nationwide uprising against Hasina. More than 1,000 people lost their lives in the unrest, which forced Hasina to resign and flee to India on Aug. 5 just before her official residence was stormed by crowds. The violence continued for several days after she fled. An interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus replaced Hasina's administration, with the mandate to restore stability following the country's deadliest violence since its independence in 1971, implement reforms, and organise fresh parliamentary elections. Yunus urged students to resume their studies. "Schools, colleges, and universities have reopened, and I encourage you to return to your classrooms. A well-educated and competent generation is essential to secure the gains of the revolution," Yunus said in a statement marking the anniversary of the fall. "Hundreds of students and people from all walks of life made the ultimate sacrifice for one of the most glorious revolutions in history." Amir Ali, whose son was killed during the protests, said his child's name was not included in the official list of martyrs. "I came here to honour my son and the victory achieved through his sacrifice," he said as he joined others in remembering the martyrs. Nahid Islam, 26, a key protest organiser now serving in Yunus' cabinet, said, "We've got a new Bangladesh in exchange for their blood. We are alive for them. Freedom of speech is back." Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal stepped down on Thursday following widespread resignations and appointments by the new government. The administration has forced out the chief justice, the central bank governor and the police chief who oversaw the crackdown on the students. The United Nations Human Rights Office announced last Friday that it would dispatch a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh at the request of the interim government to investigate alleged human rights violations during the recent deadly violence. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Richard Chang) Harris County Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis poses for a portrait at the Houston Chronicle offices in Houston, TX on September 4, 2024. Sharon Steinmann When Rodney Ellis was first elected to Harris County Commissioners Court in 2016, he was, in his words, a minority in a lot of ways. He was the only Democrat and person of color on the court, a lonely voice of occasional dissent at a time when the four-person Republican majority viewed the role of county government as primarily serving three core functions: public safety, transportation and flood control. Eight years later, the courts balance of power has completely flipped. Four Democrats now control the agenda, giving Ellis, 70, the longest-tenured commissioner who also served more than 25 years in the state Senate, outsized influence over public policy for the countys 4.8 million residents. With that power, Ellis pushed to vastly expand the scope of county government to include providing services to long-neglected communities a change we believe was sorely needed. I think it would be fair to say Ive had an impact on government in most places that Ive had the privilege of serving, not so much because Im so smart or so talented; sometimes its just the luck of showing up, he told us this week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ellis' accomplishments as commissioner run the gamut from seismic to hyper local. He shepherded in arguably the most significant criminal justice reform in the state by pushing to end cash bail for criminal defendants charged with misdemeanors. He was instrumental in boosting funding for early child care access and for preserving and building affordable housing across the county. Hes an avid cyclist with a passion for expanding parks and bike trails, including a planned $28.3 million hike-and-bike green space in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Ellis is also not afraid to get deep in the weeds to make county operations more efficient. In our endorsement screening, he told us one of his proudest accomplishments barely got any ink: he urged fellow commissioners to allow the county attorney to handle collections for people late on their property taxes rather than an outside contractor that was charging predatory fees. At times, though, Ellis' ambitions collide with political reality. One of his pet projects has yet to get off the ground: a guaranteed basic income program that would provide monthly stipends of $500 to randomly selected low-income families. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has blocked the implementation of the program on the grounds that its unconstitutional, though Commissioners Court voted last month to pass a revised version. Even if this new program passes legal muster, it may not survive long term. The program is one of several initiatives Ellis has spearheaded that were funded by a one-time infusion of $915 million in direct federal aid from the American Rescue Plan. When the programs funded by the federal funds expire, county taxpayers will eventually have to decide whether to raise their own property taxes to continue footing the bill for a county government whose proposed $2.6 billion budget is 11% higher than the previous year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In November, county voters will have the option to approve a tax hike that would free up and generate new revenue for infrastructure maintenance, including for crucial flood control projects. The proposal would increase the Harris County Flood Control Districts tax rate to 4.8 cents for every $100 in property value or $60 more per year on a home valued at $400,000. County officials say it would bring in roughly $113 million in revenue for the flood control district. 2024 ENDORSEMENTS: Browse all of the recommendations by The Editorial Board That tax increase wont fund everything the county wants to do. The three federally-declared natural disasters that blew through Harris County this year allow the county a temporary workaround a state law limiting revenue growth. In our screening, Ellis floated the possibility of asking voters to make those higher taxes permanent, which would give Commissioners Court more money to spend on maintaining expanded social services. Not everyone is wild about more cash sloshing around in county coffers from property tax revenue. Ellis' opponent, Gerry Vander-Lyn, 74, a longtime Republican activist and records management worker for an accounting firm, believes that property taxes are immoral and intends to be a budget hawk if elected. Yet even Vander-Lyn acknowledged that there are areas where the countys expanded social services are making a difference. She is passionate about ending chronic homelessness and improving mental health services, reflecting on her own experience suffering from depression and nearly losing her home. She wants to bring Austins experimental Community First program a 51-acre village of tiny homes and supportive services for chronically homeless people to Harris County. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Of course, Vander-Lyn acknowledged funding such a program would be costly. Thats where Ellis believes the proposed tax hike makes sense. With nearly 59% of the county budget allocated toward public safety, there is only so much money left over to improve and expand homeless and mental health services. Its hard when youre asking people for more money from a property tax increase, but on the general fund budget, were going to hit a cliff at some point, and Im afraid were not going to have money left to do many of these great programs, Ellis told Vander-Lyn during the screening. Voters ultimately may not agree on a tax hike, but Ellis' track record and work ethic suggests he will figure out a way to deliver crucial services for his precinct, with or without more resources. We urge Harris County voters to send him back to Commissioners Court for a third term. Want to stay up to date on our most recent thought-provoking editorials, columns and Letters to the Editor? Our Opinion-focused 'SaysHou' newsletter delivers our weekly highlights, directly to your inbox. Sign up now. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal judge rejected Coinbase's bid to dismiss a proposed class action by shareholders who accused the operator of the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange of downplaying the likelihood it would be sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in Newark, New Jersey, ruled on Thursday, 15 months after the SEC's June 6, 2023 civil lawsuit accusing Coinbase of operating an unregistered securities exchange. Coinbase's share price fell 12% that day. Martinotti said shareholders adequately alleged that Coinbase and top executives defrauded them by describing "a favorable picture of the improbability that the SEC would file an enforcement action by repeatedly emphasizing that the crypto assets they listed were not securities." In his 50-page decision, Martinotti said shareholders could also pursue some claims that Coinbase misrepresented the risk that customers might lose assets stored with the company in the event the company filed for bankruptcy. Coinbase's share price fell more than 26% on May 11, 2022, the day after it added disclosures and reported a larger-than-expected decline in quarterly revenue. The judge dismissed claims that Coinbase falsely denied it engaged in proprietary trading. Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong and several other executives are also defendants. Coinbase said in a statement on Friday: "We remain confident that we are right on the facts and the law, and we look forward to proving the rest of our case." Lawyers for the shareholders did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In March, a federal judge in Manhattan rejected Coinbase's bid to dismiss the SEC lawsuit. The proposed class action led by Swedish pension fund Sjunde AP-Fonden covers Coinbase shareholders from April 14, 2021, to June 5, 2023. The case is In re Coinbase Global Inc Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, No. 22-04915. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. Its one the few things Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump agree on: opposing the sale of U.S. Steel to the Japanese company Nippon Steel. But the proposed deal is shattering party loyalty in parts of western Pennsylvania where some steelworkers feel theyre being used as political talking points. Im pissed, said Chris Kelly, the mayor of West Mifflin, a small town near Pittsburgh. I believe everybodys being played as a pawn. Kelly, a Democrat, said he was initially skeptical of Nippon buying U.S. Steel, which operates plants in West Mifflin and surrounding communities known as the Mon Valley. The company has been making steel here since its inception in 1901. It employs some 4,000 people across Pennsylvania and has said it sustains more than 11,000 indirect jobs and brings in $3.6 billion in economic impact to the region. During an interview inside his garage which doubles as his mayoral office Kelly said Nippon won him over by promising billions of dollars in investments. Ive learned what the deal is about, he said, adding that it would protect jobs and pensions. I wish [national politicians] were here today to talk to actual union workers in the mill and the effect it would have on them if they stop this deal in its tracks. Its too important. Kelly is bucking his own party. Two people familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News that President Joe Biden is preparing to announce that he will formally block the sale. The news was first reported by The Washington Post. A White House official said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States hasnt sent a recommendation to Biden the next step in the process. Biden opposed the sale during a visit to Pittsburgh in April. Earlier this week, during her own visit to the Steel City, Harris said she opposed it, too. I couldnt agree more with President Biden, she said. U.S. Steel should remain American owned and American operated, and I will always have the back of America steelworkers. Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign event at IBEW Local Union #5, in Pittsburgh, on Monday. Trump is against the deal, too. But U.S. Steels CEO, David Burritt, is warning that without Nippons investment, hell have to pull resources out of western Pennsylvania, potentially costing the area thousands of jobs. Troy Stephenson, a union member who has worked at U.S. Steel for 27 years, said, "We worry about our jobs all the time." Right now, with what we know, we feel like Nippon is the better deal, he said. Still, union leadership argues that the deal would benefit stockholders, not workers. In an interview with NBC News, David McCall, the United Steelworkers president, said he didnt believe threats of U.S. Steel pulling out of Pennsylvania. I think it is the most baseless, irresponsible threat and statement that any CEO could possibly make, he said. I take no great satisfaction in being opposed to this deal, other than it does not meet the needs of our members or our retirees, and certainly not the needs of national defense. McCall said his unions opposition to the detail was largely because it did not meet the criteria of its collective bargaining agreement and his members believed that Nippon might move some of its assets from the region to Arkansas. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa, has come out strongly against the sale. Im calling bull---- on the U.S. Steel executives, he said in a written statement Thursday. As Ive always said, I will follow and stand with the United Steelworkers against the shameless executives looking for a golden parachute. The sale and the possibility it could be nixed is now deeply dividing this region, pitting members of the same party and even the same union against each other in a key battleground state. Kelly, the West Mifflin mayor, said he was bewildered with both Harris and Trump. How could this be the only thing in the whole political race that they agree on? Kelly said. Come to where its affecting the people. Dont make this decision from Washington, D.C. Longtime Russia expert and Trump 2016 campaign adviser Dimitri Simes allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by working as a high-paid presenter at sanctioned Russian state TV station Channel One Russia. There, he was lavished with more than $1m, a personal car, and an apartment in Moscow, according to a pair of federal indictments unsealed on Thursday. These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russias illegal aggression in Ukraine, U.S. Attorney Matthew M Graves said in a statement to the Association Press. Such violations harm our national security interests a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated. Simes, 76, was the longtime head of the Center for the National Interest think tank and advised the 2016 Trump campaign on foreign policy. Contacts between Simes, the center, Russian officials, and the Trump campaign were described in the Mueller report into Russian interference in US politics, though Simes was not accused of any wrongdoing. Indictments accuse Dimitri and Anastasia Simes of violating U.S. sanctions targeting Russia by working for state TV and buying art for a sanctioned oligarch (Photo host Agency RIA Novosti) The Independent has contacted Simess long-time lawyer, Channel One, and the Russian government for comment. The Trump campaign pointed The Independent towards posts Trump made Thursday on Truth Social, where he claimed, Kamala Harris and her Department of Justice are trying to interfere in and suppress the Election in favor of the Democrats by resurrecting the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and trying to say that Russia is trying to help me, which is absolutely FALSE. Simes began working with the TV network in 2018 and was allegedly aware of the sanctions levied against it in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, but continued to work with the channel, hosting the program The Great Game. At Channel One, he got direction about the nature of his coverage from network officials, met with Russian government members, and spoke to Vladimir Putin by phone in 2023, according to the indictment. The policy expert also allegedly tried to launder the proceeds of his work for the state network. Last month, following an FBI search at his estate in Virginia, Simes said he was unaware of the allegations against him and accused U.S. officials of seeking to intimidate him. It clearly is an attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state, he told the Russian network Sputnik. In his interview with Sputnik, Simes added that he hadnt been in the United States since 2022. A second indictment alleges Simess wife Anastasia separately violated US sanctions by buying art and antiques for Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov, a Russian oligarch sanctioned in 2023 for his management consulting work on the Russian economy. The indictment alleges Anastasia Simes bought more than 900 artworks from over 30 arthouses and galleries across the U.S. and Europe, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase the works, which were stored at the residence in Virginia for later shipment to Russia. In exchange, she allegedly received a fee. The Independent was unable to contact Udodov for comment. The indictments, heard before a grand jury in June, come amid renewed scrutiny of alleged Russian influence over U.S. public affairs in the run-up to the 2024 election. In August, the FBI reportedly searched the home of Russia Today contributor Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector and critic of U.S. foreign policy. Im being targeted because I have made an effort to try to improve relations between the United States and Russia, to try to bring about arms control. To try to bring about peace, Ritter told the Delmar, New York-based Spotlight News site the day of the search. Apparently, someone in the U.S. government takes umbrage at this. This week, federal law enforcement agencies also revealed they have seized 32 Russian-backed websites that prosecutors say were designed to spread disinformation and boost the 2024 Trump campaign, and charged two employees of Russian state network RT with launching a $10m propaganda scheme using popular right-wing social media influencers. jon tester tim sheehy Incumbent Sen. Jon Tester is lagging behind his GOP challenger by eight points in a new poll, boosting Republicans hopes of flipping the Senate. Tester (D-Mont.) slipped behind Republican Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, 41% to 49% when third-party candidates are included in the contest that could very will tip the balance of power in the Senate, according to fresh AARP polling. When the seven-fingered dirt farmer is pitted against Sheehy head-to-head, he still trailed with 45% support to 51%, per the poll. The Senate is split 51 senators caucusing with the Democrats to 49 Republicans. West Virginia is widely expected to flip Republican, in party due to Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) not seeking reelection. Jon Tester is a rare Democrat from a ruby-red state serving in the US Senate. Bloomberg via Getty Images That would bring the Senate down to a tie, which means that the vice president casts the tiebreaker and its why Republicans are hoping to poach at least one more seat from Democrats. Montana is perhaps the next-deepest red state after West Virginia with a senator caucusing with the Democrats. There has been somewhat sparse polling of the Montana Senate contest, though Sheehy enjoys a 5.2 percentage point advantage in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls. Former President Donald Trump, 78, won the Treasure State by over 16 percentage points in the 2020 election. Tester was first sworn into the upper chamber back in 2007. He was one of the dozens of Democrats who nudged President Biden, 81, to step aside back in July. Tester narrowly eked out a win during the 2018 blue wave year against Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) Rosendale had flirted with vying for the Senate seat again and even briefly tossed his hat into the ring earlier this year, before promptly pulling out days later. Rosendale later opted against defending his House seat. Tim Sheehy has been besting Sen. Jon Tester in other polls as well. Getty Images Top GOP brass jockeyed aggressively behind the scenes against Rosendales potential Senate bid amid a greater emphasis on candidate quality this election cycle. With a keen eye on his home state, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.) reportedly appealed to Trump to back Sheehy. Democrats must defend 23 seats, including three held by Independents, compared to the Republicans 11 seats in the Senate this cycle. The Cook Political Report currently ranks Montana, Ohio and Michigan as tossups. The AARP survey sampled 1,064 likely voters between Aug. 25-29. This included a representative sample of 600 voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points and an oversample of 464 voters featuring voters over the age of 50. AARP commissioned the Republican-leaning Fabrizio Ward firm and Democratic-leaning David Binder Research to conduct the poll. A 7-Eleven convenience store in Yokohama, Japan, last month. Seven & i Holdings has rejected a takeover offer from Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard, saying the offer is not in the best interest of its shareholders and stakeholders. In a filing with the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the owner of 7-Eleven revealed that Couche-Tard had offered to acquire all outstanding shares of Seven & i for $14.86 per share. According to LSEG data, the offer price will value Seven & i at $38.55 billion. More from CNBC Economic refugees flee from New Zealand as cost-of-living crisis deepens Chinas wealthy are increasingly looking overseas for business investment opportunities India and Singapore agree to cooperate on chips as countries seek to strengthen partnership Stephen Dacus, chairman of the special committee that Seven & i had formed to evaluate Couche-Tards proposal, said the proposal was opportunistically timed and grossly undervalues our standalone path and the additional actionable avenues we see to realize and unlock shareholder value in the near- to medium-term. In April, Seven & i announced a restructuring plan for the company, aimed at growing 7-Elevens presence globally as well as divesting its underperforming supermarket business. Dacus wrote that even if Couche-Tard increases its offer very significantly, the proposal does not consider the multiple and significant challenges the takeover would face from U.S. anticompetition agencies. Beyond your simple assertion that you do not believe that a combination would unfairly impact the competitive landscape and that you would consider potential divestitures, you have provided no indication at all of your views as to the level of divestitures that would be required or how they would be effected, he wrote in a letter that appeared to be addressed to ACT Chair Alain Bouchard that was published in the Tokyo Stock Exchange filing. He also pointed out that the Couche-Tard proposal did not indicate any timeline for clearing regulatory hurdles or whether the company was prepared to take all necessary action to obtain regulatory clearance, including by litigating with the government. Dacus said Seven & i is open to sincerely considering proposals that are in the best interests of the companys stakeholders and shareholders, but warned it will also resist one that deprives our shareholders of the companys intrinsic value or that fails to specifically address very real regulatory concerns. Shareholder speaks out Speaking to CNBCs Squawk Box Asia shortly before the response was filed on Friday, Ben Herrick, associate portfolio manager at Artisan Partners, said the Couche-Tard offer highlights the fact that this management team and the board have not done all of the things in their power to increase the corporate value of this organization. Artisan Partners is a U.S. fund that holds a stake of just over 1% in Seven & i. In August, the firm had reportedly urged Seven & i Holdings to seriously consider the buyout offer and solicit offers for the companys Japanese subsidiaries as quickly as possible. Herrick explained Artisan asked Seven & i to consider the offer because the fund feels that capital allocation overseas has been overlooked. He said Seven & is Japanese convenience store business does not need much change, but said theres a huge opportunity in international licensees operating outside the United States. You have more than 50,000 stores, or about 50,000 stores that are generating about $100 million or just over $100 million of operating profit for the company. So I think theres a big mismatch there, he said. Herrick also thinks that Seven & i has been slow to adopt changes due to insufficient oversight and accounting. We really need the company to enact its plan at a faster pace here. So [Seven and i President Ryuichi] Isaka came out with his 100-day plan in 2016 to reform [general merchandise store] Ito-Yokado. And were approaching day 3,000 here. So I dont think that speed has been a big part of this culture, and that needs to change, he said. On Monday, Richard Kaye, portfolio manager at independent asset management group Comgest, disagreed in an interview on Squawk Box Asia, saying: I dont think theres a case for a radical reform to be done by a foreign acquirer. The company is doing a phenomenal job in terms of logistics and product innovation, and I think its very hard to assume that that could be done an awful lot better, he added. Eastbound Interstate 70 on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct suddenly shut down Thursday afternoon after an inspection raised concerns, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced. The transportation department announced shortly before 2 p.m. on X, formerly Twitter, that the eastbound lanes of the viaduct, which is comprised of a series of bridges connecting the two Kansas Cities, had been closed. A recent inspection led KDOT engineers to determine that the bridge over the Kansas River needs repairs. As a precaution, the transportation department closed the bridge to vehicle and pedestrian traffic until repairs could be made, the transportation department said in a news release. We know that a sudden bridge closure of this magnitude will be a challenge for those who live, work and travel in this area, especially with the closure of other Kansas River crossings in the region, Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said in the news release. We will work diligently to make these repairs as quickly as possible so that we can get the bridge back open to traffic. KDOT didnt specifically say what the concerns were, but they involved gusset plates, which connect the structural elements of the bridges truss together. The plates are fastened by bolts, rivets, welding or a combination of the three. KDOT estimates the bridge will be closed through the end of the year. The agency has started developing engineering plans for the repairs and expects crews to begin work in a month. Meanwhile, eastbound I-70 traffic will be detoured onto eastbound Interstate 670. Local traffic can exit eastbound I-70 at Seventh Street, Pacific Avenue, Central Avenue, Fifth Street and the Third and James streets exit. There is no access to eastbound I-70 from Minnesota Avenue/Fourth Street, Washington Boulevard and Fairfax Trafficway. Westbound I-70 will remain open over the viaduct, and traffic can exit at Minnesota, Washington and Fairfax. The exit to Central is closed. The bridge that was closed on Thursday was constructed in 1907 and was modified in 1963 to meet interstate standards. The last major rehabilitation on the bridge was in 2021. Meanwhile, the westbound I-70 bridge was reconstructed and reopened in 2021. A study of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct completed more than a decade ago determined that the westbound bridge should be reconstructed first, followed by a second phase to reconstruct the eastbound bridge. KDOT said it has not scheduled the eastbound bridge for reconstruction. Two brothers from Nigeria were sentenced Thursday to 17 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually extorting more than 100 young men and teenage boys across the United States, including a Michigan high school student who died by suicide, prosecutors said. Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, each pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to exploit teenage boys sexually and were later extradited from Nigeria to the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. They were accused of running an international sextortion ring in which they posed as young women and targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors. Prosecutors said the Ogoshis conducted their sextortion scheme while living in Nigeria, where they bought hacked social media accounts and used them to lure victims with fake profiles. The scheme resulted in the death of 17-year-old high school student, Jordan DeMay, in March 2022. DeMay died from a self-inflicted gunshot at his home in Marquette, Michigan, after he was blackmailed by Samuel Ogoshi, according to court records. "To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement. "And to parents, teenagers, and everyone who uses a cell phone: please, please be careful. These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world. Dont assume people are who they say they are. Dont share compromising images. And if youre a victim, please reach out." Financial sextortion schemes have spiked in recent years with scammers lurking on social media, pretending to be attractive women and persuading men to send nude or suggestive photographs and videos. They then use the compromising imagery to blackmail the victim by threatening to post it on social media or send it to the victim's loved ones in exchange for cash. A father lost his son to sextortion. He helped the FBI find the suspects. Ogoshi brothers created collages of victims' personal photos Prosecutors said the Ogoshis used their fake social media profiles to message victims. They researched online about the victims to learn where they lived, worked, attended school, and to find out the identities of victims' families and friends. The Ogoshis then solicited sexually explicit images from their minor victims and created a collage of photographs that included the compromising image with other photos of the victim and their school, family, and friends. The two brothers "threatened to disclose the collages to the family, friends, and classmates of the victim unless the victim agreed to pay money using online cash applications," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The Ogoshis "used and shared scripts and ideas of how to extort money from the victims," according to court records. A script excerpt showed an example: "Hey, I have screenshot all ur followers and tags and those that comment on ur post. I can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral.All youve to do is to cooperate with me and I will not expose you," an indictment reads. Michigan teen blackmailed with sexually explicit image for $1K The Ogoshis used an Instagram account under the username "dani.robertts," according to court records. On March 25, 2022, Samuel Ogoshi used the account to target DeMay. Court records show that Samuel Ogoshi solicited a sexually explicit image from DeMay and then threatened to share the image to the teen's social media followers, and his family and friends if he didn't pay $1000. After DeMay only paid $300, Samuel Ogoshi made more threats to send the compromising photo to DeMay's family and friends. DeMay then messaged that he was going to kill himself, according to court records. Message excerpts included in court records show Samuel Ogoshi responding with "Good," "Do that fast," and "Or Ill make you do it." Prosecutors said Samson Ogoshi used the same Instagram account to target a 21-year-old who lived in Warrens, Wisconsin. Sextortion schemes operated on international scale A June report, released jointly by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and technology nonprofit Thorn, found that teenage boys are often the primary target in these schemes. The report also identified Nigeria as one of the countries most often tied to sextortion schemes. Those involved in the schemes are also linked to large crime networks or smaller coordinated networks. Reuters reported in July that Meta Platforms, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, had removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in sextortion schemes mostly aimed at adult men in the U.S. Federal authorities have warned that sextortion schemes are a "growing threat preying upon our nations teens." From October 2021 to March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. According to the FBI, these schemes involved at least 12,600 victims, who were primarily boys, and resulted in at least 20 suicides. If you or someone you know is or could be a victim of online sexual violence, including sextortion, organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center are here to help survivors and their loved ones. Visit NSVRC.org for help and support. If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Contributing: Krystal Nurse and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nigerian brothers sentenced to 17 years in sextortion scheme MANILA (Reuters) -Former Philippines mayor Alice Guo, accused of ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and laundering more than 100 million pesos ($1.79 million), arrived in Manila early on Friday after being deported from Indonesia. Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, was arrested by Indonesian authorities on Wednesday after leaving the Philippines in July. She is wanted by the Philippine Senate for refusing to appear before a congressional investigation into her alleged criminal ties. Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the anti-money laundering council (AMLC), have filed several counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 others with the justice department. Guo, who says she is a natural-born Philippine citizen, has denied the accusations, calling them malicious. She was deported from Indonesia for violating immigration laws, Jakarta's immigration office said on Thursday. The former mayor arrived in Manila on a private plane flanked by Philippine law enforcement authorities, including the country's interior minister, Benjamin Abalos Jr., who led her handover from Indonesian authorities in Jakarta on Thursday. "I have received death threats and I am asking for the help (of Philippine authorities)," Guo told a press briefing shortly after her arrival in Manila. Abalos committed to provide security for Guo, but urged her to disclose the truth. "Disclose all the names in order to serve justice and so all this ends. That is the only way we can help her," he said. The Senate launched an investigation into Guo in May after a raid in March by law enforcers on a casino in Bamban town, where she was mayor, uncovered what they said were scams run from a facility built on land Guo partly owned. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Guo on Friday to disclose how these offshore gaming operators, locally known as POGOs, had branched out into crime. Marcos banned the online gambling industry in July. "It will not help her at all to be evasive," Marcos told reporters. Guo is set to appear before the Senate on Monday when it resumes its investigation. Guo became mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province in the northern Philippines in 2022. She ran as a Filipino citizen but her fingerprints were later found to match those of a Chinese national, Guo Hua Ping, the National Bureau of Investigation said in August. In August an anti-graft office removed her as mayor on the grounds of grave misconduct over her alleged ties to illegal gaming operations in Bamban. ($1=55.98 Philippine pesos) (Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Adrian Portugal; Additional reporting by Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Michael Perry) Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, disembark from their campaign bus in Savannah, Georgia. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Since Vice President Kamala Harris ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, a careful truce has settled in place between centrist, liberal and progressive Democrats. Perhaps no issue is more emblematic of this party unity than the thorny topic Democrats have long hoped to avoid: the politics of immigration and the southern border. At the DNC, Harris and the speakers who addressed the nation made clear that the Democratic Party of 2024 is moving right, toward the political center, when it comes to how they talk about immigrants, migration and security at the southern border. Thats partially out of a need to appeal to moderate, swing and independent voters in the various battleground states that will decide the 2024 election. But its also a recognition of the very different national environment Democrats are operating in. American adults of all stripes have turned much more negative in their thinking about immigration and border security. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Presidential candidates pivoting to the middle on key issues ahead of a general election is unsurprising. What is surprising is that, on immigration, the Harris campaign is doing so without facing much opposition from liberal politicians, progressive activists or even longtime pro-immigrant advocacy groups. Progressive activists and advocates say that truce will likely hold at least until after Trump is defeated and a more receptive President Kamala Harris is elected. Harris previewed her new vision, and the Democratic Partys new direction, during her acceptance speech when she promised to bring back the bipartisan border security bill that (Donald Trump) killed. That bill, negotiated earlier this year by Biden and a bipartisan group of senators, would have put $20 billion toward new security measures at the southern border and imposed new, more restrictionist policies toward asylum seekers and other migrants. The bill failed once Trump began to voice his opposition, on the grounds that it could defuse an issue that, left unaddressed, could benefit him in the election, but its mere existence was remarkable for the absence of a pathway to citizenship or other pro-immigrant priorities Democrats have traditionally advocated for. Harris' embrace of the bill is a major signal for how her administration would deal with immigration: Shes just fine with border policy that is tough on migrants and strengthens border security without offering much to pro-immigrant groups. Shes not making a full break with Democratic tradition, though. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system, she also said to thunderous applause in her DNC speech. We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border. Pro-immigrant activists described the position Harris articulated in her DNC speech to me as a both/and approach to immigration: reforming a broken system for processing asylum claims, providing a pathway to citizenship for those undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. for a substantial period of time, and restoring order at the southern border without demonizing immigrants. Its a palatable balance for now but one that may not be sustainable in the longer term given some of the harder-line stances that Harris, Biden and the rest of the party have taken. The 2024 DNC platform, for example, acknowledges that part of the reason immigration reform is critical is to speed up the deportation of economic migrants and those deemed not to have a legal reason for immigrating. It also calls for Congress to strengthen requirements for valid asylum claims and boosts Bidens executive actions to limit asylum when border crossings reach an untenable level. For some progressives, the partys embrace of the border bill is worrying because it marked a significant departure from the way Democrats have traditionally dealt with immigration and border politics. But elections are binary choices, as many advocates point out. Right now, Harris is triangulating a position that responds to real-world factors: the images of people crossing the border, the overwhelmed border communities dealing with constant flux, Republicans politicizing the issue and demonizing migrants, and public opinion turning away from the pro-immigrant movement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The RNC and DNC offered a very clear difference on how both parties and candidates are speaking about immigration, Yadira Sanchez, the executive director of the progressive organizing group Poder Latinx, told me. One convention was a rally in favor of mass deportations and used the border and immigrants themselves as scapegoats to spread hate and xenophobia around the border crisis, Sanchez said. The other convention presented their candidate as the daughter of immigrants, who honors the countrys immigrant past while wanting to crack down on transnational gangs. By Kirsty Needham SUVA (Reuters) - The Pacific Islands, with the highest death rates globally from non-communicable diseases, could better tackle its health crisis with region-wide services, World Bank President Ajay Banga said in Fiji on Thursday. Diabetes is the top cause of death in Fiji, where an amputation is performed every 8.5 hours according to the chief surgeon. Pacific leaders last week elevated the health impact of non-communicable disease as a priority for the Pacific Islands Forum, whose 18-member states range from remote atolls to regional hub Fiji. Speaking in Fiji on Thursday, Banga said a key to boosting health services was to build greater scale. "Because the Pacific Islands are small in population, I think having larger communities capable of providing mutual infrastructure is one of the solutions," he said, after visiting a health clinic in Nuffield in Suva experiencing staff shortages. "The Pacific Islands as a community has to do this together." The World Bank has committed to reach 1.5 billion people by 2030 with better primary health care facilities, expanding its remit from maternal and child health to the rise in non-communicable diseases throughout the adult population. "One of the things we want to do in this region is prioritise healthcare," he said. Banga later met with leaders of five Pacific Islands countries, saying he wanted to enlist their voices to argue that wealthy nations must lift contributions to the global lender's fund for poverty alleviation. Donors including the United States, Japan, China, Germany, Australia and Britain will meet in December to replenish the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) with new funding pledges. "We need to fight that case hard and prosecute it hard... Between now and then, your voice will count," he said in the meeting with a dozen Pacific Island countries that are IDA recipients. The World Bank has cut its average approval time for projects from 19 months to 16 months, but wants to move faster, he said. To speed up its work, the bank will look for bigger scale projects. "If we do small projects, and many of them, it takes longer. If we do larger projects and focus, it is much quicker," he said in the meeting. Tonga Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said island leaders wanted to see more focus on "building resilience with the education and health sectors, in terms of labour and capacity, technology, innovation and climate-proofing infrastructure". "This is why we support your efforts to replenish the [International Development Association] as this will provide us with financial support required by our region," he said. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Suva; Editing by Sharon Singleton) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed for more air defense systems and long-range strike capabilities during a meeting Friday with the U.S. and Western leaders, making the plea as Russia continues to pound his country with missiles and drones. Zelensky, in opening remarks at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Germanys Ramstein Air Base, said his troops are operating with minimal of weaponry. We need more weapons to drive Russian forces off our land, and especially in the Donetsk region, he continued. Its important that every support package that is announced is promptly put forward on the battlefield without delay. The Ukrainian leader thanked allies for contributing weapons and defensive systems but said the number of air defense systems that have not been delivered yet is significant. The world has enough air defense systems to ensure that Russian terror does not have results, he said, adding, and I urge you to be more active in this war with us on air defense. Ukraine has been hit by several large Russian missile attacks in the past few weeks, including a strike in the city of Poltava this week that killed 55 people. Zelensky also pushed for long-range strike capabilities Friday, part of a frequent request he has made in recent days to get the U.S. and Western allies to allow his forces to use their weapons to hit key military targets deep into Russian territory. The current U.S. policy only allows Ukraine to strike into Russia if it is over the border. We need to have these long-range capabilities, not only on occupied territory of Ukraine but also on the Russian territory, Zelensky said. So that Russia is motivated to seek peace. Ukraine has pushed harder for the U.S. to lift the deep strike policy after Ukrainian troops pushed into Russias Kursk region on Aug. 6, which did not provoke any escalation in the war, but the Pentagon and the White House have not budged. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday that theres been no change in our policy with respect to long-range missile capabilities and where and what and how Ukraine can use those capabilities. Kirby added that they were having a conversation with our Ukrainian counterparts about what they need, whats going on, on the battlefield, and what support they require to continue to have success on the battlefield. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who opened the Ramstein Air Base meeting Friday, acknowledged Ukraines request for more weapons and capabilities. We hear your urgency and we share it, he said. Today, well push even harder to step up our support for Ukraine. The U.S. announced a new $250 million package for Ukraine on Friday, which includes air defense munitions, artillery shells, armored vehicles and patrol boats. Ukraine is under immense pressure from Russian forces across the 600-mile front line, and especially in the Donetsk region, where Moscow is seeking to cement its control of the eastern province. Russia has been bearing down on Pokrovsk, a critical railroad juncture town that could cut off supply lines for Ukraine if it falls. Ukrainian troops made a big gamble when they moved into Kursk, the first time a foreign nation has invaded Russia since World War II. While they have taken some 500 square miles of land and hundreds of prisoners, Russia has continued to push forward in the Donetsk region, casting doubt on the success of the key objective to divert Russian troops from the front lines. The Kursk offensive has also taken up crucial Ukrainian manpower and resources. Zelensky has said the Kursk offensive is a key part of his victory plan, which he plans to present to President Biden during a visit to the U.S. later this month. He said Friday that Ukraine prevented a larger Russian attack into the Sumy region by invading Kursk. The Ukrainian president also said Russia has suffered roughly 6,000 casualties in the Kursk offensive. Thanks to our actions, there is currently no threat that Russia will launch a new offensive operation on our territory, 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 The Hill. For five days, Republican Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy has kept silent as a growing number of Montana tribal leaders have come forward to condemn the racist remarks he made about members of the Crow Tribe and demand an apology. But Levi Black Eagle, secretary of the Crow Tribe, one of largest Native American tribes in Montana, told HuffPost that an apology would do little good at this point. I think the time for an apology may have passed, Black Eagle said in an interview Thursday. Any apology now from him, I dont think it would be sincere. I think it would just be optics, mainly, and a lot of lip service. I dont think it would justify what he said. Itd help, but would it fix it? No. He perpetuated old racist stereotypes. Theres really no excuse or room for that. Sheehy, a multimillionaire businessman and ex-Navy SEAL who is polling ahead of three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, peddled a longstanding racist trope about Native Americans and alcoholism during two private fundraising events in November 2023. Audio recordings of the events were first obtained by Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Among other things, Sheehy, who owns a ranch and cattle operation, said that roping and branding cattle on the Crow Reservation was a great way to bond with all the Indians out there, while theyre drunk at 8 a.m. and that every heel shot you miss you get a Coors Light can upside the head. In a second recording, Sheehy boasted of having ridden a horse in a parade at the 2023 Crow Fair, an annual cultural celebration at the Crow Reservation in southeast Montana. He called it a tough crowd and again claimed that tribal members hurled beer cans at him. They let you know whether they like you or not. Theres Coors Light cans flying by your head as youre riding by, he said. Tim Sheehy, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Montana, speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Aug. 9 at Montana State University in Bozeman. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images Black Eagle called Sheehys comments appalling, disheartening, disturbing and disgusting. Black Eagle remembers seeing Sheehy at the 2023 fair, riding a horse with a campaign sign attached to its saddle, but didnt really know much about him at the time other than that he was running for the U.S. Senate. He didnt look distressed, he recalled. He didnt look like he just dodged a couple of cans. Black Eagle said the Crow are generally modest people who are not flamboyant or quick to brag. But the Crow Fair, which the tribe has put on for more than 100 years, is a time for Crow Tribe members to show the best versions of themselves, he said. If theres ever a time where were allowed to be proud of who we are and to put it on display, its during a parade, he said. Thats the spirit of what our parade is: To share with the world, all the spectators, this is who I am, this is what I have and Im proud of it. During the fairs daily parades, tribal members, most riding horseback, don their most dazzling regalia, including feathered headpieces and intricate beaded garments and jewelry, and celebrate their family members. Crow beadwork is symbolic of how loved we are, Black Eagle said. Its all in a spirit of recognition to share the goodness with the community, he said. Were proud to have people come and see that because there is really nothing quite like it. To have it tarnished in such light, its really, boy, its really disappointing. Were better than that. Our parade is better than that. And to have a negative connotation like that with it is just, there are no words. Levi Black Eagle, secretary of the Crow Tribe, called Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy's comments about "drunk" Crow tribal members disheartening" and disgusting. Levi J Black Eagle Sheehys campaign has not responded to HuffPosts numerous requests for comment since Wednesday. Footage of the Aug. 19, 2023, Crow Fair parade shows Sheehy and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, both on horseback and wearing white cowboy hats, near each other at the front of the event. No beer cans are thrown. Black Eagle said candidates for political office often participate in the annual festivities, and the tribe is always accommodating. Were always welcoming of our guests and like to think that we treat our guests really well, he said, adding that Sheehys account doesnt make sense. In comments to the Daily Montanan last year, Sheehy said he tries to attend the fair every year with his family. These are the first Montanans, you know, so its great to connect with them, he told the publication. Just three months later, during campaign events far from the Crow Reservation, Sheehy would cast the Crow people as alcoholics and their annual cultural event as little more than a rowdy, drunken affair. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) talks with constituents on Aug. 19, 2018, before a parade at Crow Fair in Crow Agency, Montana. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images Black Eagle said Sheehys words have left many tribal members outraged. That old adage of all Indians are drunks-type rhetoric has been around since I was a kid. I feel like weve always made strides to rectify that, he said. We feel that thats not representative of who we are as a nation or as a people. Black Eagle described Crow ranchers as hardworking people with strong family values. For Sheehy to brush that aside and suggest that they all start their day with beer misrepresents and disrespects tribal ranching and farming families, he said. Its a dangerous rhetoric to try and spread that were all just a bunch of drunks, he said. Its a terrible thing to happen. The longstanding drunken Indian stereotype has not only negatively affected Indigenous communities, it also has been thoroughly debunked. For Black Eagle, Sheehys trope sounded like an outsider trying to fit in and not knowing how to do it. What he thought he could do is, OK, Im with a bunch of cowboys, and Im going to be cowboys against Indians. Im going to make these Indians the butt of this joke, he said. I think any real Montanan probably would know better not to say it, Black Eagle added. We have a lot of non-tribal friends. Were a big melting pot here in Montana. Were very neighborly. Were not rude. And what he said was just rude and beyond the pale. Whatever his motivations, Sheehy risks ostracizing a significant voting bloc in Montana and, so far, has not apologized for it. Six percent of Montana residents are Indigenous. The state is home to 12 tribal nations and seven reservations. Native Americans are the largest minority group in Montana, Black Eagle noted. Were not going to be the end-all, be-all deciding vote, but we do have the ability to move the needle one way or another, he said. Sheehy, originally from Minnesota, moved to Montana in 2014 after retiring from the Navy. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who chairs the powerful National Republican Senatorial Committee, was among the Republicans who courted Sheehy to run against Tester, in part because of his ability to self-finance a campaign. A statewide poll released Thursday shows Sheehy leading Tester by 8 percentage points, 49% to 41%, with 5% of voters supporting a third-party candidate. Related... Parents and caregivers are working more hours and spending more time taking care of their children than parents did in the past all while juggling sign-ups for extracurricular activities, playdates, school forms, doctor appointments and more. No wonder theyre stressed. And the nations top doctor agrees. US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, a father of two, issued an advisory warning on Wednesday that the pressure that parents are under has become a public health problem. Some 41% of parents reported they cant function most days because of stress, and 48% said theyre completely overwhelmed by stress, the advisory said, citing a 2023 American Psychological Association survey. Parents are struggling with the high costs of childcare, education and health care, the advisory warned. Theyre straining to find enough time for work, childcare and the mental load of parenting. Theyre worried about school shootings and the mental health challenges many children are facing. Theyre also challenged by how to handle kids use of social media and their own, because parents are facing an intensifying culture of comparison encouraged by social media influencers showing off their supposedly perfect parenting, according to the advisory. Things are even worse for parents with added stressors, such as those who are single, have children with special needs or have recently divorced. And if parents are stressed, kids get stressed. Children were twice as likely to have behavioral, developmental or mental disorders and four times likelier to have poor mental health when their primary caregiver had poor mental health, according to a 2021 study. Its no surprise that parents mental health struggles can hurt our whole society by driving up health care costs and lowering economic productivity, the advisory noted. Simply put, caregivers need care, too, the advisory warned. Today's parents and caregivers are stressed out, and the US surgeon general has called the problem a public health concern. And if parents are stressed, kids get stressed, too. - Prostock-Studio/iStockphoto/Getty Images/File How to practice parental self-care Its true that lot of these problems require action by lawmakers and employers, and this advisory should serve as a wake-up call to both that health care and childcare should be more affordable and accessible. In the meantime, what can parents do? Anna Seewald, a psychologist and host of the Authentic Parenting podcast, told me parents can make changes to protect their physical and mental health amid all these challenges. Lower expectations Our society makes life incredibly hard for parents, the advisory noted, so parents could try to reevaluate their expectations of themselves. Parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to always be calm and patient and have well-behaved kids who do a lot of extracurricular activities, Seewald said, but she noted doing so often isnt realistic. High expectations and social comparisons lead to big resentments and frustration. Its better for parents to be realistic about what they can do given their circumstances. Take stock of how youre spending your time Many parents who work with Seewald are spending loads of time on social media. Even deleting a single app can free up a substantial amount of time and energy, she said. You dont notice how they drain your time, but thats a background stressor for a lot of people in a world of many stressors and its one that you can control. Parents can also benefit from simplifying their kids activities. You dont need to go to two different birthday parties for 4-year-olds in a single weekend, she said. Preserving and protecting your own energy and time is more important. If its something youd enjoy, maybe you hire a babysitter for an hour, maybe you invite a neighbor over for coffee, she said. One way for parents to find more time for themselves is to ask for help from the community such as asking a kind neighbor or family member to watch their kids so they can take a break. Seewald said its also important for parents to think through what responsibilities such as laundry or carpooling they can delegate to other people. Connect in person Part of the time parents devote to themselves needs to include connecting with other people in person, Seewald said. So many parents feel lonely and isolated. Seeing a friend helps you vent and talk about problems and get the emotional support you need, even if its limited and you see one person each week, she said. Parents can meet some self-care needs even with their kids around and with small pockets of time, Seewald said. If you put on music and dance with your kids and are silly for 10 minutes before you make dinner, your mood changes because of the movement, she said. Little interventions like that make a big difference, and theyre free. Spending time in nature also helps, she said. You can go to the backyard or to a park, even if its for 15 minutes, even with kids, and feel the sun or watch the sunset. Theres no cost, but it regulates the nervous system and gives you a sense of awe and connects you to something bigger, she pointed out. Above all, Seewald recommended that parents practice self-compassion, which means being kind and gentle with ourselves when we make mistakes, when we yell at our kids, she said. Feeling inadequate and shameful is a recipe for failure. The surgeon general has made clear that parents in the United States are not OK. While its on lawmakers and employers to solve many of these problems, its also critical for parents to practice self-care instead of waiting for the problems to be fixed. (Thats going to take awhile). Being kind and realistic with themselves, finding time to connect with friends and nature, and asking for help are all ways to help manage the mother lode of stresses parents are under. Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls And How We Can Take It Back was recently published by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and X. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Vice President Kamala Harris has been thinking about Tuesdays debate against former President Donald Trump for a long time. What we need is someone who is going to be on that debate stage with Donald Trump and defeat him by being able to prosecute the case against four more years, Harris said in July 2019 during a CNN Democratic presidential primary debate. And let me tell you, weve got a long rap sheet, she added. When it comes to political debates, Harris herself has over a decade of priors. Tuesdays ABC News debate will be the first time Harris and Trump come face-to-face, and only the third time she will face a Republican. But the Democrats past debate appearances going back to 2010 provide some clues on how she plans to make her case against Trump and for her own candidacy what techniques and tics she leans on, potential vulnerabilities and other common threads stretching across years of state and national debates. Follow live updates on the 2024 election She previewed some of her go-to Trump criticisms during the 2020 presidential race, calling the then-president corrupt and unpatriotic, chiding his weird obsession with erasing former President Barack Obamas accomplishments, and saying that Trump doesnt understand what it means to be honest while looking directly at Trumps running mate, Mike Pence, during the vice presidential debate. Im speaking, Harris repeated during that debate as Pence spoke over her. And she often appears to come prepared with memorable one-liners and scores of statistics to make her case and to make a moment that might get attention long after the debate finishes. Harris has been diligently preparing for Tuesdays debate between campaign stops and her White House duties, strategizing how to derail Trump and how to navigate his expected attacks. She knows that every word matters, every facial expression matters and the stakes are very high at this level, said Brian Brokaw, a former Harris campaign aide. You can have the smartest people around you prepping you for weeks or months, Brokaw later added, but ultimately there is only one person standing under the bright lights with the microphone and she has to be the one in the moment to know how to capitalize. Preparation is key One key theme across Harris past debates: Its clear how much she prepares, often coming armed with highly specific policy and statistical details or attacks on her opponents. That preparation has paid off with some big moments for Harris as well as some that have fallen flat. During her Democratic debates, she sought to separate herself by laying out specific pieces of her policy platform, she regularly rattled off key statistics to reinforce her point, and repeated catchphrases and quotable lines. Asked during her first appearance on the Democratic presidential debate stage in June of 2019 to name her specific plans on immigration, Harris was ready. Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Kamala Harris during a primary in Miami, Florida, on June 27, 2019. Immediately on January 20th of 2021, I will first of all, we cannot forget our DACA recipients, and so Im going to start there. I will immediately, by executive action, reinstate DACA status and DACA protection to those young people, she said. Then she continued, ticking off plans for other deportation deferrals, asylum review, improving conditions in detention centers and getting rid of private detention centers altogether. During her 2020 debate with Pence, Harris jumped on the Trump administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country, before rattling off a series of stats about deaths, contractions, shuttered businesses, effects on front-line workers and the unemployment race. Brokaw, who ran Harris campaign for California attorney general and advised her 2016 Senate campaign, noted her attention to detail. She would want to spend a lot of time having a thorough conversation on the substance, Brokaw said. That can be frustrating for the people doing the prep because the point we were trying to make is look, you just need to have a good, punchy sound bite in order to best make your point. But she actually wants a thorough understanding of every issue that could possibly come up. Brokaw acknowledged that overpreparing comes with its own risks, but he stressed that Harris is also quick on her feet, stemming from her experience in a courtroom as a prosecutor. Still, on multiple occasions, Harris took clear stances or landed clear punches on her rivals that may have helped her in the moment, but ultimately backfired. The most prominent example of that came in that first 2019 Democratic presidential debate, where she took then-rival Joe Biden to task for his opposition to using federal funds to desegregate schools through busing. There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me, Harris said, in a moment that reverbated on the stage. Harris campaign immediately launched merchandise and fundraising pitches around the comments, and it appeared to give her candidacy a jolt of energy as she sought to separate herself in a crowded field. But a muddier message in subsequent days on the issue blunted her momentum, and the issue and Harris primary campaign both faded. "It's clear she has those things rehearsed and ready to go as she looks for that viral moment," said Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff and a NBC News contributor. He added that might be one reason why Harris' campaign pushed, unsuccessfully, to keep the microphones unmuted for the whole debate, in the search of a viral moment pushing back on Trump. A related issue also surfaced during a review of her 2019 debates: Many of the positions she took while trying to appeal to a Democratic primary electorate will be exactly the kinds of policies Trump may point to onstage next week. It was a tactic Pence used in 2020, and one that Short said could work well for Trump, too. "It would play even better for Trump because she's now repudiated all those positions. The border is one of the best issues for Trump," he added, noting Harris' 2018 call to "critically re-examine ICE and its role." "The question is: Can Trump actually prosecute a policy case?" Short asked. Breaking the fourth wall Some of the most notable moments from Harris past debates came when she effectively broke the fourth wall, reacting to opponents in real time and trying to bring the crowd onto her side. Toward the beginning of her first presidential primary debate, Harris took advantage of a moment to address her fellow candidates, and the audience, to paint herself as above the fray of a group of politicians talking over each other. Hey, guys, you know what? America does not want to witness a food fight, they want to know how we are going to put food on their table, she said to applause that set her up to deliver an answer about economic inequality. In her 2010 debate for California attorney general, one such moment became a key part of her victory against Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley. With the debate nearly over, a moderator asked Cooley whether he planned to double dip and take both a pension and a salary if elected, and Cooley responded that he did plan to do so, knocking the incredibly low salary for state attorney general. Asked if she had anything to add, Harris simply gestured to Cooley and said, Go for it, Steve, and laughed. Her campaign quickly turned Cooleys answer into a TV ad in L.A. County, cutting into his base of support. Six years later, Harris opponent for Senate, then-Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez dabbed after her closing statement. The dance move was not caught on the debate stream but went viral afterward, when a local news reporter shared the video online. Although Sanchezs dance move was not initially clear to viewers, Harris reacted, her eyes widening. She let out a laugh and proceeded to paint herself as a more serious candidate than Sanchez, starting, So, theres a clear difference between the candidates in this race. Shes good at knowing when to strike and when to perhaps let your opponent inflict damage on themselves, Brokaw said. Harris broke the fourth wall more often in her debate against Pence, looking right into the camera to speak directly to viewers, at one point saying, America, you deserve better, after ticking through Trumps controversial comments about Mexican immigrants, Proud Boys and the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Harris has also made references to the historic nature of her candidacies, sending a signal to viewers to think of women in these positions. From her 2010 debate for state attorney general to her 2019 presidential debates, Harris made a point of using the pronouns she and her when referring to those officeholders. Navigating criticism Harris has navigated moments of criticism in past debates often by jotting down notes. While the ABC News debate rules dont allow candidates to bring pre-written notes, they will be provided a pen and a pad of paper, the network announced Thursday. And her past debates offer a preview for how Harris might respond to attacks on her record. In 2020, Pence criticized her past support for the so-called Green New Deal, her vote against a trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and offered an analysis that deemed Harris the most liberal senator. In some instances, Harris deflected the criticism onto the Trump administration. But when pressed on her support for the Green New Deal, Harris looked right into the camera and said, Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact. Some of her most memorable and direct debate clashes in 2019 came with former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who is now backing Trump. After Gabbard criticized the Democratic Party during the November 2019 debate, Harris sought to prosecute her record. Its unfortunate that we have someone on this stage who is attempting to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, who during the Obama administration spent four years full time on Fox News criticizing President Obama, she said, before admonishing Gabbard for cozying up to Trump. After Gabbard pushed back, Harris didnt take the bait. Instead, she pivoted to her campaigns elevator pitch and her slogan: Kamala Harris for the people. The recent US indictment of two employees of Russian state-run media network RT underscores a significant shift in the Kremlins tactics to influence US elections since 2016, current and former US officials told CNN. Rather than relying on fake accounts and bogus online personas, the current effort alleged in this weeks indictment involves coopting real American influencers to try to push Russian narratives to US audiences, particularly aimed at undermining support for Ukraine. The indictment alleges that the RT employees secretly poured nearly $10 million into a Tennessee company that hired prominent right-wing commentators who produced content on hot-button political issues, including Russias war on Ukraine. The influencers say they were unaware of any Russian hand in the operations of the media company, which CNN has identified as Tenet Media, and that they controlled their own content. Buying authentic influencers is a far better use of funds than creating fake personas, because they bring their own trusting audiences and are actually, you know, real, Renee DiResta, an expert on online influence operations, said in a social media post. With its US offices forced to shut down in 2022 following Russias invasion of Ukraine, RT has resorted to more covert operations to disseminate its message, prosecutors allege. That shift shows that Russias best bet for undermining US support for Ukraine may lie in capitalizing on influential American voices that bypass the mainstream media and are critical of aid to Kyiv, the sources said. The Russians have diversified well beyond the 2016 model, said Chris Krebs, former head of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Its unclear what the real impact is, at least from a tactical perspective. My sense is that theyre not successful in changing specific behaviors or decisions, like the outcome of a single election, Krebs said. However, its much more likely that the Russians efforts are burning on a longer fuse, and we dont quite understand the real damage done just yet. Its night and day The shift in Russian tactics also shows a keen understanding of a fractured media environment in the US. Where in 2016, Russian intelligence prioritized leaking hacked information in order to reach mainstream news outlets, theyre now tapping directly into a disparate corner of conservative media, where individual podcasters reach an audience that rivals that of traditional newspapers. As a result, Russia no longer needs to orchestrate the kind of hack-and-leak operation it used to great effect in 2016, when Russian intelligence officers stole a trove of emails from Democratic officials and leaked them to Wikileaks. The Russians thought that American media outlets would see Wikileaks as a relatively credible source of information, according to Michael van Landingham, a former CIA official who assessed the 2016 Russian activity. But now, in the absence of a current hack-and-leak campaign, Russia has reverted to the age-old tactic of supporting public voices that express views aligned with Russian messaging, van Landingham said. Artificial intelligence has also made it much easier for Russian (or any other) intelligence agencies to pose as Americans online with fake photos and bios. Its night and day, said Emerson Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab. Compared to 2016, this time, Russian actors showed a far more sophisticated understanding of the US information environment, Brooking said. Its also unclear how useful hack-and-leak operations would be in 2024. Journalists are more attuned to foreign influence efforts, and at least one known operation aimed at influencing this years election has had questionable impact. Iran conducted its own hack-and-leak this summer, stealing documents from the Trump campaign and sending them to multiple major news outlets, as CNN previously reported. But there was little news coverage of the content of the stolen documents, partly because they were unremarkable. Its mostly a grift cycle The Justice Department also on Wednesday seized dozens of fake news sites that other Russian companies used to closely mimic the appearance of Fox News and the Washington Post. The Russian companies used ChatGPT, the popular AI tool, to write some of their content, according to an FBI affidavit. Internal project documents from one of the Russian companies propose targeting US voters in six swing states with disinformation, hitting on themes such as the risk of job loss for white Americans and the purported threat of crime from Ukrainian immigrants, according to the affidavit. They obsessed over impact and set clear targets, Brooking said. But measuring the impact and efficacy of Russian influence efforts is difficult. The influencers hired by Tenet Media, including Benny Johnson and Tim Pool, say they were victims of the alleged Russian scheme. They had millions of followers to whom theyve been broadcasting their views long before, according to the indictment, RT employees invested in Tenet Media. Im skeptical that this operation would have resulted in preaching to anyone who wasnt already converted, Gavin Wilde, a former National Security Council official focused on Russia, told CNN. Its mostly a grift cycle, said Jason Kikta, a former US Cyber Command official now with security firm Automox. The Russian money lets them expand operations within the ideologically aligned population to further grift, while the Russians can claim fanciful success within their government for budget and career promotion. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WINDER, Georgia A crocheted child's doll. Tear-soaked tissues. Clasped fingers. More than a dozen family members and victims sat as silent but emotional witnesses Friday as accused Georgia school shooter Colt Gray, 14, and his father, Colin Gray, 54, appeared separately in the same leather chair inside the Barrow County courtroom to hear the charges they face. Colt Gray is accused of killing two schoolmates and two teachers at rural Apalachee High School on Wednesday. And in a reflection of a growing national trend, Colin Gray has been charged as an accessory accused of improperly giving his son access to the AR-15-type rifle police say he used to attack the school about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Prosecutors say this is the first time in Georgia history that a parent of a school shooting suspect has been charged in connection with such an attack. Killed on Wednesday were students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Eight students and one teacher were also injured, according to investigators. Neither Colt nor Colin Gray said more than a few words during their short hearings, held five miles from the school. Neither did they look behind them at the assembled family members. Colt Gray, who appeared in court first, intermittently shook his shaggy, brass-colored hair out of his eyes. Friday morning, schools across the county remained closed and a memorial of flowers and candles grew near the school's entrance sign and the Georgia flag flew at half-staff. A handful of mourners had gathered around the flagpole early in the morning, but left by the time the hearings began. "You don't have to have been physically injured in this to be a victim," District Attorney Brad Smith said after the hearing concluded. "Everyone in this community is a victim. Every child in that school is a victim... I feel the weight of all of that." Mourner cry at the Apalachee High School flagpole one day after a shooting occurred at the school in Winder, Ga., on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Clad in dark green clothing from the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville, Georgia, Colt Gray's small frame was swallowed by the chair as he sat, hands shackled to his waist, accompanied by a public defender. He answered, "Yes, sir," several times in response to questions from Judge Currie M. Mingledorff II, including whether he could read and write English and whether he understood the nature of the charges against him and the possible penalties. Colin Gray, the boy's grey-haired father, told the judge he'd finished 11th grade and earned his GED. At more than 6-feet, Colin Gray hunched over and rocked back and forth in the same chair that dwarfed his son's frame minutes earlier. Also shackled and wearing a gray-and-white striped Barrow County Detention Center jumpsuit, his feet slid into orange plastic jail slippers, Colin Gray appeared to sniffle several times and his voice sounded choked as he answered Mingledorff's questions alongside his own public defender. Colin Gray faces two counts of murder in the second degree, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children in the second degree, under a relatively new Georgia law that lets prosecutors charge adults for allowing minors to suffer "cruel or excessive physical or mental pain." Colt Gray has been charged with four felony murder counts that would make an adult defendant eligible for the death penalty. After his appearance in court concluded, Colt Gray was briefly brought back before Mingledorff so the judge could clarify that as a minor, the maximum punishment Colt Gray could face in adult court would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Neither Colt nor Colin Gray requested a bond hearing, and both remain in custody. After the hearing, Smith, the district attorney, said a grand jury would consider additional charges against Colt Gray, who was arrested before investigators had even determined how many other people were injured. "There will be additional charges on Colt Gray," Smith explained. "When he was taken into custody on Wednesday, we did not have the identities or the conditions of the other victims so we were not able to charge on those offenses. ... When (those survivors) have a chance to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually, we will get with them." Family members who attended Friday's hearings did not speak with reporters and were seated separately from the public during the hearing. Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia father, son face judge after Apalachee high school shooting President Donald Trump, right, and E. Jean Carroll, second from right, listen during arguments by the defense in Manhattan federal court, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in New York. (Jane Rosenberg via AP) NEW YORK (AP) Veering from the campaign trail to a courtroom, Donald Trump quietly observed Friday as his lawyer fought to overturn a verdict finding the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The Republican nominee and his accuser, E. Jean Carroll, a writer, sat at tables about 15 feet (4.5 meters) apart, in a Manhattan federal appeals court. Trump didn't acknowledge or look at Carroll as he passed directly in front of her on the way in and out, but he sometimes shook his head, including when Carroll's attorney said he sexually attacked her. Trump attorney D. John Sauer told three 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges that the civil trial in Carroll's lawsuit was muddied by improper evidence. This case is a textbook example of implausible allegations being propped up by highly inflammatory, inadmissible" evidence, Sauer said, noting that jurors saw the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Trump boasted in 2005 about grabbing women's genitals because when someone is a star, you can do anything. Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, told judges the evidence in question was proper, and that there was plenty of proof in the nearly two-week-long trial of Carroll's claim that Trump attacked her in a luxury department store dressing room decades ago. She said the Access Hollywood tape, as the trial judge had noted, could be viewed as a confession. E. Jean Carroll brought this case because Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in 1996, in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, and then defamed her in 2022 by claiming that she was crazy and made the whole thing up, Kaplan said. Carroll, standing with Kaplan outside the courthouse afterward, declined to comment. Trump left court in a motorcade, then delivered a lengthy diatribe against the case at Trump Tower, where he said again that Carroll and other women who had accused him of sexual assault were making everything up. Its so false. Its a made up, fabricated story by somebody, I think, initially, just looking to promote a book," Trump said. Carroll first spoke publicly about her encounter with Trump in a newly published memoir in 2019. In remarks to reporters Friday, Trump repeated many claims about Carroll that a jury has already deemed defamatory, and added some new ones, like suggesting that a photograph of him and Carroll together in 1987 was produced by artificial intelligence. It was unclear whether his comments could lead to a new defamation lawsuit by Carroll. Ive said before and Ill say it again: all options are on the table, Kaplan said after Trumps news conference. The three-judge panel, if it follows the pattern of other appeals, would be unlikely to rule for weeks, if not months. A jury found in May 2023 that Trump sexually abused Carroll. He denies it. That jury awarded Carroll $5 million. Trump did not attend the trial and has expressed regret that he was not there. The civil case has political and financial implications for Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has jabbed at Trump over the jury's verdict, noting repeatedly that he had been found liable for sexual abuse. And last January, a second jury awarded Carroll another $83.3 million in damages for comments Trump had made about her while he was president, finding that they were defamatory. That jury had been instructed by the judge to accept the first jury's finding that Trump had sexually abused Carroll. Trump, 78, testified less than three minutes at the second trial and was not permitted to refute conclusions reached by the May 2023 jury. Still, he was animated in the courtroom throughout the two-week trial, and jurors could hear him grumbling about the case. The appeal of that trial's outcome will be heard by the appeals court at a later date. Carroll, 80, testified during both trials that her life as an Elle magazine columnist was spoiled by Trump's public comments, which she said ignited such hate against her that she received death threats and feared going outside the upstate New York cabin where she lives. The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done. During Friday's arguments, Trump's attorney said testimony from witnesses who said Carroll told them about the 1996 encounter with Trump immediately afterward was improper because the witnesses had egregious bias against Trump. Sauer also attacked the trial judge's decision to let two other women testify about similar acts of sex abuse they say Trump committed against them in the 1970s and in 2005. Trump denies those allegations too. Kaplan said that in each instance of sex abuse, including one that occurred on an airplane, Trump followed a similar pattern in which he would engage in pleasant chatting bordering on flirtation and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, he would, for lack of a better term your honor, pounce. She added: Once these three brave women came forward and said what had happened to them, he said the same thing about all three of them. Perhaps foreshadowing the eventual decision, Circuit Judge Denny Chin warned Sauer that the 2nd Circuit generally gives great deference to lower court judges on evidentiary issues. "It's very hard to overturn a jury verdict based on evidentiary rulings," Chin said. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets Erie Pennsylvania officials as he exits his campaign plane, in Erie, Pa., on Thursday. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz used some of his sharpest language on the campaign trail Thursday in remarks going after both former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Speaking at a rally in Erie, Pa., Walz borrowed a line from Josh Shapiro, the state's Democratic governor by saying that "whenever Donald Trump's talking about America, he's s--- talking America." Shapiro has said numerous times that Trump is "s--- talking" the country, which Walz acknowledged when he paraphrased the Pennsylvania governor. Walz, who was first elected as governor of Minnesota in 2018, went on to say that Trump got his butt whipped fair and square and lost in the last election, and that he tried to violently overthrow our democratic government. When reached for comment, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that Walz "set his state on fire during the riots and has devastated his citizens since hes become governor. He and Kamala Harris are weak, failed, and dangerously liberal." Trump has falsely claimed for years that he won the 2020 election, though he acknowledged in a podcast episode released Tuesday that he lost the race by a whisker. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges related to efforts to overturn the election results and has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets supporters at a rally along the waterfront, in Erie, Pa., on Thursday. Walz on Thursday also referred to the Republican Party as a cult. This country needs two functioning political parties, at least, he said. We dont need one, a cult on the other side, we do not need that. The comments from the Minnesota governor come less than a week before the first debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Walz and the Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are scheduled to debate each other on Oct. 1. Democrats and Republicans are in a fierce fight over Pennsylvania, a state President Joe Biden flipped blue in 2020 by a slim margin with 50% of the vote to Trump's 48.8%. In 2016, Trump narrowly beat Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, securing 48.6% of the vote to Clinton's 47.9%. National polling indicates that Harris and Trump are locked in a tight race, much of which will likely come down to a handful of battleground states like Pennsylvania. A whistleblower has come forward to Congress alleging Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre and other Steward executives illegally conspired with foreign officials to secure a hospital contract abroad, CBS News has learned. "In touting Steward's supposed competitive advantage in Malta de la Torre boasted that he could issue 'brown bags' to government officials if necessary to close transactions," Ram Tumuluri, a health care executive who worked with the Maltese government, wrote in a complaint to Congress, shared with CBS News. In the submission, which was sent to a U.S. Senate committee investigating the hospital company's collapse, Tumuluri describes a 2017 meeting involving the Steward CEO and alleges de la Torre was "insinuating he would bribe officials of the Government of Malta." A committee staffer confirmed receipt of the complaint and said they are reviewing it. In a statement, a spokesperson for de la Torre called Tumuluri's allegations "preposterous" and said Steward's international arm acted "in a lawful and transparent manner throughout the period in which the company was operating Malta." "There is no basis to accuse Dr. de la Torre of anything, nor is there any evidence that he or anyone at Steward International engaged in wrongdoing," the spokesperson wrote. Dr. Ralph de la Torre / Credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tumuluri's allegations come as an avalanche of scrutiny has fallen on Steward, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year. A federal grand jury in Boston probing the company is examining the compensation, spending, and travel of its top executives, including de la Torre, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News. And the whistleblower complaint, emerges as de la Torre has asked to postpone testifying on Capitol Hill in response to a subpoena requiring him to appear on Sept. 12. Meanwhile, the Dallas-based company has been struggling to find buyers for more than 30 hospitals it owns around the country. Last week, two Steward facilities in Massachusetts closed, leaving about 1,200 workers jobless, according to the state. CBS News has been reporting on Steward's activities as part of a year-and-a-half-long investigation documenting how private equity and other investor groups have siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from community hospitals with devastating public health consequences. Records reviewed by CBS News showed Steward hospitals around the country left a trail of unpaid bills, at times risking a shortage of potentially life-saving supplies. Last month, patients as young as five years old had to be abruptly transferred out of a Steward-run behavioral health hospital in Phoenix after its air conditioning system failed and temperatures inside the facility reached 99 degrees. A survey by Arizona's Health Department, which ordered the hospital to cease operations, revealed the facility was consistently understaffed and found "multiple issues with the HVAC systems, elevators, and kitchen equipment with no documentation of repairs being made." The convening of a grand jury suggests there is potential for the embattled health care company and its executives to face criminal charges, though no charges have been brought. De la Torre's spokesperson declined to comment whether the CEO is a target of the federal probe, but said any investigation into compensation would "show that Steward's executives, including Dr. de la Torre, were paid under market by acceptable industry standards." The money trail A review of financial disclosures and bankruptcy filings raises questions about whether de la Torre was using company money to fund a lavish lifestyle, that included two corporate jets owned by a Steward affiliate worth $95 million, according to the Senate panel. In 2021, Steward's owners paid themselves millions in dividends, the same year de la Torre acquired a 190-foot yacht estimated to be worth $40 million. In the year before it declared bankruptcy, Steward also paid tens of millions of dollars to other companies where de la Torre held significant stakes. Those payments included a $37 million for "management fees" to a company called CREF where de la Torre owned about a 40% stake, according to a person familiar with the ownership structure. A spokesperson for CREF said the company provided an array of "real estate and facility-related services" to Steward's hospitals and de la Torre sold his stake last month. The spokesperson also confirmed CREF won a competitive bidding process to oversee construction of a new science center named after de la Torre's mother at the Dallas private school his children attended an arrangement first reported by the Boston Globe. Bankruptcy filings show Steward also donated $3 million directly to the school in 2023. In her statement, de La Torre's spokesperson said the CEO had "invested more professionally, personally and monetarily into Steward Health Care that he has taken out of it," noting that he used his stake in Steward and other assets to personally guarantee loans made to the company. "Dr. de la Torre did everything in his power to help Steward Health Care overcome numerous industry headwinds and challenges, including personally purchasing necessary equipment and supplies in order to address the needs of patients and personally guaranteeing loans for the company with his assets," the spokesperson wrote. She pointed to a recent bankruptcy filing, which showed the company reimbursed him for more than $1 million in vendor expenses he personally paid between May 2023 and April 2024. The same filing showed during that time period, de la Torre was paid a salary of more than $4 million. Defying a subpoena? On Wednesday, de la Torre's attorney, Alexander Merton, wrote to the Senate committee investigating Steward saying his client would "not participate" in the hearing, asserting the testimony needed to be postponed until after the bankruptcy proceedings were resolved. "Unfortunately, while Dr. de la Torre has continued to fight for Steward hospitals and the patients and communities they serve, members of this Committee continue to cast aspersions on Dr. de la Torre and appear determined to turn the hearing into a pseudo-criminal proceeding," Merton wrote. The letter triggered bipartisan pushback. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the committee's ranking Republican member, said "defying a congressional subpoena is consistent with a disregard for norms," adding it was important for de la Torre to address "allegations that assets were drained" for his financial benefit. In a joint statement, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, both Democrats from Massachusetts, said de la Torre "must be held in contempt if he fails to appear before the committee." "Dr. de la Torre's defiance of a subpoena to appear before the Senate is outrageous," their' statement read. "He owes the public and Congress answers for his appalling greed." A "campaign of unlawful coercion" Steward's dealings in Malta have drawn the interest of American prosecutors, according to people familiar with the matter. In July, CBS News first reported federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston were investigating Steward on various allegations including fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. An attorney for the whistleblower, Andrew Bakaj, told CBS News in a statement Tumuluri first raised his allegations that Steward violated that law which prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from engaging in corrupt activities to the Department of Justice in April 2023. Ram Tumuluri Tumuluri's company won a contract to run three of Malta's public hospitals in 2015. In his complaint to Congress, Tumuluri alleges de la Torre and other executives "conspired with" Maltese officials on a "campaign of unlawful coercion" to gain control of the contract Tumuluri's company had won. According to the complaint, which spans more than 500 pages, the conspiracy allegedly involved an effort to have Tumuluri arrested and included repeated death threats aimed at him. De la Torre's spokesperson said Steward took over the Maltese hospital contract only after Tumuluri's company "failed to deliver on its promises" and government officials were looking to replace it. Last year, a judge in Malta canceled the contract altogether. An appeals court upheld the decision, citing "collusion between Steward and senior government officials or its agencies," according to reporting by the Times of Malta. "As more damaging information is brought to light every day, we call on both the Department of Justice as well as Congress to finally hold Steward accountable for placing personal gain over the health of the patients they serve," Bakaj said in a statement. A Maltese magistrate has recommended corruption charges against de la Torre and other Steward executives as part of an inquiry de la Torre's spokesperson wrote "was not based on an objective or reliable investigation, and there is no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal conduct by Steward international or its leadership." The Attorney General's office in Malta did not immediately respond for comment The magistrate also recommended charges against Tumuluri, but Bakaj said he is not aware of any action by the Maltese government and called the inquiry "far from independent, having been initiated by political actors." "Mr. Tumuluri, on multiple occasions, has offered his assistance and testimony to the Malta authorities to ensure justice is done for the Maltese people," Bakaj wrote. "Ignored by Malta, this is why Mr. Tumuluri approached the U.S. authorities." Managing the Vote: Extended interview with Cameron Quinn Managing the Vote: Extended interview with Dana DeBeauvoir Managing the Vote: Extended interview with Edward "Eddie" Perez Open records and meetings allow citizen-sleuths to go beyond government officials spoken words or spin. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer When its time to take a hard look at our public officials and decide which ones to reelect or reject we need information. A major source of that information is the government itself. Access to public records and meetings is essential for us to know the facts and speak out about how government is run, during election season or any time. Among the tools at our disposal are the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act along with transparency provisions in other Texas laws and the state constitution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As strong as these tools are, we must be vigilant about keeping them sharp. Our information laws at times require legislative updates to reflect how records are created, stored and used in the modern world. For example, providing easy-to-find online information and searchable-sortable spreadsheet data when it exists, instead of old-fashioned copies, should be the norm. Unfortunately, not all governments do this voluntarily. Just as important is the need to overcome barriers some governments intentionally use to block information access. Loopholes in the laws must be closed. Enforcement should be fine-tuned. The nonprofit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will explore these transparency issues and protection of First Amendment rights at its annual conference Sept. 13 in Austin. Conference registration is available to all who are interested. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The FOI Foundation also hosts regional training sessions to help Texans learn to use the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act. The next seminar is Oct. 16 in Edinburg in the Rio Grande Valley. Open records and meetings allow us to go beyond government officials spoken words or spin and let us to see how decisions are truly made and how governing is carried out. How is taxpayer money spent? Are contractors who are building roads and bridges meeting deadlines and ensuring safety? Do school districts, cities and counties effectively manage programs and budgets? Government information belongs to the people, and in almost all cases it needs to flow freely, without delay. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The publics right to know does not depend on the whims of officials, elected or non-elected, former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, who held office when the states open records law was enacted in 1973, once explained at an FOI Foundation gathering. Winning an election or getting a government job doesnt make anybody smarter than they were before, or less subject to the law. In fact, public officials not only have to obey the law like everybody else, they have an even higher duty, he said. The Texas Public Information Act presumes documents are open unless theres an exception in the law to releasing the record. Even then, in most instances a governmental entity must ask the Texas attorney generals office for permission to withhold it. Thats a safeguard that provides oversight and can deter the entity from acting in bad faith toward a requestor. The Open Meetings Act, meanwhile, makes the meetings of many governmental bodies open to everyone unless theres a specific exception allowing a closed session, such as deliberation on a pending real estate transaction or personnel matter. But no action can be taken behind closed doors; the public has a right to know about and observe the bodys decision-making. These major transparency laws place power in the hands of the people. Thats something we should treasure and use. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Making this state and nation a better place is our responsibility as Texans and Americans. Demanding change when necessary and soaking up all the information we can along the way helps get the job done. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged international allies on Friday to speed up deliveries of promised air defenses, warning of a significant shortfall in vital aid. Speaking at Ramstein Air Base in Germany at the opening of the 24th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Zelensky said the weapons systems were essential to hold back Russian forces. I will not speak openly now about the number of systems they have received thank you so much again but the number of air defense systems that have not yet been delivered is significant, Zelensky said. This is what was agreed upon, and this is what has not been fully implemented. The world has enough air defense systems to ensure that Russian terror does not have results, and I urge you to be more active in this war with us in air defense. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside Zelensky, said the Biden administration would announce another $250 million security assistance package for Ukraine. Since the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in June, he said, the US has committed more than $4 billion in new security assistance for Kyiv. Among the capabilities expected to be included in the aid package are 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and spare equipment parts, according to a defense official. But Austin continued to resist Ukraines calls for approval to use long-range strike capability within Russia, telling reporters later on Friday that that there was no one capability that would be a game changer on the battlefield. The UDCG have met regularly since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Zelenskys in-person appearance added extra relevance to the latest gathering. Austin said Zelensky and the Ukrainian people had inspired the world. Fridays meeting comes amid an increased push by Ukrainian leaders for the loosening of restrictions to use long-range weapons inside Russia. A week ago, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov presented a list of targets inside Russia to the Biden administration during a visit to Washington. Days later, Russia launched one of the deadliest single attacks since the beginning of the war, killing dozens of people and injuring more than 200 more in a strike on a military educational facility in central Ukraine. Last month Zelensky said he would be attending the United Nations General Assembly in September, where he would meet President Joe Biden. He added that the success of his so-called plan for victory largely depends on the US. But Austin said he did not discuss that plan with Zelensky when they spoke at Fridays meeting. We talked about a number of things, but that specific piece we didnt discuss, he told reporters. Canadian Minister of National Defense Bill Blair said Friday that his country supports Ukraines request to use long-range weapons on military targets inside Russia. One of the things that President Zelensky and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering significant attacks from airbases and military installations located within Russia, that those attacks are aimed towards their cities, their citizenry, and their critical infrastructure, Blair said. And in order to properly defend themselves they have asked for permission to use long range fire capabilities that are being provided by the UDCG I believe very sincerely that that will enable them to do a better job of protecting themselves. And while the US has said that much of the high-value targets inside Russia, such as the aircraft launching glide bombs, are outside of the range of long-range weapons like ATACMS which have been a primary request from Ukraine Blair said Russia moving capabilities out of that range is a win in itself. By moving them [glide bombs] further back, its made them less effective and has decreased the vulnerability of Ukraines cities and critical infrastructure, he said. And so if the Russians are being responsive to that potential threat, then I think that could be a very positive thing as well if it makes the Ukrainians situation more defensible and safer. Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas also said that Lithuania supports the lifting of restrictions on long-range strike capabilities, and added that many other countries do as well, though he didnt name them. He blamed Russian propaganda for concerns about escalating the fight in Russia if Ukraine were to get the approval to strike military targets in the country. They are using it as a deterrence for more support to Ukraine, so I would recommend not to be convinced by this Russian propaganda and to do what we need to do to support Ukraine as much as possible, he said. Austin noted that Kyiv was continuing to seize the initiative on the battlefield, a clear reference to Ukraines ongoing offensive in Russias Kursk region. The Kremlins army of aggression is now on the defensive on its own turf, Austin said. But we know that Putins malice runs deep. Moscow continues its offensive in the east of Ukraine, especially around Pokrovsk. And Putin is repositioning his troops in Kursk. And the Kremlin continues to bombard Ukraines cities and to target Ukraines cities and to target Ukraine civilians. Thats an outrage, he said. But Ukraine refuses to bend. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius added that he is a little bit disappointed too that more air defense systems havent yet made their way to Ukraine. We agreed in Washington to deliver more Patriot systems, air defense systems of any kind, he said, and up until now they havent yet arrived in Kyiv. On the sidelines of the meeting in Ramstein, Pistorius said Germany will deliver an additional 12 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. CNNs Rob Picheta, Claudia Otto and Nadine Schmidt contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor. Submit Access4 has appointed former Oracle regional manager of channels and alliances for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) Greg Round as its head of strategic partnerships. In the newly-created role, Round will lead the voice and unified communication-as-a-service wholesale vendors new bids and tenders team from Melbourne, supporting partners in A/NZ to identify and win private and public contracts in the enterprise and government space. The structure of the team is yet to be revealed, with the vendor adding it will present its makeup at its annual partner conference on 15 September. Harris County Pets Resource Center on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Nearly 100 dogs from shelters around the Houston area were recently discovered in a barn in Alabama in what local veterinary professionals described as deplorable conditions. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society took custody of most of the dogs discovered on the farm in Elrod, Ala., in late July. Eighty-two dogs were sent to the farm, and 12 remained unaccounted for. Allison Black Cornelius, CEO of the agency, said the dogs were flea-ridden, malnourished and one even had a bullet lodged in its leg. I saw dirt floors. I saw a lot of debris. I could not figure out how the world these dogs were living there, Cornelius said. There were also these big pits in the kennels and in the floors that looked like they might have been from starving dogs that were eating dirt and rocks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad OVER CAPACITY: Harris County shelter calls on community to help house animals Cornelius was called in after a video of the dogs was posted to social media. The video showed dogs with open wounds, mange and other diseases locked in small wooden kennels. The dogs, Cornelius said, still technically belonged to the organizations that rescued them, which initially prevented the humane society from intervening. The majority of the dogs were removed from the euthanasia list at Harris County Pets, according to Cornelius. Three rescues Hope Faith Love Paws, Rescue Mission Alliance and Last Minute Dog Rescue pulled the dogs and worked with Christopher Shane Hallman to temporarily place them on his family's property while they worked to find fosters. Birmingham shelter takes action Once the video went viral, Rescue Mission Alliance immediately arranged to take custody of the dogs. The remainder had to be signed over to Cornelius before she could legally collect them from the property. She said the scene at the barn was unlike any other shed encountered before. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These dogs didnt have paperwork. They were missing basic shots. Many were heartworm positive. A lot of what I saw was likely due to the conditions they were living in, but many weren't even neutered, which is the responsibility of the shelter, Cornelius said. I have no idea how some of these animals left the shelter in that state. Cornelius said empty shell casings littered the ground around the barn. She claimed Hallman told her a dog fight had broken out and that he was trying to shoot the aggressive dog but hit the other accidentally. After a user uploaded a video to TikTok accusing Hallman of shooting the dog, he took to social media to defend his actions. Yes she was shot in the leg. It was the only way to save her life. That bullet was meant for the other dog that was in the process of killing her, Hallman said in a comment on Facebook. If I had to do it over again I would have done the same exact thing except I wish my aim would have been better. Birdie, the dog that Hallman apparently shot, was pulled from Harris County Pets in November 2023 by Hope Faith Love Paws, which Cornelius said owned the majority of the dogs found in Alabama. According to the humane society, Birdie underwent a successful operation to remove the bullet lodged in her leg and has since been adopted. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hallman did not respond to a request for comment. Birdie, a dog pulled from Harris County Animal Shelters in 2023, was shot by a man in Alabama in July. Courtesy Madison Brown Big hearts, no plans Documents provided to the Chronicle show that from January 2023 to May 2024, Hope Faith Love Paws pulled more than 260 dogs from Harris County Pets. The group is based out of an Ohio home and does not maintain a permanent rescue location. Harris County Pets exclusively operates outside Houstons city limits. The citys shelter, BARC, had previously banned two of the three rescues involved with the Alabama farm from pulling dogs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its a growing problem, according to BARC staff, who said they have had to become more attentive in recent years when it comes to vetting rescues. If a dog is adoptable we make every effort to work with rescue groups to get them out the door, said Cory Stottlemyer, deputy shelter director at BARC. But we have to do our due diligence. We have to make sure were working with reputable rescues, and that's becoming harder to maintain. The issue with certain rescues, according to BARC shelter director Jarrad Mears, is that their hearts are bigger than their capabilities. He said they will often try to pull far more dogs from the shelter than they are capable of handling, which can lead to situations like the one in Alabama. The Chronicle reached out to Hope Faith Love Paws for comment but did not receive a reply. A necessary evil BARC has a higher euthanasia rate than Harris County Pets, but as a result, the citys shelter is able to get more animals off the street each year than the countys. Mears said while euthanasia may seem grim, in a city that has an estimated 1 million stray animals, its often the most humane option. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These rescues are pulling animals without plans. They put them in boarding facilities for months, sometimes years, Mears said. As soon as they pull those animals, we replace them right back it's never ending, and you're not going to rescue or foster or spay and neuter your way out of this problem. Madison Brown is a volunteer who has worked at both Harris County Pets and BARC. She said that while both have their own issues, Harris County Pets does a far worse job of vetting rescues that pull dogs from their shelters. Harris County Pets should be doing a better job of actually making sure these rescues can handle the dogs theyre pulling, Brown said. They are responsible for those dogs. They came through the shelter. They are responsible to make sure that they leave safely. Dogs pulled by underequipped rescues often end up in various boarding facilities while they look for a suitable foster, Brown said. She said animals are left in these situations for long periods of time and these rescues sometimes refuse to pay the facilities theyre sent to. Harris County Pets said in a statement that the shelter was not aware of the conditions the animals were being kept in. We had no prior knowledge that the organization that rescued the animals was engaging in such inhumane practices. As of May 2024, the organization is no longer affiliated with Harris County Pets, the statement read. We take this matter very seriously and are collaborating with our partners to ensure proper care for our animals and to avoid similar incidents in the future. The concept was reiterated this week at a meeting attended by 50 monks recognised by China, but which Tibets spiritual leader has always opposed. The Dalai Lama could end the line of succession next year on his 90th birthday, excluding Beijing from controlling Tibetan Buddhism. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhists must also follow Chinese law, this according to Chinese authorities, a notion reiterated at a recent seminar in Lanzhou, Gansu province, attended by about 50 monks recognised by the Chinese government. This event has sparked fresh tensions with the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhists in exile in India, who is expected to announce plans for his succession next year. A pro-Chinese website, Tibet.cn, has reported that the seminar last Wednesday reiterated that policies for the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism must be compatible with socialist society. According to the High-Level Tibetan Buddhism College of China, a Beijing-based school that trains officially recognised monks, which organised the meeting, historical customs, including government approval, are an important principle to be followed in the reincarnation. As with all religions recognised in the country, the Chinese government demands that the clergy swear allegiance to the Communist Party of China (CPC); in the case of Tibet, the issue of reincarnation is intertwined with that of sovereignty over the territory. China fears that the death of the current Dalai Lama, who has opposed Chinese intrusion since 1950, could generate social unrest in the region. Tibets spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate had said that he would address the issue of reincarnation at the age of 90, that is, in July next year. According to Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama, upon his death, is reincarnated in a child. Over the centuries, the child was found through a series of searches and rituals. But Beijing now insists that reincarnation must follow Chinese rules. To this end, Beijing has introduced the ritual of the Golden Urn, an ancient imperial practice taken up by the CPC and incorporated into official Chinese regulations since 2007. With this method, in 1989 China identified a Panchem Lama, another important religious leader in Tibetan Buddhism who, according to tradition, approves the recognition of the next Dalai Lama. But Tibets current spiritual leader has stressed the illegitimacy of this process, and never recognised Beijings Panchem Lama, hinting that he wants to end his line of reincarnation, to exclude Beijing from having a say in the matter. For some time now, Chinese authorities have been organising meetings aimed at monks to "sinicise" Tibetan Buddhism and bring it under their control. In March, a seminar like the one in Lanzhou was held in the capital, while in mid-October the World Buddhist Forum will meet in the eastern city of Ningbo. The Dalai Lama has not been invited to this event since its start in 2006. Experts note that Beijing wants to show Asian countries that "instead of India, where Buddhism was born, it is China that has the most influence," said Sana Hashmi, a researcher at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation think tank, speaking to Radio Free Asia. The goal is to convince the world that is preserving Tibetan Buddhism. Since 2020, under [President] Xi Jinping's leadership, the CCP has intensified efforts to Sinicize Tibetan Buddhism, assigning this task to the Buddhist Association of China, which organizes conferences and events that serve as tools of soft power manipulation, said Tenzin Dorjee, a Tibetan-American Buddhist, and a former commissioner at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Hundreds of people accompanied the journey from the airport to the nunciature. Some have walked for a week from the countrys remotest to be present. For the Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, Fr Giorgio Licini, youth unemployment and the victims of witchcraft are some of the issues, which we hope Francis will address. Port Moresby (AsiaNews) Hundreds of people carried candles and torches in the streets of Port Moresby as a first sign of welcome to Pope Francis who arrived this evening in Papua New Guinea, the second leg of his apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania. The faithful accompanied the pontiff as his car made its way to the apostolic nunciature, where he will rest tonight before his first public appearances tomorrow morning with the meeting with the Governor General and the address to the authorities and the diplomatic corps. Francis landed at Port Moresby International Airport, coming from Jakarta, at 7 pm, where he was welcomed by the deputy prime minister on behalf of the government, together with two children in traditional dress who offered flowers to the pontiff in what is the Popes first visit to Oceania. Thousands of people arrived in the city," said Fr Giorgio Licini, a PIME missionary and secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, speaking from Port Moresby in an interview with the Mondo e Missione (in Italian). They came from neighbouring provinces, but also from the rest of the country. Some people have literally walked a week to get to Port Moresby. Others arrived by boat. There is great expectation in Papua New Guinea to hear the Pope speak in Port Moresby and Vanimo, the missionary station on the other side of the archipelago's largest island, near the border with Indonesian West Papua.. "The bishops care about social issues, like poverty and lack of work for young people, Fr Licini explained. Young people will meet the Pope on Monday at the stadium. "There are also thornier issues such as domestic and tribal violence which we hope Francis will address. In the meeting with pastoral workers, a nun working with victims of witchcraft, will also speak. We are looking forward to uplifting words, which will be a guideline for the pastoral journey in coming years. by Vladimir Rozanskij The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Kazikastan has presented a draft law on the promotion of restricted funds, an instrument used worldwide to promote the activities of educational and cultural institutions but still little used in Central Asia. The intention is to promote the growth of social charity at all levels. Astana (AsiaNews) - Protected capital funds, in English Endowment Financial, are the best guarantee for the development of higher education and science in any country or region of the world, one need only recall the Nobel Prize funds. Public education systems in Central Asia also refer to them to some extent. Protected capital has been crucial for these purposes since medieval times, recall for instance the donation of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of England's King Henry VII, which enabled the establishment of a theology chair at Oxford, the origin of the glory of the world's most prestigious university. Even in antiquity, similar practices were used, as when the philosopher Plato bequeathed all his possessions to the professors of the academy he founded, until the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius decided to guarantee the continuity of philosophical studies in Athens with special capital. All countries outside Europe have enjoyed these funds in modern times, during and after colonial eras, but in Central Asia there are rather faint traces of this fundamental instrument. In Tajikistan and Turkmenistan there is no trace of endowment, although since 2005 there has been a Central Asian Eurasia Foundation (Efca), set up to increase civic activism, develop private entrepreneurship, education and public administration, with offices in Almaty, Biskek, Os and Dusanbe. In Kyrgyzstan, the first capital-protected fund appeared in 2023, based on the state technical university Razzakov. In Uzbekistan, there has been talk of the need for this type of initiative since 2018, but the first facility was opened in 2021, at the Tashkent State University of Law; that year also saw the birth of the first private university in the Uzbek capital, the New Uzbekistan University (NewUU), at the initiative of President Savkat Mirziyoyev, following the example of similar activities in Kazakhstan, such as the Nazarbaev University (NU), although the funding of the Uzbek institute is rather haphazard, unlike the Kazakh one. Kazakhstan is actually the Central Asian country that has made the most use of charitable funds for education, and there are currently around 20 of them supporting 116 institutes throughout the country, according to calculations by the agency Ranking.kz. Analysts highlight the successes of some of these organisations, such as the NU itself, the Nazarbaev Intellectual School (NIS), the Republican Physical-Mathematical School Rfms, and the medicalendowment Heart Centre, a national cardio-surgical scientific centre. The NU and the NIS enjoy a capital of more than a billion dollars, the others are at a much more modest financial level, although the Rfms can boast of having trained a considerable number of top specialists. In an attempt to provide these facilities with more guarantees, the Astana Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has submitted a draft law On Protected Capital Funds to the Mazilis, the national parliament, which is expected to be voted on within the year. The hope is to create an atmosphere that will entice the country's wealthiest and most responsible citizens to contribute to such initiatives, perhaps to finance the institutes where they themselves studied, or where their children and grandchildren are now. In fact, one of the principles ofendowment is the gratitude of graduates towards their Alma Mater, as is the tradition at Oxford and Harvard themselves, by those whose studies have enabled them to achieve high levels and career success. In Central Asia, this social and educational glory is still a distant horizon, but in Kazakhstan they are confident of approaching it quickly by preparing various measures that reward the activities of patrons, not only of the ruling castes, but of all social spheres. As experts in the field say, the growth of social charity does not depend on the will of the rich and powerful, but on the demand and energy of the entire society, the middle classes and those who wish to live a qualitatively more interesting and productive life. For almost a month, Kolkata has been shaken by protests and rallies, initially organised by feminist groups. In recent weeks, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken advantage of widespread dissatisfaction to call for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees resignation. Kolkata (AsiaNews/Agencies) Almost a month has passed since the lifeless body of a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found after she was raped and killed, according to the post-mortem, at the end of her shift at the RG Kar University Hospital in Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Since then, protests have continued, initially led by feminist groups, but morphing in recent weeks into a movement opposed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, better known as "Didi", i.e. elder sister". Such politicisation is encouraged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which controls the central government but is in opposition in the north-eastern Indian state. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every year 32,000 rape cases are reported in India, one every 15 minutes, a figure that probably underestimates the problem. Government data show that Kolkata has the lowest number of rape cases among 19 major Indian cities. The "Girls, reclaim the night" movement was immediately joined by nurses, medical students, and women to demand stricter laws, faster police response, and better working conditions for doctors, and women in general. However, the case turned into a corruption affair and the BJP took the opportunity to demand the resignation of the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in West Bengal for 13 years. When the victims body was found on 9 August, police told the parents that their daughter had committed suicide. Two days ago, the young womans father said he had been pressured to quickly cremate the body. Instead, We wanted the body preserved, he said. It is not clear whether the parents were also offered money by the police, but the Calcutta High Court instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which reports to the central government in New Delhi, to take charge of the investigation. "I had requested five days to address the matter, said Mamata Banerjee, but they handed it over to the CBI. They (the BJP) are not seeking justice; they are seeking delay. Several people are currently under investigation, including the former principal of the university hospital, Sandip Ghosh. After resigning on 12 August, he was appointed principal of another prestigious public hospital, the National Medical College. In response to mounting criticism, West Bengal's Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill providing for the death penalty for those found guilty of rape, as well as special teams and courts, and timely investigations into rape cases. It is a historic and model bill, and any well-meaning person will support it," said Mamata Banerjee, despite criticism from legal experts, who described it as a political gimmick, a knee-jerk reaction, a form of showmanship. Regardless of the outcome of the investigations (under Indian law, they must be concluded within two months of the first complaint; in this case, 9 October). Meanwhile Didis leadership and her Trinamool Congress could be badly damaged by the affair. Mamata Banerjee, 69, has been involved in politics since she was a teenager. She and others founded the TMC in 1998 after leaving the National Indian Congress (INC), which is still controlled by the Gandhi family. She came to power in West Bengal in 2011, defeating a communist administration that had lasted for 34 years. Well liked by the local population for a long time, she has always positioned herself as a rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rejecting the BJPs Hindu ultranationalism, which, however, has become the second political force after the TMC in West Bengal (where 30 per cent of the population is Muslim and mostly middle class). In the last election, Didi refused to run with the INC, remaining independent, a choice that proved successful. But now she faces criticism for being too controlling and nepotistic (her nephew is also a politician), allowing corruption to grow, and this might lead to her downfall. The BJP is banking on this, trying to exploit it to its advantage; to this end, it has joined protests over the past month, urging general strikes by medical personnel. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg speaks during a Kingwood Tea Party meeting at Tin Roof BBQ, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Atascocita. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Appearing before a crowd of Republican voters Thursday evening, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg blasted her fellow county Democrats for bail reform and what she said was a coordinated attack on other Democrats who refused to toe the party line. Speaking at an event hosted by the Kingwood Tea Party, Ogg said that, moving forward, she will root for the good guys regardless of political affiliation. They gave me such bad publicity for opposing the bail reform settlement, said Ogg, who emphasized that her appearance was in her official capacity as district attorney. It was a true bait and switch, and then I was labeled by the paper and by my party as a traitor for going against it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ogg alleged Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia, along with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, were the primary culprits in a ploy to allow crime to increase to divert attention from public corruption. She said her office will be releasing data to the public before the end of her term that will help reinforce her claims, but she did not provide a specific date when that would be. Many of Oggs recent frustrations with her fellow party members stemmed from her self-classification as a conservative Democrat, she said. The term, according to Ogg, had fallen out of common use until she was criticized by other Harris County Democrats in a New York Times article. Crime is not a partisan issue, Ogg said. For those of you who read about the Jocelyn Nungaray case, a 12-year-old murdered by two illegal Venezuelan aliens, I'd ask you what party was that 12-year-old in? Also in attendance were Republican Houston City Councilmember Fred Flickinger, Texas State Representative Charles Cunningham and Harris County Bail Bond Board President Mario Garza. Ogg has found an unlikely ally in Garza, who was among those that initially opposed her stance on bail reform. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Our judges set really low bail. It's really part of a national push. It's a social experiment. The bail bondsmen are not the bad guys, Ogg said. I wanted to go after more violent criminals. Unfortunately, we got a lot more violent criminals, but we got them because they ran on bond for a violent offense that they had already committed. Ogg has fallen out of step with other Democrats in recent years. The former Republican-turned-Democratic district attorney endorsed GOP Sen. Ted Cruz earlier this year and has quarreled with local Democratic leaders over her offices prosecution of a case involving Hidalgos staff. The tensions between Ogg and the Democratic Party culminated in late 2023 when party leaders passed a resolution admonishing her for siding with Republicans on certain key issues. Just a few months later, Ogg lost a primary election to challenger Sean Teare, who took the Democratic nomination with a landslide 50 percentage point lead. But Ogg is not entirely alone. She and Houston Mayor John Whitmire have found common ground in their tough-on-crime stances, and she said they remained united in their push to root out government corruption. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yall think you hate public corruption, well Whitmire really hates it, Ogg said. A friend of the mayor called me the other day and said, The mayor just wants you to know that he thinks youre finishing out strong. For the conservative voters in attendance, Ogg's appearance was a welcome one. Robin Lennon, president of the Kingwood Tea Party, said she supported Ogg and many of her policies. 6 September 2024 12:39 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Azerbaijan has discussed public-private partnerships and potential collaborative projects with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Azernews reports. According to the Ministry of Economy, these discussions took place during a meeting between Deputy Minister Samad Bashirli and IFC's Regional Director for Europe, Ines Rocha. The meeting highlighted that Azerbaijan's economic reforms are backed by international financial institutions, including the IFC. The expansion of cooperation with the IFC and the promotion of innovative practices in Azerbaijan were emphasized as significant. Discussions also covered the country's socio-economic development priorities, its favorable business environment, and the opportunities available to investors. It was noted that major projects involving Azerbaijan play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development across the region. There are considerable opportunities for implementing public-private sector partnership projects within the country. The parties also talked about the upcoming 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), collaboration on a drinking water production project through seawater desalination, and other potential projects which IFC could participate. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 12:57 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more "McDonald's Azerbaijan" CJSC has been fined for violating currency regulation rules, Azernews reports. The fine was issued under Article 430.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which concerns the non-return of foreign currency sent abroad if the relevant goods are not imported, services are not rendered, or works are not performed. The Central Bank reported that the company sent foreign currency abroad as an advance payment for services that were never provided and did not return the currency to Azerbaijan. Following this, the case was sent to the Baku Sabail District Court for review. In a hearing led by Judge Shahla Suleymanova, the court imposed an administrative penalty on "McDonald's Azerbaijan," resulting in a fine. Under Azerbaijani law, violations of currency regulation rules can result in fines ranging from 10 to 20 percent of the involved currency funds for officials and from 20 to 30 percent for legal entities. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 13:37 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan plans to achieve an investment rating from international rating agencies "Standard & Poor's" (S&P) and "Moody's," according to Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, who spoke in an interview with "Report," as cited by Azernews. Sharifov highlighted that significant positive changes have been occurring in Azerbaijan's economy in recent years. "On one hand, Azerbaijan's foreign exchange reserves are increasing, and on the other, debt obligations are decreasing. As a result, this leads to an increase in net financial assets. This is undoubtedly a very positive and reliable factor for every investor who wants to invest in Azerbaijani securities and debt," he said. The minister expressed optimism that rating agencies would recognize these improvements. "The rating agencies show a certain amount of greed towards Azerbaijan. However, despite this, initially, Fitch Ratings increased the default rating of Azerbaijan's long-term foreign currency issuer by one step and raised it to the level of investment credit rating. I assume that 'Standard & Poor's' and 'Moody's' will take similar steps. Meanwhile, 'Moody's' international rating agency has changed the forecast of the Azerbaijani government's issuer and highly unsecured foreign currency ratings from 'stable' to 'positive,' giving us hope that this will happen sooner. In other words, we are quite optimistic that these processes will find their fair solution," Sharifov added. Earlier in July, Fitch Ratings raised Azerbaijan's long-term foreign currency issuer default rating from "BB+" to "BBB-" and assessed it with a stable outlook. According to Fitch, the upgrade reflects Azerbaijan's strong external balance sheet, ongoing current account and fiscal surpluses, reduced foreign exchange sensitivity, low public debt, and evolving monetary policy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 12:44 (UTC+04:00) Energy supplies today clearly demonstrate that national security cannot be separated from energy security, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the session titled Azerbaijan's role in the new geopolitical environment at the International Cernobbio Forum, Azernews reports. The 3,500 km integrated pipeline system from Azerbaijan to Italy, known as the Southern Gas Corridor, today ensures energy security for ten countries. We now have ten countries receiving gas from Azerbaijan, seven of which are members of the European Union. That is probably why the European Commission calls Azerbaijan a pan-European gas supplier and a reliable partner, the head of state noted. The most prestigious event organized by The European House Ambrosetti, the forum, traditionally known as "Cernobbio Forum", brings together an array of speakers of the highest level from the world of politics, academia, government, and business, from across the globe. Since 1975, it has fostered debates on today's and tomorrow's major global issues. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 14:40 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The "Korea-Azerbaijan State Services and Social Innovations" seminar has been held, Azernews reports. The event was organized jointly by the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The seminar featured opening remarks from Ceyhun Salmanov, Deputy Chairman of the State Agency, Hwang Youkyoung, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Azerbaijan, and Park Byung-joon, Director of the Department at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea. Ceyhun Salmanov spoke about the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016 between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea and the State Agency, highlighting the successful cooperation that has taken place over the years. He also noted the active participation of the State Agency in technical assistance and capacity-building programs conducted by the Republic of Korea and thanked the Korean side for their support. Korean guests expressed the importance of the "ASAN service" experience in the provision of state services and their satisfaction with the collaboration with the State Agency in this area. The Director of the International Relations Department of the State Agency presented on the "ASAN service" model and the innovative projects implemented by the State Agency. Following this, the department heads from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea gave comprehensive presentations on modern approaches applied in state services, citizen satisfaction, and ensuring accessibility of services based on their countrys experiences. The event concluded with interactive discussions in a Q&A format. During their visit, the Korean representatives also familiarized themselves with the activities of the "INNOLAND" Incubation and Acceleration Center, "ABAD," the "Bilim Baku" center, and the Mobile "ASAN service." Additionally, presentations were made to the delegation by the State Agency's Department of Design and Innovations in State Services and the "Innovation Center." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 14:19 (UTC+04:00) In connection with the beginning of the 97th theatre season, a large-scale meeting of the collective was held at the Azerbaijan State National Youth Theatre. Azernews reports that the director of the theatre, Naida Ismayilzade, who spoke at the meeting, talked about the new stage productions to be prepared next year and the importance of the collective work process. The monoplay "I am Feuerbach" planned for the festival was discussed at the meeting. "Last season, the art centre presented six new plays. The theatre has also successfully toured the region and festivals. In the following months, a play of the same name based on the fairy tale "Dwarf" will be shown in our theatre for children," added the director. Actors of the theatre, Honored artist Gamar Mammadova and Elshan Shikhaliyev, as well as troupe manager Alasgar Muradkhanli, head of the recording and radio workshop, Irada Muradova, were awarded with an honorary decree of the Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Culture Workers of Azerbaijan on the occasion of their jubilee. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 15:02 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The Russian Youth Event platform has brought together 350 schoolchildren, students, and young professionals from regions of Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, as well as 50 participants from the young leaders' rotation program in the Caspian region, Azernews reports. One of the main goals of the event was to create a talent pool that would assist in presenting job vacancies in the regions to qualified young professionals. For the first time, there was an international exchange of young leaders from Caspian countries. During the forum, concepts were developed to promote the Caspian region and enhance its tourism attractiveness. Specialized speakers conducted lectures and master classes for participants, arranged meetings with HR professionals, and organised interviews with company leaders. One of the educational activities of the "BereqA" forum was a meeting with the participants of the governor's "Everything is Solved by Personnel" project and members of the regional youth government. The business activities of the forum were concluded with an extensive excursion and cultural program, allowing participants to explore the rich history, culture, and natural heritage of Astrakhan Oblast, as well as to familiarize themselves with industrial enterprises and discover new opportunities for future development. Seven participants in the "Rosmolodyozh. Grants" competition held during the event were awarded, receiving financial support to implement their initiatives. The organisers of the "BereqA" forum included the Youth Affairs Agency of Astrakhan Oblast - "Rosmolodyozh," and the regional government under the patronage of the Office of the Presidential Envoy to the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 12:23 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Baku is currently hosting an international conference titled "Law and Climate," bringing together local and foreign state officials to discuss key legal aspects related to climate change, Azernews reports. The conference, as reported by "Report," features prominent participants such as Ramiz Rzayev, President of the Union of Judges; Mukhtar Babayev, President-designate of COP29 and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources; Inam Karimov, Chairman of the Supreme Court and Judicial-Legal Council; Duro Sessa, President of the International Union of Judges (IA); Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan; Basri Bagci, Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Turkey; and Anar Bagirov, Chairman of the Bar Association, among other officials. Divided into two sessions, the conference covers a range of topics, including the plans and expectations for COP29 hosted by Azerbaijan, the role of the International Union of Judges in environmental law, regional and international experiences in judicial cooperation for environmental justice, and legal disputes over climate change at both international and national levels. Other discussions focus on the international legal framework for climate change, particularly the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the key requirements of the Paris Agreement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 10:37 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Leading media outlets in Italy have extensively covered Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to the country, Azernews reports. Media sources including "Agenzia Nova," "Giornale Diplomatico," "Agenpress," "Il Sole 24 Ore," "Askanews," "Italpress," "Il Giornale," "La Presse," "Agenzia Vista," "Quotidiano Nazionale," "Tutt Oggi," "Borsa Italiana," and others reported on President Ilham Aliyev's meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome. It was highlighted that the meeting emphasized the strategic partnership and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. The reports noted that Italy is Azerbaijan's main trading partner in Europe and that cooperation in the energy sector is of particular importance. The TAP projects significant role in Europes, including Italys, energy security was mentioned. The significance of humanitarian and cultural ties, as well as the activities of the Italy-Azerbaijan University, was also noted. It was emphasized that the COP29 conference, which Azerbaijan will host in November, is a highly significant event, and Italy will be represented by a high-level delegation at this international event. The reports also mentioned that on the same day, President Ilham Aliyev met with Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Italian Council of Ministers, at the Chigi Palace in Rome. It was noted that the meeting included detailed discussions on bilateral issues between Italy and Azerbaijan, with new areas of cooperation being identified. Discussions were held on the prospects for developing bilateral relations in all sectors. It was highlighted that during the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and Giorgia Meloni, there was an exchange of views on increasing the transmission capacity of the TAP pipeline, which plays a crucial role in Italy's and Europe's energy security. The importance of the Italy-Azerbaijan University, created through a joint project between ADA University and five Italian universities, was also noted. Additionally, it was pointed out that Giorgia Meloni emphasized Italys readiness to provide all necessary support to Azerbaijan for the successful conduct of COP29. The reports also mentioned that President Ilham Aliyev met with Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of Italys Eni S.P.A., in Rome, and discussions were held on expanding cooperation between SOCAR and Eni. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 12:04 (UTC+04:00) The Minister of Defence, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, and the Deputy Minister of Defence and Commander of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Hikmat Mirzayev, inspected the training of the units deployed in the direction of the conditional border, Azernews reports via MoD. It was reported that in the units, 24-hour combat duty is organised at a high level in accordance with the rules of order of the day, and uninterrupted service is held. The Defence Minister met with the personnel on combat duty and highly appreciated the combat and psychological training of the servicemen. Colonel General Z. Hasanov set specific tasks for the authorised persons on the better organization of service-combat activities and increasing vigilance. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 10:16 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani oil has become more expensive in the world market. Azernews reports that the price of one barrel of "Azeri Light" brand oil increased by $0.03 or 0.04 percent to $78.33. Note that the lowest price of "Azeri Light" oil was recorded on April 21, 2020 (US$15.81), and the maximum price was recorded in July 2008 (US$149.66). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 12:28 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov has declined diplomatic assistance offered by Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Azernews reports citing Politico. "The individual in question refused consular protection from Russia and a visit from a UAE consulate representative but agreed to keep the UAE embassy informed of the situation," a source stated. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, mentioned that Russian diplomats in Paris took all necessary steps regarding Durovs detention. She added that consular access had been requested. The Russian embassy in France noted its commitment to ensuring Durov's rights are respected and obtaining consular access to him, but highlighted that the French authorities are "so far avoiding cooperation on this matter." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 20:00 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Yesterday, the parties in France that opposed President Emmanuel Macrons ineffective government and called for his resignation are maintaining the same stance against the newly appointed Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The largest left-wing party in France, La France Insoumise (LFI), as well as the Socialist Party (PS) and the Communist Party (PCF), will put forward a vote of no confidence against Barnier. It is clear that when Emmanuel Macron appointed the 73-year-old Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister yesterday, he was aware that Barniers past career suited his own interests. Who is Michel Barnier? Barnier, who has served as an EU commissioner twice and was involved in the Brexit negotiations, is well-acquainted with the Brussels machinery. His previous roles make him a more seasoned politician. Macron chose Barnier as Prime Minister in an attempt to secure his own position. Although Barniers treatment by the left may be troubling for the Macron administration, Barnier's career in the EU provides some level of protection. However, it remains uncertain how he will fare in the confidence vote. It is worth noting that France faces numerous issues with the European Union. Paris must present its proposals to reduce public spending to the EU by September 20, though this deadline may be extended until October. Macron is aware of the country's dire financial situation. Paris must present the 2025 budget draft to the European Parliament by October 1 at the latest. France needs to cut 30 billion next year, raising concerns about how Macrons ineffective administration will achieve this. Barnier and the Azerbaijani-Armenian Conflict Interestingly, the new Prime Minister chosen by Macron has connections to Armenia that are as malign as Macrons own stance. In 2021, Michel Barnier made an illegal visit to Azerbaijani territories. He was in the areas where Armenian separatists were located, alongside French presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse. The visit took place from December 21-23, 2021. During this illegal visit to Karabakh, Barnier "proudly" participated and even supported Pecresse's statements against Azerbaijan. At the end of the visit, the presidential candidate met with separatist Arayik Arutyunyan to demonstrate support for the so-called Republic of Artsakh. These two pro-Armenian figures have suggested that the French ambassador to Azerbaijan should be recalled and sanctions imposed against official Baku. It is worth noting that the so-called "Republic of Artsakh" was created on September 2, 1991, within the borders of the former so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and the adjacent Shahumyan district. Later, Armenia occupied seven districts of Azerbaijan (Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli, Lachin, and Kalbajar) and annexed them to the so-called republic. The regime, fully supported by Armenia, used these surrounding districts as a buffer zone, a security belt. In September 2023, as a result of anti-terror operations internally carried out by Azerbaijan, the illegal regime that had existed for 32 years on these lands was dismantled. Consequently, although the new Prime Minister may be skilled in international politics and finance, considering his previous stance and actions, he can be regarded as a person aligned with Macrons administration. It is not difficult to understand that with an anti-Azerbaijan president like Emmanuel Macron and such a Prime Minister, Paris-Baku relations are likely to deteriorate further. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 18:29 (UTC+04:00) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on NATO member countries to increase military support for Ukraine, Azernews reports. Speaking at a press conference in Norway, Stoltenberg emphasized that "Ukraine now needs more military support," and suggested that the quickest way to end the ongoing conflict with Russia is by supplying more weapons to Kyiv. Stoltenberg underscored Ukraine's right to self-defense, stating that this right "does not end at the border" with Russia. He urged NATO allies to continue backing Ukraine in its efforts against Russian aggression. Ukraine has been consistently appealing to its partners for additional modern weapons and long-range missiles to strengthen its defense capabilities. In response, Russia has repeatedly argued that Western military aid and training only serve to prolong the conflict without changing the situation on the ground. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 19:25 (UTC+04:00) China successfully launched a Long March-6 carrier rocket early Friday, deploying 10 commercial satellites for Geespace, the space subsidiary of Chinese automotive company Geely, Azernews reports citing Xinhua News Agency, The launch took place at 2:30 a.m. Beijing time (1830 GMT Thursday) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province, marking the 534th mission of the Long March rocket series. The satellites, part of the Geely Future Mobility Constellation, have successfully reached their designated orbits, expanding the network to a total of 30 satellites. This development allows Geespace to provide 24/7 communication coverage to 90% of the world, making it the first Chinese commercial aerospace company to offer global low Earth orbit satellite communication services. Initiated in 2019, the project has made notable advancements, with three successful launches in 2022 and 2024. The Long March-6 rocket, also known as Chang Zheng-6, is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to carry satellites weighing under 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds), similar to the European Space Agency's Vega and Russia's Angara-1 launch vehicles. This launch occurs amid recent reports by the US Space Command regarding debris from a previous Long March rocket detected in low-Earth orbit. Geespace aims to complete the first phase of its project by 2025, providing global coverage for vehicle-to-everything connectivity services. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 20:28 (UTC+04:00) The UK will send an additional 650 short-range missiles to Ukraine to help in its fight against invading Russian forces, Azernews reports. The new package of aid comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made another impassioned plea for further support from allies at a defence summit at the Ramstein air base in Germany. Mr Zelensky said he was grateful for the military support Ukraine had received but urged allies to authorise the used of Western-supplied long-range missiles on targets inside Russia. Also joining the summit is UK Defence Secretary John Healey, who will be announcing the 162 million package which includes the supply of further Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LLM). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 22:00 (UTC+04:00) South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said during his inauguration speech on Friday that North Korea will "face a regime change" if it stages any "provocations." He warned Pyongyang would "pay a terrible price under the principle of punishing immediately, strongly and until the end," Azernews reports via Yonhap news agency. "In order to ensure the enemy does not dare to carry out a provocation, [we] will establish an overwhelming defense posture and capabilities to deter the enemy's provocations," Kim said. Relations between North and South Korea remain tense, with South Korea frequently carrying out military exercises with the United States and North Korea sporadically performing missile tests and launching spy satellites. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 22:25 (UTC+04:00) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyens statements about cutting off energy cooperation with Russia make it clear that the EU is aligning itself with Washington, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, Azernews reports. "The passion with which von der Leyen rushed to continue the 'crusade' against the European Unions Russian energy imports indicates that the newly appointed members of the European Commission, backed by the most Russia-hating member states, intend to continue to be guided first and foremost by Washingtons interests," the diplomat pointed out. According to her, Brussels no longer sees the need to conceal the obvious: "the main goals of the energy policy that the European Commission is imposing on EU member states are to contain Russia and implement political orders from the overseas 'puppet masters,' primarily, by obediently serving the interests of US businesses." Zakharova went on to say that for decades, stable and fairly-priced energy supplies from Russia had served as a support for Europes industrial development and economic prosperity. "Brussels one-sided and politically-motivated rejection of long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation with our country is the only thing that has put Europes lasting prosperity at risk, tangibly escalating the issue of energy and economic security," she stressed. Zakharova noted that the EU distorted facts and spread direct disinformation to portray Russia as an unreliable energy supplier. According to the diplomat, the European Union has been extremely clear about its goal, which is to undermine the capacity of Russias energy industry, "without worrying about consequences not only for consumers in EU countries but also for global energy security." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 6 September 2024 17:18 (UTC+04:00) An exhibition of national tourism brand lenses consisting of examples of gastronomy and material and cultural heritage of Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur regions was organised as part of the International Day of Gastronomy held in Shusha on September 6. Azernews reports that at the exhibition, visitors were presented with heritage samples of "Art of Decoration," which is a centuries-old decorative art applied to manuscripts, calligraphic texts, religious texts, and miniatures, which are included in the Representative List of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage. To recall, International Gastronomy Day kicked off in the city of Shusha in Azerbaijan on Friday. The State Tourism Agency, Shusha City State Reserve Administration, and the National Culinary Centre are the organisers of the event. This celebration brings together culinary representatives from Azerbaijan and major tourism markets among Islamic countries, including Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Noting that, the events second part featured a degustation of dishes reflecting the shared Iftar traditions, which have been inscribed on UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a multinational nomination titled Iftar and related social and cultural traditions. Visitors had the opportunity to savour these delicacies in outdoor tents set up specifically for the occasion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Here are 14 new anesthesiology groups, programs and partnerships that have been created since Jan. 1, 2024, as reported by Becker's: 1. Detroit-based Anesthesia Management Services inked a deal to begin providing anesthesia services with Mount Clemens, Mich.-based McLaren Macomb Hospital starting Oct. 1. 2. Fairfield (Conn.) University has expanded its CRNA program to its campus in Austin, Texas. 3. Idaho State University's School of Nursing launched the first CRNA program in the state. The first cohort will begin in the fall of 2025. 4. Northstar Anesthesia expanded its partnership with EyeSouth PArtners to add anesthesia services at five additional ASCs across the U.S. 5. Anesthesia staffing provider United Anesthesia was acquired by workforce solutions provider GHR Healthcare. 6. U.S Anesthesia Partners, a management services provider, launched its own nonprofit organization called USAP4USAP. 7. The University of Illinois Chicago will launch a CRNA program with the support of a $10 million donation from Christine Schwartz, an alumna of UIC. 8. North American Partners in Anesthesia forged a partnership with Oneida (N.Y) Health to expand anesthesia services within the system. 9. Premier Anesthesia affiliated with the Ohio Hospital Association's corporate partner program. 10. Over 35 independent anesthesiologists formed the Chicago Anesthesia Locums, a subgroup of Midwest Anesthesia Partners. The group will mostly provide anesthesia to ASCs and currently has 15 contracts. 11. Roseman University of Health Science in Henderson, Nev. is launching a Doctor of Nurse Practice in Nurse Anesthesia Program. 12. Athens-based Ohio University is launching a new CRNA program in collaboration with Columbus-based OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. 13. A group of anesthesiologists in San Antonio, previously aligned under the Tejas brand, banded together to launch Inspire Anesthesia Partners. 14. NorthStar Anesthesia expanded its services to Pocatello, Idaho-based Portneuf Health, including Portneuf Medical Center and Portneuf Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center in Pocatello and the Rocky Mountain Surgery Center, also in Pocatello. Richard Albertson, MD, a retired anesthesiologist and former president of the Lankenau Medical Center medical staff has died at 87, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer Sept. 5. Dr. Albertson died June 13 of a pulmonary embolism at Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) General Hospital. He was a physician at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pa., for 40 years. As president of the hospital medical staff he helped create the School of Nurse Anesthesia in conjunction with St. Joseph's University and assisted in the 1984 merger with Bryn Mawr Hospital. Dr. Albertson was also the president of the Montgomery County (Pa.) Medical Society and Temple Medical School Alumni Association. He served on the board of directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists for 20 years. Here are four notable Tenet updates Becker's has reported on since July 25: 1. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's CEO, Saum Sutaria, MD, sold more than 100,000 shares of his stock in the company Aug. 14 and 15. The transactions totaled more than $15 million. 2. Tenet Healthcare is turning its focus to ASCs as it rapidly sells hospitals. 3. Tenet agreed to sell its majority interest in Birmingham, Ala.-based Brookwood Baptist Health to Orlando (Fla.) Health. 4. United Surgical Partners International, a subsidiary of Tenet, inked a partnership with the Tampa-based Florida Orthopedic Institute in the second quarter of 2024. Baptist Health-Fort Smith plans to close its outpatient surgery center in Fort Smith, Ark., Talk Business & Politics reported Sept. 6. Jeff Carrier, region president for Baptist Health Fort Smith and Van Buren, said the hospital is looking to integrate its ASC operations with its main hospital operating rooms to enhance service efficiency. Approximately 25 employees are expected to be affected by the closure, but Mr. Carrier said Baptist Health hopes to place these employees in other vacant positions within the health system. Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health have received a $25 million gift from the Hamon Charitable Foundation to support the development of a $5 billion pediatric health campus, which the two institutions plan to open within six to seven years. The organizations first shared plans for the project in February. When complete, the 33-acre campus in Dallas' Southwestern Medical District will be among the nation's largest pediatric hospitals. It will support clinical care, research and advancements in various areas of medicine, including gene therapy, neuromuscular diseases and neonatology. The project builds on a 60-year partnership between the institutions and is designed to meet the growing demand for care in the region, where the pediatric population is projected to double by 2050. The Hamon Charitable Foundation has a long history of philanthropy in the Dallas area and has contributed more than $135 million to UT Southwestern and Children's Health over the past 40 years. Epic is getting so big that the company needs to be cognizant of antitrust issues, experts told Isthmus for a Sept. 5 story. The EHR vendor covered more than half of U.S. acute care hospital beds for the first time in 2023, while growing its hospital market share lead to 39.1%, according to KLAS Research (Oracle Health was second, with 23.1%). The company also welcomed 19 new health system clients Aug. 20 at its annual Users Group Meeting in Verona, Wis. Peter Carstensen, an emeritus professor of law at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who specializes in antitrust, told Isthmus there is a "risk" that Epic could face an antitrust lawsuit but called it unlikely. "These monopoly cases are very costly and time-consuming," he told the Madison, Wis., newspaper. "That is why unless Epic does something really egregious, I would not expect to see much government action until some of the current big-ticket cases are resolved." While Epic didn't respond to the news outlet's questions on the antitrust concerns Becker's reached out to the company as well the EHR vendor noted that its goal in launching so many new products is to simplify the work of healthcare providers, "not to open new revenue streams." The healthcare software giant's revenue rose to $4.9 billion in 2023, up from $3.2 billion four years earlier. Brendan Keeler, a Portland, Ore., tech executive and former Epic staffer who blogs about health IT, told Isthmus that "network effects" where a product exponentially increases in value as more people use it and "moats" a product's embedded competitive advantages benefit huge tech companies like Epic and could draw government interest. "They're smart, and my guess is that they will handle it properly," he told the publication, referring to Epic. "But their risk is still there." Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare. Many new technologies have shown positive results to support clinical and administrative staff, and improve the patient experience. But AI can be as damaging as helpful if the health system has the wrong strategy for selecting and implementing it. "Gen AI 'mission-creep' is the biggest health IT and RCM threat I see right now," said Mark Townsend, MD, chief clinical innovation officer at Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health. "Don't get me wrong, I believe in the potential of generative AI to help us work smarter and not harder. We are working hard to create new technology using generative AI, we are selectively investing in Gen AI and Gen AI is not a panacea for patient care or for operational performance." Health system executives are showered with new products and potential with AI-driven products, and engaging in partnerships testing the limits of gen AI today. But with the rapid pace of AI evolution and acceptance into the healthcare space, there is a real risk in over-reliance on unproven or under-proven technology. "The mission-creep of gen AI is to oversell its potential and under-deliver on its performance, which absolutely requires a human being in the loop to validate every output," said Dr. Townsend. "Said differently, challenging ourselves to truly quantify the value of gen AI tools is a tall order at this point." Yasir Tarabichi, MD, director of clinical research informatics at MetroHealth in Cleveland, expressed a similar concern. "The biggest threat in health IT is the unchecked adoption of point AI and digital technology solutions, leading to significant sunk costs in systems that don't deliver value," Dr. Tarabichi told Becker's. "In the face of rising healthcare costs and reduced reimbursement, these inefficiencies compound financial pressures, diverting resources away from patient care." He recommends focusing on robust governance, data standards and interoperability to avoid unfruitful AI investments. New digital tools and AI-driven applications should improve efficiency and care quality at scale, he said. The ineffective communication between healthcare leaders and clinicians about how well AI-driven tools are implemented could damage the organization. Patti Cuartas, executive director and associate chief medical informatics officer at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City said a solid plan to incorporate AI tools, gather feedback and make adjustments is crucial to success. "As we know, AI is not new to technology, and like other technology, it is advancing and becoming more accessible however, if governance and implementation of AI is messaged poorly, it can be one of the biggest threats where we could lose staff and patients alike before we can make the proper use of AI a reality," said Ms. Cuartas. Houston Methodist has built a culture of innovation throughout the years and a strong innovation department with a unique structure to ensure collaboration between departments. Roberta Schwartz, PhD, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Houston Methodist, said the adoption of generative AI has advanced so quickly in healthcare that it's hard to keep up on the technology and people side. "In an era where we are trying to reduce the cost of care, it remains a challenge to embrace change," she said. "If 'culture eats strategy for lunch,' then it stands to reason that IT strategy and technology advancements will be thwarted if the culture is not excited about the advances we are making and willing to navigate a new path forward." Houston Methodist has built a culture of innovation throughout the years and a unique structure to ensure collaboration between departments. Roberta Schwartz, PhD, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Houston Methodist, said the adoption of generative AI has advanced so quickly in healthcare that it's hard to keep up on the technology and people side. "In an era where we are trying to reduce the cost of care, it remains a challenge to embrace change," she said. "If 'culture eats strategy for lunch,' then it stands to reason that IT strategy and technology advancements will be thwarted if the culture is not excited about the advances we are making and willing to navigate a new path forward." UT Health Athens (Texas) has named Teresa Batchelor CFO, according to a Sept. 5 post on her LinkedIn page. She joins the hospital from the University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka, according to her LinkedIn page. She had served in that role since July 2021. Her previous experience also includes serving as CFO of Hillcrest Hospital Henryetta (Okla.) and Hillcrest Hospital Cushing (Okla.), according to the release. She also previously served as senior director of operations performance at Conifer Health Solutions and senior director of finance for Dallas-based Tenet's Texas region. Brigham Young University, based in Provo, Utah, will construct a new campus building to host its future medical school in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The medical school will offer a Doctor of Medicine degree through a spiritually-centered program, with a focus on teaching and research in areas important to the church, such as international health and global humanitarian efforts. The university is still developing the curriculum and exploring innovative methods to reduce graduation times and student costs, according to a Sept. 5 update from BYU President C. Shane Reese. The new building will feature classrooms for in-person instruction and an administrative office, while clinical training will take place off-site at various hospitals. Discussions with health systems, including Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health and the University of Utah Health, about clinical partnerships are ongoing. A medical advisory team has been formed to help shape the plans for the school, which was first announced in late July. The university and the church have not yet set a timeline for the school's opening or provided specifics on class size or funding. Mario Ellis began his role as chief human resource officer of South Bend, Ind.-based Beacon Health System in February 2023, and he brings three decades of experience in human resources operations and functional management to the role. Before joining Beacon, Mr. Ellis served as vice president of total rewards, which included HR operations such as payroll, performance management, recognition and compliance at York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health. He also has held senior HR leadership roles with organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic, St. Luke's Health System in Boise, Idaho, and University of Chicago Medicine. Mr. Ellis told Becker's that he focuses on ensuring employees feel valued and keeping a pulse on the talent market. He discussed his view on political discussions, the use of AI to assist in resume creation, and his organization's approach to job descriptions. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: How do you navigate the decision to engage or refrain from engaging in political issues, and what factors do you consider to ensure it aligns with the values and mission of your system? Mario Ellis: One of our taglines is "You belong at Beacon." So we want all of our associates, as well as our patients, to know that they are valued and that we respect each individual for who they are. Also [we understand] that part of our mission as an organization is to provide excellent healthcare, coupled with our values, which are trust, respect, integrity, and compassion. Issues in society that are polarizing, and that do not align with our mission and values, we do not address directly. However, we may make statements that are at a higher level reminding our associates of our mission and values and letting them know we appreciate you, and the work that you're doing here at Beacon. We lean on our values, and we stay focused on the mission. We do that because, at the end of the day, we want everyone to still feel that they have a place with us. And so, that's the direction we take. Q: What are your thoughts on the use of AI to assist in resume creation? Is it noticeable when candidates use AI or technology for this purpose, and does Beacon encourage this practice? How do you envision the future of resume building evolving? ME: I personally don't feel that it's an issue as long as you still tell your truth. So, if you use AI to help form a better resume, to really highlight your areas of experience, skills and abilities that are true, and it can help align you for a job opportunity, I think it's fine. We, as organizations and leaders, have to learn how to embrace technology effectively because, at the end of the day, it's people and technology. And technology is there to improve, in most instances, our ability to do our jobs and to communicate more effectively and efficiently. I personally don't have an issue with a person using AI to build their resume. We don't have any policies around using AI for resume writing. It's no different to me than going to a professional saying, "Hey, help me write my resume." Now, you can just do it online. Q: How does Beacon ensure job descriptions accurately reflect the evolving needs and expectations of roles within the organization? ME: We're always canvasing the market what is going on in the market in terms of jobs, and what types of jobs individuals are leaning toward, especially as we compare to our jobs. When possible, we're working with our operators, making sure our job descriptions are up to date, relevant, and consistent with what the role is and what leaders are looking for. If we're looking for individuals who have certain skills and technology, like, for instance, AI, we make sure we update the job descriptions before they're posted. Our CEO is really big on us making sure we look at technology because that will inform some of our roles, responsibilities, and what we're looking for in terms of our workforce. Q: What advice would you give to other leaders striving to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction in their organizations, based on your experience? ME: You have to poll your workforce. You have to know what's top of mind and where they are so that you'll know how to build strategies around that. You've got to keep your leaders engaged, and you've got to make sure that you are providing for the workforce those things that they feel they need in order to be successful, whether technology, tools, leadership effectiveness, or career development all the things that you want for yourself as an individual. And for Beacon, it's really making sure our workforce feels like they're working for an organization that has their interests in mind. And then leaders, conversations among ourselves as leaders, even across industries it's okay to share what are best practices, what are you seeing, and what do you hear? How do you implement, then take and choose the things that would properly fit within your organization? That would be my advice. Houston-based Fondren Orthopedic received a $25.6 million jury verdict in a breach of contract case against HCA Healthcare, the practice's attorneys said. Fondren and HCA were in a limited partnership that owned Texas Orthopedic Hospital, according to a Sept. 3 news release. A jury found HCA broke noncompete provisions by opening 10 competing hospitals in the Houston area. But the jury found HCA also prevented Fondren group physicians from doing the same and cited the same noncompete rules. "HCA had the size, the scale and the power and felt they could do what they wanted," attorney Joe Ahmad said in the release. "The hospital contract with Fondren was for 57 years, and about halfway through, they just decided they would no longer honor the contract. HCA owned 60% of the hospital with Fondren, but 100 percent of their improperly opened competing hospitals and sent business to their fully owned places." HCA didn't respond to Becker's request for comment. While the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons do not have hard body-mass index cutoffs for operating on patients, many providers have their own self-imposed cutoffs, according to a Sept. 4 report from The New York Times. In a survey published last year, less than half of orthopedic surgeons said they would operate on a patient with a BMI over 40. However, in 2018 more than 22 million American adults fell into that category. Only 11% of surgeons would operate on one of the 3.9 million Americans with a BMI over 50, while just 3% of U.S. orthopedists would operate on a patient with a BMI over 55. "Obese patients bleed more. They have more wound healing issues. More infections. More general complications. They have more reoperations. This occurs even in the most skilled hands. I've been a spine surgeon for 23 years and done more than 10,000 cases, but BMI patients [with BMI greater than 40] have more complications that I cannot control. It's operator independent," Lali Sekhon, MD, a neuro and spine surgeon at Reno (Nev.) Orthopedic Center, told Becker's. For high-BMI patients, not getting joint replacement care can also result in harmful side effects. Some, like Alicia Kline, 54, of Reading, Pa., have been unable to walk unassisted since January 2021. Ms. Kline said she is in constant pain from hip arthritis and uses a walker and a wheelchair. Since her BMI is over 50, she has been unable to find a doctor who is willing to give her a joint replacement. While some practices are making an effort to make joint and spine care accessible to overweight patients, other factors, including payer reimbursements, also make the procedures difficult. Insurers often refuse to pay for high-obesity patients, and hospitals also may turn away these patients, who tend to need longer stays and more care and are considered money-losers, according to the Times. New weight loss medications, including Wegovy and Zepbound, may be able to help patients lose enough weight to undergo operations. However, the amount of weight loss they provide may be insufficient for many. For example, a woman who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and has a BMI of 50 would have to lose 20% of her weight to achieve a BMI of 40; Wegovy's average weight loss is 15% after 68 weeks. While some patient advocates believe stigma against obesity plays a role in some surgeons' decisions not to operate on high-BMI patients, there are several medical risks involved as well. Some of the dire risks include a higher risk of infections in the prosthetic joint, which can lead to amputations or death. "I have a moral obligation to do no harm," Nathanael Heckmann, MD, an assistant orthopedic surgery professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, told the Times. "It goes against my moral fiber to do something that is prohibitively high risk." Microsoft founder shares his views for the future in new Netflix show Bill Gates didnt see the conspiracy theories coming. The Microsoft co-founder built one of the most immense fortunes the world has ever seen with his foresight about the personal computer revolution, but he never predicted so many people would end up using those machines to cast him as a baby-guzzling, shape-shifting lizard who puts microchips in vaccines and plans pandemics for profit. I thought the internet, with the magic of software, would make us all a lot more factual, he laments, a wry smile playing beneath his black-framed spectacles. The idea that we kind of wallow in misinformation Im surprised about that. Not that hes complaining. I dont care how Im perceived, the 68-year-old assures me over video call (Microsoft Teams, naturally) from his office in Kirkland, on the banks of Lake Washington opposite Seattle. So even when a woman came up and yelled at me that I implanted stuff in her, that I was tracking her he took it in his stride. My life is fantastic, he says. Im the luckiest person alive, in terms of the work I get to do. Online misinformation troubles Gates not because of his own reputation, but because its the rare problem he doesnt have an answer for. In his new five-part Netflix documentary series, Whats Next? The Future with Bill Gates, the multibillionaire shares his optimistic vision of a world where innovation rolls back climate change and eradicates deadly diseases while advances in artificial intelligence leave us free to enjoy perpetual leisure time. Its just the conspiracy theories that have him stumped. Gates is well aware that one reason grotesque and outlandish rumours about him capture the public imagination is because, as he puts it in the show, extreme wealth brings with it questions about your motives. He stepped down as CEO of Microsoft in 2000 to establish the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his then-wife, aiming to give away lots of money to save lots of lives, yet he remains one of the worlds richest people (seventh on the real-time Forbes list, with an estimated net worth of $138bn). I ask him whether he can reassure me that billionaires do, in fact, have the best interests of the rest of us. Im a huge believer in the estate tax [the American equivalent of the UKs inheritance tax] and more progressive taxation, he replies. I dont think we should generally generationally let families whose great grandfather, through luck and skill, accumulated a lot of wealth, have the economic or political power that comes with that. Would he agree that he personally is too rich? If I designed the tax system, I would be tens of billion dollars poorer than I am, he nods. The tax system could be more progressive without damaging significantly the incentive to do fantastic things. Instead of voluntarily paying more tax, Gates has poured his wealth into projects he believes can raise the global standard of living. He has argued that hes able to take risks on long-shot innovations that governments wouldnt be prepared to gamble on, and in one episode of the new show he presents some of the projects hes funding to try and contain the climate crisis, such as investing in new types of nuclear reactors and finding ways to make cement that dont emit CO2. These sorts of innovations are essential because, as he explains, the majority of harmful carbon emissions are caused by generating electricity and the manufacture of things like steel and concrete. I tell Gates that I find his analysis a little dispiriting as it reminds me how much my own individual efforts to fly less often or waste less food pale into insignificance next to the vast structural changes that need to happen for society to reach net zero emissions. First of all, let me say individual actions do add up, Gates argues back. Whether its acts of kindness, or creating demand for green products, everybody who buys foods that are made with lower CO2 helps to drive the volume, which helps innovation eventually outcompete the dirty stuff. So whether its electric cars or heat pumps or sustainable aviation fuel, I wouldnt completely discount that. When it comes to the much-trumpeted benefits of AI, I confess that I struggle to share his optimism. When he describes a future where humans enjoy much more leisure, I picture CEOs instigating mass layoffs and telling us cheerfully to go enjoy our free time. AI might make businesses more efficient, but that doesnt necessarily improve the lot of those of us who have to work for a living. Gates argues that, as with climate mitigation, well need governments to rein in corporations and restructure society to deal with AIs myriad effects. As society becomes more productive, to make sure the benefits are shared by the many, not just in the rich countries, but globally, it takes government involvement, he says. Philanthropy alone or well-meaning people alone cant do that. So its about picking politicians that see the benefits of AI and think about what that means for the tax structure and having economists who are really looking at this. I do think thats starting, and I think we have 10 to 20 years before the productivity benefits are so gigantic that you really do have to reshape taxation and work-week policies in a profound way. As Gates sees it, the AI revolution will reshape society more than any previous leap in human history. In comparison to AI, Gates says the personal computer revolution was in some ways uncontroversial. When Microsoft was founded in 1975, their idea of putting a computer in every home sounded like a pipe dream. Now theres one in every pocket. Gates helped transform the world in that period, but he says the philanthropic work hes been focused on for 16 years has been profounder. If I hadnt been part of the personal computer revolution, it would have happened, whereas when it comes to malaria, malnutrition, womens contraceptives, sadly, I dont think even a decade later those things would necessarily have happened. Its hard to do the what if, but if you run the world with me and without me, and you subtract the two, the philanthropy is a much more significant thing in terms of making things that are equity-oriented happen dramatically sooner than they would have otherwise. Despite what all those ghoulish online conspiracies would have you believe about Gates, his impact on global health has been huge and undeniably admirable. In 2000, 10 million children under five died every year. Today, that number is under 4.6 million deaths each year. The work of the Gates Foundation has drastically reduced the number of people who die from preventable diseases including malaria, polio and diarrhoea, although Gates insists hes not in it for personal acclaim. The dream is to get rid of these diseases so nobody remembers what malaria was or what polio was, he says. As remarkable as Gatess achievements in global health have been, and as hopeful as we might all be that his investments can have a similarly positive impact on climate change, it does raise the question of what happens after hes gone. The Gates Foundation is mandated to wind up 20 years after his death, and I point out to him that the new generation of billionaires whove overtaken him on the Forbes list, the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, seem rather less interested in spending their fortunes on malaria nets, polio vaccines or climate solutions. Philanthropy is not a substitute for government. Making sure everybodys educated, has food, shelter its the government whos going to create that safety net. Thats the funny thing about Bill Gatess view of the future: It requires taking a lot of power out of the hands of billionaires like Bill Gates. Whats Next? The Future with Bill Gates is on Netflix from September 18. UK Thomas Kingston inquest to examine if state of mind was affected by medication Disability activist Dermot Devlin among fans set for third edition of star-studded Lisburn event Elijah Wood in Lisburn's version of Hobbiton at Comic Con Northern Ireland in 2023 Sci-fi, superhero and fantasy fans across Northern Ireland will be in their element this weekend, as Comic Con makes its return to Lisburns Eikon Exhibition Centre for the third year running. The annual event, taking place this Saturday and Sunday, boasts another star-studded line-up, including Doctor Who stars Billie Piper and Jodie Whittaker, Lord of the Rings legend Andy Serkis, and Harry Potters Mark Williams (AKA Arthur Weasley). Andy Serkis. Credit: Comic Con NI Previous events have been hailed as the ultimate pop culture experience by comic, TV and film fans. Last years line-up included Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, in addition to stars from Twilight. The largest Comic Cons in San Diego and London often attract crowds of more than 100,000. Tens of thousands of people visited the Eikon in September 2023, but regular attendee Dermot Devlin believes the NI event continues to grow each year. The disability activist and campaigner, from Omagh, goes to two or three Comic Con congregations annually and has now attended over 30 in his lifetime. Dermot Devlin in Superman cosplay I work quite hard during the year, along with the other work I do, and, like a lot of people, we are all quite busy in our own lives, but Comic Con is a chance to go somewhere for the weekend, enjoy yourself, and give in to your passions, dressing up as your favourite film and comic book characters, he told the Belfast Telegraph. Its a chance to do that without people looking at you, thinking: What are you at? Everyone has shared interests, and theres around two dozen people coming up from Omagh to go to the Lisburn Comic Con this weekend. It is getting bigger and bigger... The taboo of being a geek or a nerd isnt as much of a thing any more. Billie Piper. Credit: Comic Con NI With popularity in franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel and DC continuing to grow, Dermot added that new eyes are constantly being attracted to in-person Comic Con celebrations. I went to the Comic Con in Dublin a few weeks ago, and my sister, who lives in London with her sons, came to surprise me, he explained. Her sons, who had never been to one before, thought it was fantastic and theyre thinking of going to one in London next. For me, as a disabled person, dressing up is a fantastic icebreaker. People come up to me and the first thing they ask me about is the costume. In the past, Dermot has attended Comic Con as a range of characters, including Superman, Super Mario and a Ghostbuster, and this weekend hell be showing up as Wolverine. Thanks to his costumes creative flair and workmanship, plenty of Comic Con-goers approach Dermot. Then they might ask me about my disability and so it takes the fear away of asking a question, but also leaves people walking away having learned one new thing, which is great, he added. Although hes met Billie Piper a few times, Dermot is excited about running into her again on Saturday, as well as Jodie Whittaker and Mark Sheppard, best known for the show Supernatural. Other celebs attending over the weekend are Kat Graham and Joseph Morgan (The Vampire Diaries), Maggie Grace (Lost), Laz Alonso (Avatar), as well as Peggy (AKA Dogpool) and plenty of supporting priest characters from Father Ted. Dogpool. Credit: Comic Con NI Alongside famous faces and innovative cosplay costumes, attendees at this Comic Con can expect interactive workshops on topics such as comic book writing and special effects make-up, Q&A panels with star actors and an exhibitor hall which will be filled with vendors selling comics, collectibles, apparel and more. Artist Alley will showcase the best local painters and sculptors, while the gaming zone will allow people to shut off from the world and play an array of video or board games. And as Comic Con NI is an event for all ages, families can enjoy a variety of activities including kids cosplay and drawing workshops. Tickets for Comic Con Northern Ireland are still on sale now. Secure yours via www.comicconnorthernireland.co.uk Poems Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect, by Robert Burns, will be sold at auction later this month (Lyon & Turnbull/Stewart Attwood/PA) A rare first edition book of poetry by Robert Burns is expected to sell for up to 60,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month. First published in 1786 by a Kilmarnock printer, the copy of Poems Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect will go on sale during Lyon & Turnbulls online books and manuscripts auction on Thursday September 19. The auctioneers say it is considered one of the most important works in Scottish literature, and is valued at between 50,000 and 60,000. It comes in stark contrast to when the book originally went on sale, as all 612 copies sold for three shillings each and sold out within a month. Burns, who started writing poetry at the age of 15, was 27 when the book was published. Cathy Marsden of Lyon & Turnbull holds the book (Lyon & Turnbull/Stewart Attwood/PA) The Kilmarnock edition includes a number of the bards most popular poems, much of which were written at Mossgiel farm, Mauchline, East Ayrshire, where he lived and worked alongside his brother, Gilbert, between 1784 and 1788. To A Mouse, Address To The Deil, The Twa Dogs and Halloween all formed part of his earliest works. Cathy Marsden, head of books and manuscripts at Lyon & Turnbull, said: It is extremely exciting to come across one of the first edition copies of the single most famous volume in Scottish cultural heritage. From humble Ayrshire origins, Burns was to become an international literary star. Although very confident in his own abilities, even he could not have predicted such success. Although Burnss success at farming did not match the proliferation of poetry the farm was losing money it was during his time at Mossgiel that he met a group of six girls about whom he wrote the poem The Belles Of Mauchline. One of them was Jean Armour, who he described in the poem as the jewel of the group and who later become his wife. The cover of the first edition copy of Poems Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect, by Robert Burns (Lyon & Turnbull/Stewart Attwood/PA) The couple had nine children, with the first two, who were twins, born out of wedlock. Their last child was born on the day of Burnss funeral in July 1796. It was Burnss desire to marry Jean, who was pregnant, that led to the publication of this first volume of poetry. Her father vehemently opposed the marriage and Burns planned to emigrate to Jamaica. A local lawyer, Gavin Hamilton, suggested he funded the voyage through the publication of his poems. The success of the work was immediate and Burns abandoned his plans to leave Scotland. According to Edinburgh University Press, there are 88 known surviving copies of the first edition book. Also included in the sale is an original manuscript copy of the National Covenant of Scotland for the burgh of Peebles (1638-9), estimated to fetch between 10,000 and 15,000. Actor Alfie Boe speaks ahead of SSE Arena performance of Les Mis You can expect to see performer Alfie Boe a lot more in Belfast thanks to the recent endeavour the opening of the Alfie Boe James Huish Academy for Theatre Arts. A former Church of Ireland minister convicted of defrauding both his church and a parishioner has been warned he may be jailed next week. China, Central African Republic elevate bilateral ties Xinhua) 21:44, September 06, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership during a meeting here Friday. Touadera is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Xi encouraged the Central African Republic to make good use of the measures announced at the summit to further deepen economic and trade cooperation with China, and continuously elevate bilateral cooperation across various sectors. He said the ultimate goal of Chinese modernization is to ensure a better life for the people, which is also the goal of China's efforts to advance modernization in partnership with African countries. China is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Central African Republic on state governance to create a better and happier life for the people of both countries, Xi said. Xi also expressed the hope that the Central African Republic will provide a safer business environment for Chinese enterprises. Touadera said the Central African Republic adheres to the one-China principle. The country highly appreciates China's leading role in international affairs and is willing to enhance multilateral coordination with China. He also expressed the hope to work actively with China to implement the outcomes of the summit, advance Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, mining, energy, digital economy and capacity building, thereby elevating the bilateral relationship to new heights. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Education Minister Paul Givan has been criticised by a fellow Executive minister after revealing he would be spending 250,000 on a pilot scheme to limit the use of mobile phones in schools. The DUP minister announced this week that the funding would be earmarked to run the scheme in 10 schools in which magnetic pouches would be used to prevent pupils using their smartphones in class and during break and lunch time. Justice minister Naomi Long said the expenditure was hard to fathom, her response coming as her department faces increasing pressure to provide necessary funding for the PSNI. At a time when resources are so stretched in the public sector, this expenditure is hard to fathom, she wrote on X (formerly twitter). Not only do most schools already have policies in place to deal with this issue, but each mobile comes with an off switch which is absolutely free. There was also criticism from TUV MLA Timothy Gaston, who sits on the board of governors of a primary school in his North Antrim constituency. Mr Gaston said he was flabbergasted by the expenditure, given the pressure on school budgets. I welcome the Ministers guidance to schools to discourage the use of phones during school hours. However, this use of public money will strike many as nonsensical, he said. Mr Gaston suggested schools should confiscate phones which are used improperly. I would urge the Minister to find reverse gear on this," he added. Magnetic pouches work by locking the phone inside a fabric pocket which only a teacher would be able to unlock. There is evidence to suggest that just having the phone on your person can be a distraction, Mr Givan said. I will fund the purchase of the pouches, and that would take this implementation to a level where we are not constantly worrying about the enforcement because theyre magnetically sealed, he said. Mr Givan said the decision to introduce new guidelines will benefit learning, improve safeguarding and protect wellbeing, adding that the restrictions can have a positive effect on pupils and school life. The minister said his aim is to make the school day, for the most part, free from phones. There is no escaping from the fact that we now live in a digital world, Mr Givan said. However, the growth of digital technology, specifically the prevalence of smartphones and similar devices, also presents challenges and I am especially concerned [by] the impact that excessive usage can have on our children and young people. I have written to schools advising that pupils should not use their personal mobiles, or similar devices, during the school day. In particular, such devices should not normally be brought into primary schools. Of course, there will be some reasonable exceptions but, for the most part, I want the school day to be free from phones. There is growing evidence that the personal use of mobile phones during the school day can be distracting for children. Restricting access can have a positive impact on academic engagement and achievement. Many countries across the world are increasingly taking steps to limit phone use at school. These changes can make the world of difference in our classrooms and ensure our children can fully participate in school life. Studies have shown that one in five children have experienced bullying behaviour online and nearly a third have viewed pornography by age 11, he added. Excessive use can also impact on sleep and give rise to heightened feelings of anxiety. I am aware of examples of schools that have introduced mobile-inhibiting devices. I would like to test and evaluate this approach further. By working together as government, schools and parents, we can ensure our children have the very best opportunities to fulfil their potential. Mr Givan said his department is hoping to launch the pilot scheme in January 2025. Claire Hanna is set to be the new SDLP leader after she was the sole nominee for the role. The deadline for nominations closed today, with Ms Hanna the only candidate put forward. She will now proceed for ratification by party members as the next leader at the party conference on October 5. Ms Hanna (44) confirmed at the weekend that she would put her name forward for the leadership. SDLP rules say candidates for the leadership must receive the nomination of at least six branches or recognised groups of the party. The party said Ms Hanna received the nomination of every eligible SDLP constituency branch and support group. Ms Hanna will become the second woman to lead the party following Margaret Ritchie. Earlier, outgoing leader Colum Eastwood had proposed Ms Hanna take up the role as his successor at a local branch meeting of the party. Mr Eastwood said there was "unanimous support for Claire from Derry" and that he was "delighted" to make the proposal. Karl Duncan, who chaired the Foyle SDLP branch meeting, said: "We have every confidence Claire can lead us forward to build a New Ireland, and to better serve every community on this island." Mr Eastwood announced he was stepping down as leader last month, but has said he will continue as MP for Foyle. Ms Hanna, currently the party's deputy leader and South Belfast and Mid Down MP, was the strong favourite to replace Mr Eastwood. Mr Eastwood has spoken of his hope for a second act in politics and said his first job is to represent the people of Derry. He said it was a privilege to lead the party for nine years, having first been elected as a councillor aged 22. Speaking to the media last month, Mr Eastwood said: "The bottom line, though, is (that) this last few years has been a period of immense change across these islands. "What we have seen after Brexit has been really unstable in many ways, but also been a moment of opportunity, and now that we have the three strands, all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, in a better place, a more stable place, this is also now a big moment of change for this island, and I, for one, want to give my full commitment to leading in that space. "I want to be a voice for leading for change, to develop a new Ireland, to make the case for change across this island, and I need to be able to have to the space to do that, the time to do that." The SDLP currently has two MPs, eight MLAs and 59 councillors. It is not part of the power-sharing Executive at Stormont and its MLAs instead form the official opposition. Former Ulster Unionist MP Danny Kinahan has quit as Northern Irelands first Veterans Commissioner after four years in the role following a frank conversation with the Secretary of State. The former South Antrim MP and MLA, who previously served in the military, confirmed on Thursday evening that he had resigned from the position he was appointed to in September 2020. Following an open and frank conversation with the Secretary of State, I have sadly concluded that I cannot provide the independent voice that veterans require, he added. There is a feeling among some veterans in Northern Ireland that they have been forgotten and that they do not enjoy the same protections as their counterparts in Great Britain. Danny Kinahan (@DdeBK) has been a gallant advocate for Veterans. Regarded widely for his wise and tenacious counsel, his tenure shouldn't have ended like this. He should hold his head high. https://t.co/PKTPSHSSzz Gavin Robinson (@GRobinsonDUP) September 5, 2024 Veterans in Northern Ireland have particular needs and concerns which need to be addressed by the UK Government, which I have made very clear in our discussions. Finally I would like to place on record my gratitude to all those who have placed their trust in me and assisted me with my work over the last four years. I will continue to work in their interests where I can. The announcement was quickly followed by a statement from NI Secretary Hilary Benn. I would like to thank Danny Kinahan for his dedicated work on behalf of veterans and families living in Northern Ireland, he said. "Over the last four years, he has worked on a range of important issues that affect veterans in everyday life, including health, housing and welfare and we will continue to engage with him on these issues. We are committed to continuing to support veterans in Northern Ireland through the Veterans Welfare Service NI and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. DUP leader Gavin Robinson took to social media to hail Mr Kinahan, a former captain in the Blues and Royals, as a gallant advocate for veterans and said he his regarded widely for his wise and tenacious counsel. His tenure shouldn't have ended like this, the East Belfast MP added. He should hold his head high. In a subsequent statement Mr Robinson said the resignation raises serious questions for the Government. The creation of the NI Veterans Commissioner post flowed from the New Decade New Approach Agreement as we were aware of how veterans in Northern Ireland were disadvantaged when compared with veterans in the rest of the U.K. "Danny Kinahans appointment in 2020 was a real breakthrough and signal that the Government was going to change course. Danny has served in Office and our strong community of veterans, with genuine tenacity and integrity. "I am deeply disappointed that such has been the breakdown between the Government and the NIVC that today we have a resignation and a vacant Office. "The NIO must urgently address the widespread concern of veterans who valued Dannys personal commitment and move quickly to assuage their concerns. We need to see a successor not only appointed swiftly, but that they have the independence and support to do the job effectively. East Belfast TUV spokesperson John Ross said: the resignation should act as a wake up call to the Government when it comes to the issues which concern ex-service men and women in Northern Ireland. He said he met Mr Kinahan in his early days in the post. At that time he had no budget and to this day the Veterans Commissioner exists outside a statutory framework, said Mr Ross. Successive Governments of all colours have lamentably failed veterans. Mr Kinahan is absolutely correct in saying that veterans in Northern Ireland feel forgotten and without the protections enjoyed by their counterparts in Great Britain. With the Military Covenant in Northern Ireland a mere shadow of what exists in the rest of the UK how could it be otherwise?" The Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell KStJ and Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM unveil a sculptor of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at Antrim Castle Gardens. A new bronze statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II was unveiled in Antrim Castle Gardens on Friday. Dignitaries attending the ceremony in the castle grounds included the Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell and the deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, councillor Paul Dunlop. The sculpture is one of the first of its kind in the UK and was created to commemorate the monarch who passed away two years earlier, on September 8, at the age of 96. The statue, created by talented local artist Anto Brennan, depicts the late monarch alongside her beloved husband, Prince Philip, as well as two of her Corgi dogs. Speaking at the ceremony, the Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim said Elizabeth II would forever be remembered for a life dedicated to duty. Seeing these statues alongside each other today, not only protects that bond and makes sure that her legacy as our longest ever reigning monarch lives on, and will be remembered by future generations, but it also reminds us of the bond between her and her Consort, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. It remains my greatest privilege to have been Her Majestys humble servant. May she rest in peace. The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Neil Kelly, added: The unveiling of this beautiful statue is a tribute not only to Her Majestys extraordinary life and reign but also to her deep connection with the people of our borough. This memorial will stand as a lasting reminder of her dedication to service, her resilience, and her ability to unite people across generations. The restoration of the Northern Ireland political institutions and legacy will be discussed at the British Irish Association conference, Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin has said. The annual conference featuring political, civic and church leaders from across the island of Ireland and Britain takes place in Oxford on Friday and Saturday. Emma Little-Pengelly, Hilary Benn and Michelle ONeill will all attend the conference in Oxford (Kelvin Boyes/PA) Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will also attend. Mr Martin said he will also have the opportunity to meet with Scottish Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson. He said his discussions with Mr Benn are expected to cover legacy issues, the restoration of the institutions in Northern Ireland and the implementation of the Windsor Framework. The Tanaiste will address the conference on Saturday morning and take part in a joint discussion with the Northern Ireland Secretary. Mr Martin said: This year, the conference is taking place against the backdrop of a new and positive moment in relations between these islands. I look forward to hearing from the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and for a further opportunity to meet with the Secretary of State. With the return of the institutions in Northern Ireland, and a renewed commitment to partnership from the British government, this is hugely important occasion to reflect on how far we have come and to drive forward the important work ahead. This is a time for optimism and ambition, and this is how I hope we can approach our discussions this weekend. Labour knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, the Green Partys co-leader has said in a conference speech urging the Government to be more ambitious. Adrian Ramsay used his address on the opening day of the Green Party conference in Manchester to launch a wide-ranging attack on the Government, saying it was not doing enough on the NHS, housing or the climate crisis. Taking the stage alone on Friday after his co-leader Carla Denyer developed Covid-like symptoms, Mr Ramsay said Labour had an obsession with growth at any cost. He added: They really are becoming the party that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Promising to hold the Government to account where we think greater ambition is needed, he said: Because in so many areas, ones that matter deeply to so many of us, Labour is getting it wrong. Like denying winter fuel payments to millions of pensioners, giving the green light to new climate-destroying airport expansion, and to sticking with the cruelty of the two-child benefit cap. The general election saw the Greens quadruple their number of MPs and come second in 40 seats (Ian West/PA) Like the welcome but half-hearted, partial suspension of arms sales to Israel, and continuing with the nonsensical ban on asylum seekers being allowed work. So conference, we will be using our voices in Parliament to raise up the voices of the two million Green voters who want so much better. The conference comes two months after the Green Partys most successful UK election yet, in which it quadrupled its number of MPs and came second in 40 constituencies. In all but one of those seats, the party came second to Labour, suggesting the path to further Green success lies in a battle with Sir Keir Starmers party. Criticising Labours plans to use more private sector healthcare to tackle NHS waiting lists, Mr Ramsay said the Government lack the ambition and vision to do things differently and reiterated his partys call for a wealth tax. He said: We need to invest in defending public services and protecting our environment and we can do so with some changes to the tax system to ask the wealthiest in society to pay a little more. While he welcomed the new Governments commitment not to issue new oil and gas licences, Mr Ramsay urged ministers to block the new Rosebank oil field approved by their predecessors, saying there was no justification for its development. He said: The science is super clear, there must be no new oil and gas. This is a non-negotiable and you can be sure that as a Green MP I will do everything I can to fight for a safe climate. Mr Ramsay also used his speech to call for water companies to be renationalised and criticised Labours housing policy as lacking an incentive to build affordable homes. The Green Party conference is set to continue over the weekend and see the party urge Chancellor Rachel Reeves to adopt a series of tax reforms and rises at the Budget aimed at increasing health spending, carrying out social care reform, and embarking on a nationwide home insulation programme. Among the tax hikes the Greens propose are a wealth tax on billionaires and multi-millionaires, reforms of capital gains tax and inheritance tax, and closing loopholes in the windfall tax on fossil fuel producers. The Government is reportedly considering renting cells in Estonia to ease severe overcrowding in British jails (Danny Lawson/PA) The Government is considering anything to alleviate prison overcrowding, a minister has said amid reports some inmates could serve their sentences in Estonia. Ministers are reported to be considering renting cells in Estonian prisons as a way of increasing capacity in the short term as jails continue to face a shortage of places. According to reports in The Daily Telegraph, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to meet her Estonian counterpart Liisa Pakosta next week to discuss the leasing of cells. Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle did not deny the reports, but said it was not part of her own ministerial responsibilities. She said: The last government closed loads of prison places and didnt replace any of them, so I think that colleagues in the MoJ (Ministry of Justice) will be considering anything that they can to alleviate the problem. What we cannot have is people who are convicted of perhaps violent or serious crimes not being able to be in jail. In July, Ms Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the MoJ said overcrowding had pushed jails to the point of collapse. The temporary move, which will not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences, will come into effect on September 10 and follows a sharp jump in the prison population in August. (PA Graphics) In the longer term, the Government is expected to bring forward plans to build more prison places in the near future. Official figures published last week showed the number of prisoners in England and Wales increased by almost 1,000 in August, with a total of 88,350 behind bars at the end of the month. It was the highest end-of-week figure since weekly population data was first published in 2011, according to analysis by the PA news agency. At last years Conservative Party conference, then-justice secretary Alex Chalk said he was in discussions with other European countries about the possibility of renting prison cells for British offenders as a way to ease overcrowding. Estonia was understood at the time to be one of those countries, while Ms Mahmood then shadow justice secretary said the proposal was a symbol of the way in which the Tories have run our criminal justice system into the ground. Raami Mohamed, who fatally stabbed peacemaker Badri Issa during a row over a car, has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal (Greater Manchester Police/PA) A murderer who fatally stabbed a peacemaker during a row over a car has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal. Raami Mohamed, 22, was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court in June with a minimum term of 18 years, after being found guilty of killing Badri Issa, 22, in October last year. Mr Issa had attempted to intervene after his friend Omar Jeylaani and Mohamed argued over payments for a car before he was stabbed in the chest. The Attorney General referred Mohameds sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing it was unduly lenient. On Friday, judges in London increased Mohameds minimum jail term to 21 years less time spent on remand. Lord Justice Males, sitting alongside Mrs Justice May and Mr Justice Bryan, said: This is a case where the offender took a knife to the scene and used it by striking the victim in the centre of his chest. In those circumstances there was a clear risk of death, even if that was not intended, and in the event the offenders actions made it closer to inevitable. The judge said Mohamed and Kevell Blake had been driving down Princess Road, Manchester, and signalled for Mr Issa and Mr Jeylaani to stop in their vehicle. Mohamed attacked Mr Jeylaani as he left the car and stabbed Mr Issa, who had attempted to stop the argument. Mohamed then fled the scene before he was arrested the following day by police. Blake, who was 20 at the time of the trial, was jointly charged with Mr Issas murder. Peacemaker Badri Issa, 22, was killed during a row over a car (Greater Manchester Police/PA) He was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter and has yet to be sentenced, according to the Attorney Generals Office. William Emlyn Jones KC, representing the Attorney General, said that while Mohameds youth was given as a reason for shortening the original sentence, character testimonies suggested the opposite should have happened. The barrister added: This was a mature and potentially impressive young man. Its a tragedy that this has been thrown away because he went out with a knife and he stabbed an innocent young man in the chest. Only because he did those things has a young man died. Nick Johnson KC, representing Mohamed, said he accepted 18 years is a lenient sentence, but taking into account all the relevant features, it cannot be properly characterised as unduly lenient. Lord Justice Males told the court how Mr Issas family, some of whom watched Fridays hearing remotely, previously described him as an anchor who held us together, and whose anguish was compounded when the offender at trial described Mr Issa as a violent aggressor. He added that Mr Issas actions were described by witnesses as being those of a peacemaker. In increasing the sentence, the judge said: Though this was a chance incident, this remains a case where the offender had a knife with him available for use if necessary. He did not have to go out armed with a knife and he initiated the encounter. The puffin population on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast has been declared stable after a devastating bird flu outbreak, the National Trust said. The charitys team of rangers this year carried out the first full count of the seabird species since 2019 on the remote national nature reserve, finding populations flourishing and avian influenza absent. The Farnes are an internationally important home to approximately 200,000 seabirds, including puffins, Arctic terns and kittiwakes, all three of which are on the UKs red list of greatest conservation concern. National Trust rangers had been unable to make a full count of puffins in the last few years due to coronavirus restrictions and then to dealing with devastating waves of avian influenza that spread among seabirds on the islands in 2022 and 2023. This year, they have finally been able to count the population of puffins affectionately known as the clowns of the sea across eight of the 28 islands that make up the Farnes. The National Trust estimates the number of puffins breeding on the islands this summer was around 50,000 pairs, compared to nearly 44,000 in 2019, suggesting a 15% increase in numbers. Seabirds nesting on the cliff faces of Inner Farne earlier this summer (Rachel Bigsby/National Trust) Finding bird flu to be absent among the species, the charity said this could mean the seabirds have built a natural resilience to the disease. The rangers will therefore be able to return to perform their full range of duties daily including bird counts, conservation work and welcoming visitors back to the islands. Sophia Jackson, a National Trust area ranger on the Farne Islands, said: We just didnt know what to expect with this years count. Annual monitoring is so important in our care of all the birds that live and breed on the islands as it allows us to understand the impacts of climate change, particular weather patterns as well as disease. We feared the worse after we sadly collected 938 dead puffins in 2022 and 2023 which had died due to bird flu but its been amazing to get this positive news and it seems due to the species own self-isolating behaviours that they have weathered this particular storm. A puffin returning with a beak full of food for its puffling on Inner Farne earlier this summer (Rachel Bigsby/National Trust Images/PA) Puffins are the only seabirds that lay their eggs in burrows on the vegetated areas of the islands, and typically return to the same burrow each year to breed, the National Trust said. To conduct the count, the rangers monitor the birds by observing burrows for signs of activity, which includes birds returning to nests with fish in their beaks to feed hungry pufflings. Occasionally, they will put on gloves and put their arm down into a burrow to gently feel for any pufflings if they are unsure whether it is occupied or not. Dr Chris Redfern, emeritus professor in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University who helped to verify this years results, said: It is very good news that puffin numbers for the Farnes overall are holding up. The possible displacement or decline of puffins breeding on the Outer Group of islands is worrying though. It will be important to try and work out why, and whether or not anything can be done to ensure the long-term stability of puffin and other seabird colonies throughout the archipelago. The National Trust also shared preliminary results on other counts for cliff-nesting birds, which have yet to be fully collated and verified. Initial figures show that some species appear to be struggling, particularly shags whose numbers were down by 75% on the inner group of islands while guillemot numbers are 37% lower. Thomas Hendry, an area ranger for the Farne Islands, called the initial numbers concerning. A boat heading out to the Farne Islands, an important breeding ground for thousands of seabirds including puffins, cared for by the National Trust (Rachel Bigsby/National Trust Images/PA) Although we didnt pick up a particularly large number of shags during the two seasons where we experienced bird flu (172 in total), we fear that the more extreme weather and frequent storms during the winter really disrupted their ability to feed, he said. In comparison, guillemots were hit hard by bird flu with over 3,500 picked up in the two years the islands had to close, and no way of knowing how many more died at sea. This is likely due to them being cliff-nesting birds packing themselves in tightly with the other species that breed in this manner. Our aim therefore next year will be to keep a close watch on the seabirds to see if we can see any sign of a recovery pattern, and contribute towards the national seabird monitoring programme so we can better understand the long-term impact of bird flu. Lt Rhodri Leyshon died when a helicopter ditched in the Channel during a training exercise (Family Handout/Ministry of Defence/PA) The Royal Navy serviceman who died when a Merlin helicopter ditched in the Channel during a training exercise has been named as Lieutenant Rhodri Leyshon, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The 31-year-olds family paid tribute to him as a talented, passionate, strong and loyal man. There were three crew members on board at the time of the incident. The other two of were rescued and taken to hospital, according to the MoD. The Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed off the coast of Dorset on Wednesday night during the training exercise with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, according to the Royal Navy. An investigation into what caused the aircraft to ditch is ongoing. The lieutenants family said: Rhod was so immeasurably loved by his parents, siblings, partner, friends and family and he was devoted to them. Our lives will never be the same without him. We are all so very proud of the talented, passionate, strong and loyal man he was. We will always have him in our hearts. Our wonderful boy. The family request privacy at this extremely painful time. The MoD said Lt Leyshon was one of the Commando Helicopter Forces most trusted and highly capable aircraft captains and instructors. He was called a shining light by Colonel Mark Johnson, Commanding Officer of Commando Helicopter Force at Yeovilton. The colonel said: Its immensely sad that we lost one of our family. Lt Leyshon was a consummate professional and a shining light with a bright future. He epitomised our team spirit and his loss leaves a huge hole in all our hearts. Air Vice-Marshal Alastair Smith, Commander of Joint Aviation Command, said in tribute: I flew with Lt Leyshon just a few days ago and personally attest to both his professionalism as a pilot and his warmth as a character. He will be sorely missed by the squadron, the Commando Helicopter Force and the wider Joint Aviation Command. (PA Graphics) Lt Leyshon joined the Wales URNU (University Royal Naval Unit) in 2010 and was commissioned into the Royal Navy four years later. He undertook flying training, specialising as a Commando Aviator, where he served with 845 Naval Air Squadron and completed a number of overseas deployments, including to the Caribbean, USA and Norway. In the last 18 months, he served with 846 Naval Air Squadron. Lt Leyshon had played for the Britannia Royal Naval College Rugby Club. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey both expressed their condolences on social media after the Royal Navy shared the news of the lieutenants death. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Merlin Mk4 helicopter is used by the Royal Marines and has been deployed globally to provide disaster relief. It is considered the worlds most advanced amphibious battlefield helicopter and can carry up to 24 troops, according to the Royal Navy. HMS Queen Elizabeth is described on the Navys website as the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy, which is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft. The vessel is the Navys Fleet Flagship and can carry senior naval staff, receive foreign dignitaries and act as a command and control centre for the Royal Navy. Two students view a memorial as the flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High Schoo in Winder, Georgia (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The father of the teenager accused of opening fire at a Georgia high school, killing four people and wounding nine, has been arrested on various charges including second-degree murder. Colin Gray, 54, the father of Colt Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a social media post. No other details were immediately provided, but a news conference was planned for later in the day. People embrace at a makeshift memorial after the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) In Georgia, second-degree murder means a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Authorities have charged 14-year-old Colt Gray as an adult with murder in the shootings at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta, Georgia. Arrest warrants obtained by the Associated Press accuse him of using a semiautomatic assault-style rifle in the attack, which killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine other people. The teenager denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when authorities interviewed him last year about a menacing post on social media, according to a sheriffs report. Conflicting evidence on the posts origin left investigators unable to arrest anyone, the report said. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. We did not drop the ball at all on this, Ms Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. We did all we could do with what we had at the time. When a sheriffs investigator from neighbouring Jackson County interviewed Gray last year, his father said the boy had struggled with his parents separation and often got picked on at school. The teenager frequently fired guns and hunted with his father, who photographed him with a deers blood on his cheeks. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them, Colin Gray said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriffs office. The teenager was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI the then 13-year-old had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriffs office incident report. The FBIs tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner, according to the investigators report. The interview transcript quotes the teenager as saying: I promise I would never say something where with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of inconsistent information on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. The classroom killings have set off debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to active shooter drills. But there has been little change to national gun laws. Classes were cancelled on Thursday at the Georgia high school, although some people came to leave flowers around the flagpole and kneel in the grass with heads bowed. When the suspect slipped out of maths class on Wednesday, Lyela Sayarath figured her quiet classmate who recently transferred was skipping school again. But he returned later and wanted to return to the room. Some students went to open the locked door but instead backed away. Im guessing they saw something, but for some reason, they didnt open the door, she said. The teenager opened fire in the hallway, authorities said. Ms Sayarath said she heard a barrage of 10 to 15 gunshots as pupils fell to the floor and crawled in search of a safe corner to hide. Gray was being held Thursday at a regional youth detention facility. His first court appearance was scheduled for Friday morning. He has been charged in the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. At least nine other people eight students and one teacher at the school in Winder were wounded and taken to hospitals. All were expected to survive, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said. Authorities have not offered any motive or explained how the suspect obtained the gun and got it into the school of roughly 1,900 students in a rapidly developing area on the edge of metro Atlantas ever-expanding sprawl. Auctioneer Andrew Brunk talks about a 1787 copy of the US Constitution that will be put up for auction (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) A copy of the US Constitution, the only of its type thought to be in private hands, is to be offered for sale at auction later this month with a minimum bid of 1 million dollars. The document, almost 237 years old, had been stored inside in a filing cabinet in North Carolina until it was discovered in 2022. The copy of the document was printed after the Constitutional Convention approved the proposed framework of the nations government in 1787 and it was ratified by the Congress of the ineffective first American government under the Articles of Confederation. The minimum bid for the auction is 1 million dollars (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) It is one of about 100 copies printed by the secretary of that Congress, Charles Thompson. Just eight are known to still exist and the other seven are publicly owned. Auctioneer Andrew Brunk said: This is the point of connection between the government and the people. The Preamble we the people this is the moment the government is asking the people to empower them. What happened to the document up for auction between Mr Thomsons signature and 2022 is not known. Two years ago, a property was being cleared out in Edenton in eastern North Carolina that was once owned by Samuel Johnston. He was the governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789 and oversaw the state convention during his last year in office that ratified the Constitution. The document is one of around 100 copies that were printed in the late 1700s (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) The copy was found inside a squat, two-drawer metal filing cabinet with a can of stain on top, in a long-neglected room piled high with old chairs and a dusty bookcase, before the old Johnston house was preserved. The document was a broadsheet that could be folded one time like a book. I get calls every week from people who think they have a Declaration of Independence or a Gettysburg Address and most of the time it is just a replica, but every so often something important gets found, said historical document appraiser and collector Seth Kaller. This is a whole other level of importance, he added. Along with the Constitution on the broadsheet printed front and back is a letter from George Washington asking for ratification. He acknowledged there would have to be compromise and that rights the states enjoyed would have to be given up for the nations long-term health. To secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each and yet provide for the interest and safety for all individuals entering into society must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest, wrote the man who would become the first US president. Mr Brunk isnt sure what the document might go for because there is so little to compare it to. The last time a copy of the Constitution like this sold was for 400 dollars in 1891. In 2021, Sothebys of New York sold one of only 13 remaining copies of the Constitution printed for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention for 43.2 million dollars, a record for a book or document. However, that document was mostly for internal use and debate by the Founding Fathers. The copy being sold later this month was one meant to be sent to people all around the country to review and decide if that is how they wanted to be governed, connecting the writers of the Constitution to the people in the states who would provide its power and legitimacy. There are other items up for auction in Asheville including a 1776 first draft of the Articles of Confederation and a 1788 Journal of the Convention of North Carolina at Hillsborough where representatives spent two weeks debating if ratifying the Constitution would put too much power with the nation instead of the states. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the Ukraine Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base on Friday (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP) Ukraine needs the ability to strike deep within Russia now, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged top US and allied military leaders in Germany. He met the military chiefs and more than 50 partner nations on Friday to press for more weapons support as Washington announced it would provide another 250 million dollars (190 million) in security assistance to Kyiv. His comments came as Ukraine continues to press its case that without long-range strikes and bolstered air defences, it faces a bleak winter. The meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group was taking place during a dynamic moment in Ukraines fight against Russia, as it conducts its first offensive operations of the war while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas. It also comes days after Russia launched a deadly airstrike against a Ukrainian military training centre that killed more than 50 and wounded hundreds. Then on Friday Russia fired five ballistic missiles at the city of Pavlohrad in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least 50 people, regional governor Serhii Lysak said. Three of those injured in the daylight attack were children aged four, nine and 11 years old, he said. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting of the leaders was taking place during a dynamic moment in Ukraines fight against Russia. It was Mr Zelenskys first time to come to the Ramstein Air Base to address the group, and he used the public appearance to stress that, in his view, what is needed most now is for the US and the West to allow him to use the weapons they provided to strike deeper inside Russia, something the US has not supported out of concern it would further escalate the war. We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, Mr Zelensky told the members. We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin. To date, the US has been reluctant to further loosen restrictions on the long-range missiles it does provide, out of concerns that it could further escalate the conflict. However, Canadian defence minister Bill Blair said Mr Zelensky convinced him to support the long-range strike use and that he hopes the other Western allies also get behind the request. Canada does not have long-range munitions it could provide on its own, Mr Blair said. One of the things President Zelensky and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering significant attacks from air bases and military installations located within Russia, Mr Blair said. We support their request for permission, but its still a decision of our allies. Ukraine is now in the midst of its first offensive operations of the war while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas, and Kyiv is seeing that its time is running short to shore up ongoing military support before the US presidential election in November. Mr Zelensky said Ukraines surprise assault inside Russias Kursk region has led to the capture of about 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) of Russian territory and killed or injured about 6,000 Russian soldiers. But it has not drawn President Vladimir Putins focus away from taking the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, which provides critical rail and supply links for the Ukrainian army. Losing Pokrovsk could put additional Ukrainian cities at risk. While Kursk has put Russia on the defensive, we know Putins malice runs deep Mr Austin cautioned in prepared remarks to the media before the Ukraine Defence Contact Group met. Moscow is pressing on, especially around Pokrovsk, Mr Austin said. Emergency service workers help a civilian wounded in a Russian missile attack in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, on Friday (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Mr Zelensky also said systems that were promised already have been too slow to arrive. The number of air defence systems that have not yet been delivered is significant, he said. The meeting on Friday was expected to focus on resourcing more air defence and artillery supplies and shoring up gains on expanding Ukraines own defence industrial base, to put it on more solid footing as the final days of Joe Bidens US presidency approach. Mr Zelensky said he would continue to press for the long-range strike capability. Strong long-range decisions by partners are needed to bring the just peace we seek closer, he said on Friday on Telegram. Western partner nations were working with Ukraine to source a substitute missile for its Soviet-era S-300 air defence systems, Mr Austin said. The US is also focused on resourcing a variety of air-to-ground missiles that the newly delivered F-16 fighter jets can carry, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, which could give Ukraine a longer-range cruise missile option, said Bill LaPlante, the Pentagons top weapons buyer, who spoke to reporters travelling with Mr Austin. No decisions on the munition have been made, Mr LaPlante said, noting that policymakers would still have to decide whether to give Ukraine the longer-range capability. I would just put JASSM in that category, its something that is always being looked at, Mr LaPlante said. Anything thats an air-to-ground weapon is always being looked at. Residents clear broken glass from their balconies after a Russian bombardment of a residential neighbourhood in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine in August (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) For the past two years, members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group have met to resource Ukraines mammoth artillery and air defence needs, ranging from hundreds of millions of rounds of small arms ammunition to some of the Wests most sophisticated air defence systems, and now fighter jets. The request this month was more of the same but different in that it was in person, and followed a similar in-person visit on Thursday in Kyiv by Mr Bidens deputy national security adviser Jon Finer as Mr Zelensky shores up US support before the administration changes. Since 2022, the member nations together have provided about 106 billion dollars (80.5 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine. The US has provided more than 56 billion dollars (42.5 billion) of that total. The German government said Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to meet Mr Zelensky in Frankfurt on Friday afternoon. In Ukraine on Friday, thousands of mourners gathered for funeral services in the western city of Lviv for victims of a Russian missile attack that killed seven people, including a mother and her three daughters. Yaroslav Bazylevych, whose wife, Yevgenia, 43, and daughters Emilia, 7, Daryna, 18, and Yaryna, 21, were killed, attended the funeral at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The pre-dawn blasts earlier this week in the historic centre of the city also injured dozens of civilians. Lucy Letby: Why are there growing doubts over her conviction? The former nurse is serving a life sentence for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others Child serial killer Lucy Letby was sentenced to 15 whole life orders following the deaths of multiple babies at the Countess of Chester neonatal unit (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Fri 6 Sep 2024 at 10:31 In August 2023, Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others in the Chester Hospital where she worked. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the charismatic leader and founder of Christ Embassy Church, also known as LoveWorld Incorporated, is a figure of immense influence in the world of evangelical Christianity. Known for his dynamic preaching, spiritual leadership, and far-reaching ministry, Pastor Chris has touched the lives of millions globally. However, beyond his public persona, his marriage to Anita Oyakhilome has been a subject of great interest and scrutiny, symbolizing both the triumphs and trials of a life devoted to faith and ministry. The Marriage of Pastor Chris: A Spiritual Union with a Shared Vision The story of Pastor Chris's marriage begins during his university years when he met Anita Ebhodaghe, a fellow student whose spiritual journey led her to become a born-again Christian. Their paths converged not just as young believers but as individuals with a shared vision of impacting lives through the gospel. This shared purpose laid the foundation for a marriage that would grow into a powerful partnership in ministry. When Pastor Chris and Anita married in 1991, their union was celebrated as a union of faith, purpose, and shared commitment to spreading the message of Christ. As they embarked on their journey together, they became pillars of strength and inspiration within their community. Their marriage was more than a personal commitment; it was seen as a divine partnership aimed at advancing the kingdom of God. Their roles within Christ Embassy, a global ministry with millions of followers, were complementary. Pastor Chris led with his powerful sermons, healing services, and global outreach programs, while Anita played a significant role in the ministry's administration and outreach efforts. Together, they were seen as an ideal couple, embodying Christian values, spiritual dedication, and mutual respect. Navigating the Challenges of a High-Profile Marriage However, like any marriage, the union between Pastor Chris and Anita faced its share of challenges. The demands of leading a global ministry, coupled with the pressures of public life, began to strain their relationship. As their ministry grew, so did the complexities of balancing their personal and professional lives. In 2014, news of their separation broke, sending shockwaves through the Christian community. The announcement of their impending divorce was unexpected, particularly because they had been viewed as a model couple within their faith community. The public nature of their separation added a layer of difficulty as followers and the media speculated about the reasons behind their decision. The challenges they faced were not unique to them but were magnified by their high-profile status. Rumours and speculation surrounded their separation, with various theories emerging about the causes of their marital issues. Despite the intense public scrutiny, both Pastor Chris and Anita chose to handle the situation with dignity and discretion, avoiding the public exchange of grievances that often accompanies such high-profile separations. Life After the Divorce: New Beginnings and Continued Ministry In 2016, Pastor Chris and Anita finalized their divorce, marking the end of their marital journey. While the news saddened many of their followers, it also served as a reminder that even those who are deeply committed to their faith are not immune to the challenges of marriage. Their divorce was a significant moment in the history of Christ Embassy, but it did not mark the end of their individual spiritual journeys. Post-divorce, both Pastor Chris and Anita continued to focus on their ministries, albeit separately. Pastor Chris remained a central figure in evangelical Christianity, with his influence only growing stronger. His ministry, Christ Embassy, continued to expand, reaching new audiences through satellite TV, online platforms, and international events. His teachings, often centred on faith, healing, and the power of the Holy Spirit, continue to resonate with millions of followers around the world. Anita, now known as Anita Ebhodaghe Schafer, relocated to the United Kingdom, where she has continued her work within Christian circles. Her life after the divorce has been marked by a focus on writing and teaching, with a particular emphasis on encouraging believers in their faith. She has authored several books that reflect her spiritual journey and insights, offering guidance to those navigating their own paths in life and faith. Lessons from Pastor Chris's Marriage: Faith, Resilience, and New Beginnings The story of Pastor Chris's marriage offers valuable lessons for anyone navigating the complexities of life, faith, and relationships. One of the key takeaways is the importance of faith as a cornerstone of resilience. Throughout their marriage and even after their separation, both Pastor Chris and Anita demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their spiritual beliefs. This faith not only sustained them during challenging times but also provided them with the strength to continue their ministries independently. Another lesson is the delicate balance between public responsibilities and private life. As spiritual leaders, Pastor Chris and Anita were constantly in the public eye, which added an extra layer of pressure to their marriage. Their experience highlights the challenges faced by those in leadership positions, where personal struggles are often magnified by public scrutiny. The grace with which they managed their separation also serves as an example of maturity and strength. Rather than allowing their personal challenges to derail their spiritual missions, both Pastor Chris and Anita chose to focus on their ministries and continue serving their communities. This ability to maintain dignity and purpose, even in the face of personal adversity, is a testament to their character and commitment to their calling. Continuing the Legacy: Impacting Lives Beyond Marriage Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's marriage may have ended, but his influence in the Christian world continues to thrive. His teachings, broadcast through the LoveWorld network and various online platforms, continue to inspire millions of people globally. His involvement in humanitarian initiatives through the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI) further cements his legacy as a leader committed to making a positive impact on the world. Anita's journey, too, reflects a continued dedication to her faith and personal growth. Her writings and teachings offer encouragement and inspiration to believers, reinforcing the idea that life's challenges can lead to new opportunities and personal development. Her resilience in the face of adversity serves as a powerful example to those who look to her for guidance. A Testament to Faith and Resilience The story of Pastor Chris's marriage is more than just a narrative of love and separation; it is a testament to the power of faith, resilience, and the ability to move forward in the face of challenges. Both Pastor Chris and Anita have shown that while marriage may be a significant chapter in life, it is not the defining one. Their journeys continue to inspire and uplift their followers, offering valuable lessons on how to navigate life's complexities with grace, dignity, and unwavering faith. As they continue their respective paths, their experiences remind us that even amid personal trials, there is always an opportunity for new beginnings and continued growth. Their stories encourage us to embrace our faith, rise above challenges, and remain committed to our spiritual journeys, no matter what life may bring. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. The Select Board approved all-alcohol restaurant license for the new establishment, Yao, expected to open in about two months. Connecticut man is facing charges for allegedly hitting man with Jeep in fit of rage at Great Barrington plaza Joe Durwin is a local historian specializing in research on residential and commercial properties for owners in Berkshire County. He can be reached at info@berkshirehomehistory.com Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (40) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) DALTON The Dalton Fire District has extended the administrative leave of Fire Chief Christian Tobin to allow time for a third-party investigation into complaints lodged against him. During an open meeting on Thursday night, Chair Jim Driscoll said the district would be contracting external investigators through its legal counsel to look into the complaints, which include allegations of sexual harassment and staff mistreatment. Tobin has denied the accusations. After the meeting, Driscoll did not provide a timeframe for the probe, and did not have details as to whom the districts legal counsel would contract to conduct the investigation. He said the commissioners would have another open meeting once it had concluded to review the results. Weve now moved everything to the investigators, he told The Eagle. Theyre the ones who are going to investigate this as an independent third party and come back with what their findings are. The meeting lasted less than a minute, and no questions were taken from the public before the commissioners voted to adjourn. Driscoll said the commissioners could not answer questions about the allegations based on advice from legal counsel. Tobin was suspended with pay for four weeks after an Aug. 8 district meeting at which he faced allegations of staff mistreatment, sexual harassment and failure to acquire certifications. Thursday's meeting was meant to be a status update on the commissioners' own investigation and potential decisions on Tobin's long-term status. After the meeting, Tobin said he welcomed the third-party investigation, echoing his sentiments after the initial suspension. Tobin claimed in August that the complaints against him were retaliatory after he began questioning financial practices and workplace standards at the department namely a negative balance of $183,000 in the department's fiscal 2023 budget that has prompted questions from town residents at district meetings since. Tobin reiterated the need for a closer look at the districts finances on Thursday night after the meeting. This organization is not going to get to the next level until these things are sorted out, he said. In a Thursday letter sent to the commissioners ahead of the meeting, Tobin also pushed back against the districts process thus far of addressing the sexual harassment allegations. Tobin wrote that the commissioners had not followed the districts policy for investigating allegations of sexual harassment as outlined in the employee handbook he alleged that so far, he has not been provided any documents relating to the complaints, and still does not know the nature of the allegations. These complaints have neither been formally presented to me, nor have I been questioned or provided an opportunity to respond, he wrote. His letter notes that the districts policy is to investigate any allegations of sexual harassment fairly and expeditiously, with confidentiality maintained to the extent practicable. That process should involve notice of the complaint, a presentation of evidence and a fair hearing to respond to allegations, he wrote. Tobin said those things have not happened over the last four weeks. He urged the commissioners to comply with the outlined process as soon as possible in the letter, and requested all relevant information and documentation of the complaints. Driscoll said that he had not seen Tobins letter as of 7 p.m. Thursday and could not respond to it, but reiterated that the third-party investigation process would be thorough. WILLIAMSTOWN Wendling Farm has been home to Averill Cook's family since the 1940s. Tucked up beneath a mountain on the outskirts of Williamstown, the 170-acre farm encompasses rolling cow pastures, woods and most recently an accessory dwelling unit. You wouldnt guess it from the road. Even from the main house, the cabin, as the Cooks call it, is invisible, shrouded by a grove of trees. Its not until you drive up the winding dirt road and the woods part, that you glimpse the ADU. You dont even know its here until you drive up the driveway, which is the way I like it, Cook said. The Cook family's "cabin" is just one example of what some housing experts believe can help unlock Massachusetts' housing crisis. ADUs more commonly known as in-law suites or apartments over a garage are gaining traction in the housing debate, after the recently passed Affordable Homes Act greenlit construction of the smaller housing units statewide. But what does it actually mean to live in an ADU? What do they look like? By law, ADUs in Massachusetts must contain the following: sleeping, cooking and bathing facilities, a separate entrance from the primary dwelling and a parking space. They must not surpass 900 square feet or half the gross area of the primary dwelling, whichever is smaller. Municipalities can set further reasonable restrictions, including additional size and dimensional setback requirements, a mandatory site plan review and a short-term rental restriction. Beyond these restraints, property owners have the freedom to design their ADU as they see fit. Across the county, ADUs are as varied as the primary dwellings they neighbor. Some are rural cabins, like the Cooks. Others are garage apartments in the heart of town. Here's a glimpse inside three ADUs in the Berkshires. WENDLING FARM, WILLIAMSTOWN The Cooks cabin is tucked within a clearing in the woods. Theyve painted the siding a deep green, the color chosen so as not to disrupt the surrounding landscape. For two months each summer, the cabin is home to Cook's sister and her husband, both retired professors from Toronto. Cook hopes to rent the ADU for the remaining 10 months, possibly to an artist affiliated with the Clark Art Institute or a Williamstown professor. At 1,200 square feet, the cabin which arrived prefabricated from a Belfast, Maine, company is on the larger size of ADUs, thanks to Williamstowns zoning bylaw. ADUs can exceed the 900 square foot limit when theyre located on larger lots, but can be no larger than 1,200 square feet. That policy may change now that the Affordable Homes Act has been passed, but the state has yet to clarify whether that provision is out of compliance with their size requirement. Inside, sun trickles in through wide windows and bathes the floorboards. Theyre European beech, Cook said, shipped over from Romania where he used to work as a forester. A cathedral ceiling, lined with pine boards, creates a spacious living room and kitchen, which features a deep farmhouse sink, fridge, microwave, dishwasher and an electric stove and oven. In the first bathroom, a washer and dryer stand in a closet beside a shower stall. Down the hall are two bedrooms and another bathroom, this one featuring a bathtub. The cabin is off-grid, powered by solar and warmed and cooled by mini splits. Its also incredibly well insulated, Cook said; they didnt have to turn on the AC all summer. On the far end of the cabin is a 500-square-foot open air porch, with views of a pasture where Cooks cows sometimes graze. The ADU cost a total $850,000, including the well, septic and solar, and was financed by Cook's sister. It will rent for $3,000 a month. DOWNTOWN WILLIAMSTOWN Closer to the town center, another ADU offers a temporary home for semi-retired couple, Alex and Beth Carlisle. Their ADU is tucked behind the primary dwelling, which the Carlisles rent as an Airbnb. The ADU, which is 560 square feet and two stories tall, is built on the footprint of a garage that was in disrepair when the couple bought the property. Looking from the outside, the ADU closely resembles the primary dwelling. They are painted the same shade of mustard yellow and olive green, and the woodwork mirrors the main house. Inside, the first floor features a small kitchen, with a narrow dishwasher, electric oven and stove, refrigerator, microwave and pantry. A dining table, which at times doubles as an office, sits beneath two windows. Up the steep staircase is a master bedroom, office and living room rolled into one. The hallway features two closets and an all-in-one washer and dryer is tucked into the bathroom. The Carlisles spent $250,000 to build their ADU, in addition to the time and energy they poured into the dwelling. Alex, who is an art conservator, installed the kitchen cabinets, and the couple painted and finished the ADU themselves. LENOX Geoff and Cynthia Brown call their ADU, which they rent as an Airbnb, a mini-me of the primary dwelling on their Lenox estate. Once a horse barn, the ADU retains glimpses at its past life. In the living room, name plaques line the door frame, one for each of the horses that used to board on the property: Major, Atari, Shibumi, Dashin Around. The kitchen is lined with dark wood cabinets and features a dishwasher, electric stovetop, oven, fridge and microwave. Down the hall is a single bedroom, a spacious bathroom with a tub and shower and a washer and dryer. The barn was converted to an ADU by Geoff's father, who had plans to live there. After his death, the couple pivoted to renting it as an Airbnb and offering it as lodging for visiting family. A man is apprehended by security and police after jumping onto the media platform at an Aug. 30 campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Johnstown, Pa. Christians should pray for others. For the nonbeliever, we should pray for their salvation, for their health, and for the working of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes a nonbeliever is open to a Christian friend praying for them, and so reaching out and asking if theres any way we can be praying for them can be an opportunity to minister to them, and even share the gospel. Christians should also lift up each other, and should weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Touching base with family and friends on Sunday night or on Monday to see if there is anything where they would appreciate prayer support is a way to strengthen those relationships, and to follow Christs example. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:9-12). 6. Choose a Worship Song of the Week Worship is an important part of the Christian life; it is not always manifested in music, but it is a common, even universal, way believers praise God. If there is a particular song God is laying on your heart, one that is speaking to your life circumstances, or even if you are just interested in expanding your catalogue of worship songs, picking a song to focus on that week can help you learn more about God and draw closer to Him. Pick a song on Monday, listen to it every day (though maybe not all day every day), and look up the words. Maybe research the history of the song, as it may be inspirational or give you insight to deepen its meeting. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! (Psalm 95:6). Photo credit: Getty Images/Viktoriia Hnatiuk BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. International students in Cork have expressed concern for their safety after two people who travelled from India to study at University College Cork (UCC) had ropes thrown around their necks by teenagers in the city centre last Saturday. Dr Lekha Menon Margassery, who is president of the UCC Indian Alumni Community, has called for increased policing in Cork city centre in the wake of what she believes were racially motivated incidents. Advertisement Dr Margassery said one student was talking to his friend on the phone near Carrolls Gift Shop on Patrick Street at around 5.30pm last Saturday when a rope was thrown around his neck. Suddenly a guy just threw a plastic rope around his neck and tried to strangle him. Somehow the student took off the rope and ran away. He crossed the road and started walking and took a picture of the entire gang of teenagers. Dr Margassery said the second incident happened within half an hour in the Adelaide Street and North Main Street area and involved the same group of teenagers. Advertisement These two students were working back in India but the company has given them a sabbatical and they are here to do their masters. They are a husband and wife. And the same guy put a rope around the neck of the husband. He immediately took it off. And [what looked like] a 10-year-old boy laughed as if it were a joke. It is very scary because that could happen to anyone. I am hearing that about three weeks or a month earlier some graduates were walking across Paul Street shopping centre in Cork. They were just buying groceries. They were surrounded by four people who were abusing them. Telling them to go back to their country. I am shocked by this. I am here since 2008 and it is only in the last six months that I am hearing of this type of thing. Advertisement Dr Margassery said the first impacted student is afraid to leave the UCC campus. He is looking for a job on site as he doesnt want to go to the city centre for part-time work. She stresses that international students come to Ireland to explore and to learn more about the culture of another country. And also to make connections. But if they are scared and just inside the campus they are not going to make connections. The students want to remain anonymous because they are new to the country and they are afraid that [the perpetrators] will find them and do something. Which is valid. Advertisement I am worried. We have built a nice community here. It is a multicultural community. It used to be very welcoming. When such events happen how can I tell them that they are safe and that future students would be safe? Dr Margassery has always found Cork to be a warm and welcoming place. However, the former local election candidate admitted that she has become more reluctant to socialise in Cork city centre. Advertisement She feels that the incidents at the weekend form part of a concerning trend of increased hostility towards people from overseas. When I put this incident in our WhatsApp group, one of the [Indian] graduates told me that people passing by in a car poured some water on her by the courthouse. People are shaken. They are saying Should I withdraw my application? Does this happen more often? I dont have answers. I think more policing is required. What if this happened and a student had a panic attack or a health complaint and died [from the shock] of something like this? It has shaken all of the international students. The first student made an official complaint to gardai. Gardai have been informed of the second incident. However, the impacted student has chosen not to make an official complaint. Meanwhile, the Garda Press Office has confirmed that gardai received a report of an alleged incident of assault, which occurred on St Patrick's Street in Cork last Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported at the time. Enquiries are ongoing. A spokesman for the Garda Press Office is making enquiries with the relevant district in relation to the second alleged incident. A judge has imposed a one-month prison term on an intruder who bit the buttocks of a married woman during the course of a late-night assault at her family home. At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed two concurrent one month prison terms on Martin Gooney (27), of Riverview, Scariff, Co Clare, for the assaults on the woman at an address in Whitegate, Co Clare, on December 22nd 2022. Advertisement Gooney had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault against the woman and one count of trespass at her family home. Solicitor for Gooney, Daragh Hassett, asked Judge Gabbett that the sentences be suspended in the context of what he called the complicated relationship between Gooney and the woman. Mr Hassett said that the two had been in a brief relationship, though he said that is denied by the married woman. Judge Gabbett said he could not suspend the prison term and had been considering a higher prison term than one month. Advertisement It was a human bite and human bites are very serious, the judge said. He said he viewed a photo which shows the bite mark on the buttocks. Judge Gabbett said he was also taking into account the womans powerful victim impact statement handed into court. This is what happens when you engage in complicated relationships, things get complicated," the judge said. Advertisement This is a complication of a complicated relationship. There is nothing I can do about that. Outlining the incident, Garda Aine Troy told the court that the assault incident at the womans home only ended after the woman screamed and this resulted in her eight-year-old son coming downstairs and Gooney then leaving the house. Garda Troy said earlier Gooney had tried to kiss the woman at her property where he was trespassing. Garda Troy said the woman opened the back door to ask him what he was at and Gooney pulled her by the wrist out the door. Advertisement Garda Troy said that the woman fell and he bit her on the right buttocks cheek. She got back up and on entering the house he followed her and bit her on the right shoulder and pushed her against the dishwasher and press unit. Mr Hassett said that the guilty pleas were very valuable to the State and there had been a significant downgrading of charges in the case. The solicitor said that the parties had a brief relationship and stated that Gooney was subsequently approached by the victims husband in a pub where he told him that in no uncertain terms that he had a relationship with his wife previously. He said: It is not as if the parties were not known to each other. The victim may not accept that. I am instructed as a fact that it happened. Advertisement "The boundaries were very much crossed on this night by Mr Gooney and his behaviour was unacceptable. There were certain signals that he thought he was getting where the two had a relationship before." The solicitor said that his client "had to eventually block this lady on the phone after their brief encounter. It doesnt explain or defend his actions on the night in question. He did trespass significant boundaries. He accepts that." He added: He is extremely remorseful for what happened. He wants to get on with his life. There is that important context to what happened it is not a case where someone randomly walks into a house and tries it on." Mr Hassett said: Mr Gooney is a hard-working man. He fits the profile of your typical country lad, maybe thats a very unfair profile nowadays who leaves school early, works hard and plays hard for a while. The solicitor said Gooney works six days a week. He said that he will not go near this family again. He said: He was a hot head in the past and drink didnt help." At a point in the encounter he wasnt welcome in the house and it seems that was made known to him. There were blurred lines all round. It is a very messy situation The victim should not have had to encounter what she encountered." Mr Hassett said that Mr Gooney has no cases pending against him and has kept his nose clean since. Mr Gooney was freed on bail pending an appeal of his prison term to the circuit court. A learner truck driver accused of possessing 255,000 in crime proceeds from "romance fraud" could face additional charges, a court heard. Ayo Egbon, 37, of Broomhill House, Swords Road, Dublin, was charged earlier under money laundering legislation and, as a condition of bail, barred from using "dating and matchmaking websites." Advertisement He is accused of acquiring, possessing, using, or converting 255,472 in a Permanent TSB account in his name, knowing or reckless to it being proceeds of crime. The offences allegedly took place from February 2017 until February 2020, and the case follows a Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) investigation. He faced his fourth appearance at Dublin District Court on Friday when Judge Bryan Smyth noted the gardai needed more time to get directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). However, Garda Sergeant Maire McDevitt told Judge Smyth that the GNECB needed more time to hear back from the DPP. Advertisement Defence counsel Kevin McCrave said his client, who was charged in February, had come to court but perhaps should have been notified that the directions were still unavailable. The sergeant requested an adjournment, adding that the case involved a "considerable amount" and "there may be further charges". Judge Smyth granted a four-week adjournment and said, "I expect some progress." Mr Egbon was remanded on continuing bail. Advertisement Earlier in the proceedings, it was claimed that "these were the proceeds of romance fraud," and the injured party was from Finland. Mr Egbon, who has yet to indicate a plea, has to obey several conditions. He must reside at the address given and "not to go on any internet dating or matchmaking sites." He had to surrender his passport and must not apply for alternative travel documents. The accused is training to be a truck driver and has been granted legal aid. A decision has yet to be made as to whether his case would be dealt with at the District Court level or go forward to the Circuit Court, which can impose lengthier sentences. The charge is under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. A summary conviction in the District Court can lead to a fine not exceeding 5,000 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, but a conviction on indictment carries a fine and a sentence of up to 14 years. A "man of mystery" who admitted in court that he travelled to Ireland on a false passport has been convicted of breaking immigration laws and ordered to provide evidence of his identity. The accused, who said he was from Algeria, aged 37, and has given the name Yassing Boutank, with no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of stealing a phone from a French tourist in Dublin on May 7th. Advertisement He was charged with that offence, which he denied, and was refused bail almost four months ago and has been in custody since then. However, the theft charge was withdrawn on Friday because the phone owner could not give evidence. Boutank then pleaded guilty to an Immigration Act charge for failing to show Garda Niamh Flood a valid passport or a document establishing his identity on the date of his arrest at Parnell Street. The court heard she could not confirm his claim that he had been working and residing in Co Monaghan. Advertisement Defence counsel Fergal McMorrow told Judge John Hughes that his client was previously in France and then went to Luxembourg. He flew to Ireland two years ago using "some form of document to facilitate that" but had not applied for asylum. Following questions from the judge, the defence confirmed the accused used a false passport to travel to Ireland and claimed he got farm work here. Boutank told the court he left Algeria, where he had no work or property, in 2010 and went to Ibiza, Spain, and then to France. Advertisement He said he never had a passport, and the only document with his identity was his birth certificate, which was still in Algeria. Counsel said his client would try to obtain legal status in Ireland upon release from prison. The offence carries a maximum 12-month sentence and a possible fine of up to 3,000. Judge Hughes said the accused was "a man of mystery" with no visa or work permit. He imposed a nine-month sentence, backdated to the date Boutank went into custody, and suspended the last five months, meaning he would be out within days. He must provide contact details, not reoffend for two years, engage with the Probation Service and remain in the State only if he has legal status. He also has to submit evidence to gardai within two weeks of an application to stay in the country legally and a passport or some identification document to gardai within 30 days. Otherwise, the suspended portion of the sentence could be activated. Legal aid was granted. One of the first words recently spoken by an autistic six-year-old boy was 'school' but his parents have been repeatedly told there are no places for him to start junior infants. Heartbroken Germaine and Alan Colgan have spent two years desperately searching for a school place for her son Daniel, but have been told all schools for children with autism are completely full. Advertisement Daniel, who lives with his parents in Dublin's Blanchardstown, is pre-verbal and has autism with additional needs and now has to stay at home, while other children his age have started 'big' school. Germaine and Alan have tried in vain, all schools specifically for autism, even miles away from where he lives, but they continually get the same answer. "While every other parent was buying books and school uniforms for the children, I was anxiously waiting for that phone call which never came, to tell me a place had been found," said Germaine. "I just keep getting the same response from our Special Educational Needs Officer (SENO) - which is that they are working with the Department of Education to find Daniel a place. Advertisement "Daniel's psychology report recommends that he goes to a special school, where he can access both primary and post-primary education, but it seems to be impossible to get a place as there are so few schools. "No-one is refusing to take Daniel, they just have no spaces left. They are full to capacity. "I am so upset and frustrated that my child doesn't get to go to school because there is no place for him and his additional needs. In a world where it is supposedly okay not to be okay, how is this situation okay? "How is it ok for him to be at home and not attend school? Why is he forgotten? Advertisement "If he didn't have autism, Tusla would be knocking down my door demanding to know why I haven't sent him to school. But it's okay to stay at home when he has a disability. "I spent the summer reaching out to TDs and calling everyone who could possibly help. But no-one could or else they didn't try. "I've been in government buildings, hearing empty promises, I've attended protests but nothing changes. Daniel is still at home. "He was pre-verbal when he was at pre-school, which was kind enough to take him again last year, but he is too old now. But now, without much social interaction with children his own age, he is regressing and that is the saddest and scariest thing for a parent to watch. Advertisement "No-one will ever understand this journey until they are in it themselves, no-one will understand what a day in the life looks like for us fighting tooth and nail just for a basic human right that is education. It is soul-destroying. "I remember the day I heard Simon Harris was going to be our next Taoiseach. I was so happy knowing that he knew the struggles for parents with autistic children because of his brother Adam. "All us autistic mammies had hope that he was going to change the system. How wrong I was. "My son is the most precious, gentle and friendly child, and he just loves interacting with people. He is well known in our community for being the friendliest little lad. Advertisement "He loved pre-school. He needs structure and a controlled environment to help achieve milestones in education and life skills. "Daniel has recently started to use his voice and one of the first distinctive words he said was 'school,' indicating he wanted to go. How do I explain that to him?" A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that the provision of appropriate school places for children with special educational needs is a priority for the government. "Responsibility for ensuring the provision of special classes lies with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and as Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, Minister Naughton is determined to ensure that all children who require a placement can access this as quickly as possible," they said. The spokesperson added that Minister Naughton is meeting with the NCSE every week to discuss progress being made to ensure that every child has a school place for the 2024/25 school year. "In response to an increased level of need for special education placements, the NCSE and the Department have worked with a number of schools over the summer period to provide extra capacity. It is expected that there will be further progress in relation to the admission of students into these additional places very shortly. "In 2022, the government introduced urgent legislation which provides for the NCSE to direct a school to enrol a child with special educational needs. The NCSE have recently used this legal provision to direct two primary schools in Tipperary and Waterford to enrol children with special educational needs. The NCSE can consider the use of this provision in other areas if required. "The NCSE also have a dedicated contact point for parents/guardians and regular updates are provided to parents/guardians of children who remain without the offer of a special education placement. The Department does not comment on individual cases." The fast-food restaurant chain, Supermacs, has made a donation totalling 3,500 to two Galway charities to avoid a fine and conviction after pleading guilty to five breaches of data protection legislation. The Data Protection Commission has welcomed the outcome of prosecution proceedings that were taken in Galway District Court this week. Advertisement Supermacs Ireland Limited pleaded guilty to five counts of sending unsolicited marketing e-mails to a customer. The court heard that the customer had notified the company that they did not wish to receive such e-mails. The Data Protection Commission had previously issued a warning in February 2023 following investigations it had carried out on foot of previous complaints to it. Judge Mary Fahy asked the company to make a contribution of 1,750 each to two charities Galway Simon Community and Cope Galway in lieu of a conviction and fine. The winner of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2024 is to travel to Katowice, Poland, to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2024 (EUCYS). Sean O'Sullivan's winning project, VerifyMe: A new approach to the authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era, will be on display at the EUCYS from September 9th-14th. Advertisement Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Sean at Government Buildings, Merrion St Upper, Dublin, to wish him good luck before he officially represents Ireland at the competition. Each year, the EUCYS showcases the best scientific achievements in the EU and beyond, and over the past 34 years, Ireland has won 17 first place prizes. Winners of the BTYSTE 2023, Liam Carew and Shane O'Connor, took home the runner-up prize at EUCYS last year. Sean said he is looking forward to competing against 250 young scientists from almost 40 countries throughout the EU as well as guest projects from the United States and beyond. Shay Walsh, managing director at BT Ireland said that BT Ireland is very proud to be custodians of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. "Each year, our winners play an important role representing Ireland at one of the most important STEM events in Europe. "I would like to wish Sean the very best of luck at this years EUCYS. His project demonstrates the exceptional talent and amazing project ideas on display at the BTYSTE, and were really looking forward to cheering him on as he represents Ireland at EUCYS," he added. An American woman was shot and killed in the West Bank on Friday, two doctors told The Associated Press. Dr Ward Basalat said the 26-year-old woman was shot in the head and died after arriving at a hospital. Advertisement Witnesses and Palestinian media reported that the woman was shot by Israeli troops while attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration against settlement expansion in the northern West Bank. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the shooting. Dr Fouad Naffa, the head of the hospital, also confirmed the death of an American citizen. The woman was believed to have been shot while attending the protest against settlement expansion in the Palestinian town of Beita, north of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Advertisement The protests happen regularly and have grown violent in the past. A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison was shot in the leg by Israeli forces, he said, as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire. Dr Basalat, an A&E doctor at the hospital, said he treated her for a gunshot wound to the head and that she died shortly after arrival. Former vice president Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, will vote for Kamala Harris for president, he has announced. Liz Cheney, who herself endorsed Ms Harris on Wednesday, first announced her fathers endorsement when asked by Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic magazine during an onstage interview at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Advertisement Wow, Mr Leibovich replied as the audience cheered. Like his daughter, Dick Cheney has been an outspoken critic of former president Donald Trump, notably during Liz Cheneys ill-fated re-election campaign in 2022. Dick Cheney put out a statement on Friday confirming his endorsement, which read almost entirely as opposition to Mr Trump rather than support of Ms Harris. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Advertisement He can never be trusted with power again, the statement said. As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Asked for comment, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said: Who is Liz Cheney? Advertisement The campaign confirmed Mr Cheung was being sarcastic by also pointing to a comment Liz Cheney posted online four years ago in which she called Ms Harris a radical liberal. Dick Cheney, 83, has made few if any public appearances over the past year or more. He has dealt with heart issues since his 40s and underwent a heart transplant in 2012. Dick Cheneys statement was similar to a 2022 campaign ad for Liz Cheney as she sought a fourth term as Wyomings lone congressperson. In it, he called Mr Trump a coward for trying to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. Advertisement The ad did little good for his daughter in a deep-red state that once held the Cheney family dear but is now thoroughly in Mr Trumps corner. By a more than a two to one margin, Liz Cheney lost her Republican primary to Trump-endorsed attorney Harriet Hageman. Dick Cheney has been friends with Democrats over the years, but never supported one for president. Both Cheneys backed Mr Trump in 2016, but after Liz Cheney criticised Trump foreign policy decisions and Mr Trump criticised the endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq launched when Dick Cheney was vice president, their support waned. Advertisement If either Cheney supported Mr Trump in 2020, they were quiet about it. Meanwhile, their home state of Wyoming that year delivered Mr Trump his widest margin of victory. By 2021, Liz Cheneys vote to impeach Mr Trump and her investigation into him for the 2021 US Capitol riot made them irredeemable to Mr Trump and soon most of the Republican Party. There were exceptions. One was Cheney ally Rep Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Republican Trump critic who earlier this year endorsed Mr Biden and spoke in support of Ms Harris at the Democratic National Convention in August. Several other top Republicans have come out in support of Ms Harris while some, including Sen Mitt Romney and former vice president Mike Pence, say they will not be voting for Mr Trump. Of them only Mr Romney, who is not seeking re-election, is still in office. Israeli forces appeared on Friday to have withdrawn from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, after a more than weeklong military operation that has left dozens dead and a trail of destruction. Overnight, Israeli armoured personnel carriers were seen leaving the camp from a checkpoint set up on one of the main roads, and an Associated Press reporter inside the camp saw no evidence of any remaining troops inside as dawn broke early on Friday. Advertisement Israels military had no immediate comment but said it would issue a statement later in the day. It was not clear whether the apparent withdrawal was only a temporary measure to regroup forces. Hundreds of Israeli troops have been involved for more than a week in what has been their deadliest operation in the occupied West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began, employing what the United Nations called lethal war-like tactics. Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian man in Jenin, West Bank, on Thursday (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Advertisement Their focus has been the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian militancy that has grown since the Hamas attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza nearly 11 months ago. Fighting in Jenin accounts for 21 of 39 Palestinians who local health officials say have been killed during the Israeli push in the West Bank most of whom, the military says, have been militants. The fighting has had a devastating effect on Palestinian civilians living in Jenin. Water and electric services have been cut, families have been confined to their homes and ambulances evacuating the wounded have been slowed on their way to nearby hospitals, as Israeli soldiers search for militants. Advertisement In the quiet morning Friday, Jenin residents took advantage of the lull to rummage through the rubble of destroyed buildings and take stock of the damage. During the operation, Israeli military officials said they were targeting militants in Jenin, Tulkarem and the Al-Faraa refugee camp to curb recent attacks against Israeli civilians they say have become more sophisticated and deadly. A man walks through rubble following an Israeli army raid in Jenin (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Advertisement In the Tulkarem camp, resident Ziad Abu Tahoun said: Look at the condition of the camp, the camp is in a deplorable state. Theyve set us back 60 years. The movement came as the United Nations said the humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond catastrophic, with more than a million Palestinians not receiving any food rations in August and a 35% drop in people getting daily cooked meals. Health workers resumed vaccinating children against polio in the southern Gaza Strip early on Friday for the second phase of a massive immunisation campaign. The war in Gaza began when Hamas and other militants staged a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, primarily civilians. Hamas is believed to still be holding more than 100 hostages. Israeli authorities estimate about a third are dead. Advertisement Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza. The ministry reports that more than 94,000 more have been wounded since the start of the war. Israel has been under increasing pressure from the United States and other allies to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on a demand that has emerged as a major sticking point in talks continued Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow band along Gazas border with Egypt where Israel contends Hamas smuggles weapons into Gaza. Egypt and Hamas deny it. Hamas has accused Israel of dragging out months of negotiations by issuing new demands, including for lasting Israeli control over both Philadelphi corridor and a second corridor running across Gaza. Hamas has offered to release all hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants broadly the terms called for under an outline for a deal put forward by US President Joe Biden in July. A US judge has agreed to postpone the sentencing of former president Donald Trump for his hush money conviction until after the November election. The decision grants the Republican nominee a hard-won reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the homestretch of his presidential campaign. Advertisement Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchan, who is also considering a request from the defence to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Mr Trumps sentencing until November 26, several weeks after the final votes are cast in the presidential election. The sentencing of the former president will come several weeks after the final votes are cast in the November election (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) It had initially been scheduled for September 18. Advertisement The delay, the latest bit of good legal fortune for Mr Trump, means the presidential election will be decided without voters knowing if the Republican nominee is going to jail. Mr Merchan explained in a four-page decision that he was postponing the sentencing to avoid any appearance however unwarranted that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate. The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution, he added, writing that his decision should dispel any suggestion otherwise. Mr Trumps lawyers pushed for the delay on multiple fronts, petitioning the judge and asking a federal court to intervene. They argued that punishing the former president and current Republican nominee in the thick of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference. Advertisement Mr Trumps lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also allow him time to consider next steps after Mr Merchan rules on the defences request to reverse his conviction and dismiss the case because of the US Supreme Courts July presidential immunity ruling. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) In his order Friday, Mr Merchan delayed a decision on that until November 12. Advertisement A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Mr Trumps request to have the US District Court in Manhattan seize the case from Mr Merchans state court. Had they been successful, Mr Trumps lawyers said they would have then sought to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds. Mr Trump is appealing the federal court ruling. Mr Trump lauded the delay in a post on his Truth Social platform. Advertisement The Manhattan D.A. Witch Hunt has been postponed because everyone realizes that there was NO CASE, I DID NOTHING WRONG! he wrote. He assailed the case as a political attack and argued that it should be rightfully terminated, as we prepare for the Most Important Election in the History of our Country. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, is a Democrat. His office did not take a position on Mr Trumps delay request, deferring to Mr Merchan. A jury of 12 New Yorkers swiftly and unanimously convicted Donald Trump of 34 felony counts, District Attorney office spokesperson Danielle Filson said. The office, she said, stands ready for sentencing on the new date set by the court. Donald Trump described the delay to sentencing as a political attack (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Mr Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a 130,000 dollar hush money payment to pornography actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Ms Daniels claims she and Mr Trump had a sexual encounter a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Prosecutors cast the pay-out as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him during his first presidential campaign. Mr Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen paid Ms Daniels and was later reimbursed by Mr Trump, whose company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses. Trump maintains that the stories were false, and that reimbursements were for legal work and logged correctly. The agreement on the sentencing comes after Mr Trump was back in court to fight to overturn a verdict finding the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation. President Donald Trump, right, and E Jean Carroll appeared in court (Jane Rosenberg via AP) His lawyer D John Sauer told a three-judge panel that the civil trial in a lawsuit brought by writer E Jean Carroll was muddied by improper evidence. Mr Sauer noted that the jury was allowed to consider such items as the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Mr Trump boasted years ago about grabbing womens genitals. Ms Carroll says that Mr Trump attacked her in a department store dressing room in 1996. He denies it but a jury awarded Carroll 5 million dollars (3.8 million). The appeals judges have yet to rule. There is absolutely a strong case that Lucy Letby is innocent, her new barrister has said ahead of a fresh attempt to appeal the serial child killers convictions. Mark McDonald said new medical evidence and expert opinion revealed flaws which undermined the prosecution of the former nurse, who was found guilty in two trials. Advertisement Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Asked on Channel 5 News whether there was a strong case for her innocence, Mr McDonald said: Absolutely, there is. And I will be drafting the application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). You know, Ive been so encouraged by the amount of people that have come forward: experts in neonatology, anaesthetists, pathology, statistics; that have come forward and have identified flaws in the trial that now want to give evidence for her, and well want to draft reports to put in to the CCRC to assist. Advertisement A court artist drawing of Lucy Letby giving evidence during her trial at Manchester Crown Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. Mr McDonald added: Were looking really at issues in relation to statistics. And I know that sounds probably quite bizarre to hear, well, what statistics got to do with it? You may remember that there were some bold assertions made during the trial in relation to, for example, (that) there was a spike of deaths, she was always on duty, when in fact, when analysed by some of the leading statisticians in the country, theyre seeing flaws in those assertions made by the prosecution to such a fundamental extent we believe it undermines the conviction. Advertisement New medical evidence, which contradicts that presented by prosecution experts at the trial, has also been brought forward, Mr McDonald said. Were looking at neonatology for a start, he continued. Advertisement Were looking at the whole idea in relation to insulin, the testing of insulin, whether or not that testing was reliable, whether or not that the assertion that there was insulin present is accurate. The barrister added he would be asking the CCRC for Letbys case to be sent back to the Court of Appeal on fresh evidence but said the process might take a long time. Letbys trial ran for 10 months from October 2022 to August 2023, with a retrial ordered after a jury was unable to reach a verdict on one count of attempted murder of a baby girl. Advertisement Mr McDonald compared Letbys conviction to that of the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six two groups of people wrongly accused of carrying out IRA pub bombings in the 1970s whose convictions were later quashed. These were some of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history, and yet they were found to be innocent, he said. The barrister added that he had so far seen quite a lot of evidence that there are some real concerns over Letbys convictions. A public inquiry examining events at the Countess of Chester Hospital following Letbys multiple convictions is due to begin on September 10 in Liverpool. Ukraine needs the ability to strike deep within Russia now, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged top US and allied military leaders in Germany. He met the military chiefs and more than 50 partner nations on Friday to press for more weapons support as Washington announced it would provide another 250 million dollars (190 million) in security assistance to Kyiv. Advertisement His comments came as Ukraine continues to press its case that without long-range strikes and bolstered air defences, it faces a bleak winter. Advertisement The meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group was taking place during a dynamic moment in Ukraines fight against Russia, as it conducts its first offensive operations of the war while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas. It also comes days after Russia launched a deadly airstrike against a Ukrainian military training centre that killed more than 50 and wounded hundreds. Then on Friday Russia fired five ballistic missiles at the city of Pavlohrad in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least 50 people, regional governor Serhii Lysak said. Three of those injured in the daylight attack were children aged four, nine and 11 years old, he said. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting of the leaders was taking place during a dynamic moment in Ukraines fight against Russia. Advertisement It was Mr Zelenskys first time to come to the Ramstein Air Base to address the group, and he used the public appearance to stress that, in his view, what is needed most now is for the US and the West to allow him to use the weapons they provided to strike deeper inside Russia, something the US has not supported out of concern it would further escalate the war. We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, Mr Zelensky told the members. We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin. Advertisement To date, the US has been reluctant to further loosen restrictions on the long-range missiles it does provide, out of concerns that it could further escalate the conflict. However, Canadian defence minister Bill Blair said Mr Zelensky convinced him to support the long-range strike use and that he hopes the other Western allies also get behind the request. Canada does not have long-range munitions it could provide on its own, Mr Blair said. Advertisement One of the things President Zelensky and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering significant attacks from air bases and military installations located within Russia, Mr Blair said. We support their request for permission, but its still a decision of our allies. Ukraine is now in the midst of its first offensive operations of the war while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas, and Kyiv is seeing that its time is running short to shore up ongoing military support before the US presidential election in November. Mr Zelensky said Ukraines surprise assault inside Russias Kursk region has led to the capture of about 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) of Russian territory and killed or injured about 6,000 Russian soldiers. But it has not drawn President Vladimir Putins focus away from taking the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, which provides critical rail and supply links for the Ukrainian army. Losing Pokrovsk could put additional Ukrainian cities at risk. While Kursk has put Russia on the defensive, we know Putins malice runs deep Mr Austin cautioned in prepared remarks to the media before the Ukraine Defence Contact Group met. Moscow is pressing on, especially around Pokrovsk, Mr Austin said. Emergency service workers help a civilian wounded in a Russian missile attack in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, on Friday (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Mr Zelensky also said systems that were promised already have been too slow to arrive. The number of air defence systems that have not yet been delivered is significant, he said. The meeting on Friday was expected to focus on resourcing more air defence and artillery supplies and shoring up gains on expanding Ukraines own defence industrial base, to put it on more solid footing as the final days of Joe Bidens US presidency approach. Mr Zelensky said he would continue to press for the long-range strike capability. Strong long-range decisions by partners are needed to bring the just peace we seek closer, he said on Friday on Telegram. Western partner nations were working with Ukraine to source a substitute missile for its Soviet-era S-300 air defence systems, Mr Austin said. The US is also focused on resourcing a variety of air-to-ground missiles that the newly delivered F-16 fighter jets can carry, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, which could give Ukraine a longer-range cruise missile option, said Bill LaPlante, the Pentagons top weapons buyer, who spoke to reporters travelling with Mr Austin. No decisions on the munition have been made, Mr LaPlante said, noting that policymakers would still have to decide whether to give Ukraine the longer-range capability. I would just put JASSM in that category, its something that is always being looked at, Mr LaPlante said. Anything thats an air-to-ground weapon is always being looked at. Residents clear broken glass from their balconies after a Russian bombardment of a residential neighbourhood in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine in August (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) For the past two years, members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group have met to resource Ukraines mammoth artillery and air defence needs, ranging from hundreds of millions of rounds of small arms ammunition to some of the Wests most sophisticated air defence systems, and now fighter jets. The request this month was more of the same but different in that it was in person, and followed a similar in-person visit on Thursday in Kyiv by Mr Bidens deputy national security adviser Jon Finer as Mr Zelensky shores up US support before the administration changes. Since 2022, the member nations together have provided about 106 billion dollars (80.5 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine. The US has provided more than 56 billion dollars (42.5 billion) of that total. The German government said Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to meet Mr Zelensky in Frankfurt on Friday afternoon. In Ukraine on Friday, thousands of mourners gathered for funeral services in the western city of Lviv for victims of a Russian missile attack that killed seven people, including a mother and her three daughters. Yaroslav Bazylevych, whose wife, Yevgenia, 43, and daughters Emilia, 7, Daryna, 18, and Yaryna, 21, were killed, attended the funeral at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The pre-dawn blasts earlier this week in the historic centre of the city also injured dozens of civilians. When you consider in mining terms how the size of geological belts can run for thousands of kilometres, if the projects geology is similar to Cadias that 200km distance is akin to it being a next-door neighbour. No wonder the market got the party started and now we will have to wait to see how long the ruckus rolls on for. In a further boost for the company, it was revealed this morning that it had raised an additional $1.78 million through the issue of 30.25 million new shares priced at 5.9c. The funds raised will be used to further test the key targets at Havilah. Osmond Resources took second place after its week began with a Tuesday morning announcement that unveiled encouraging drilling results for aluminium oxide from a recent five-hole program at its proposed Iberian One project in Spain, where it is looking to acquire up to 100 per cent of the operation through a staged earn-in agreement. But before the market had a chance to react to the news, the companys shares were placed in a trading halt pending a material acquisition. Then this morning it revealed it would acquire up to a minimum 72 per cent stake in the Orion EU critical minerals project in the south of Spain that is prospective for rutile, zircon and rare earths. An agreement to acquire 80 per cent of a Spanish holding company that in turn holds 100 per cent of a Spanish mining company, which has the right to increase its interest to 90 per cent in the company that has a 100 per cent interest in the rights and title to Orion, equals a potential 72 per cent interest and a massive headache to your mathematically-challenged, head-scratching journalist, who can feel the room spinning. It certainly sent market punters into a spin as well, with the shares surging to as high as 23c from yesterdays 7c close. The acquisition appears to be the instigator behind the tremendous leap for Osmonds shares, with the often thinly-traded stock leaping on volume of more than 4 million units, providing a one-day return of near 229 per cent a nice earn for a Friday to finish off the week. It provided a return of almost 224 per cent for the week. Osmond says there has been two rounds of exploration at the project. The first compiled 16 rock-chip samples across more than 2km and the second involved three channel samples totalling a 150kg bulk sample. Selected rock chips and the bulk sample returned impressive rutile-titanium oxide and zircon results, with the combined tallies of the four magnet rare earths, neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium, also producing solid numbers across both sampling methods. Assays results of between 2500 parts per million and near 4500ppm magnet rare earth oxides across four rock-chip and three channel samples indicate the prospectivity of the site. Osmond Resources has agreed to acquire the Orion rare earths- heavy minerals project in the mountainous Jaen Province in Andalucia, southern Spain Energy Metals came in third place this week with a stellar return of more than 107 per cent after it bagged high-grade uranium results from two holes drilled at its A4 sub-deposit within its Bigrlyi uranium-vanadium project in the Northern Territory. Using a type of downhole gamma survey, the calibrated downhole gamma probes are widely used to calculate an equivalent uranium oxide concentration and the results were impressive. The standout drillhole returned 10.6m at 0.86 per cent equivalent uranium oxide, with several zones showing more than 1 per cent equivalent uranium. The downhole gamma probe method is known for providing rapid results, with good levels of accuracy. Now, while all that may sound like a mouthful, the market swallowed it whole to send the shares on a ride from Wednesdays 7c close to touch an intraday high of 13.5c on Thursday. The companys stock has traded less than 100,000 shares per day on average for the past 30 days, so for 5.45 million to swap hands on Thursday shows how frenzied the demand was for its shares. Punters appeared to like the fact that the latest drilling program was designed to expand an existing resource that sits at 6.32 million tonnes grading 1530ppm uranium oxide for a total of 21.3 million pounds. Interestingly, chemical assays of the drill-core are used to validate results of the gamma probes. But because of the penetrative nature of gamma-rays, the equivalent uranium values relate to a bigger sample volume than chemical assays and are often considered to be more representative of the orebody. The project, about 350km north-west of Alice Springs, is a joint venture (JV) between Energy Metals (72.4 per cent) and two other parties. Just missing out on a podium placing was Killi Resources. In an interesting twist, the miner made the Runners list even though it delivered no news to the market this week. The company even responded to a price and volume query from the ASX with a nothing to see here comment. It did, however, recently kick off drilling at its 100 per cent-owned Mt Rawdon West project in Queensland where it is targeting its Kaa copper-gold deposit, which it classifies as a potential new epithermal system. The maiden program will consist of diamond drilling, with a focus on a 1.8km mineralised trend and beneath its ground where it found a rock-chip sample grading 238 grams per tonne gold. The fact that drilling was underway obviously inspired some market players to hop aboard as the shares climbed more than 73 per cent from last weeks 13c close to hit a high of 22.5c on Thursday on pretty solid volumes. The rock-chip find in early July also sent the price on a rapid ascent and punters with long memories may have thought it worthy of another bite at the cherry. Killi has completed a soil and rock-chip program at Kaa, with samples returning elevated levels of gold, silver, copper and the hottest commodity in town at the moment, antimony. An induced-polarisation (IP) survey has identified multiple responses under cover and the company plans to test the targets as part of the maiden campaign. It expects to complete 10 diamond drillholes from surface, with all targets in the top 200m below surface. Epithermal gold deposits can often be among the richest deposits in the world, providing bonanza-grade gold shoots containing greater than 1000g/t gold equivalent and vertical depths for hundreds of metres. They often also contain significant lead, zinc and copper resources in addition to the high-grade gold. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au The government has revealed the number of international students each university will be allowed to enrol next year, with vice chancellors saying they were blindsided by limits that kneecap institutions that achieved strong growth this year. Regional and smaller universities rejected the education ministers claims that they are the big winners from the upheaval in one of the countrys largest export industries. International student caps for every university have been revealed. Credit: Peter Braig Education Minister Jason Clare announced last week there would be 53,000 fewer international students starting their studies next year compared to 2023, with every institution to be given an individual limit under government reforms that still need to pass federal parliament. He declared the caps would benefit smaller universities and create a fairer playing field after the most prestigious metropolitan universities managed to significantly increase their enrolments this year due to the governments changes to visa settings. Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university's award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet's first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he's not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants. With a yellow Gatorade in one hand and a packet of cigarettes in the other, notorious construction boss George Alex has handed himself into custody. Earlier in the day, Supreme Court Justice Des Fagan ordered a warrant for Alexs arrest. In a separate development, extraordinary revelations of juror misconduct have been detailed by the trial judge. George Alex arrives at court on Friday. Credit: Jamie McKinnell / ABC On Tuesday, after a six-month trial and more than a month of deliberations, the construction boss and his three co-accused were found guilty of a conspiracy to defraud the Tax Office of $10 million in what prosecutors described as a complicated revolving-door scheme. Days earlier, the jury found the four guilty of money laundering. Lindsay Kirschberg, Gordon McAndrew and Pasquale Loccisano were taken into custody but the convicted mastermind remained at large. A fifth conspirator, Mark Ronald Bryers, had already been found guilty. In a letter to parents at the north shore private school, Knox Grammar headmaster Scott James said the alleged exchange occurred outside school hours and premises and did not involve any school IT equipment. The English teacher was taken to Hornsby Police Station and charged with one count of procuring or grooming a child under 16 for unlawful sexual activity. Police arrested William Gulson in Wahroonga on Friday after investigating allegations the 27-year-old had groomed a child online. A senior school teacher at Sydneys prestigious Knox Grammar has been charged with child grooming. When this was brought to our attention, the teacher concerned was immediately removed from the school and his employment was terminated, James said. Police have informed us that there is no other individual at risk and that there is no evidence that this behaviour extended beyond the online environment. Knox is a child safe environment and in this situation, we took immediate precautionary action and worked with police. According to Gulsons LinkedIn profile, he was a former student of Knox, graduating in 2014. Concerns were raised years before a review found inadequate staffing contributed to deaths at a mental health unit deemed no longer fit for purpose, an expert says. Three people died by suicide and two survived attempts at Prince Charles Hospitals mental health unit in Brisbane between December 2022 and April 2024, triggering the independent review. The review found staffing was an issue at the Prince Charles Hospitals unit, with a worrying rate of vacancies in some roles. It found that, at two psychiatric wards at the hospital, there were staff shortages and inpatient facilities were no longer fit for purpose to meet current guidelines for a mental health unit. The Queensland government said it would adopt some of the 22 recommendations handed down by the review, which was publicly released on August 30, committing $10 million. A stepmother grossly neglected a little girl who died in filth and squalor after months of abandonment. Shannon Leigh White, 47, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after her four-year-old stepdaughter Willow Dunn was found dead at a Cannon Hill home, in Brisbanes east, in 2020. Willow, who had Down syndrome, was last seen as a growing girl, weighing 10kg, at a doctors appointment in 2018. At the time White had seemed proud to be raising the child but things quickly changed. Willow was isolated from 2019, she rarely left the family home and was likely left alone for short periods. Victorias environmental watchdog has accused a global waste giant of allowing methane gas emissions from a Hampton Park landfill to reach potentially unhealthy levels for nearby residents on 22 occasions. The Veolia site on Hallam Road has been at the centre of repeated community complaints about smell, with several hundred homes sitting within a 500-metre buffer zone of the tip. Veolias Hallam Road landfill is situated close to homes. The company is alleged to have failed to safely manage methane gas emissions. Credit: Eddie Jim The Environment Protection Authority has this week taken Veolia to the Supreme Court alleging it breached conditions of its licence to operate by failing to safely manage the site and curb methane gas emissions, despite knowing they were a problem. It is alleged Veolia also failed to cover its rubbish cells properly or to adequately control leachate (contaminated liquid), letting it flood the landfills gas extraction wells, which exacerbated odour problems. Into our eastern suburbs now where residents will be pleased to hear that urgent demand for netball and basketball facilities in Armadale could bring a new stadium for the region. The City of Armadale, Netball WA and Basketball WA have joined forces to advocate for state and federal funding to build the Armadale Regional Recreation Reserve and lets hope they have more success than the City of South Perth residents 10-year-battle to get an aquatic centre (which was ultimately in vain). Stakeholders met in Armadale last night to sign a memorandum of understanding. The City of Armadale, home to more than 105,000 people, has committed $10 million to get the ball rolling. Stage one will include a multi-sport district facility with 20 new outdoor and eight indoor netball/basketball courts, and an indoor sporting complex with gym and community facilities. There are 1649 registered Netball WA and Basketball WA members in Armadale, but only five dedicated netball courts and three basketball courts. Netball WA chief executive Simone Hansen said the project could increase Armadale netballer numbers 130 per cent by 2030. Her Basketball WA counterpart Nathan Cave said a lack of sporting facilities in the region impacted residents overall health and wellbeing. Participation rates within the City for basketball are just 2 per cent, which is significantly lower than the WA average of 15.4 per cent for children and 5.1 per cent for adults, he said. The current lack of quality sporting facilities restricts City of Armadale residents from enjoying the numerous health and social benefits flowing on from participation in physical activity. Stage one would create about 319 jobs during the construction phase and about 44 ongoing jobs once operational. To succeed in the sport of sheepdog trialling, you need to learn to read your sheep, says Richard Davies. Its a skill his son Ernie, 7, is good at when he trains their whip-smart star kelpie Gypsy at the sheep farm the family manages at Elaine, south of Ballarat. Field of dreams: Richard and Ali Davies and their children (from left), Ernie, 7, Indy, 9, Polly, 4, and Miley, 11, with dogs and sheep. Credit: Jason South Ernie is firm but quietly spoken when he gives Gypsy commands, which calms her, Richard says. He seems to know where the sheep are going to go before they know, the proud dad says. Loading Separately, police said follow-up inquiries were still being made about the alleged intimidation of a developer, although no criminal offence had yet been identified. Police said they would not take further steps over former CFMEU boss John Setkas dumping of a suitcase with the words Leo the Dog scrawled on it, in the suburban driveway of CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis because Skourdoumbis was not willing to make a statement. They also said they had cleared Setka of any criminal offence for appearing at two government Big Build sites this week. For there to be a trespass offence, a person must be asked to leave by someone in charge of the site or who has authority at the site, the statement said. There is no evidence that this occurred on Wednesday or Thursday, therefore there has been no trespass offence committed. Other accusations that unnamed CFMEU construction members had attacked and intimidated members of the manufacturing division will not proceed because the complainant is unwilling to make a statement, and no fresh evidence has been provided since the matter was dealt with in the Federal Court in 2021. Police could not identify a criminal offence over allegations against unnamed individuals of workplace bullying and unlawful imprisonment of a contractor on a CFMEU worksite and the reported allegations of assault and financial kickbacks. They said an investigation continued into the shooting of crime figure Joel Leavitt at the Rebel bikie clubhouse. However, police did not find a criminal offence related to the fact Leavitt had driven himself to hospital in a car given to him to conduct safety checks on workers. Leavitt was employed on the taxpayer-funded Hurstbridge rail line upgrade, earning an estimated $250,000 as a CFMEU health and safety official. Loading All the agencies to have received referrals for the other 12 allegations have agreed with Victoria Police that they fell under their respective responsibilities. Police are also sharing information and working with a separate independent review of the construction sector. On Friday, Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson would not comment on the specific allegations now that charges had been laid (against Shackleton), but said every worker deserved a safe workplace. Every Victorian worker deserves to feel safe and respected, deserves to come home safely at the end of each shift, Pearson said. Theres no place for violence or bullying on any worksite in Victoria. Pearson said police should be called when any unauthorised person accessed a Big Build site, after Setka made two appearances in 24 hours. He said the government had made it very clear to contractors that this should not be happening. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson at a worksite in July. Credit: Penny Stephens John Setka is not an elected official of the CFMEU. His access to these sites are in an unlawful manner because hes not an authorised person to be there, Pearson said. Hes just like any other member of the public. He has no right to be on these sites. If you dont have a lawful purpose to be on a Big Build site, the police will be called. A spokesperson said the state government had zero tolerance of illegal behaviour. CFMEU official Joel Shackleton has been charged with making threats to kill. Credit: Facebook We are getting on with tearing this rotten culture out by its roots making sure our construction industry meets the expectations of the Victorian people, the spokesperson said. There is no place on Victorian Big Build worksites for John Setka. Loading It comes after a bloc of blue-collar unions said they would quit the Australian Council of Trade Unions and start their own group in protest over its handling of the CFMEU saga, including its backing of laws that put the union into administration. ACTU president Michele ONeil said she wasnt aware of any other unions threatening to quit and that the vast bulk wanted to stay together. But its not the first time at all in our history, which is nearly 97 years now, ... and it wont be the last time that a union chooses to disaffiliate, she told ABC Radio on Friday. Weve been making a stand as a union movement about our values, about who we are, about whats important for working people, and weve made a decision collectively that we need to stand up against criminal elements coming into the union movement or into a union. New Zealands Maori have crowned a new queen, selecting 27-year-old Nga Wai Hono i te Po Paki to succeed her late father as unifying leader of the countrys indigenous people, a decision celebrated as the dawning of a new era for Maori. Her ascension to the throne following a week of emotional funeral proceedings for Kiingi Tuheitia, who died last week after 18 years in the largely ceremonial role comes at a time of growing tension between Maori and the countrys conservative government, which is rapidly rolling back race-based policies designed to address systemic inequality in the country. Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po Paki leaves the waka following her father, Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII as he is carried to his burial place. Credit: Getty Images But some Maori say the new queens blend of modernity and tradition she is Gen Z but also has a traditional moko kauae, or face tattoo will help, especially because most Maori are under 40. This is more than a generational shift, Shane Jones, a member of parliament who is Maori but is part of NZ First, one of the coalition partners rolling back policies that have benefited indigenous people, told the New Zealand Herald. She will be the face of renewal. Some councils need to stop focusing on how they can say no, and start asking why not, said Estelle Grech, housing spokesperson for the Committee for Sydney. Mosman, with only 16 homes built in 12 months, needs to step up to its modest target of 100 homes a year. Sticking to what works best One of the most important lessons Moy has learned is the value of focusing on what she and her team do best: residential lending. Ex-Philippine Mayor Alice Guo with Alleged Chinese Crime Ties Deported to Manila for Senate Probe (Photo: PNP-PIO) Former Philippine mayor Alice Guo, embroiled in allegations of ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and money laundering, was deported to Manila on Friday after being apprehended by Indonesian authorities earlier this week. Guo, who also goes by the name Guo Hua Ping, had fled the Philippines in July and was captured in Jakarta, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention. Guo, 34, is accused of laundering over 100 million pesos ($1.79 million) and playing a key role in establishing illegal online gaming and scam operations catering predominantly to Chinese clients. The former mayor of Bamban, a town in the northern Philippine province of Tarlac, Guo had been under investigation by the Philippine Senate but refused to appear before congressional hearings, leading to a warrant for her arrest. Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), have filed multiple counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 other individuals. These charges are part of a broader probe into the operations she allegedly facilitated. The Senate's investigation into Guo began in May, following a March raid on a casino in Bamban, which uncovered what authorities described as illegal activities run from a facility partly owned by Guo. Upon her arrival in Manila, Guo was escorted by Philippine law enforcement, including Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., who led the handover from Indonesian authorities. In a press briefing shortly after landing, Guo maintained her innocence, describing the accusations as malicious and politically motivated. "I have received death threats, and I am asking for the help of Philippine authorities," she stated, emphasizing her need for protection. Secretary Abalos assured Guo of her safety but urged her to disclose all pertinent information regarding her alleged criminal connections. "Disclose all the names in order to serve justice and so all this ends. That is the only way we can help her," Abalos remarked, signaling the administration's intent to resolve the case swiftly. Talagang mapagkakatiwalaan pa ba ang national authority kung makikita ang isang fugitive na ganito ka-comfortable matapos mahuli? Kadiri! Probably one of the MOST DISTURBING CLIP in the news right now. Paano nagagawang ngumiti at kumindat na parang artista nitong si Alice Guo??Talagang mapagkakatiwalaan pa ba ang national authority kung makikita ang isang fugitive na ganito ka-comfortable matapos mahuli? Kadiri! pic.twitter.com/qDPjhYyhMU ExhoNames (@echoechonames) September 5, 2024 Guo's legal troubles are compounded by her disputed nationality. While she asserts that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed in August that her fingerprints match those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping. This discovery fueled further suspicions about her background and the legitimacy of her election as mayor in 2022. In addition to her money laundering charges, Guo faces accusations of grave misconduct, which led to her removal from office by the Philippine Ombudsman, an agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting government officials accused of corruption and other crimes. Guo's arrest and subsequent deportation were the result of coordinated efforts between the Philippine and Indonesian governments. Indonesian police arrested Guo on the outskirts of Jakarta, hoping to facilitate a detainee exchange that would see the repatriation of Gregor Johann Haas, an Australian national and one of Indonesia's most-wanted drug suspects, currently detained in the Philippines. While discussions about the detainee swap are ongoing, the case of Haas adds another layer of complexity to the diplomatic relations between the involved nations. Haas, described as a high-profile fugitive associated with the Sinaloa cartel, faces the possibility of capital punishment if extradited to Indonesia. Australian laws prohibit extradition to countries where the death penalty is enforced, raising concerns about Haas's fate should the swap proceed. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude to Indonesian authorities for their cooperation in Guo's arrest. The President had earlier implemented a ban on Chinese-run online gaming operations in the Philippines, accusing them of being involved in various crimes, including human trafficking, torture, kidnappings, and murder. China-Equatorial Guinea ties bloom at primary school in SW China's Yunnan People's Daily Online) 09:09, September 06, 2024 "In the distant land of Africa, there is a beautiful country called Equatorial Guinea. Although we are thousands of miles apart, the bond of friendship tightly connects us," said Zi Han, a Chinese fifth-grader, at a school ceremony in a border area of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Sept. 2. The primary school in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, has made it a tradition to celebrate the friendship between China and Equatorial Guinea every year at the opening ceremony of the new semester and on International Children's Day. Students perform at the autumn opening ceremony of the China-Equatorial Guinea Friendship Primary School in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ran Hongyan) Established in April 1918, the school is the oldest and largest public primary school in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County. It was originally named Jinping First Primary School. In April 2015, during his visit to China, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, announced a donation from his government for the renovation and expansion of the school. Over a year later, the school opened a new five-story building. The 2,530-square-meter facility includes 20 classrooms, 10 restrooms and five offices. The school was renamed the China-Equatorial Guinea Friendship Primary School to commemorate the friendship between the two countries. "The school used to be a dilapidated three-story building with dim and cramped classrooms that could only accommodate 12 classes," said Principal Ran Hongyan. After the new teaching building was completed, additional classrooms and bathrooms were added, providing conditions for the school to expand enrollment in mountainous areas, Ran explained. She noted that the school currently has 45 classes and over 2,000 students. Ran said the school has become a symbol of friendship between China and Africa. Visitors from over 50 countries and regions have toured the facility, impressed by Equatorial Guinea's aid to education in China's border regions. Aerial view of the China-Equatorial Guinea Friendship Primary School, located in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ran Hongyan) "There is a Chinese saying that we should give a plum in return for a peach," Ran said, adding that the assistance received by the school reflects China's long-term support for African nations, including Equatorial Guinea. China and Equatorial Guinea have maintained a strong, mutually respectful relationship since establishing diplomatic ties over 50 years ago. Since 1971, China has sent more than 600 medical workers in 33 groups to Equatorial Guinea, significantly contributing to local healthcare. When a devastating earthquake struck China in 2008, Equatorial Guinea donated 2 million euros ($2.2 million) for relief efforts. There are many more such stories of mutual assistance between the two countries. In recent years, both nations have actively aligned their development strategies and carried out pragmatic cooperation in infrastructure construction, technical assistance, and other fields, benefiting the people of both countries. To help students understand the China-Equatorial Guinea friendship, the primary school decorated a hallway wall with images of butterflies and silk-cotton trees. The butterflies symbolize Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, known for its annual "butterfly explosion." The silk-cotton trees represent Equatorial Guinea, appearing on its national flag. "We use the butterfly and silk-cotton tree patterns to symbolize the everlasting friendship between China and Equatorial Guinea," Ran said. Stories about the countries' friendship also appear on classroom blackboards throughout the school. "As primary school students, what can we do for this friendship?" Zi asked the whole school during the opening ceremony of the autumn semester. "We can learn more about Equatorial Guinea's culture and introduce this beautiful country to people around us. We can also communicate with children from Equatorial Guinea to share our learning and life experiences and enhance mutual understanding and friendship," he said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Trade minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will add to Indias maritime security and reduce the countrys reliance on a few trade routes. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Addressing the India-Mediterranean Business Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Goyal said IMEC will provide faster connectivity at lower logistics costs. IMEC was launched in Indias G20 presidency, which aims to integrate India, the Middle East, and Europe through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the European Union (EU). It will add to Indias maritime security and, as a strategy, it will reduce our reliance on very few routes which today can become detrimental to our maritime security, he added. Further, Goyal said the tourism sector holds tremendous promise in the relationship between India and the Mediterranean countries. Tourism provides that huge cultural and economic connect that we must explore much faster. We must actually set up a working group, the minister remarked. The Mediterranean region is the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, which includes countries of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Goyal argued that a robust people-to-people connect between India and Mediterranean countries will be great to kickstart the engagement, which can further be translated into a strong business relationship between the two. He also listed various areas of cooperation between India and Mediterranean countries like the blue economy, renewable energy, digitisation, textiles, pharma, Information Technology (IT), manufacturing, and agriculture. We also have a huge number of common interests in the shipping sector, shipbuilding, ship ownership and cruise, developing Indian ports and expanding their capacity, Goyal said. IMEC aims to boost economic development by fostering connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this was signed during the G20 summit in New Delhi last year, with participation from governments such as India, the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. The project's key goal is to enhance transportation and communication links between Europe and Asia. Given the wonderful relations that our leaders share, it is time now we translate that into a similar strong bond between Indian and Mediterranean business persons, Goyal said. On foreign direct investment (FDI), the minister said that the inflows continue to be at elevated levels and India is targeting to become a much more attractive destination for these investments in the years to come. We have a large amount of international investor interest," he added. Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the event, Goyal said that he has invited steel industry representatives to understand the unfair competition that some of them are facing. (We will) take appropriate measures so that the steel industry remains vibrant, continues to grow, and adds jobs to the Indian economy, he added. Goyal opined that global trade remained subdued as the two wars (Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas) continued to hold back global trade. He said Indian exports in July fell owing to the lower volume of petroleum products exports. The fall in non-petroleum products is not there and there is growth in our core domestically produced goods. So, I am not yet concerned about it, but we would like to encourage our petroleum exports also, he noted. Nima Momeni, the man charged in the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, makes his way into a San Francisco courtroom. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Both sides in the trial of the man accused of stabbing tech mogul Bob Lee to death in 2023 finally revealed their strategies in court Friday, with Nima Momenis lawyers saying he killed Lee in self-defense and prosecutors describing Momeni as an impulsive liar and saying they have video of him acting out the killing to help prove their case. Momeni believed Lee may have raped his sister, Khazar Momeni, and after killing Lee in anger, he lied to his sister that he didnt know where Lee was at the time of his death, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins wrote in papers filed before a pre-trial conference Friday. Momeni has pleaded not guilty. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The knife found near the slaying scene had Momenis DNA on the handle and Lees on the blade, and Khazar herself called her brother psychotic after Lees death, according to Jenkins filing. The filing also referenced a video a San Francisco police officer who was surveilling Momeni captured before his arrest showing the suspect pantomiming for one of his lawyers staffers in a public parking lot three stabbing motions and a gesture like he was throwing the knife away. Lee, co-founder of Cash App, was stabbed three times. Momenis lawyers painted an opposite picture, acknowledging that the two men left Khazars apartment together after a visit, but contending that Lee was too high on drugs and booze that night to think clearly. Momeni and Lee got into a conflict that led to Lee, not Momeni, wielding the knife, the defendants attorneys said. The Police Departments DNA testing was flawed, they argued, and if the knife had also been tested for latent fingerprints it might have shown Lees prints on the handle. Mr. Momeni acted in self-defense, wrote Momenis legal team, led by Saam Zangeneh of Florida. They wrote that their argument is specifically that Mr. Momeni stood his ground after Mr. Lee attacked him with a weapon. Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai, Momeni and his lawyers appeared briefly before Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon on Friday to discuss their filings, but the only action she took was to delay the start of the trial from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18. Jury selection is expected to last more than a week, after which opening statements will be made. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court observers have been waiting since Momenis arrest shortly after Lees April 4, 2023, killing for a cohesive defense strategy to emerge. Until now, Zangeneh would only say his client was innocent, and much of his teams efforts during early hearings were devoted to disproving the prosecutions evidence and showing that Lees history and behavior led to his death. Momeni has attended every court session in an orange jail jumpsuit, manacled until he sits down at the attorneys table. He was at Fridays hearing but said nothing. Momenis mother, Mahnaz Tayarani Babai, has been a consistent presence in the court gallery, at times the only observer outside of reporters. She rarely speaks publicly. I come whenever I can because I want my son to see me here for support, she told the Chronicle at one session this summer. He needs me here. I love my son. He is innocent. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lees ex-wife Krista Lee, on the other hand, has been the most vocal attendant on her exs behalf. Immediately after a judge in August 2023 ordered Momeni to stand trial, she said the defendant got no sympathy from her. The Congress on Friday released its first list of 31 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, fielding former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, state unit chief Udai Bhan from Hodal and wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Julana. The list was released after the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress met here, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria and Hooda, among others, attending the meeting. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Besides Hooda, Bhan and Phogat, the Congress has fielded Mewa Singh from Ladwa to take on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The party has also fielded Surender Panwar from Sonipat, Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, Kuldeep Vats from Badli, Chiranjeev Rao from Revari and Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT. Earlier, on the possibility of any MP contesting the polls, Babaria said after the CEC meeting, "To date, no MP has been permitted to contest Assembly elections." Asked about Phogat contesting the polls, he said, "I think it has been decided that she will contest from Julana." The Congress is also engaged in seat-sharing talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)for the Haryana polls, with hard bargaining going on from both sides. However, the prospects of a tie-up appeared bleak on Friday with both sides hardening their stance. The Congress has been engaged in hectic consultations over the last few days to explore the possibility of an alliance with the AAP for the Haryana polls, even as some of its leaders have expressed reservations over a tie-up with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. The sources said the Hooda faction of the grand old party and some other leaders are opposed to a seat-sharing deal with the AAP. According to these leaders, Kejriwal's party does not have much ground in Haryana. Olympians Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh last year, entered the political arena on Friday by joining the Congress with a vow of "not being scared or backing off". Hours after joining the Congress, Punia was appointed the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. It seems unlikely now that he would be fielded in the polls. The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8. Terry Williams, right, talks with a San Francisco firefighter as he stands across the street from his home. San Francisco police said they identified a person suspected of making racist threats against Williams. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle San Francisco police are searching for a 67-year-old woman who they suspect of leaving threatening and racist items near the home of a well-known dog walker in Alamo Square. The dog walker, Terry Williams, who is Black, called police on the morning of April 26 to report threatening material left around his building at 900 Grove St. In a subsequent interview with the Chronicle, he said someone had slipped an offensive doll through his gate, depicting a Black person with a noose around its neck. Williams said he had also received postcards and other material containing intimidating and derogatory language. Police investigated the incident as a hate crime and ultimately identified a suspect, April Martin Chartrand, 67, of San Francisco. They have obtained a warrant for her arrest. Williams told the Chronicle Friday that he did not know the woman, who was recently reported missing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A month after Williams discovered the racist items, his home caught fire and burned. Williams had been meeting with Mayor London Breeds chief safety and criminal justice officer when a cousin called to inform him of the blaze. He was screaming, Your house is on fire!, Williams told the Chronicle at the time. Firefighters and police are still investigating what caused the blaze, which displaced Williams family to a hotel room. It remains unclear whether the fire is connected to the hate crimes investigation. April Martin Chartrand, 67, of San Francisco is being sought by San Francisco police, who they suspect of leaving racist, threatening material at the home of a San Francisco dog walker. San Francisco Police Department Chartrands family members reported her disappearance on Aug. 23. Investigators from the San Francisco Police Department are seeking the publics help to find her. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call 911 with her location and a physical description, department officials said. They ask people to call 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD. As many 572 tribal girl students and women have become victims of rape during the last five years in Odisha, the SC-ST Development Minister Nityananda Gond told state Assembly on Friday. In a written reply to a query by Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Gond said the 572 tribal girls had become victims of rape under Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, during the past five years. Out of the 572 rape cases, trials have been completed in 32 cases, while chargesheets have been filed in 509 cases, he said. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price missed a key deadline to bring charges against three officers accused in the death of Mario Gonzalez, according to the officers lawyers. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Attorneys for three police officers charged in the 2021 death of Mario Gonzalez, a man who went limp after the officers pinned him to the ground, filed a motion to dismiss the case Friday. Their filing hinged on an explosive argument: that Alameda County prosecutors had missed the statute of limitations for charges of involuntary manslaughter. In a declaration accompanying the motion, attorney Alison Berry Wilkinson, who represents one of the officers Cameron Leahy describes what she and the other defense lawyers consider a fatal error by the prosecution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to Berry Wilkinsons records, the criminal complaints filed at 3:24 p.m. on April 18, hours before the 11:59 p.m. deadline, did not meet key requirements to commence a prosecution. The complaints did not, Berry Wilkinson wrote, plead the issuance of a timely finding of probable cause, a timely arrest warrant, or a summons. Its the latest twist in what could be a pivotal prosecution for the Alameda County District Attorneys office, two months before voters weigh a ballot measure to recall District Attorney Pamela Price. The district attorney said she walled herself off when her Public Accountability Unit decided to charge the officers in April, reversing the decision of Prices predecessor, Nancy OMalley, who cleared the three of criminal wrongdoing in 2022. Price did not publicly elaborate on why she decided to recuse herself from the case. Spokespeople for her office declined to comment on Friday. Gonzalez death, following a protracted encounter with police that led to a scuffle, drew national scrutiny during a period of societal reflection about policing. It occurred on April 19, 2021 roughly a year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis when Gonzalez, 26, was hanging out in an Alameda park, arousing suspicions from neighbors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police received two calls about him. The first caller reported that a man was standing outside his front gate and muttering to himself, while the second caller said Gonzalez was lingering at the park with baskets of what might be stolen bottles of alcohol. Alameda police officer Eric McKinley responded to the scene and found Gonzalez standing beside two Walgreens baskets with bottles. For nine minutes, McKinley tried to engage the man, who appeared to have trouble putting thoughts and sentences together, according to OMalleys 2022 investigation. A second officer, James Fisher, arrived as backup and helped McKinley attempt to handcuff Gonzalez, who resisted by bending at his waist and straightening his left arm in front of his body, OMalley wrote in her report. Eventually the officers forced Gonzalez to the ground and struggled on top of him, with help from a civilian parking employee who held Gonzalezs legs. After getting the handcuffs on, the officers continued pinning Gonzalez, who kept resisting, OMalley wrote in her report. Leahy, the third officer, arrived and took over for the parking employee, who was still trying to hold down Gonzalezs legs. After 3 minutes and 39 seconds of restraint with handcuffs on, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the former district attorneys report said. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Autopsy findings released by the Alameda County coroner in December 2021 ruled Gonzalezs death a homicide while also linking it to drug use. According to the coroner Gonzalez died from toxic effects of methamphetamine combined with the physiological stress of restraint. A second autopsy conducted at the request of Gonzalezs family in a federal civil rights lawsuit found that Gonzalez died of restraint asphyxiation, not from methamphetamine. Last year, Alameda city officials approved an $11 million payment to Gonzalezs family to settle a civil rights lawsuit. Ganeshotsav festival is celebrated nationwide, especially in Mumbai, with joy and enthusiasm. This year is no exception, and thousands of devotees are heading to Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi to witness the first look at the famous Lalbaugcha Raja. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Lalbaugcha Raja, or King of Lalbaug, also known as Navasacha Ganpati or wish-fulfilling Ganesha, is a colourful and grand celebration of Mumbai's Ganesh Chaturthi. Every year, Ganeshotsav festivities begin with unveiling the first look of 'Lalbaugcha Raja', located in Putlabai Chawl. Unveiling Lalbaugcha The darshan of the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja will start with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7, 2024, while the first glimpse of the 12-foot idol in maroon attire was given to devotees on September 5. This year, the theme for Lalbaugcha is inspired by Ayodhya's Ram Temple, designed by the art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai. A replica of the Ram Temple includes the temple's grand dome and an idol of Lord Ram. The Times of India reports that 2024's Lalbaugcha Raja has secured insurance of a whopping Rs 32.76 crore from New India Insurance that covers mandal workers, the set, gold jewellery, property, and other ornaments and any other third-party liability. Lalbaugcha Raja's history There is an interesting story related to the beginning of Lalbaugcha Raja. In the 1900s, the area was dominated by 100 textile mills that peaked in the 1930s affecting the lives and livelihood of people who used to live in the vicinity. When nothing worked in their favour, locals turned to their favourite god Ganesha to sail them through hard times. The community managed to survive after they were granted a plot of land currently known as Lalbaug market. According to locals, Lord Ganesha's blessing helped them to survive in that tough time. The community decided to dedicate a portion of the land called Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal (community celebration of the festival), where lord Ganesha is established every year. Locals dressed their favourite god in different dresses and called him the Raja or the King of the locality. The size and scale of this Ganesh Chaturthi increased massively. Several pandals compete showing their enormity and magnificence and people sometimes wait for less than 40 hours to catch a glimpse of their favourite deity. How's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated? The 10-day festival begins with bringing Lord Ganesha to homes or pandals and worshipping it for 10 days. The idol is immersed in some water body with the colour procession. The festival is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday questioned the West Bengal government for establishing fast track special courts in only five to six districts to deliver swift justice for crimes against women. He said only recently, the state has sent fresh proposals to set up such courts in more districts. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of an event, the minister said the rape-murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata was shameful. He said mistakes have been pointed out in the action taken after the incident, which even was tardy. "Matter came to the Supreme Court. Then (West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter about the need for fast track courts. The scheme (for fast track special courts) already exists," he pointed out. He said except for five-six districts, the courts were not set up (in West Bengal). "Now their proposals have been received for some districts. People of Bengal, doctors across the country are agitated about the incident. "The attitude of the police has been questioned... the matter is before the Supreme Court, to cover up, things keep happening," he said. Meghwal also referred to the recent letter written by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi to Banerjee noting that the state government has not operationalised additional 11 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) to specifically deal with cases of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases. Devi said West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) covered under a central government scheme. Banerjee has written twice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of crimes against women. In her latest letter, she sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder. "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 had told Banerjee after her letters to the prime minister. The CPI(M)-led Left government in Kerala on Friday announced disbursement of a two-month pension for over 60 lakh beneficiaries, marking an Onam gift. Announcing the decision, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that Rs 1,700 crore has been allocated for this purpose. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "Around 6.2 mn people will receive Rs 3,200 each for Onam. This is in addition to the one month's pension that is currently being given," he said in a statement here. The decision to disburse the Social Security and Welfare Fund pension to beneficiaries starting next week is seen as an attempt by the Left government to regain its mass base, lost during the Lok Sabha polls. Earlier, the CPI(M) and its allies had attributed their humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls to delayed settlement of dues and recommended a course correction. In the polls, the LDF won just one seat, while the Congress-led UDF secured 18 seats, and the BJP opened its account for the first time in the state's political history. Balagopal said that the pension amount will reach beneficiaries from next week onwards. He said 26.62 lakh people will receive the amount directly in their bank accounts, while others will receive their pension through cooperative banks, which will deliver it to their homes. He clarified that one of the two additional months' pension sanctioned is a backlog payment. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier assured the Assembly that the delayed backlog payment of social security pension, due to financial constraints, will be paid this year and next year. Balagopal said despite the severe financial constraints faced by the state due to the policies of the Central government, the Left government's firm decision to provide at least one month's backlog pension during Onam has been implemented. "The government has given top priority to pension disbursement. Since last March, monthly pension disbursement has been ensured. This month's pension is being given ahead of time, coinciding with Onam," he said. The minister claimed that Kerala has implemented the most comprehensive social security pension scheme in India. The state bears 98 per cent of the required funds, while only two per cent is contributed by the Central government. "Out of 62 lakh welfare pension beneficiaries, 6.8 lakh people receive a meager assistance of around Rs 300 from the Central government. In contrast, pensioners in Kerala receive Rs 1,600 per month, with the state government funding the entire remaining amount," the minister added. Tamil Nadu government has signed MoUs worth Rs 850 crore with companies including Lincoln Electric during the ongoing US visit of Chief Minister M K Stalin to attract investments, the state government said on Friday. The MoUs were exchanged in the presence of the chief minister on September 5 in Chicago between officials of the government and firms that have committed investments. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Lincoln Electric, a leader in arc welding, robotic welding systems and plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment inked a pact to invest Rs 500 crore for expansion of its R&D and manufacturing facility in suburban Chennai. Vishay Precision, manufacturers of semiconductor and electronic parts and with operations in several countries signed an MoU to invest Rs 100 crore to set up a sensors and transducers facility in Kancheepuram district, an expansion of its manufacturing unit. Visteon Corporation, an automotive electronics maker has committed Rs 250 crore for establishing manufacturing units in Chennai and Coimbatore. Lincoln, Vishay and Visteon are US headquartered firms and the MoUs will facilitate good employment opportunities, the government said. On August 27, the CM embarked on the US tour and he is scheduled to be in America till September 14 to attract investments to the state. The visit is a part of overall initiatives to achieve the goal of transforming the state into a USD one trillion economy by 2030, the government said. CM Stalin, in a post on 'X' said: "In the land of opportunities, every new dawn ignites fresh hopes. We've secured MoUs worth ?850 crores with Lincoln Electric, Vishay Precision, and Visteon, bringing us one step closer to realising our vision. Through relentless effort and determination, we continue to turn our dreams into reality!On August 27, the CM embarked on the US tour and he is scheduled to be in America till September 14 to attract investments to the state. The visit is a part of overall initiatives to achieve the goal of transforming the state into a USD one trillion economy by 2030, the government said. During the CM's current US visit, the state government has already inked pacts with several leading companies and all such investment proposals together have a potential to offer employment to over 5,000 people in Tamil Nadu. Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, at a campaign event Wednesday, Sept. 4, in Mesa, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press I may be just a childless dog gentleman (a close relation to the childless cat lady), yet I know that child care can be hard to find and expensive. But in all fairness, I only understand that because I interact with members of my community, try to pay attention to the world around me and am generally not alienated from humanity. Now imagine how I felt when I heard father of three and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vances response to the question, What can we do about lowering the cost of day care? posed by right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk at a Turning Point USA event in Mesa, Ariz., on Wednesday, Sept. 4. So, one of the ways that you might be able to relieve a little bit of pressure on people who are paying so much for day care is maybe grandma and grandpa (want) to help out a little bit more, or maybe theres an aunt or uncle that wants to help out a little bit more, the Yale Law School graduate said. If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that were spending on day care. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hey J.D., not all of us have a Mamaw who can babysit and eventually be played by Glenn Close in the film adaptation of our memoir. The answer was about as eloquent and in touch as Vances doughnut order. (A lot of glazed here, some sprinkles stuff he droned to employees at a bakery in Georgia last month, as if seeing doughnuts for the first time.) Given Vances clueless solution to the child care crisis, we imagined* how he might respond to some of the other problems plaguing Americans today. With the vice presidential candidate debate between Vance and Democratic nominee Tim Walz still weeks away on Oct. 1, these answers may have to sustain us until then. *Editors note: This is a work of parody, not a real interview with J.D. Vance. Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, right, speaks at a campaign event as Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk listens Wednesday in Mesa, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press Q: How do we end prejudice? Advertisement Article continues below this ad A: Prejudice would not exist if we were all the same, so clearly, there lies the answer. If you feel you are being discriminated against because of your beliefs or identity, change them. Changing your beliefs is easy, and I should know you should see what I said about Donald Trump a couple years ago. I called him Americas Hitler but thankfully, thats what he asked his friends to call him. Changing your identity is harder, but maybe you just shouldnt take things so personally if someone discriminates against you based on your race, gender, sexuality or ability. That sounds like a you problem, certainly not a me problem. Q: Whats the solution to the climate crisis? A: Well first of all, I no longer admit, er, believe that there is such a thing as either a climate, or a crisis. True, I was once a green technology investor, but ever since getting on the carbon-spewing Trump train, Ive decided global warming is a hoax. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If such a thing did exist, Id just tell everyone on the planet to cool it. Maybe the Earth can have an icy beverage made from the chunks of melting glaciers or crank up the air conditioning. Or just take off a layer does the Earth really need that top crust? Sen. J.D. Vance suggested that grandparents, aunts and uncles could solve the child care crisis by helping out more. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press Q: How do we stop violent crime? A: People need to learn how to duck. Sure, many people might blame the perpetrators of violence or the social conditions that create violent behavior, but I think the victim is equally at fault for being punched/kicked/stabbed/shot. If their body wasnt in the way of that fist/foot/blade/bullet, there would be no harm! Advertisement Article continues below this ad Like I said about school shootings, violence is just a fact of life. If you really want to get the violent crime rate down, people need to stop reporting violent crimes. And remember: Duck! Q: How would you end poverty? A: Like Paris Hiltons infamous early 2000s T-shirt, I would tell people to stop being poor. Thats also the message of my memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. If you had money but lost it because youre bad at business, just ask your father for a few hundred million. Of course, it helps if your father is Fred Trump. If you come from a poor family, do what I did: Find a wealthy venture capitalist to make you his protege and bankroll your political career. Q: What can we do to help women suffering under reproductive health care restrictions? Advertisement Article continues below this ad 1. What's the Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price today? Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price was Rs 3,915.70 at 04:01 PM IST on 8th Oct 2024 . Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price was up by 2.65 % over the previous closing price of Rs 3,814.45 . Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price trend: Last 1 Month: Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price moved up by 4.22 % on BSE Last 3 Months: Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price moved up by 37.07 % on BSE Last 12 Months: Akzo Nobel India Ltd share price moved up by 56.43 % on BSE Last 3 Years: Akzo Nobel India Ltd price moved up by 74.92 % on BSE 2. How can I quickly analyse the performance of the Akzo Nobel India Ltd stock? The performance of the Akzo Nobel India Ltd stock can be quickly analysed on the following metrics: The stock's PE is 41.38 Price to book value ratio is 13.43 Dividend yield of 1.97 The EPS (trailing 12 months) of the Akzo Nobel India Ltd stock is Rs 94.71 3. What is the market cap of Akzo Nobel India Ltd ? Akzo Nobel India Ltd has a market capitalisation of Rs 17,832 crore. 4. What is Akzo Nobel India Ltd 's 52-week high/low share price? The Akzo Nobel India Ltd s 52-week high share price is Rs 4,110.25 and 52-week low share price is Rs 2,265.10 . 5. Is the Akzo Nobel India Ltd profitable? On a consolidated basis, Akzo Nobel India Ltd reported a profit of Rs 114.60 crore on a total income of Rs 1,046.00 crore for the quarter ended 2024 . For the year ended Jun 2024 , Akzo Nobel India Ltd had posted a profit of Rs 114.60 crore on a total income of Rs 1,046.00 crore. 6. Which are Akzo Nobel India Ltd s peers in the Consumer sector? Akzo Nobel India Ltd s top 5 peers in the Consumer sector are Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac, Akzo Nobel, Indigo Paints, Shalimar Paints, Retina Paints . 7. Who owns how much in Akzo Nobel India Ltd ? Key changes to the Akzo Nobel India Ltd shareholding are as follows: Elena Kadvany has been a reporter on the Chronicles Food & Wine team since 2021. She covers the ins and outs of the Bay Area food industry, from breaking news about the latest restaurant openings to investigative stories into wage theft and workers rights. In 2024, her food writing portfolio won second place in the Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features awards. Previously, she covered restaurants and education for the Palo Alto Weekly; her work has also been published in Bon Appetit and the Guardian, and her reporting has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She can be reached at Elena.Kadvany@sfchronicle.com. A man who identified himself as Kswizz smokes a marijuana joint during the unofficial 4/20 celebration on Hippie Hill in San Franciscos Golden Gate Park on April 20. AB1775 would allow cannabis cafes in California. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle San Francisco should strengthen smoke-free protections for workers before creating cannabis cafe establishments modeled after Amsterdam allowed by AB1775, which the California Legislature recently passed. Unlike over 100 other California cities, San Francisco still allows cigarette smoking on outdoor bar patios. Expanding cannabis smoking at indoor establishments will reverse decades of tobacco control successes that the city has led nationally. Further, granting employees the right to wear a mask inside a cannabis cafe may not be sufficient. Scientific evidence suggests that an N95 mask still allows vapors and chemicals to enter the lungs of a mask wearer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For these reasons, I urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto AB1775. John Maa, San Francisco No joy in equity Kamala Harris talks about equity and freedom. But equity and freedom are mutually exclusive. You gain one at the expense of the other. To establish equity, the government would need to level things off. It would need to take something from one person and give it to another. More wealth is generated when the government stays on the sidelines and doesnt interfere with the free exchange of goods and services in the marketplace. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And why should a person who works longer and sacrifices more than the average person be required to give up what they have earned? How is that freedom? Does the government have the right to compel people to share? The Harris presidential campaign has adopted joy as its theme. But how can there be any joy if individual freedom is threatened and compromised? Less freedom can never bring more joy. Pete Campbell, San Jose No excuse for Trump Both of my parents are interred in Arlington National Cemetery. As their children, we were given permanent passes that allowed us to drive to their gravesite. Included with the pass was a letter outlining the rules while visiting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Donald Trump being ignorant of these rules is not surprising. But the family that invited him was given the same rules I have, and while they are extensive and detailed, it can be boiled down to two things: This is not a private cemetery so there will be no picnic, and it is not a setting for your family Kodak memories. I find it offensive that the family is making an excuse for Trump because he was their guest. They may have a guest, but they may not disregard the rules they agreed to when they accepted their passes. David Eiland, San Francisco Bear killed inhumanely Regarding A California towns beloved 400-pound bear attacked a woman. Now hes dead, and locals want justice (Outdoors, SFChronicle.com, Aug. 30): The story labeled the death of the bear known as Victor in Mammoth Lakes as euthanasia. The Chronicle and most media outlets use this term incorrectly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 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 When an animal is put to death because of human conflicts, it is killed. Why are you afraid to say that? Euthanasia refers to giving a suffering being a humane end to life. That is not what happens when a wild animal is put to death because of a conflict with humans. What happens is a killing and you should call it what it is. A musician from the United States allegedly exploited artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate fake songs and stream them on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The musician and his accomplices amassed $10 million in royalties by inflating listens through the use of bots. He has now been indicted on federal fraud charges, according to a report by The New York Times (NYT). Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp How the musician scammed streaming services As per NYT, 52-year-old Michael Smith created hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs under fake band names. Using bots to artificially boost play counts, Smith collected royalties for more than seven years. Names such as Callous Post, Calorie Screams, and Calvinistic Dust were linked to the scheme, with fabricated tracks like Zygotic Washstands, Zymotechnical, and Zygophyllum topping charts on major platforms. Smith and his accomplices allegedly set up around 10,000 fake profiles to stream these songs, carefully distributing streams to avoid detection by avoiding abnormal listening spikes. His actions syphoned royalties that should have gone to legitimate artists. A US attorney condemned the scam, stressing the damage it caused to genuine musicians and songwriters. "Smith stole millions in royalties owed to musicians, songwriters, and other rights holders," the US attorney stated. Smith now faces charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, which could lead to a 20-year prison sentence. He was arrested on Wednesday. Smith was first flagged by a distribution company in 2018, but denied any wrongdoing, claiming, This is absolutely wrong and crazy! There is no fraud happening! Artists dependent on digital listening As digital listening increasingly determines commercial success, many artists rely on live performances for income due to the low payouts from streaming platforms. Popular music, now largely digital, is created with computer-generated sounds, and fans receive it through intangible digital files. According to a 2017 financial projection, Smith estimated he could stream his songs 661,440 times per day, potentially earning $3,307.20 daily and up to $1.2 million annually. To avoid suspicion, prosecutors say Smith spread the streams across many fake songs, never inflating play counts for a single track too much. Initially, Smith uploaded his own music but found his catalogue too small to generate significant revenue. He then expanded by using a publicist's catalogue and later offered his services to other musicians, hoping they would pay him or share royalties. Both efforts failed. In 2018, Smith reportedly teamed up with an AI music company's CEO and a music promoter, building an extensive catalogue of fake songs, uploading thousands each week. Half of Americans now doubt TikTok will be banned at all, calling it very or somewhat unlikely. Image: Bloomberg By Alicia Clanton Americans are less supportive of a possible TikTok ban than they were 18 months ago, according to a new survey ahead of a government deadline next year to force a sale or bar the app from US users. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Americans are less supportive of a possible TikTok ban than they were 18 months ago, according to a new survey ahead of a government deadline next year to force a sale or bar the app from US users. Just 32 per cent of US adults back a TikTok ban, according to survey data from Pew Research released Thursday. Pew found that 38 per cent of US adults supported a ban last fall and 50 per cent were in favor in March 2023. Meanwhile, half of Americans now doubt TikTok will be banned at all, calling it very or somewhat unlikely. The survey showed that many Americans have shifted their stance on TikTok in the past year and a half, including over the past five months since President Joe Biden signed a law that requires TikToks Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., to divest its ownership in the app or face a ban in the country. US lawmakers said they feared potential privacy and security issues related to TikToks Chinese ownership. The survey didnt ask respondents why their opinions had changed. Former President Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok while in office in 2020, has publicly reversed his opinion on the app and created an account earlier this year. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump for president, has also used the app to campaign ahead of Novembers US election. Despite signing the bill that could ultimately ban the app, Biden has also created an account. Researchers found that views about the app remain divided along party lines. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely to think TikTok threatens national security, and are nearly twice as likely to support a ban than Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, Pew found. Even so, support for the ban has dropped by nearly 20 percentage points within each party since March 2023. ByteDance has until January to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. under the law signed by Biden. That deadline can be pushed back 90 days if a sale seems to be in progress, and legal action could further delay a ban from taking effect. TikTok has sued the US to try to reverse the law. Pew surveyed 10,658 adults from July 15 to Aug. 4. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points. Hunter Biden wants to change his not guilty plea to avoid going to trial on federal tax evasion charges. Photo: Reuters Hunter Biden wants to change his not guilty plea to avoid going to trial on federal tax evasion charges , his defence attorney said Thursday, appearing to surprise prosecutors and the judge just as jury selection was set to begin. Defence attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge that the evidence against Hunter Biden is overwhelming and that the president's son wants to resolve the case with a plea instead of going to trial for a second time just months after he was convicted of felony gun charges in a separate case. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp But prosecutors are objecting to the proposed Alford plea, under which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction. Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty, prosecutor Leo Wise said. He is not entitled to plead guilty on special terms that apply only to him. The Justice Department charged Hunter Biden with misdemeanour and felony charges over what prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $ 1.4 million in taxes while pulling in millions of dollars from foreign business entities. He is already confronting potential prison time after a Delaware jury convicted him in June of lying on a 2018 federal form to purchase a gun that he possessed for 11 days. White House Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she was not able to comment on Hunter Biden's plans to change his plea. President Joe Biden has said he would not pardon or commute a sentence handed down against his son. Asked again Thursday if the president would pardon Hunter, Jean-Pierre said: Still no." A last-minute plea would allow Hunter Biden to avoid a trial that was expected to put a spotlight on his foreign business dealings, which Republicans have spent years scrutinizing to accuse his father without evidence of corruption in connection with his son's work overseas. The potential political ramifications of the trial just weeks before the presidential election may have faded somewhat since President Biden's July decision to drop out of the 2024 race. But the president is deeply concerned with the well-being of his son, so a trial would likely weigh heavily on him in the final months of his five-decade political career. Hunter Biden walked into the courtroom holding hands with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and flanked by Secret Service agents. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his 2016 through 2019 taxes and his attorneys have indicated they will argue he didn't act willfully, or with the intention to break the law, in part because of his well-documented struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour tax offenses last year in a deal with the Justice Department that would allow him to avoid prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble. But the agreement imploded after a judge questioned unusual aspects of it, and he was subsequently indicted in the two cases. His decision to change his plea Thursday came after the judge issued some unfavourable pre-trial rulings for the defence, including rejecting a proposed defense expert lined up to testify about addiction. Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, also placed some restrictions on what jurors would be allowed to hear about the traumatic events that Hunter Biden's family, friends and attorneys say led to his drug addiction. The judge barred attorneys from connecting his substance abuse struggles to the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden from cancer or the car accident that killed his mother and sister when he was a toddler. The indictment alleged that Hunter Biden lived lavishly while flouting the tax law, spending his cash on things like strippers and luxury hotels in short, everything but his taxes. Hunter Biden's attorneys had asked Scarsi to also limit prosecutors from highlighting details of his expenses that they say amount to a character assassination, including payments made to strippers or pornographic websites. The judge has said in court papers that he will maintain strict control over the presentation of potentially salacious evidence. Prosecutors had said they want to introduce evidence about Hunter Biden's overseas dealings, which have been at the centre of Republican investigations into the Biden family often seeking without evidence to tie the president to an alleged influence peddling scheme. The special counsel's team had planned to have a business associate of Hunter Biden's testify about their work for a Romanian businessman, who prosecutors say sought to influence US government policy while Joe Biden was vice president. Sentencing in Hunter Biden's Delaware conviction is set for November 13. He could face up to 25 years in prison, but as a first-time offender, he is likely to get far less time or avoid prison entirely. The defence's announcement appeared to catch prosecutors and the judge off guard at Los Angeles' federal courthouse, where more than 100 potential jurors had been brought to begin questioning Thursday. Opening statements in the case were expected Monday. A medical helicopter and police respond to a shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday in Winder, Ga. Mike Stewart/Associated Press When I first saw the headlines about the school shooting Wednesday in Winder, Ga., like many people, I felt my stomach drop and my hands go numb. As I processed the news, I recalled Id visited a shooting range with my brother close to Winder run by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in February 2023. Id wanted to spend some time with him; hed wanted some target practice. I remember stuffing foam plugs deep into my ears, putting on plastic earmuffs, and picking up a pistol. In a flash, I was taken back to how alone and afraid Id felt the last time Id handled a gun. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In 2001, I performed what I see now as a DIY gun removal, secretly carting dozens of firearms out of my parents house in south Georgia after theyd threatened to kill each other. I didnt have a sheriff to call or a judge to petition I just decided my parents were a danger to themselves and each other and I had to get the guns out of our house. It was a low-risk, community-supported intervention. My father had been paralyzed by a stroke that year and my mother used a cane to careen around our house. I simply waited until they were asleep in their separate rooms to start searching for their guns. They never threatened me and never actually waved guns around, but their verbal threats to kill themselves or each other had reached an apex. When they started hiding guns, I knew I had to act. My fathers friends, all responsible gun owners, took turns coming by our house to carry away the small arms I was finding stashed in closets, tucked in between sweaters and hidden in underwear drawers. Ill never forget meeting them outside our front door and how fast my heart was beating as I gave them whatever pistol Id found that day and the relief I felt when the gun was out of my hands. I didnt know if the weapons were loaded or unloaded or where to look for the safety buttons. While Id gone deer hunting a few times with my dad, I was a girl, and no one bothered to teach me how to unload a pistol safely, how to press the safety. Looking back, I shouldnt have had to do that in secret with a few close family friends. Fortunately, in California, where Ive lived for most of the past 20 years, families and community members dont have to. In 2014, California enacted the first Extreme Risk Protection Orders. Otherwise known as red flag laws, these orders empower families and community members to deescalate potential violence by temporarily restricting access to guns for individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others through a gun violence restraining order. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its exactly the kind of program that could have helped me all those years ago, and while investigators are still piecing together how this weeks mass shooting unfolded, if Georgia had restraining orders like the one in California, it would allow teachers including of secondary students to file a petition. These laws provide common sense opportunities for ordinary citizens and family members to have help in removing weapons from individuals in crisis, the kind of help my fathers friends informally provided to me. Gun confiscation laws have the potential for support across the political divide. Everyone knows gun violence is a public health epidemic. Gun restraining orders are an admission: Its not just guns that kill people, its people with guns who kill people. According to the gun violence education group Everytown, Georgia ranks 46th in the nation in gun law strength, compared to Californias No. 1 ranking. Still, there isnt much to celebrate in the Golden State: In an average year, around 3,299 Californians will die from gun violence. Yes, an outright ban on semiautomatic weapons like the one the alleged shooter in Winder used would drastically decrease the number of mass shootings. But a federal ban or even a state ban is unlikely any time soon. To make a real impact on ending the violence, we also have to focus on the people who make credible threats of violence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We have the power to appeal to legislators and citizens across the political spectrum. Families deserve the support of their sheriffs office and their court systems no matter what state they live in. 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 Thankfully, Ill never know if my actions prevented a family murder-suicide. My DIY gun removal was a success. My fathers friends returned the guns I took out of our closets and drawers to my brother after he graduated from college. My parents did not end up shooting each other; they just got divorced. After decades of threatening suicide, my mother, who struggled with mental illness and Parkinsons disease, died of natural causes in 2016. Israeli soldiers killed an American woman participating in an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank on Friday, another protester who witnessed the shooting told The Associated Press. Two doctors said she was shot in the head. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the death of the 26-year-old woman but did not say whether she had been shot by Israeli troops. He said the US was gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and would have more to say. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp He and the doctors who treated her released the woman's name, but the activist organisation she was volunteering with, the International Solidarity Movement, said her family had asked she not be identified. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports that troops had killed a foreign national while firing at an instigator of violent activity in the area of the protest. The woman who was fatally shot was attending a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion, protests that have grown violent in the past: A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison was shot in the leg by Israeli forces, he said, as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire. Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli who was also participating in the protest, said the shooting occurred shortly after dozens of Palestinians and international activists held a communal prayer on a hillside outside the northern West Bank town of Beita overlooking the Israeli settlement of Evyatar. Soldiers surrounded the prayer, and clashes soon broke out, with Palestinians throwing stones and troops firing tear gas and live ammunition, Pollak said. The protesters and activists, including Pollak and the woman, retreated from the hill and the clashes subdued, he said. He then watched as two soldiers standing on the roof of a nearby home trained a gun in the group's direction and shot at them. He saw the flares leave the nozzle of the gun when the shots rang out. He said the woman was about 10 or 15 metres behind him when the shots were fired. He then saw her lying on the ground, next to an olive tree, bleeding to death, he said. Two doctors said she had been shot in the head Dr. Ward Basalat, who administered first aid at the scene and Dr. Fouad Naffa, director of Rafidia Hospital in the nearby city of Nablus where she was taken. We tried to save the American citizen, we tried to revive the heart for several stages, but unfortunately, we did not succeed in restoring the heart to function, Naffa told The AP, adding that she had severe bone fragmentation and damage to brain tissue. Palestinian officials said the killing reflected how Israel has intensified its repression of Palestinian protests in the territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces rarely use live ammunition to put down protests inside Israel. But in the West Bank, Palestinian demonstrations are frequently met with live fire. Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghals wrote on X that the Israeli occupation wanted to kill for the sake of killing." A war of extermination in Gaza and a war in the West Bank that eats everything green, he wrote. It does not spare a child or any nationality. Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, wrote on X that the killing marked another crime added to the series of crimes committed daily by the occupation forces." Settlements are overwhelmingly viewed by the international community as illegal under international law. The settlement of Evyatar was initially an outpost unrecognized under Israeli law but was legalized by the Israeli cabinet last month, in a move the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said was in response to recognition of Palestinian statehood by a number of countries. Israeli fire has killed over 690 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, Palestinian health officials say. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis in the territory have also increased. The dunes along the beach in Samoa, a small coastal town on Humboldt Bay. Kurtis Alexander / The Chronicle A man vacationing on the Humboldt County coast last week died in the hospital on Saturday afternoon after being trapped in what authorities called a sand avalanche that collapsed on him while he was digging at the beach. On Wednesday afternoon, 43-year-old Dustin Hanson, of Idaho, and his girlfriend were visiting Samoa, a long, windswept stretch of sand and rolling dunes separating Humboldt Bay from the Pacific near Eureka, the mans brother, Cameron Brunty, told the Chronicle. While digging a deep hole beneath a large wooden log at the base of a dune at Samoa Power Pole Beach for fun to create a sort of fort to watch the sunset, Brunty said the sand mass above Hanson collapsed, trapping him. He remained buried in the sand for several minutes before authorities arrived at the beach with special equipment and chainsawed through the large log on top of him to extract him, Brunty said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sheriffs deputies performed CPR on Hanson while a Coast Guard helicopter landed on the beach and evacuated him to a local hospital, according to Commander George Suchanek, operations officer for Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay. Brunty told the Chronicle on Friday that his brother was unresponsive and on life support. Hanson died Saturday afternoon, Brunty said. Hanson's family is raising money through GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral and transportation back to Idaho. Deadly sand collapses have been reported at California beaches a number of times in the past 30 years, in Humboldt County, Southern California and elsewhere typically involving accidents with beachgoers digging tunnels. The Humboldt County Sheriffs Office did not respond to requests for comment. But Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer Megan Ruiz told local news blog Redheaded Blackbelt that Hanson's girlfriend was also caught in the sand collapse but was able to get out of the sand and call for help. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Former President Donald Trump gave a meandering, nonsensical answer to a question about child care costs when he addressed the Economic Club of New York on Thursday. Spencer Platt/TNS In a 30 Rock episode called Governor Dunston, the writing staff of the fictional sketch comedy show is confronted with a conundrum: The newly tapped Republican vice presidential candidate looks exactly like one of the shows actors, and happens to also be prone to mortifying gaffes. Theyve been handed a comedic golden ticket, but theres one problem. The networks boss insists they shouldnt write any jokes making fun of the candidate. So the head writer, played by Tina Fey, finds a loophole. Instead of writing jokes, she simply enlists an actor to quote the candidate verbatim. It is a not-so-subtle sendup of how Fey actually handled a real vice presidential candidate then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live in the run-up to the 2008 election. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fey understood a valuable truth: In the end, nothing was funnier or provided a clearer window into her fitness for the job than Palins own words. Its a lesson many mainstream journalists are beginning to endorse when it comes to covering former President Donald Trump. Longtime Boston Globe columnist Mike Barnicle called out major newspapers coverage of Trump on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Wednesday, suggesting theyre sanitizing Trumps comments by simply describing them instead of allowing readers to see his actual words in their entirety. Theres a false equivalency going on in the coverage of this race, in that Donald Trump can say whatever crazy things he wants to say about submarines and sharks and electric batteries, whatever he wants to say, and its not really covered in the sense that its covered describing who said it, why he said it and who the man is. And always in that story, in the false equivalency by too many reporters and too many American newspapers, is By the way, Kamala Harris changed her mind on fracking. Charges that Trump benefits from the media cleaning up his speeches are not new. And plenty of journalists do, of course, scrutinize and fact-check Trumps bizarre claims. (See, for example, Joe Garofolis account of Trumps speech to the California Republican Party last year, in which he promises to address the states wildfire crisis by wetting forest floors.) Advertisement Article continues below this ad But just a day after Barnicles criticisms aired, Trumps comments at an economic forum in New York appeared to break the dam. When asked what specific policies he would advance to make child care more affordable, here is Trumps response, in full: Well, I would do that and were sitting down, you know, I was, somebody, we had Sen. Marco Rubio and my daughter Ivanka was so impactful on that issue. Its a very important issue. But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that Im talking about that because the child care is, child care is you couldnt, you know theres something you have to have it in this country, you have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that Im talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that theyre not used to but theyll get used to it very quickly. And its not going to stop them from doing business with us. But theyll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that were talking about, including child care, that its going to take care I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time. Coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country. Because I have to stay with child care, I want to stay with child care but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that Im talking about, including growth. But growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just told you about. Were going to be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, its relatively speaking not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers were going to be taking in. Were going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people, and then well worry about the rest of the world. Lets help other people. But were going to take care of our country first. This is about America first, its about Make America Great Again, we have to do it because right now were a failing nation. So well take care of it. The New York Times characterized Trumps remarks as an extended discourse on the glories of William McKinley and the power of tariffs to cure all that ails what Mr. Trump called a nation nearing economic collapse. Not a glowing review, by any means, but it certainly does not paint a full picture of the incoherence of Trumps musings on a monumentally important policy issue that impacts millions of families. The Washington Post did not quote Trumps response in full, but did include substantial portions of it. The story called it a confusing answer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heres my challenge to journalists over the next two months: quote Trump in full, Max Kennerly, a lawyer and legal commentator, wrote on X on Thursday, alongside a video posted by the Harris campaign of Trumps comments. Dont clean him up, dont reinterpret what he says in a more sensible way, dont secretly editorialize. Just quote him. Let the voters see how this mans mind doesnt work. Journalist Parker Malloy posted the same clip, and wrote: It really is jarring to read Trumps comments as he actually delivers them vs. how theyre eventually cleaned up in mainstream news outlets. Still, liberal columnist Greg Sargent argued, theres a difference between highlighting individual speeches or wild comments and taking them seriously as a collective whole. Whats really at issue here is whether the media as an institution, and in a comprehensive sense is treating Trumps mental state as an overarching and critically important factor in determining whether he is fit to be president, Sargent wrote in the New Republic. But the media appears to be coming far closer to embracing Sargents vision for an effective way to cover Trump after this week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CNE Direct, Inc. (dba illumynt) is pleased to announce the return of Paul Knight as CEO of the global ITAD trading, services and solutions company. Now in its 23rd year of business, this change comes about as part of a restructuring for illumynt to kick off its next phase of strategic growth initiatives. Knight co-founded the business in 2002 and was the companys CEO for most of its history while serving continuously as Chairman since inception. Knight is making his return as the company pivots towards further global expansion, new service offerings, and a focus on delivering market leading results for its customers and partners. Im excited to be returning as CEO and look forward to working with our world class team and getting the chance to spend more time with our customers and partners around the world to execute our new strategic growth plans, said Knight. In addition to Knights return the company is also announcing the following actions today: Hiring of a new V.P. of Engineering, Gavin Wilson. Formerly of Reconext. Gavin has over 20-years experience developing sophisticated testing, repair, and value recovery solutions for customers globally. Joe Conway has been promoted to the role of V.P. of Solutions. Joe has provided strong leadership in analyzing, pricing, and onboarding large global programs for illumynt, managing cross-functional teams to deliver targeted results. Signing of a strategic engagement with ITAD advisory firm Circular Integrity, led by Founder & CEO Todd Zegers, former Global Vice President of ITAD and Reverse Logistics for Ingram Micro. Circular Integrity will work closely with CNEs senior management team to accelerate growth and diversification. Expanding our global footprint, illumynt is in the process of opening three new facilities in Franklin, MA, USA, Cork, Ireland, and Thailand. For more information visit http://www.illumynt.com, or follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/illumynt. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905738968/en/ Lenovo, a global leader in technology innovation, announced its latest advancements at Lenovo Innovation World 2024, unveiling a series of AI PC devices, including ThinkPad, ThinkBook, Yoga, and IdeaPad laptops, designed to transform both enterprise and consumer user experiences. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905372293/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) AI PC Era AI PCs are set to revolutionize computing as their relevance grows, with 60% of PCs shipped by 2027 anticipated to be AI-capable. Lenovos AI PCs are at the forefront of this transformation, leveraging natural interactions, personalized large language models, and advanced computing architectures. These innovations make computing more personal by tailoring experiences to individual users, more productive by enhancing workflow efficiency, and more protected by integrating robust security features into AI-driven systems. "At Lenovo, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and bringing AI-powered technology to everyone. Our latest AI PCs, including the groundbreaking Aura Edition series, represent a significant leap forward in delivering highly personalized, productive, and protected computing experiences, said Luca Rossi, President of Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group. Through close collaboration with industry leaders, we are redefining whats possible with AI, ensuring that our customers can harness the full potential of these transformative technologies to drive productivity, creativity, and growth in the AI era." Powering Business Users in the AI Era In the commercial segment for business users, Lenovo introduced the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition, a cutting-edge business laptop co-developed with Intel. This device features Intel Core Ultra technology, offering unparalleled AI capabilities and a user-centric design. The Lenovo Aura Edition series include innovative features such as Smart Modes, which intuitively adapt performance and AI capabilities to user activities, and Smart Share, enabling seamless AI-driven image sharing between devices. Smart Care provides 24/7 real-time support, ensuring users receive the assistance they need. With its advanced AI capabilities, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition redefines productivity, security, and user interaction in a lightweight, premium build. Alongside it, Lenovo presented the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD and the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ powered by AMD Ryzen AI processors, showcasing exceptional multitasking, creative expression, and energy efficiency. Additionally, Lenovo revealed the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7, equipped with the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor, bringing robust AI performance to small and medium-sized businesses. Lenovo also announced AI PC Fast Start, a solution designed to help organizations swiftly transition to AI-ready devices, maximizing ROI through AI-powered advisory and simplified deployment. Backed by Lenovo's award-winning support, these services accelerate AI adoption and ensure seamless implementation. Lenovo showcased the Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC, a proof-of-concept that redefines user interaction with intelligent automation and AI. This device features an industry-first auto-twist design, integrating AI-powered flexibility, smart interaction, and enhanced security to create a seamless and ergonomic computing experience. Empowering Consumers with AI Technology For consumers, Lenovo introduced several distinct laptops. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (15, 9), developed in collaboration with Intel, represents the pinnacle of premium design and innovative technology. This laptop includes the Lenovo Aura Edition range of features tailored to enhance user experience, including Smart Modes, Smart Share and Smart Care. Powered by Intel's Core Ultra processor with high-performance integrated graphics, and an optional 2.8K OLED touchscreen delivering stunning visuals, the laptop is designed for demanding tasks. The LenovoYoga Pro 7 (14, 9), powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor with 50 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU) performance, is tailored for content creators and professionals who demand powerful multitasking and creative capabilities. It comes equipped with Lenovo X Power features to improve performance and efficiency. The Yoga Pro 7 also features a 14.5 PureSight Pro OLED display with stunning color accuracy and sharpness, providing an immersive visual experience for design and media work. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (14, 9) and IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (14, 9) further expand Lenovos AI offerings for mainstream users, blending sleek design with powerful performance. These devices, powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processors, offer enhanced AI-driven productivity and versatile form factors, making them suitable for a wide range of user needs. Lenovo further expands its IdeaPad laptop portfolio with the IdeaPad Slim 5 15" and 13" models, both of which are powered by AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Processors. These laptops offer robust performance for multitasking and demanding applications, and feature high quality displays for creative work and media consumption. Both models boast sleek, ultra-thin, and light designs, making them ideal for professionals and students alike. Lenovo also showcases the Lenovo Creator Zone, an AI-powered software suite with Stable Diffusion 3 model, that enables creators to use natural language and reference images to generate and edit visual content, streamlining the creative process. The suite is initially available on the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, with support for additional Lenovo Yoga devices to follow. Global Retail Design Language Lenovos product showcase illustrated its innovative new Global Retail Design Language, a strategic initiative designed to transform the customer experience across all physical retail formats. This new design language, shown through the tables in the showcase area at Lenovo Innovation World, accentuates a cohesive and immersive brand presence, ensuring uniformity and consistency in Lenovo's global retail operations. Built on five core principles designed to echo Lenovos recognizable visual identity through a premium feel using natural and more sustainable materials that exhibit warm minimalism and emphasizes Lenovos ecosystem of innovative products. By transforming the customer journey with engaging environments, interactive touchpoints, and personalized service, Lenovo aims to create an inspiring and memorable experience for every customer who engage with Lenovo in retail locations. Lenovo Becomes Global Partner of Formula 1 Lenovo is set to become Global Partner of Formula 1 starting in 2025, while Motorola will serve as Global Smartphone Partner. This multi-year renewal will see Lenovo continue to provide cutting-edge technology, including High-Performance Computing solutions, servers, and edge devices, to support F1s operations both at the track and remotely. Lenovo will also be the title sponsor of two races per season and increase its trackside branding alongside Motorola. The partnership highlights Lenovos commitment to innovation and sustainability, with initiatives like Lenovos Asset Recovery Service contributing to F1s sustainability goals. Together, Lenovo and F1 will explore next-generation technologies such as AI PCs, AI-enabled Motorola smartphones and AR/VR solutions, further enhancing the sports global reach and fan engagement. Lenovo Innovation World 2024 For more information, visit Lenovos Innovation World homepage or reference the announcements below: About Lenovo Lenovo is a US$57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #248 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the worlds largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovos continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905372293/en/ 2024 FOCAC summit: Leaders, journalists all have something to bring home to their people 16:54, September 06, 2024 By Michael Kurtagh ( People's Daily Online It has been a momentous week here in Beijing, the site of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). With the forum coming to an end on Sept. 6, it has once again solidified the deepening ties between China and African nations. This year's summit has focused on modernization, specifically a form of modernization that is just and equitable, open and win-win, puts people first, features diversity and inclusiveness, is eco-friendly, and is underpinned by peace and security. For this reporter, it was a wonderful experience getting to see people from around the world at work. Thousands of reporters from all over the globe did their best to inform the world of the summit's happenings. An African journalist interacts with a robot at the media center for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li He) The numerous languages and accents being spoken, the different styles of clothing, and the cultural differences made for a wonderful global tapestry. Speaking with reporters at the summit, and following the progress of the forum, a common theme began to emerge. I didn't know it then, but a comment by a fellow journalist encapsulated that theme. Alfred Nimbona of Burundi, a journalist I spoke to the first day of the summit, made a comment that at first didn't resonate much. As time went on though, that comment more and more defined my mission at the summit. Nimbona, upon being asked what he would personally inform the rest of the world about this summit, said, "You know, journalists, we are here to inform, to educate, and then when I go back home, I will have something to tell about this cooperation, maybe making the people of my country aware of what China is for the people of my country." On its surface, the comment may seem like a fairly common sense retort. Of course the job of a journalist is to inform, but put in such succinct terms, it made clear to me what all of us are doing here, and what one of FOCAC's true goals is. It's about bringing something home. It's about going and meeting with, listening to, and working with people from around the world so that you can do something to improve the lives of the people in the place you call home. For Nimbona, that means learning all that he can at the summit so that he can tell the people of Burundi what opportunities exist for them in China. He explained, "There are various things that maybe investors, entrepreneurs, may do in China, so when I talk about this or that, maybe one may be encouraged or may get a clear idea about what we can do in China, that we may invest in China." If Nimbona's work here at the summit can help even just one person in Burundi find a new opportunity to improve their life, his work was a success. At a much higher level, the leaders of China and the attending African countries are also looking to bring something back home for their people. Leaders on both sides emphasized the need to advance modernization, and bringing more trade and investment opportunities to their countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his keynote address during the opening ceremony of the 2024 FOCAC summit, said, "We should jointly advance modernization that puts the people first. The ultimate goal of modernization is the free and full development of human beings." Xi also put forth 10 partnership actions for modernization to be implemented in the next three years, covering areas like mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, green development, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and common security. "China and Africa's joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South, and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said. He put forth a number of concrete plans supporting this, including the implementation of 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects that will improve the lives of African locals, as well as providing medical support on the African continent through the sending of 2,000 medical personnel and the launching of 20 programs of health facilities and malaria treatment. Xi, as the President of China and one of the world's foremost leaders, has a much bigger home to consider, given China's 1.4 billion people, but like Nimbona, the goal is to improve the livelihoods of those people. Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister and the country's top diplomat, proclaimed the 2024 FOCAC summit as a complete success. He said that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. The two leaders' comments made clear that while areas like trade, development, and green energy are major points of emphasis, they are just the tools to accomplish the main goal of improving the lives of the people. For Kenyan President William Ruto, similar goals are evident. Kenya has been a key partner in BRI. During his time in Beijing for 2024 FOCAC summit, Ruto praised the collaboration, stating that Kenya's relationship with China is built on deep friendship and mutual respect. He added that BRI has boosted Kenyas economic and social development, marking a new chapter in the two countries' cooperation. Ruto was vocal in emphasizing the transformative impact of Chinese investments in infrastructure, education, and healthcare. For Ruto, China-Kenya relations represent one of the key paths for improving the livelihoods of his people. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also stressed the importance of cooperation with China, especially in the field of renewable energy and technology transfer, calling for joint efforts to modernize energy infrastructure and promote climate resilience. "We plan to move from being a large importer of manufactured products to being a major exporter," Ramaphosa said, citing the success of South Africa's automotive industry as a model for other sectors. Ramaphosa's comments show that he too is putting home at the forefront, appreciating what his country has gained from working with China while still advocating for further growth in the two country's relationships to bring even greater benefits to his people. Speaking with the Zimbabwe Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, she expressed similar ideas. She said "Development is not only confined to yourself, but development has to go on by you looking at where you are and seeing how you can also help others to become who you are. I think we really want to thank China for that spirit of oneness, spirit of wanting to make sure that they impart the knowledge that they have." Mavetera went on to say, "For us, this FOCAC summit means a lot to us because we are here to learn, we are here to also adopt, and we are here to also strength the relationship that Zimbabwe has with China." Mavetera's comments show that as a Zimbabwean Minister, she sees FOCAC as an opportunity to gain knowledge and techniques for development from China that can help the people of her country. She appreciates what China has done for her and her people, and believes that continued friendly relations between China and Zimbabwe are key to her country's continued development. For this reporter, bringing something back home also defines my mission. Speaking to reporters, reporting the 2024 FOCAC summit's latest updates, it's all in the name of spreading the message of the good happening here. As an English speaker and American, I hope to be able to express to my home how everyone here is trying to improve their people's livelihoods, to make the world a better place. For all of us, whether we're a journalist, a business person, or even the president of a country, we all hope to make our homes better, to bring back something that can benefit our people, to make the world a better place. The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has been full of people trying to do just that, and I'm proud and honored to have been a part of it. (Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday vetoed AB1840, a bill that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to access state funds to help purchase a home. Andrew Harnik/TNS Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Friday that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to access state funds to help purchase a home. The bill, AB1840 by Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, would have barred the California Housing Finance Authority from denying an application for home purchase assistance programs solely on an applicants immigration status. Though the measure passed the Democratic-dominated state Legislature, it provoked fierce debate and did not win over all Democratic lawmakers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively, Newsom wrote in his veto message. California is facing a $27.6 billion budget deficit for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which began in July, Newsom announced in May. The California Dream for All program, a loan program available to first-time homebuyers, has proved wildly popular and exhausted its $300 million fund in less than two weeks when it rolled out last year. A new round of funding was made available beginning in April. Homeownership is a fundamental tool for wealth building, as it fosters financial stability and provides a tangible investment in ones future. When undocumented individuals are excluded from such programs, they miss out on a crucial method of securing financial security and personal stability for themselves and their families, Arambula said in support of the measure, according to a bill analysis. But Republican lawmakers argued the measure took funding away from U.S. citizens. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Every dollar given to an illegal immigrant is a dollar taken away from legal residents, including veterans and their families. This policy is not only unfair but also sends a dangerous message: Come to California, whether legally or illegally, and claim your $150,000 home loan, Senate Republican leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, wrote in an Aug. 28 letter urging Newsom to veto the bill. At a press conference Friday, Newsom called the bill unnecessary and said his veto was completely consistent with similar vetoes citing budget constraints. Newsoms move comes amid a heated presidential contest in which both candidates have made housing a top issue and both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have expressed support for expanding access to down-payment assistance, though neither has addressed whether it should be available to undocumented immigrants. Trump said this week he would ban access to mortgages for undocumented residents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad AFRIQUE :: Analysis of Ukraine's Geopolitical Maneuvers in Africa by Expert Taifour Smain Taifour Smain, an expert in security and geopolitics, highlighted Ukraine's role in Africa. Despite its internal conflict with Russia, Ukraine is, according to Smain, actively involved in destabilizing actions on the African continent, especially in the Sahel region. In its attempt to weaken Russian influence on the continent, Ukraine tries to play a significant role, but Smain questions its real capabilities in this geopolitical game. He points out that Kyivs ambitions outside its borders exceed the resources and political influence the country currently possesses. An example of such actions was the incident on July 25-27 in the Tin-Zouatene region, northern Mali, where armed groups linked to the Azawad separatists attacked Malian soldiers. Additionally, Ukraine's ambassador publicly supported terrorist groups operating in Mali. Smain also mentions that "the recent opening of a Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, raised suspicions of its involvement in training terrorists and supplying drone parts." Some media report that the Ivorian authorities are investigating possible involvement of Ukrainian diplomats in military training of terrorist groups and sending drone equipment through diplomatic channels. If these allegations are confirmed, it could severely threaten bilateral relations between Cote d'Ivoire and Ukraine and pose a risk to regional stability. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has appealed to the UN Security Council, urging measures against Kyiv. Moreover, Mali and Niger have already severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups on their territories. Taifour Smain concludes by noting that Kyiv is merely following the orders of Western states, attempting to shift the conflict with Russia to the African continent. However, Ukraine lacks the real capabilities to achieve these goals. Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 5:51PM Hayu, the all-reality TV streaming service from NBCUniversal, announced a fan-focused brand experience: Hayu FanFest. The first-ever Hayu event of its kind, Hayu FanFest is set to take place in London on Saturday, October 26th, offering reality TV fans an unmissable, in-person experience. As Hayu FanFest opens its doors for the first time, reality TV enthusiasts and their favourite on-screen celebrities will come together under one roof at Magazine London, a state-of-the art event space on the Greenwich Peninsula. Guests will enjoy a unique experience, hearing from some of Hayus much-loved reality stars during exclusive live panels and meet-and-greets before the night rounds off with an unforgettable after-party. The showcase event will feature panels and on-stage interviews of iconic reality TV names from Hayu, led by Emmy Award-winning host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise, Andy Cohen. Cohen will be joined in London by Lisa Barlow (The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City); Southern Charm duo Craig Conover and Austen Kroll; Ashley Darby (The Real Housewives of Potomac); Sutton Stracke (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills); Jessel Taank (The Real Housewives of New York City) and Captain Sandy Yawn (Below Deck franchise). Further details will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Its all happening at Hayu and were so excited to be bringing the reality TV royalty to London this October, commented Olga Puzanova, SVP Marketing, Hayu & International Direct-To-Consumer, NBCUniversal. With reality TV fandom at the heart of everything we do, we cant wait to offer our UK fans unprecedented access to their favourite stars at Hayu FanFest. Tickets to Hayu FanFest are affordably priced at 4.99, price-matched with the cost of a Hayu subscription in the UK. Tickets are available to purchase on a first-come, first-served basis, and include entrance to the event, along with a complimentary cocktail and food voucher. Admission will be open to anyone aged 18 and over. The family of Ryan Pincus, who was killed in a 2023 shooting in San Francisco, is suing a security company that hired the man they believe to be the shooter. Provided by Steven Pincus On a summer night last year, an insurance executive finished dinner at a San Francisco steakhouse and began walking back to his hotel room. Police are still piecing together what happened when the businessman, 37-year-old Ryan Pincus, passed through Union Square and exchanged words with an armed security guard at a different hotel. It took less than four minutes for that encounter to escalate, his family claims, with the guard allegedly shooting and killing Pincus before fleeing. Now the family is searching for answers to a slaying they say was unprovoked, by a man they believe was unfit for his job. They filed a lawsuit against the guards employer Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court, claiming the company, Universal Protection Service, should have known the guard posed a public safety risk. A spokesperson for the company, which does business under the name Allied Universal Security Services, said in a statement that the company does not comment on pending litigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Evan Sernoffsky characterized the investigation into Pincus slaying as open and active, but did not confirm whether police have a suspect. While the lawsuit identifies a shooter who Pincus family members say has been on the run for 13 months, the Chronicle did not name the man because he has not been charged with a crime. Law enforcement have spoken to the family, and we understand theyre still conducting their investigation, said Blair Kittle, an attorney who represents the family. Kittle noted that police have shared some information about the crime but kept some material confidential, including surveillance video footage of the confrontation. Frustrated that no one has been arrested or criminally charged for Pincus killing, his family is pursuing justice through a different avenue: the civil courts. In the lawsuits introduction, Steven and Maureen Pincus announce plainly that they bring this action to hold Allied accountable for their sons murder. Weve never had anything remotely like this, Steven Pincus said during a phone interview, a sob catching in his throat as he described his grief and bewilderment over the shooting, and his general lack of familiarity with police investigations. He said he has little knowledge, at this point, of what investigators are doing to solve the case or track down the shooter. The familys lawsuit lays out what they have learned about Pincus final hours, gleaned from receipts, conversations with people who saw him that night and an apparent accidental call made from Pincus phone. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ryan Pincus took a business trip in early August 2023, traveling from his home in Los Angeles to meet with clients in San Francisco. He managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing on Aug. 3, attending a Giants game that afternoon eating dinner with friends and colleagues at the House of Prime Rib on Van Ness Avenue. At some point during the night Pincus inadvertently dialed a friends number, and the resulting voicemail recording picked up lively restaurant chatter. Theres a recording of him holding court with a bunch of people, Steven Pincus said. It sounds like hes with three, four, five people hes known 20 years, but it wouldnt surprise me if he was with three, four, five people that he met 10 minutes ago. Thats the kind of guy he was. Walking back to his room at the Marriott Marquis in South of Market late that night, Pincus stopped for Indian food near Mason and Eddy streets. He emerged from the restaurant at around midnight and met the guard who was on duty for Allied, a contractor for a boutique hotel up the block, according to Kittle, who has reviewed the hotels contract with the security company. How the interaction between the two men started, and how it might have veered out of control so quickly, is not clear. The lawsuit presents the guard as an instigator, saying he verbally and then physically attacked Pincus for 3 minutes, ultimately drawing his gun and shooting Pincus in the torso, the suit says. Although there were apparently eyewitnesses to the altercation, Kittle has not yet deposed them or seen the police reports. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A star wrestler in high school, Ryan doesnt pick fights, Steven Pincus said. But he also wouldnt run away. Maureen Pincus got a call from the medical examiner later that morning, informing her that her son had been shot and killed. She rushed home and collapsed on the floor with her husband, the lawsuit says. Now, the parents are seeking general and compensatory damages, payment for future economic loss, and more abstract forms of restitution, for Ryan Pincus pre-death pain and suffering, as well as past and future loss of his love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and moral support, in an amount to be determined at trial. Ideally, they find this guy and he pays for what he did, Steven Pincus said. Absent him, lets have somebody pay for this. Hard luck to Castledermot athlete Aaron Shorten, who has just competed in the Mens 1500M T20 Final at the Paralympics in Paris, but unfortunately couldnt claim a medal. Supporters across Castledermot and further afield were cheering him on as he raced around the Stade de France in Paris this morning. Aaron finished the race in seventh position, with a result of 4:02.71. Gold was claimed by Great Britains Ben Sandilands, silver by Portuguese athlete Sandro Baessa, and bronze by Michael Brannigan from the USA. Well done Aaron youve done your country proud! Ellen O'Donoghue The winner of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2024 is to travel to Katowice, Poland, to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2024 (EUCYS). Sean O'Sullivan's winning project, VerifyMe: A new approach to the authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era, will be on display at the EUCYS from September 9th-14th. Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Sean at Government Buildings, Merrion St Upper, Dublin, to wish him good luck before he officially represents Ireland at the competition. Each year, the EUCYS showcases the best scientific achievements in the EU and beyond, and over the past 34 years, Ireland has won 17 first place prizes. Winners of the BTYSTE 2023, Liam Carew and Shane O'Connor, took home the runner-up prize at EUCYS last year. Sean said he is looking forward to competing against 250 young scientists from almost 40 countries throughout the EU as well as guest projects from the United States and beyond. Shay Walsh, managing director at BT Ireland said that BT Ireland is very proud to be custodians of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. "Each year, our winners play an important role representing Ireland at one of the most important STEM events in Europe. "I would like to wish Sean the very best of luck at this years EUCYS. His project demonstrates the exceptional talent and amazing project ideas on display at the BTYSTE, and were really looking forward to cheering him on as he represents Ireland at EUCYS," he added. Developer Oisin Heneghan has filed an application to develop the site of this Shell gas station into a residential tower. Heneghan is bullish on the future of San Franciscos downtown neighborhoods. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle The 320-unit Hawthorne, depicted traveling west on Interstate 80, is planned by N17 for 650 Harrison St. in San Francisco. N17 The Hawthorne, as depicted in a rendering, is planned for 650 Harrison St. in San Francisco. N17 The Hawthorne, as depicted in a rendering, is planned for 650 Harrison St. in San Francisco. N17 The Hawthorne, as depicted in a rendering, is planned for 650 Harrison St. in San Francisco. N17 A 380-unit high-rise, as depicted in a rendering, is planned for 598 Bryant St. in San Francisco. N17 Oisin Heneghan has heard all the reasons most developers wont touch San Francisco with a 10-foot pole right now. S.F. Bay Area property map: Heres who owns every building in the region Advertisement Article continues below this ad But, for Heneghan, those ingredients add up to something quite different: the perfect time to launch a residential development company and start buying up sites around the city. Betting against San Francisco would be a very foolish thing, he said. And Im not. Im betting the house on it. N17 plans a 27-unit building at 875 Sansome St. in San Francisco, as depicted in a rendering. N17 In the year since he started his company N17 named after a road that passes through his native home of Galway, Ireland Heneghan has submitted applications with the city planning department for a 320-unit tower at 650 Harrison St.; a 380-unit high-rise at 598 Bryant St.; and a 27-unit building at 875 Sansome. He is also seeking approvals, using the state builders remedy program, to develop a 665-unit complex at the old Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Park. All of the sites are owned by N17s financial partner, Allrise Capital. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heneghan, who trained as a lawyer in Ireland before coming to the Bay Area for an engineering degree at Stanford, compared the lingering COVID recession to the dot-com crash at the turn of the century and the recession of 2007-09. Given that it takes about five to six years to entitle, permit and construct a major residential tower in San Francisco, Heneghan said anyone able to break ground on major towers in the next two to three years will be delivering housing in a city that has bounced back economically, but has little in the way of new product. Anyone who started their project during any of the downturns did extraordinarily well, he said. A rendering shows the rooftop pool of the proposed 380-unit high-rise at 598 Bryant St. in San Francisco. N17 Although he grew up in Ireland, Heneghans family also has San Francisco roots. His great grandfather worked on the construction of railroads for Southern Pacific, and members of both sides of his family have moved back and forth between California and Ireland over the generations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heneghans first job was as an engineer on the construction of the Third Street light rail, and he gained an appreciation for how a big investment in transportation infrastructure eventually attracts real estate investment. While the big projects in Central SoMa that were meant to take advantage of the new Central Subway have stalled, he said he believes that eventually they will be built. When I started working on the light rail project in 2002, the ballpark was there but there was nothing in Mission Bay. But it was obvious that development was coming. Just like its obvious development along Fourth Street is coming, he said. You have the rail there, which ties the UCSF campus to the ballpark to Market Street to Union Square and Chinatown. It has everything Caltrain, the freeway, the waterfront. Connectivity to all these amazing places. The area is unstoppable. After working on the light rail project, Heneghan transitioned to residential real estate working on a 60-unit condo development in Palo Alto, a project that was so controversial it required a ballot measure to get approved. After that, Heneghan managed development of an office-to-residential conversion at 973 Market St. in San Francisco and then spent seven years as an executive with Trammell Crow. Part of Heneghans incentive for filing his applications in January was to take advantage of several state laws that simplify approval processes and allow for more height and density in exchange for the creation of more affordable units. N17s San Francisco projects were the first to take advantage of Assembly Bill 1287, known as the double density bonus. The legislation allowed N17 to add six stories and 46 units at 650 Harrison a previous plan had called for 320 units. There will be 48 affordable apartments. The 320-unit Hawthorne, depicted traveling east on Interstate 80, is planned by N17 for 650 Harrison St. in San Francisco. N17 San Francisco Planning Director Rich Hillis said the N17 projects are notable examples of state and local housing rule changes in action. State density bonus allows for more housing through denser and taller buildings than what the underlying zoning would permit, which is coupled with a relatively simple approval path. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We are seeing encouraging signs of housing developers, like N17, filing applications and inquiring about new projects, Hillis said. The Harrison Street project will be in a part of Central SoMa where a half-dozen projects were planned before the pandemic but have been on hold. Heneghan said he has no doubt that the neighborhood will eventually be built out. All the pieces are there. Its going to be the next Rincon Hill coming up, 20 years after Rincon Hill was built, he said. The best new buildings are going to spring up in that enclave. Heneghan also sees himself as representing a new generation of Irish builders, following in the footsteps of Residential Builders Association members Joe Cassidy and Joe ODonaghue, and others, who constructed thousands of live-work lofts in the 90s and early 2000s in SoMa, Potrero Hill and the Mission. The Irish have always been involved in construction in San Francisco, Heneghan said. We had those early generations and then we had a lot of the Irish guys who built up SoMa. And now I am the following generation. Its a smaller and smaller cohort there are only a handful of us but its cool to have that connection to the history of Irish development in the city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heneghan said he has experienced, firsthand, how the cost of housing is driving away families. My little brother moved to San Diego because he couldnt buy a house here. My youngest brother is moving to Texas. Same reason. Cant afford a house here. Everyones family has those stories, he said. I think the housing crisis is the biggest single issue in society because it affects everything and everyone. Heneghan said the pandemic has created a lost decade for housing production at a time when the region can least afford it. We have an existential, generational housing crisis and right in the middle of it we have a lost decade, he said The housing crisis didnt go away. It just continues to exacerbate and get worse and worse and worse. And we have stopped building. Veteran San Francisco developer and broker Chris Foley said the proof of N17s business plan wont be known for a while. Its one thing to entitle it, its another thing to design it to actually be built, he said. Its totally different. When you are entitling something the questions you need to be asking are, Who is going to use it who will the buyer or renter be and what capital partner is going to finance it? Housing Action Coalition Executive Director Corey Smith said Heneghan is the first to bring a lot of projects forward in the post-pandemic era, but definitely wont be the last. We are really excited about the work (Heneghan) is doing. He is a little ahead of other folks, but I think its the tip of the iceberg. It reflects a level of optimism about where San Francisco is headed. Heneghan has three community meetings on all three San Francisco projects in the next week. While he has yet to hear of any opposition for the San Francisco projects, he knows that could change. He said he is trying to be as proactive as possible in talking to neighbors. A rightward turn in parts of Silicon Valley colored the Reboot 2024 conference in San Francisco on Thursday, where Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts made a surprise appearance and defended the Project 2025 policy roadmap. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle A group gathers Thursday at the Reboot 2024 tech and politics conference at Fort Mason in San Francisco. A rightward turn in parts of Silicon Valley was a notable accent at the event. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle With even Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump distancing himself from the Project 2025 manifesto, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts doubled down on the controversial blueprint for a Republican presidency on Thursday, saying that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election, were going to have a press conference outside the White House announcing Project 2028. Roberts, appearing at the Reboot: The New Reality conference in San Francisco, said his only regret about Project 2025 was that his group did not fight back harder against its critics. The 922-page conservative roadmap advocates for policies such as mass deportation of immigrants, more restrictive abortion laws, and wholesale firing of civil servants. Trump has said he disavows Project 2025, although dozens of members of his previous administration helped author it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Roberts presence at the conference in one of the nations most liberal cities comes amid a rightward shift in the tech sector. Hosted by the center-right Foundation for American Innovation, the event at Fort Mason drew hundreds of attendees who paid up to $1,000 a ticket to hear dozens of speakers from across the political spectrum discuss weighty matters ranging from artificial intelligence to cryptocurrency. Roberts appeared as a surprise guest onstage with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel. The Heritage Foundation was a top sponsor of the event, along with the Knight Foundation, a nonprofit that funds journalism and arts initiatives. Stanford disinformation researcher Renee DiResta, formerly of the Stanford Internet Observatory, talked about online content moderation and information filtering at the Reboot conference in San Francisco. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Zach Graves, executive director of the Foundation for American Innovation, said in an email prior to the event that FAI has been putting on the Reboot conference for a number of years. This event, like the past ones, has a broad ideological range of speakers and attendees including libertarians, conservatives, liberals, and progressives with alums of both Republican and Democratic administrations. Panelists included Stanford disinformation researcher Renee DiResta, formerly with the Stanford Internet Observatory, Stanford political scientist and economist Francis Fukuyama, and Reihan Salam of the conservative Manhattan Institute, who sparred in a session about online content moderation and information filtering. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a morning session, New York Times reporter Teddy Schleifer and Samo Burja from Palladium Magazine and Bismarck Analysis riffed on the rightward shift in tech. The right is ascendant in Silicon Valley, whether its majority or not, said Schleifer, who covers the billionaire beat and tech and money in politics. The inhibition that tech leaders had in the past about supporting Trump is gone, he said. Instead it has become a brand positive and an admirably contrarian position to be vocally pro-Trump in some tech circles. Among the outspoken tech executives backing Trump are Elon Musk and billionaire tech investor and podcaster David Sacks, who hosted a fundraiser for Trump at his San Francisco mansion. Earlier Thursday, Trump said that if he were elected Musk would lead a government efficiency commission to audit federal spending and recommend reforms. This being a contrarian-minded tech conference, the president of San Francisco startup accelerator Y Combinator and local political gadfly Garry Tan also was featured in a keynote appearance. During an interview with Mike Solana of the website Pirate Wires, Tan largely played back his reel of pandemic-era hits on San Francisco politics that he credited with his political awakening, taking shots along the way at the Chronicle, former District Attorney Chesa Boudin and efforts to regulate AI. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco right now is brimming with the kind of crazy energy similar to the era of personal computer revolution, Tan said onstage. He pointed to the hundreds of largely AI startups that Y Combinator funds every year as proof the city is still the place to be for access to big brains and bigger checkbooks. Garry Tan, the president of San Francisco startup accelerator Y Combinator and a local political gadfly, gave a keynote interview in which he criticized Californias attempt to regulate AI. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Tan said entrenched city interests were to blame for the citys most intractable problems. But he later endorsed incumbent Mayor London Breed and former Mayor Mark Farrell, both of whom served as city supervisors before their current bid to return to the mayorship. Tan also criticized Californias legislation to regulate AI, Senate Bill 1047 authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), as he has before. But not everyone in attendance agreed. Jack Clark, co-founder of Amazon-backed San Francisco AI heavyweight Anthropic, called the bill basically reasonable, especially after Wiener accepted amendments suggested by Anthropic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Requirements of the bill such as you should document your security procedures so (your program) doesnt get stolen, are fair, Clark said. Other functions of the bill, such as creating more bureaucracy within the California Government Operations Department, are really annoying and confusing. OpenAI has opposed the bill, which has passed the legislature and is awaiting action from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Clark said Anthropic spent the time to give our opinion on this because these safety issues may become real, like using AI programs for advanced hacking or building weapons of mass destruction. He said tech companies cant reject AI legislation outright and need to engage in good faith. A panel that featured Kara Frederick of the Heritage Foundation was highly critical of Wieners bill, as well as big tech in general. Frederick criticized Apple and Amazon for their operations in China, calling them a contribution to the Chinese Communist Partys tech dominance. On Wieners bill, Frederick echoed the arguments made by Tan, Facebook parent Meta and other opponents who have argued the bill will create too much liability for big AI model makers and startups to continue innovating. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Clark took a different tack. Heat will be the story across the entire West Coast on Friday. Baron/Lynx Updated Forecast: Dry cold front to raise fire weather concerns across California this week The intense heat wave scorching Southern California and a subtle shift in Northern Californias weather pattern will converge with the same outcome: dangerous fire weather. Over the next few days, the state will face heightened fire risks for entirely different reasons. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heat and wind drive Southern California fire threat In Southern California, a red flag warning is in effect through Saturday evening for the hills of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and other parts of Los Angeles County. The increased fire risk is being driven by exceptionally hot temperatures. Friday and Saturday will bring some of the hottest temperatures of the year to the Los Angeles area, with temperatures running 15 to 20 degrees above normal. Nearly all of the elevated terrain around the Los Angeles region will experience elevated fire weather conditions this weekend. Iowa State Mesonet Highs on both days will range from 105 to 115 degrees in the valleys, lower elevation mountains and deserts. Closer to the coast, places like downtown Los Angeles and the surrounding foothills, will see temperatures range from 90 to 105 degrees. Similar temperatures are expected on Saturday as well. The largest fire weather threat in Southern California will come from the terrain driven winds expected to develop in the afternoon and overnight hours. With a high-pressure ridge centered near Barstow through the weekend, a predominately offshore wind flow will funnel pockets of air over the hills and mountains, drying the air around them and creating gusty winds as the air descends towards the coast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the evening, 25 to 40 mph winds will sweep through the Santa Barbara hills, posing serious danger to life and property should a fire ignite. In and around the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, strong daytime winds from the west/northwest at 15 to 30 mph will clash with 15 to 25 mph overnight winds from the north/northeast. The winds will be paired with nighttime temperatures remaining above 90 degrees in some locations. Humidity levels dropping into the teens will only heighten the fire risk further. The extremely high temperatures could create a favorable environment for explosive fire growth, similar to what was observed during the Park Fire, which produced several fire tornadoes. Temperatures will also be high around the hills east of San Diego, though the winds wont be as strong as those expected around Los Angeles, resulting in a lower fire weather risk. Temperatures are forecast to drop a few degrees by Sunday, but the fire threat may continue through part of the day, depending on how quickly the ridge of high pressure begins to move away. By Monday, cooler temperatures should eliminate the fire weather risk. Lightning, fire risk in Northern California Parts of Northern California are facing a serious fire weather threat of their own on Friday and Saturday as a storm system moves in from the Pacific Ocean. This storm will push inland across the northern part of the state, creating conditions favorable for isolated thunderstorms and dry lightning ignitions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Parts of northern and eastern California are highlighted as areas with an increased change of fire weather conditions on Friday. NOAA While support for thunderstorm development will be moderate, with moisture and instability being limited, the best chances for dry lightning will be over the elevated terrain of the Northern Sierra Crest and the Modoc Plateau in northeastern California, particularly on Friday. The threat of lightning strikes over critically dry fuels presents a significant fire danger. By Saturday, the dry lightning risk will diminish as the storm system continues to move inland. But a shift in the weather pattern, with the ridge of high pressure also moving eastward, will bring gusty winds and lower humidity across the Northern Sierra Crest. These conditions are expected to extend into the foothills and mountains east of the Sacramento Valley, further increasing fire weather risks in those areas on Saturday and Sunday. Bay Area weekend weather Friday will be another hot day around the Bay Area, with interior spots like Santa Rosa, Concord and San Jose seeing temperatures rise into the mid-90s to around 100 degrees. Closer to the water, temperatures will be cooler, with highs in the mid-70s to mid-80s in Oakland, Hayward and Redwood City. It will be even cooler along the coast, with some early morning and evening clouds and fog, and highs in the 60s to low 70s in Half Moon Bay, Daly City and San Francisco. Patchy fog and clouds will likely form across the interior valleys of the North and East Bay overnight, with lows generally in the 50s to 60s. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The statewide archery deer hunting season begins Saturday, Sept. 14, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Last year, 85,000 archery hunters harvested 55,000 deer. Statewide, hunters can use archery equipment throughout the entire 2024-2025 deer season. Hunters heading out for archery season can begin filling their own freezers and then sharing any further abundance with the Georgia Hunters for the Hungry program, said state deer biologist Charlie Killmaster. We want to especially encourage those that hunt near crop fields to harvest extra antlerless deer to donate. Not only will this help reduce potential agriculture damage but will also provide a healthy meat source to those in need. Archery season is also an ideal time to donate as deer processors can more easily handle the increased volume. Georgia Hunters for the Hungry Expansion To reduce agricultural damage and help Georgia families in need of quality protein, Georgia DNR and Georgia Wildlife Federation are expanding the Hunters for the Hungry Program. To locate a processor in your area or to become a Hunters for the Hungry deer processor please visit GWF.org/ghfth/. Public Hunting Opportunities Georgia Wildlife Management Areas (GeorgiaWildlife.com/allwmas) offer public access to nearly one million acres of hunting opportunity Hunters should check the current hunting regulations for specific WMA dates and info (GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources). Hunting Need-to-Know: Dates/Harvest Limit: State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer, and no more than two antlered deer (with one of the two antlered deer having a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread). For most hunters in the state, the deer season ends on Jan. 12. For counties with extended firearms or archery season, review the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations 2024-25 guidebook at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources . Deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the primitive weapons and firearms deer season. State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer, and no more than two antlered deer (with one of the two antlered deer having a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread). For most hunters in the state, the deer season ends on Jan. 12. For counties with extended firearms or archery season, review the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations 2024-25 guidebook at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources Deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the primitive weapons and firearms deer season. Licenses: Georgia deer hunters must have a hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent (list of agents available online). Georgia deer hunters must have a hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent (list of agents available online). Report Harvest: All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours. Deer can be reported on the Outdoors GA app (which works regardless of cell service), at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661. We continue to ask hunters to help protect the Georgia deer herd from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal disease affecting deer. This disease has not been detected in our state and you can be instrumental in keeping it out, said Mr. Killmaster. Do not bring live deer, whole carcasses or heads into Georgia, know what parts you can bring back from an out-of-state hunt, and report deer with any disease symptoms. You can find more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd. For more on deer hunting, including finding a game processor, viewing regulations, maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info. Collegedale Vice Mayor Tim Johnson said he was shocked to find out at the last meeting, that Collegedale was in the hole by $340,000. At the Aug. 19 commission meeting the board of commissioners was told that everything it takes to run the city has increased in cost, including salaries, benefits and contracted attorneys and engineers. At the same time it has been 15 years since the fast-growing city has increased fees that it charges for permits, plan reviews, inspections and developments. The cost for those items in Collegedale are all below what Hamilton County and other surrounding municipalities charge. That may be one of the reasons developers are coming here to build, said Commissioner Katie Lamb. A study conducted in conjunction with the state of Tennessee recommended for the city to raise these fees, said City Manager Wayon Hines. As it is, Collegedale is subsidizing new developments. Not increasing these fees is how we got so far in the hole, he told the commissioners. And he said that the anticipated increase in revenue from the higher fees was included in this years budget. At this time new building permits are down, but it is believed to be the calm before the storm since a lot of new developments are in the works. When building these subdivisions begins there will be many hundreds of new homes and townhomes under construction. It is important for the city to implement new fees regarding the new development before permit applications for the new construction starts. The increases are not being raised enough to be a deal-breaker, said Mr. Hines. The proposed rates are less than the state agency, Municipal Technical Advisory Services recommended, he said. The city cannot afford to go deeper in the hole over this, commented Mayor Morty Lloyd. The only other thing Collegedale could do to reduce costs would be to reduce employees, said the city manager, but it is a pretty lean department now, he said. The increased fees would be charged to the developers, not homeowners, with this move. The measure passed on the second and final vote with three in favor and Vice Mayor Johnson and Commissioner Tonya Sadler opposed. The commission approved two large purchase requests. The Public Works department will be getting a Ditch Witch, which was in the budget. It will be used for maintenance of the greenway, such moving and spreading mulch, moving dead wood and other landscaping needs. This mini track loader will come with a 48 bucket and other attachments are available as needed. The cost including freight is $52,228. The payment terms for a contract with Tyler was approved concerning moving financial software to the cloud. With the amendment the date that the contract begins will be effective upon delivery of services. The collapse of a headwall on Pine Hill Road continues to get worse and City Manager Hines told the commission that it will be dealt with as an emergency repair. He will coordinate with Mayor Lloyd and have the repair done before getting commission approval. Hunters are urged to review tree stand safety before hunting. Generally, most hunting incidents that occur each year are related to tree stands. During the 2023-2024 season, 14 of 29 total incidents were tree stand use related, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division. Following are tree stand safety tips: When using a non-climbing portable or ladder stand, hunters should securely fasten the stand to the tree and install ladders or steps according to the manufacturers directions. Hunters should always wear a Fall-Arrest System (FAS)/Full Body Harness during ascent and descent and follow manufacturers usage instructions. Be aware that single strap belts and chest harnesses are no longer recommended and should not be used. Failure to use a FAS could result in serious injury or death. Hunters should always attach their FAS in the manner described by the manufacturer. Failure to do so may result in suspension without the ability to recover into the tree stand. Be aware of the hazards associated with full body harnesses and the fact that prolonged suspension in a harness may also be fatal. Have in place a plan for rescue, including the use of cell phones or signal devices that may be easily reached and used while suspended. If rescue personnel cannot be notified, you must have an alternate plan for recovery or escape. If you have to hang suspended for a period of time before help arrives, exercise your legs by pushing against the tree or doing any other form of continuous motion or use your suspension relief device. Consider your personal physical condition before going out. If you do not have the ability to recover or escape from a FAS, it is recommended that you hunt only from the ground. Hunters should always use a haul line to pull their gear and unloaded firearm or bow into their tree stand. Never climb with anything in your hands or on your back. Prior to descending, lower equipment to the ground on the opposite side of the tree. Staying awake and alert is important. Hunters should avoid taking medications that cause drowsiness prior to hunting. Also, never use alcohol or drugs before or while hunting. Hunters should always inform someone of where they are hunting and what time they expect to return. The Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series begins its 19th year Monday, Sept. 16. National Park Partners will honor the memory of the late Rita Vital, who attended all 53 events in the Moccasin Bend Lecture Series history. Founded in 2006 and generously funded since its inception by state representative Greg A. Vital, the series raises awareness for the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District by inviting nationally-known speakers to present on national parks, conservation, Indigenous culture and history and Chattanoogas place in the U.S. Civil War. The Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Lecture Series also coincides with heightened attention on the future of the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. This years series hosts a Cherokee Nation leader, respected Civil War historian and American Civil War Museum storyteller. Our audiences will encounter some of the most fascinating lectures of the year, said Tricia King Mims, executive director of National Park Partners of Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Moccasin Bend, the regional nonprofit that champions the conservation of the natural, historic and cultural resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. All events, free and open to the public, begin at 7 p.m. at Tennessee Aquarium facilities and registration is required. More information and registration links can be found here. On Monday, Sept. 16, Dr. Timothy Smith, a history professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, speaks on preserving Tennessee Civil War stories and battlefields. His talk From Shiloh to Fort Pillow: Preserving Tennessees Civil War History will be informed by his extensive and award-winning career as an author, editor and co-editor. The UTC Department of History is a partner of Dr. Smiths lecture. Dr., Smiths trilogy on the Tennessee River campaign won nine book awards; he recently completed a five-volume study of the Vicksburg Campaign. His lecture will be held in the TN River Journey Auditorium. Register here. On Monday, Oct. 14, Jay Hannah of the Cherokee Nation will deliver the keynote address for the annual Trail of Tears Association Conference and Symposium held in Chattanooga. Through a partnership with the National Trail of Tears Association, the event will be highly publicized and attended. Mr. Hannah is the head of financial services for BancFirst, Oklahomas largest state-chartered bank, with over $10 billion in assets. Mr. Hannah, a community banker for over 40 years, holds multiple degrees, including an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Business from Oklahoma City University. His lecture will be held in the TN Aquarium IMAX Theater. Register here. On Monday, Nov. 4, Kelly Hancock, director of programs at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Va., will offer a warm-hearted lecture on Victorian Christmas Traditions. As a longtime museum professional and educator, Ms. Hancock knows the power of good storytelling. Shell delight our crowd with Civil War Christmas stories while connecting many of our current holiday traditions with their past origins. Her lecture will be held in the TN Aquarium River Journey Auditorium. Register here. In 2023, approximately 300 million Americans visited national parks, including more than 10 million visitors in Tennessee who spent approximately $1.4 billion and helped generate more than 20,000 Tennessee jobs and $2.2 billion in economic benefit. Locally, the economic impact of visitation to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park totaled around $87.5 million last year, an increase from $81 million in 2022, according to the National Park Service. To learn more, listen to the latest Scenic Roots episode as WUTCs Ray Bassett interviews Tricia King Mims on National Park Partners and the future of Chattanoogas national park legacy. We are honored by these speakers and their depth of intelligence, wisdom, humor and passion, said Ms. Mims. These are days of great importance, as Chattanoogans have the opportunity to engage with brilliant lecturers while also helping preserve some of our most precious places. The late Luther Masingill said if he had to pick a favorite piano player it would be Floyd Cramer. Luther, who was on the radio in Chattanooga for over 70 years, said he received more requests for Mr. Cramers recordings than any other pianist. Cramer was inducted into both the Country Music and Rock and Roll Hall of Fames in early 2000. Mr. Cramer was born in Shreveport, La. but grew up in Hutting, Ar. Cramer taught himself how to play the piano and after graduating from high school, he moved back to Shreveport. Cramer got a job on the Louisiana Hayride and was hired on as a member of Elvis Presleys first band. He moved to Nashville and became a much sought after session pianist. Cramer played on records for Hank Locklin, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, among others. RCAs Chet Atkins described Cramer as one of the most influential pianists of the century. Atkins said, At one time Cramer was the busiest and most sought after studio musician in the industry. Those songs, as thousands of others, were recorded in RCAs historic and famous studio B in Nashville. Cramer had released several of his own recordings but he became internationally known with the 1960 release of Last Date. He wrote the song and introduced the slip-note piano playing style which he became known for. Last Date never made number one on the Billboard Hot 100, although it was a certified million selling record. The song that kept Cramers own composition from making it to the top was Elvis Presleys Are You Lonesome Tonight. Interesting, Floyd Cramer was playing piano on that recording. Cramers next single was On the Rebound which charted at number four on Billboard. The Masters Festival of Music became very popular in the 60s and featured Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins and Boots Randolph. According to Hello Chattanooga by David Carroll, the trio performed several concerts at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, including Sept. 2, 1967. The musicians arrived in Chattanooga early that afternoon and auditorium manager Clyde Hawkins invited this writer and a few others to attend this rehearsal where Cramer shared stories about his career. Cramer said hed heard about a popular radio announcer in Chattanooga who has been on the air since the 40s. Cramer said, one day while traveling through the city, he decided to look up Luther Masingill at WDEF radio and meet him; so he found the Broad Street station. Cramer said he happened to have an acetate recording of Last Date in his car and gave it to the radio personality. Cramer said Luther was the first to play the million selling recording on the radio. During the concert, Mr. Cramer brought Luther out on stage and thanked him for all the spins of Last Date. Luther received a standing ovation from the crowd of over 4,000 people. Luther said the two became good friends and Cramer would call him when passing through Chattanooga. During that performance Cramer also played his rendition of Chattanooga Choo Choo, which again brought the audience to their feet. (On a personal note, this writer used Cramers Chattanooga Choo Choo as his theme song while hosting the program Town and Country in the early 70s on the American Forces Network, Europe.) WDXB radio was programming Top 40 hits when RCA released Last Date. The stations Lloyd Payne said they wore out several copies of the song and the announcer said telephone requests for the record continued for months after it was off the charts. During that auditorium rehearsal, pianist Cramer shared one of his favorite stories about not playing the piano on Jimmy Deans number one 1961 song, Big Bad John. Cramer said he told producer Don Law the song was missing something but he didnt think it needed a piano. Cramer said he noticed a chunk of steel in the studio, tied a coat hanger around it and used a hammer to get that certain clanging sound. Cramer said it was the only time he played anything other than a piano in a recording session. Columbia Records released Big Bad John" in September, 1961 and the record was number one for five weeks. David Carrolls book documents nearly a dozen Cramer concerts at the Memorial Auditorium and Tivoli Theater, one performance was with the Chattanooga Symphony. Mr. Cramer recorded dozens of piano albums for RCA. Cramers albums received a lot of radio time on easy listening FM stations from 1965-1980 when he recorded pop hit collections in his famous style. He even made two organ LPs for the label; Floyd Cramer gets Organ-ized and Cramer at the Console. Cramer died of lung cancer on Dec. 31, 1997 and was buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison, Tn. Cramers music lives on today through his grandson, Jason Coleman. The youngster grew up playing the piano with his grandfather and although Coleman was only 12 at the time of Floyds death, hed inherited his grandfathers distinctive slip-note piano style. The Jason Coleman show is seen every Sunday afternoon on the internet and heard that same evening on AM 650 WSM in Nashville. The Nashville native began the program during the early days of COVID. Coleman said, Im not a flashy piano player, I just try to let the melody of the song shine through and that lets the listeners fill in the words in their own heads and hearts. The main attraction is Jason at the grand piano, but from time to time Colemans wife Natalie joins him along with their young piano playing son, Avery. The current and archived programs can be seen at www.jasoncolemanmusic.com/show and on YouTube. Floyd Cramer, Jason Coleman and young Avery, Thank you for all the great piano memories. * * * Earl Freudenberg, heyearl1971@epbfi.com Gene Woods Lindauere of Ringgold, Georgia, saw his Lord and Savior face to face on September 3, 2024, surrounded by family members at his home. Gene, known as Bud to family and friends, was born in Homestead, Pa., on Aug. 30, 1927, to Woods and Myrtle Lindauere. He met the love of his life, Betty, 75 years ago at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Their love for each other and passion for music made for a beautiful life together; he with his violin and she with her piano. Gene received his masters degree in Music Education in 1958. His career spanned years of teaching, both privately and in the public schools, the joys of playing a musical instrument from Washington state to New Jersey, to Ohio to Maryland to Georgia. He played in churches, and also for the American Light Opera Company in Washington D.C. from 1961 - 63. Upon retiring from teaching music in the Montgomery County School system in Maryland, he and his wife moved to Ringgold, Georgia where he continued to teach violin privately. He and his wife founded the LAbri Symphony Orchestra in 1992 in Dalton, Ga. The LAbri orchestra is still performing and allowing students the opportunity to play in a real symphonic setting. He played viola in the LAbrio quartet and played cello in Cello Primo, a septet of cellos. In his last years, dementia robbed him of his ability to play or teach. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Woods and Myrtle Lindauere and a brother, Robert. Those left to cherish his memories are his devoted wife, Betty, of 72 years; daughter, Dee (Russ) Grier of Rossville; son, Randy (Sue) of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; daughter, Denise (Brian) Jansen of Bluffton, S.C.; daughter, Dayna (Ed) Buswell of Denton, Md.; daughter, Debbi (Mark) Hottel of Mt. Airy, Md.; 20 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends, students and church family. The family extends a special thank you to Hearth Hospice of Ft. Oglethorpe for their compassionate care. Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons. The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, at Wilson Funeral Home, 555 West Cloud Springs Road, Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga. 30742. Interment will be at Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m., with a Celebration of Life service to follow at First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga. at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Alzheimers Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or https://alzfdn.org and / or Kinsey Drive Baptist Church, 2626 Kinsey Drive SW, Dalton, Ga. 30720. Arrangements are by Wilson Funeral Home, Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.wilsonfuneralhome.com. A well-known Lookout Mountain, Tn., man who was arrested in June on child sex charges entered a guilty plea in Federal Court on Friday afternoon. James Coleman Thompson faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, prosecutors said. He will be sentenced later by Judge Travis McDonough. Under the plea, it was agreed that in November 2000 when "Victim 1" was under 18 and Thompson was 48, Thompson transported him from Lookout Mountain, Tn., to Scottsboro, Ala., for sexual activity. It says, while in Alabama, Thompson performed a sex act on the youth. Also, it was stipulated that in September 2000 when "Victim 2" was under 18 and Thompson was 48 he transported that youth from Lookout Mountain, Tn., to Scottsboro for sexual activity. It says afterward Thompson took the youth back to Lookout Mountain, Tn., where he forced him to take off his clothes and rubbed his private area. Prosecutors said in 1999 or 2000 that Thompson transferred "Victim 3" from Lookout Mountain, Tn., to Louisiana for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. That victim was less than 17 and Thompson was either 47 or 48, it was stated. Prosecutors said Victim 3 said Thompson committed oral sex on him in Louisiana, while Thompson said he only rubbed his private area. Either act would have violated Louisiana law, it was stated. Thompson will be required to register as a Sex Offender. Thompson has been held in custody since his indictment. The FBI said at the time of the indictment it believed there were additional victims and asked them to come forward. The original indictment involving two victims was later amended to add one more alleged victim. This indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jackson County, Alabama Sheriffs Office, and the Lookout Mountain, Tennessee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brooks represents the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/pscclick on the tab "resources." Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will host a special living history program on Saturday, Sept. 21, and on Sunday, Sept. 22 exploring the role of the 96th Illinois during the Battle of Chickamauga.On Saturday, join park staff and volunteers at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. for 30-minute soldier life programs at the Snodgrass House. At 3:30 p.m., take a walk along Horseshoe Ridge to witness a 30-minute tactical demonstration/program entitled Not Quite to the Cannons Mouth. On Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., walk along Horseshoe Ridge to experience a 30-minute program entitled Fall Back and Dont Run. These two walking programs begin in the parking lot on top of Horseshoe Ridge.Special Program signs will be in place to assist visitors to program locations.Officials said, "The 96th Illinois Infantry was a relatively common regiment in the United States Army of the Cumberland. Although raised in Lake County, Il., in August and September 1862, they had not yet seen combat, but that was all about to change. On the final day of Chickamauga, these blue-clad soldiers were about to be engaged in some of the most desperate and bloody fighting of the battle. We invite you to come hear the story of the men of the 96th Illinois, the role they played at Chickamauga, and the legacy the left behind."For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch. The 2024 Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded to Professor Bantval Jayant Baliga of North Carolina State University, United States, for his innovation that has enabled dramatic reduction in worldwide electrical energy and petrol consumption. The 1 million global award for technology recognizes Baliga's leadership in the invention, development, and commercialization of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). Since its development in the 1980s, the IGBT has been the most important semiconductor device for making electrical energy use and petrol consumption more efficient and less polluting during the last 40 years. The efficiency improvements and reductions of fossil fuels consumption and cost, achieved by the IGBT, revolutionized the power industry. The technology has reduced global carbon dioxide emissions by over 82 gigatons (180 trillion pounds) in the past 30 years. This is equivalent to setting off carbon dioxide emissions by all human activity for three years, based on the average of the past 30 years' time frame. Professor Baliga's innovation enables the worldwide green transition and mitigation of global warming by making electrification and the use of renewable energy efficient and profitable. All wind and solar power installations utilize IGBT-based technology to convert the generated electricity into a form that is suitable for consumer and industrial applications. The IGBT is an essential technology in electric and hybrid-electric cars, as well as in most other electric motors in consumer and industrial use. The IGBT technology is everywhere around us all over the world, reducing energy consumption and making electricity use reliable: in medical diagnostic machines like X-Ray machines, CAT scanners and MRI units at the hospital; in microwave ovens and induction stoves in our kitchens; in air-conditioning and refrigeration for homes and buildings; in portable defibrillators, which were made possible by the IGBTs and are now saving countless lives around the world every year. The performance capacities of modern IGBT have expanded to the point that today IGBT-based power converters and inverters dominate nearly every major application with a power rating between 1kW and 10MW. Professor Bantval Jayant Baliga, who was granted the title of Progress Energy Distinguished University Emeritus Professor earlier this month, said: "It is very exciting to have been selected for this great honor. I am particularly happy that the Millennium Technology Prize will bring attention to my innovation, as the IGBT is an embedded technology that is hidden from the eyes of society. It has enabled a vast array of products that have improved the comfort, convenience, and health of billions of people around the world while reducing carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate global warming. Informing the public of this impactful innovation will illustrate the betterment of humanity by modern technology." Forbes Magazine named Professor Baliga the man with the world's largest negative carbon footprint when he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2016. Baliga and his team are currently working on two new inventions for further improvement of the efficiencies in the fields of solar power generation, electric vehicles, and power delivery for AI servers. Baliga said: "My first recent invention, the Baliga Short-circuit Improvement Concept (BaSIC), is designed to eliminate the roadblock of poor short-circuit withstand time for Silicon Carbide power MOSFETs used in motor drives for industrial and electric vehicle applications. My second new invention, a Bi-Directional Field-Effect Transistor (BiDFET), enables the matrix converter for power electronic applications. Matrix converters offer unprecedented improvements in size, efficiency, and reliability when compared with existing voltage source inverters. This will have a revolutionary impact on power delivery and management according to power electronics experts." Professor Minna Palmroth, Chair of the Board of Technology Academy Finland, the foundation awarding the prize, said: "The IGBT has already had and continues to have a major impact on supporting sustainability with improved living standards world-wide, while mitigating environmental impact. The main solution to tackle global warming is electrification and moving to renewable energy. The IGBT is the key enabling technology in addressing these issues". "I am particularly happy that the prize illuminates an innovation that is at the same time absolutely critical, has an enormous impact, but is not known to the vast majority of people. I think it is a great way to emphasize the power of science and innovation". Professor Paivi Torma, Chair of the International Selection Committee of the Millennium Technology Prize, said: "Two thirds of the electricity in the world is used to run motors in consumer and industrial applications. Professor Baliga's innovation has allowed us to develop societies with electricity efficiently, while dramatically reducing energy consumption". "Power electronics is a key enabling technology of any modern society in which automation of processes and energy systems plays an ever-increasing role. For the last 40 years, and still today, the IGBT is the most important power semiconductor device." Jack Lee joined The San Francisco Chronicle's Weather Science team in 2022 as a data reporter. He has written for a variety of science journalism outlets, covering everything from COVID-19 to songbirds to extreme weather events. Most recently, he has been writing about cancer prevention and early detection for the National Cancer Institute. Before coming to science writing and journalism, Lee earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology at Princeton University and then worked as a data engineer for several years in the Bay Area. He obtained a masters in science communication from UC Santa Cruz in 2020. Exclusive interview with inderpendent candidate Jiuru Zhu in federal by-election constituencyLasalle-Emard-Verdun 1As a first-generation immigrant, why did you choose Canada? What are your impressions of Canada, and could you share some valuable experiences from your life after immigrating? Before immigrating to Canada, I studied in Belgium, Europe for two years, where I earned a masters degree in applied computer science. At that time, I didnt have a particularly strong desire to immigrate I simply felt that while I was young, I should explore the world, broaden my horizons, and gain experience. My knowledge of Canada came from the article In Memory of Norman Bethune. Dr. Bethunes selflessness, humanitarian spirit, and dedication to helping others deeply moved many including me. Friends who had immigrated to Canada told me it was a beautiful and peaceful country with kind people later. That sparked my desire to immigrate to Canada. Its been 25 years since I immigrated here, and my three children were all born here. Canada is indeed a country rich in resources and blessed with stunning natural landscapes. As an immigration country , Canadas embrace of diversity and inclusion as core values is wise and attractive. The peaceful coexistence of various ethnic groups here is something that other countries can learn from. Canadians show a good example of coexistence. Canada was respected worldwide for its peaceful and friendly nature. However, in recent years, Canadas international image has been declining. It has strayed off course in handling complex international affairs and seems to be losing its right way. As the economy worsens, people are growing increasingly discontent, social security is deteriorating, and there is a significant waste of talented immigrants. Furthermore, racial discrimination is becoming more severe. The immigration process is like the growth of a tree, involving settling down, adapting, integrating, and developing, each stage accompanied by its own story. Ill share my experience of finding a job. It happened during a booming period for the IT industry, which was in high demand for professionals, and my expertise was just what was needed. However, job seekers are required to have Canadian work experience. How could I get Canadian work experience? While pregnant, I attended a training school and then interned. After my child was born, I found a volunteer position building websites. Thats how I eventually got my first Canadian job. 2) Its not easy for Chinese people to get involved in politics. Why did you choose to participate? Its indeed difficult for Chinese Canadians to engage in politics. Democracy depends on voters. How to convey a good manifesto to voters requires understanding the culture, well using language, utilizing social media platforms to campaign, and mobilizing Chinese Canadians participation. Each of these is a challenge. For independent candidates like me, who are political newcomers, the challenges are even greater. I chose to run for office out of a sense of mission. Looking back at Canadas recent years, I see more and more homeless people on the streets, hear about more crimes like thefts and robbery, and feel the growing anxiety among people. The politicization of issues affecting the Chinese community has worsened, rendering an already quiet Chinese community even more silent. Meanwhile, the deteriorating relationship between Canada and China continues to harm us. As a Chinese Canadian, I believe I should stand up and speak out. In times when people question the democratic system, I also hope to restore faith in democracy through my actions. I want to inspire more Chinese people, especially the younger generation, to actively engage in politics and social affairs, breaking through traditional barriers. The future of the Chinese community depends on the participation and contributions of the younger generation. I hope they realize that Chinese people can also make a difference in politics. 3)Running as an independent candidate for a federal by-election seat is especially difficult, particularly in an anti-China atmosphere. What strategies do you have? Righteousness and justice will ultimately overcome wrongdoing and malevolence.The global trend towards multipolarity and peaceful coexistence is the dominant one and the right path. Every country should follow the UNs resolutions and cooperate within the UN framework. Anti-China sentiment is driven by certain politicians political needs and does not reflect the views of the vast public, who have not been told the truth. Therefore, we need to help the public understand the truth and distinguish between fact and fiction. While campaigning, I listened to peoples voices, connected their struggles with national policies, and showed them that only by steering the country in the right direction can we improve our lives. Otherwise, people may feel trapped with no way out,they lose hope for the future . This is not something I can achieve alone, I need the support of all those who wish to see Canada thrive and rise up again. 4) Why should voters in your district vote for you? As an independent candidate, although its tough without the backing of a political party, it also allows me to better represent the voices of the people without being constrained by party policies. For example, the major issue of being anti-war and advocating for peace isnt mentioned in any partys platform. Our money is being used to buy weapons that kill peopleyoung men in the prime of their lives, defenseless women, and childrenrather than being invested in improving our lives. Furthermore, Ive lived and worked in this district for 20 years, so I understand the needs of local people . I have a deep connection with people in this district, and many of my clients are also my friends. My political platform is inspired by them. 5) What does the Chinese community think about your campaign? How does the Chinese community view political participation? I announced my candidacy a few months ago at a Chinese community gathering. Both your newspaper and Les Nouvelles Chinoiseshave reported on my candidacy. Im very grateful. Most of my fellow Chinese have expressed their support by saying its great that someone from our community is finally standing up to represent their voices. However, there are also a few who have criticized or even personally attacked me. To get the electors signatures for my candidacy, fellows like Yang Zi, Wendo, Wilque, Aneley and her daughter, young volunteer Cindy, and others went door-to-door collecting signatures. We gathered over 250 signatures in a short period.When I decided to run for the election, Weiqun Dai and Huang from other provinces, May Chow, a progressive Chinese from Quebec, WILLIAM, WALTER, JIMMY CHEN, etc. all gave me good suggestions. After my candidacy was confirmed in early August, we held a campaign kick-off event, and many fellows whom I didnt know came to show their support. Mr. Lei Yu and LiZhi Wu gave me the opportunity to announce my candidacy in their activities. Members from the CCFPA committee gave me very strong support. Members from The Voice of Friendship Chordgave me their support as well.Xiao Dong tried her best to find volunteers and introduced them to me. What touched me the most was when Xixi Li and several local community friends Alex, JP, Greg, and John, shared their experiences on-site, giving me great encouragement. My clients, the Dehui Li couple , were the first to donate the maximum amount of $1,725. Veteran community leaders Li ping Shao and Mao chuan Zhang also donated immediately. Xixi personally came to the campaign office to hand me her check. Ruby, Xiaowen and her family of three all donated. Mei Lin and Yang Zi also offered financial support. Professor Wu Ke, who had just returned from China, transferred his donation, and CuiGe, who had previously donated to the Chinese Service Center, contributed again to support my campaign. He is truly a role model in the Chinese business community. Your newspaper has been publishing articles about my campaign from the beginning until now, giving me more opportunities to expose to poublic. Hu Xians Symbiosis International Media conducted an interview with me, AMANDAs Huayi Media promoted news about our activities through text and videos, and Les Nouvelles Chinoises and Seven Days will also publish news about my campaign in the form of advertisements. There are also self-media people Hong Tian, Hai Ge, Hong Tao and Lao He who all support me in their own way. I am very grateful. The volunteers each had their own roles. Guan managed the office, while Hongjun, Zhenyu, Mr. Wang, Ronghua couple, Steven and his son, Alex, and Wilque put up signs, they did not care of braving the rain . Qinghua Li, Anely, Sisi and her mother , Enriketa, Dr. Ren, and Alan etc. went door-to-door canvassing and promoting the campaign. The most important thing is the support of my family, without their support I can not go further. During door-to-door canvassing, we encountered some awkward situations. When we approached fellow Chinese, we hoped they would listen, but most of them said they were too busy or didnt have time, refusing even to accept our flyers. On the other hand, people from other ethnic groups, whether they supported us or not, were generally open to listening. Some fellows even said it wasnt their business, which saddened me. From what I know, candidates from other ethnic groups receive strong support from their communities in terms of volunteers, funding, and various outreach efforts. In contrast, our Chinese community has been too quietseveral large organizations have shown no reaction to my campaign, as if it has nothing to do with them. I want to tell my fellow Chinese that I could very well be living a comfortable and peaceful life without running an office. My gains from running for office are far outweighed by what I lose. But if I dont stand up and speak out, who will? I hope that my candidacy will ignite a passion within the Chinese community to participate in Canadas democratic process,to encourage people to vote and use their ballots to express their voices. The pre-vote time is from 6th-9th September. The election day is 16th September . Please come out to vote ! Between 185 and 85 million years ago, a series of extreme environmental crises took place in the oceans, severely harming the existing marine life and altering the course of evolution on Earth. According to scientists, the crises are called oceanic anoxic events. They occurred when the dissolved oxygen in the oceans became critically depleted. The new study was led by experts from the University of Southampton. They said the events led to major biological changes, including mass extinctions of marine species. They collaborated with academics from the universities of Leeds, Bristol in the United Kingdom, Adelaide in Australia, Utrecht in the Netherlands, Waterloo in Canada and Yale in the United States. Oceanic anoxic events were like hitting the reset button on the planets ecosystems. The challenge was understanding which geological forces hit the button, said Tom Gernon, the lead author of the study and a professor of earth science at the University of Southampton. The researchers analyzed how ocean chemistry was impacted by plate tectonic forces during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, which is known as the Mesozoic era and the age of the dinosaurs. Remnants from this time can be found along the Jurassic Coast on the U.K.s south coast and the cliffs of Whitby in Yorkshire and Eastbourne in East Sussex. The research team also performed statistical analysis and utilized computer models to explore how the chemical cycles in the oceans would have responded to the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana. Sometime during the Mesozoic era, Gondwana, the giant landmass on which dinosaurs once roamed, broke up into multiple pieces. The supercontinents breakup event resulted in intense volcanic activity all over the world. The volcanic activity significantly contributed to changing the course of the planet. As tectonic plates shifted and new seafloors formed, large amounts of phosphorus, a nutrient essential for life, were released from weathering volcanic rocks into the oceans. Crucially, we found evidence of multiple pulses of chemical weathering on both the seafloor and continents, which alternately disrupted the oceans, Gernon said. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. During a construction project involving a new water line, workers in Greece stumbled across an ancient mosaic depicting a pair of dancing satyrs, which are man-animal hybrid spirits of nature found in Greek mythology. The designs were embedded in a white pebbled floor that once decorated a home dating back to the middle of the fourth century B.C.E. According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the mosaic floor was found in the town of Eretria, located on the island of Euboea, which was settled by ancient Greeks. Researchers concluded that the floor is from the late classical period, based on its similarity to floors in a nearby structure called the House of the Mosaics that also dates to the fourth century B.C.E. The mosaic is extremely well-preserved and measures just over three feet wide. It was made using white and colored pebbles arranged in a pattern against a blue circular background. The artwork features two male figures who arent wearing any clothes. They both have yellow hair, pointed ears, and horse-like tails. The character on the left had a pair of forehead horns and was playing a double flute. Meanwhile, the other figure on the right had a beard and appeared to be dancing. In ancient Greek mythology, satyrs were considered wild creatures that were often associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility, wine, vegetation, pleasure, and ritual madness. The figures from the mosaic resemble other portrayals of satyrs from ancient Greeceunclothed men with horns and tails. But during the Hellenistic age, which began around 323 B.C.E., the Greeks started depicting satyrs as half-man and half-goat with hooves and horns. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Home News Religious exemptions for Christian colleges opposed to LGBT ideology upheld by appeals court A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against an effort to strip Christian colleges of federal funds because of their biblical views on LGBT issues. In a decision released last week in the case of Hunter et al. v. Department of Education, et al., the panel unanimously upheld the religious exemption given to Christian academic institutions under Title IX federal civil rights law. At issue is whether the appeals court would revive a lawsuit filed by a group of LGBT students against Christian schools that they claim discriminated against them on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Circuit Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr., a George W. Bush appointee, authored the panel opinion, writing that there is "a continuous, century-long practice of governmental accommodations for religion that the Supreme Court and our court have repeatedly accepted as consistent with the Establishment Clause." "Here, when a school claims an exemption, the Department must make two determinations whether the school is controlled by a religious organization and whether Title IX would conflict with the religious tenets of the controlling organization," wrote Smith. "We are not persuaded that this type of facially neutral religious accommodation violates the Establishment Clause." The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, an association composed of nearly 200 Christian academic institutions, released a statement celebrating the panel opinion. "The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is grateful to the Court for the decision that follows the law established for centuries. The case was briefed thoroughly and the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled wisely," CCCU stated. The Religious Exemption Accountability Project, the group behind the litigation against the Christian schools and the U.S. Department of Education, released a statement vowing to fight on. "As this ruling makes clear, we cannot simply rely on the courts to protect the rights and well-being of LGBTQIA+ students at religious schools but must use every tool at our disposal to expose the harms they experience and push for change," stated the group. "Although this is not the result we wanted to see, we will not give up. In times like these we must turn our eyes even more so to those who are harmed by this ruling." REAP filed the lawsuit in March 2021 on behalf of more than 30 LGBT current and former students who believe they were discriminated against by over 20 religious colleges. Elizabeth Hunter, the lead plaintiff, was a former student at Bob Jones University who claimed that school officials had harassed her because of her sexual orientation. She also took issue with the student handbook detailing behavioral rules prohibiting same-sex romantic relationships, claiming that the school created a "scary, harsh environment for me." Other schools named in the lawsuit included Baylor University, Cedarville University, Liberty University, Oral Roberts University, Azusa Pacific University, Regent University School of Law, George Fox University, and Brigham Young University, among others. In January 2023, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Oregon, a Clinton appointee, ruled against the plaintiffs, concluding that plaintiffs failed to prove that the original religious exemption granted by Congress decades ago for Title IX was discriminatory. "Plaintiffs have submitted no allegations of discriminatory motivation on the part of those enacting the religious exemption. To the contrary, Plaintiffs argue that when Congress enacted Title IX, protections for or discrimination against sexual and gender minorities were 'of no concern,'" wrote Aiken. "Plaintiffs provide no evidence and supply no allegations involving the above-listed factors for the Court to consider and evaluate whether Congress was motivated in part by a discriminatory purpose when it enacted the religious exemption." Home News 6 major book publishers file lawsuit against Florida education officials over alleged book bans Six major book publishers in the United States filed a lawsuit against Florida officials last week, alleging that moves to remove explicit books from the state's public school libraries violate the First Amendment. The lawsuit was filed last Thursday in Orlando by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers and Sourcebooks. The plaintiffs include authors Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult and Angie Thomas, as well as two students and two parents. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The defendants include officials on the Florida State Board of Education, Orange County School Board and Volusia County School Board. The complaint takes issue with House Bill 1069, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in 2023 and led to hundreds of books being removed from public school libraries in the state. Authors whose books are affected range from Maya Angelou and Judy Blume to Aldous Huxley and Charles Dickens, according to a press release from HarperCollins. Other titles include Ernest Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls, Alice Walkers The Color Purple, Leo Tolstoys Anna Karenina and Kurt Vonneguts Slaughter-House Five. One mechanism by which public schools must "discontinue use of the material" in libraries under the law includes those that prompt school boards to stop parents from reading their content aloud during school board meetings, as noted by The Washington Post. The state government of Florida doesn't decide which books remain in public school libraries and allows schools to make that decision, though advocates of free speech allege that DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have passed legislation that has effectively restricted the number of books in schools, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Nathalia Medina, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Education, pushed back against the lawsuit's claims in a statement to WaPo. "There are no books banned in Florida," Medina said. "Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools." The suit asserts that its intention is not to prevent school libraries from banning obscene books, but the publishers do take issue with part of the law that prohibits content on the basis of allegedly overbroad definitions of "pornographic" and "sexual content." Judith Anne Hayes, who is one of the parents named in the suit and is the mother of a student in Orange County, said she was upset that her child wasn't able to read books such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, and suggested that such titles "have been falsely branded as 'pornographic' or otherwise inappropriate." Author Stephen King, who claims 23 of his books were booted from Florida school libraries because of their content, tweeted a vulgar statement against the law over the weekend. "Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books," King wrote. "What the [expletive]?" Stephana Ferrell, who works with the book access advocacy organization Florida Freedom to Read Project, suggested that King might have been referring to the approximate number of titles that have been removed pending review in Escambia County in Florida's westernmost tip, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Home News Chicago police respond to call claiming armed Venezuelan migrants trespassing at apartment complex Chicago police received a call that over 30 Venezuelan migrants had shown up at a South Side apartment with guns, though one resident denied the report. The Chicago Police Department responded to the report on Monday night, according to The National Desk. A caller had told dispatch that 32 migrants were trespassing and that the group was displaying guns in the courtyard of the building located in the Washington Park neighborhood. The caller also alleged that the migrants had parked motorcycles outside the building as the staircases became filled. In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesperson for CPD said an officer responded to a call of service. The term refers to an incident requiring assistance from emergency service personnel, but these types of calls are usually related to minor incidents. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The spokesperson provided CP with a document containing police directives and confirmed that the call received a miscellaneous incident code of 4P. The code refers to Disturbance, NoiseOther Police Service. According to the CPD spokesperson, the officer did not generate any additional report besides this one. One resident of the building, Anderson Gutierrez, told The Chicago Tribune that 32 armed people were not at the complex on Monday night, calling the report a lie. Gutierrez is a 20-year-old from Venezuela who moved into the building a few weeks ago with his siblings. Look, theres no one outside, he said. We all know each other. No one is hurting anyone. The 911 call in Chicago about Venezuelan migrants follows a viral video last week that showed armed men carrying guns and entering an apartment in Aurora, Colorado. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman blamed the Biden-Harris administration and nonprofit organizations for deciding to house large numbers of Venezuelan migrants in low-income apartments in the city. The mayor stated that the criminal activities associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is mostly isolated to certain apartment complexes and that the issue doesn't jeopardize the safety of the citys over 400,000 residents. "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. "This is not our problem; this is a problem created by the federal government at the border with bad policy, the mayor said. 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." Coffman described Venezuela as a failed state under a socialist dictator, noting that many are leaving the country. The mayor explained that the Venezuelan community entering the city now vastly differs from the immigrants who came to Aurora in the past. "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, he said. "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." The Aurora mayor added that he hopes the authorities can remove gang members who have reportedly taken over three apartment complexes without having to ask residents to leave. Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Heather Morris stated in a video update that 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 did acknowledge, however, that there is some gang activity in the complex, adding that officers on hand will investigate and address criminal activity at the building. Home News Sing! Conference: Mark Dever churches must rediscover theological depth in worship music Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., highlighted the significance of the Magnificat and how its context can serve as an instructive model for today's churches in a message delivered at the Getty's Sing! Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In a Tuesday sermon, Dever unpacked the meaning of Mary's song of praise in Luke 1:39-56 and highlighted its relevance to modern worship practices and the sovereignty of God. The setting an older, barren Elizabeth meeting the young, virgin Mary serves as a contrast to the world's typical power structures and God's use of the unlikely to fulfill His divine plan. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "God does great things through weak instruments, not so much to tell us about the instruments, but to tell us about Himself," Dever said. "The weak and the powerless themselves sin and can be enemies of God, just like the strong and the powerful. But God uses the weak to show that His glory is independent of human strength." The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church author addressed the communal nature of worship, drawing attention to the significance of Mary's song being shared with Elizabeth. "Mary praised God to Elizabeth," he emphasized. "We can certainly have wonderful times with the Lord alone. But it's no accident that this beautiful hymn was said from one grateful soul to another who would understand. There's something in the very corporate nature of gatherings that brings out the reality and the significance of our words about God. Even as we want to avoid being the hypocrite, appearing to be something that we're not, we also want to avoid being the hermit, never appearing to others at all, and that's how some people try to live their Christian lives as if being a Christian is merely a matter of private devotion." He urged churches to make their worship more intentional and participatory, advocating for introducing hymns with historical or theological context to deepen the congregation's understanding. "Sometimes sharing that historical setting will cause the meaning to pop," Dever said. "Sharing the setting for the composition can make the meaning of the song stand out more clearly." Dever stressed the role of music in congregational life, saying volume and enthusiasm of congregational singing are crucial components of worship. Offering advice for worship leaders, he suggested choosing singable hymns, turning down ensemble microphones to highlight congregational voices and ensuring that the sound system supports the congregation's participation. "Once the congregation hears each other singing, they are going to be so much more encouraged than they are by the wall of sound that comes from the front, whether it's an electric guitar or a pipe organ. Have accompanists know how to play in such a way that frames and highlights and encourages the congregation singing and not their own playing," he advised. "Again and again in Scripture, loudness, greatness of volume, is associated with the greatness of that which is said or exclaimed or proclaimed or sung," he said. "You notice in the Gospel that even often when the demons are saying the truth about Jesus it must have hurt them to do that, but there they are they're doing it loudly. It's not being muttered. They're doing it as a public witness. For that matter, Jesus Himself, when His own physical life is nearly exhausted with His last incarnate breath, all the gospels record not merely that he spoke, but that he cried out loudly, 'Father, into Thy hands. I commit my spirit.' Some things should be proclaimed publicly, and God's praises are among them." Dever urged the Church to embrace wonder and humility in worship, noting the rich theology embedded in hymns like "Before the Throne of God Above," which encapsulate complex biblical truths in concise, poetic form. "Good songs teach us the Bible," Dever said. "We have thick theological truths comprised into tight poetic forms that light up our understandings and stick in our memories. There are some lines in our hymns that so illumine the pathos of God's love for us that it makes us weep in wonder, as we then want to leap in joy." Reflecting on Mary's humility in the Magnificat, the pastor reminded the audience that worship is not about drawing attention to oneself but pointing to God. During his sermon, Dever also invited those in the audience who were not yet Christians. "Christianity is only for sinners," Dever said. "We have nothing to offer to non-sinners. So if you're here as a nonsinner, thank you so much for coming. You can leave whenever. We really have nothing for you. But among sinners, Christianity is only for a certain set of sinners. It's only for repenting sinners, it holds out hope only for those who will repent. In Christ, our hopes don't end in this life. Jesus Christ exceeds them all." The Sing! 2024 conference was held from Tuesday to Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee. This year's conference theme was "The Songs of the Bible" and featured speakers and artists, including Keith and Kristyn Getty, Alistair Begg, Andrew Peterson, Mark Dever, Michael W. Smith and more. Home News Russell Brand kneels in prayer at Tucker Carlson event, prays against 'dark and demonic forces' 'I loved it,' Carlson tells CP A barefoot Russell Brand knelt on the floor at the conclusion of an hour-long conversation with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday, and prayed against the "dark and demonic forces" in government and corporate America. The British actor also asked that the upcoming 2024 presidential election would provide an opportunity for "unity" in the United States. Kicking off the first of Carlson's multi-stop live national tour this month that will feature various guests ranging from Donald Trump Jr. to Roseanne Barr, Carlson spoke at length to Brand about the comedian's newfound Christian faith and how it has affected his worldview. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Tucker Carlson Live Tour in Phoenix, AZ Russell Brand on his baptism and Gods role in the battle against totalitarianism in the west. Includes paid partnerships. pic.twitter.com/nLJlM2D4se Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 5, 2024 As the two wrapped up their conversation, Carlson asked if Brand would be willing to close them in prayer, to which he enthusiastically obliged. "We haven't talked about this and I mean this in the most open possible way, not everyone's going to share your beliefs or my beliefs but would you close in prayer?" Carlson asked. "I call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our heavenly Savior," Brand prayed after hopping from his chair to kneel on the stage. "Lord, I humbly [ask] in this great congregation in Phoenix, Arizona, with my host, Tucker Carlson, in deference to him, but in ultimate deference to you, our Lord and Savior, to whom we are all your younger siblings and your children." Russell Brand ends his live tour stop with a prayer. @rustyrocketspic.twitter.com/QyGMt8u8mz Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) September 6, 2024 "I pray in your name that the forthcoming election be an opportunity for unity, for America and for Americans, for forgiveness and for grace; that the dark and demonic forces that appear to operate at the level of the state the deep state and the corporate and global world experience your light, Lord." Brand went on to ask God to "guide all of our tongues and all of our words and all of our hearts, that we feel your forgiveness and that we feel your grace." "Thank you, Lord, for the many gifts that you have bestowed upon us," he added. "Thank you for the glory of consciousness itself, in which we can experience you and live you. Thank you for the beauty of nature, in which we see your wisdom and your creativity and your infinite glory." He also thanked God that He "was born and died, that we may be forgiven and that we may have eternal life, not through merit or anything that we have individually achieved. For surely, all of us are fallen. "But in your holy name, we are forgiven by your act of redemption. By your sacrifice in your name, we pray. Amen." Carlson also chimed in a hearty "Amen," to which the audience applauded in response. When The Christian Post reached out to Carlson for comment on Brand's prayer and whether he believes a religious revival is coming, he said, "I can't say, but I loved it." Brand posted a picture of his prayer to X on Friday, writing simply, "My life has changed. Praise Jesus." After spending months wrestling with the claims of the Christian faith and reading authors such as C.S. Lewis and Rick Warren, Brand was baptized on April 28 in the River Thames with the help of TV host and author Bear Grylls. Brand's conversion came less than a year after a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches reported on allegations from four women who accused Brand of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Brand has denied the "very serious criminal allegations" and acknowledged that while he was "very, very promiscuous" in the past, his sexual encounters were "always consensual." During a previous interview with Carlson last year, Brand said he realized his need for God after seeing the futility of fame and fortune. "Like many desperate people, I need spirituality," the former Buddhist said. "I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people." Acknowledging he "didn't have enough self-discipline to resist the allure of stardom," he said he "fell face-first into the glitter, and I'm only just pulling myself out now." Home News Secret Service didn't properly train HSI agents to secure Trump rally, whistleblower claims Whistleblower allegations provided to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., contend federal agents were improperly trained before partnering with the U.S. Secret Service to provide security at the July 13 rally where former President Donald Trump was nearly killed, an allegation the Secret Service disputes. On Wednesday, the Missouri lawmaker sent a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe regarding the whistleblower's claims about the Homeland Security Investigations agents working with the Secret Service on the day of Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The whistleblower alleged that the only training the Secret Service provided the HSI agents consisted of a two-hour webinar on Microsoft Teams. Hawley has been one of the most outspoken lawmakers seeking answers regarding the attempt on Trump's life during the rally. The incident has raised questions about how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed an elevated rooftop and succeeded in taking a shot at the former president. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe HSI agents had been newly assigned to the protective mission, according to the whistleblower, who claimed that the playback for the pre-recorded training videos was riddled with technical mishaps. "'Imagine 1,000 people logging onto Microsoft Teams at the same time after being informed at the last minute that everyone needed to login individually,'" the whistleblower told Hawley's office. "Once it got rolling, the Secret Service instructor couldn't figure out how to get the audio working on the prerecorded videos (which I'm told are the same videos as last year). All told, they restarted the videos approximately six times. The content was not helpful.'" The whistleblower alleged that the agency had not updated its training videos since the attempted assassination during the Pennsylvania rally. In his letter to Rowe, Hawley reiterated additional allegations that more HSI agents were present at the rally than Secret Service members. "[A]ll of these allegations together suggest that a significant number of personnel tasked with providing security for former President Trump at the July 13 rally were egregiously under-prepared by the Secret Service to carry out this mission," Hawley stated. "Moreover, these latest whistleblower allegations contend HSI agents were pulled off child exploitation cases in order to serve on protective details for which they were unprepared." In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a Secret Service spokesperson clarified that those responsible for guarding Trump were all part of the agency, saying it partners with HSI and local law enforcement to help with security at events. The spokesperson stressed there is a difference between physically guarding the president and securing the venue. In the Wednesday letter, Hawley requested that Rowe address questions regarding the number of HSI agents present at the Butler rally and how many were trained for protective detail through a webinar. The lawmaker asked for a copy of the curriculum and whether there have been any changes to the training since the shooting at the July 13 event. Rowe is also asked to clarify whether HSI agents had been pulled off child exploitation cases and reassigned to help with event security. While the former president was not killed at the rally, the bullet pierced his ear, in addition to wounding two other event attendees and killing another. Following bipartisan calls for her resignation, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down from her position one day after testifying on Capitol Hill about the assassination attempt. "I take full responsibility for the security lapse," Cheatle wrote in an email to staff. "In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director." Home Opinion 'Settler colonialism': A dangerous intellectual virus loose on American campus Many Americans were surprised and mystified by the outbreak of pro-Palestinian, pro-Hamas, and antisemitic protests on college campuses across the nation earlier this year. What on earth was going on? Why were American college students in such large numbers marching and occupying buildings in favor of Hamas (identified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization) and chanting Palestine from the river to the sea (the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea)? The fact that approximately 8 million Israelis live in that geographical space meant that they would have to be removed or subjugated to accomplish this goal. Recently, I encountered a volume that explained the ideological and intellectual origin of this movement. It is called settler colonialism and it is an academic thesis that posits that certain countries are inherently and permanently illegitimate because of the way they were founded. Adam Kirsch, On Settler Colonialism. Ideology, Violence, and Justice (2024). Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Kirschs brilliant and insightful book traces the rise and influence of this toxic academic theory and the alarming cultural consequences its widespread acceptance would portend for America in particular and the West in general. Settler colonialisms central premise is that settlement is not a past historical event, but instead a present structure. In other words, every inhabitant of a country like America who is not descended from the original indigenous population will always be an interloper, not a legitimate inhabitant. This reality, in turn, demands the settler nation be dismantled or decolonized. The illegitimate settlers must confess their sins and seek to decolonize. In the case of America, the Western civilization that superseded the original indigenous civilization of native Americans must be dismantled. Examples of these confessions are often found in public acknowledgments, often recited on public occasions, of aboriginal land ownership. For example, Northwestern University proclaims, The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center goes further in its announcement that the Center occupies the land of the Mvskoke (Muscogee/Creek) Nation. These individuals were forcibly removed against their will and we reap the benefits of their turmoil. Our occupation of this land is an act of privilege. Once the settlers have acknowledged the illegitimacy of their civilization, they must seek to dismantle and remake it. As Kirsch points out, this also involves the rejection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s vision of an America that fulfilled the promise of its founding documents and led to a country where everyone was judged not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. Settler colonialism rejects Dr. Kings vision and concludes that a struggle for equal citizenship looks like a masked acceptance of final defeat: total colonization. When applied to Israel, settler colonialism perceives Israel as the product of Jewish colonization (white settler colonialism) over the native Palestinians. This ignores the fact that the Jews were in the Holy Land long before the Palestinians. It also conveniently ignores the fact that after the U.N. Partition in 1948, five modern Arab armies attacked the Jewish state and tried to obliterate it. When the cease-fire ending that conflict took effect, Jordan expelled approximately 500,000 Jews from the West Bank, a term coined in 1948 to identify the Jordanian-controlled part of Palestine, areas which had been referred to since biblical times as Judea and Samaria. The great preponderance of forced population relocation in the biblical land of Israel from 1948 forward involved Jews who were expelled. When it comes to America, settler colonialism has as its goal the delegitimization of the American experiment as immoral and reprehensible. When it comes to the Western European settlement of the Americas, the history is complex. As Jeff Fynn-Paul explained and illustrated in Not Stolen. The Truth About European Colonialism in the New World (2023), the story is far more varied and complex than has often been presented in historical narratives or popular belief. In a vast oversimplification, you had Western civilization coming into contact with an indigenous civilization that was far less advanced. As one of my old history professors summarized it, What happened was inevitable. The way it happened was unconscionable. It should be said, however, that what the original settlers of North and South America encountered was not the noble savage. The Incas and the Aztecs engaged in human sacrifice in the tens of thousands annually. An excellent example of this conflict in North America is beautifully and sympathetically told by S. C. Gwynne in Empire of the Summer Moon (2010). Gwynne tells the story of the European settlement of what is now Texas as they came into conflict with the Comanches, a ferocious and warlike tribe of native Americans who had defeated and appropriated the land of several other indigenous tribes including the Apaches. As Gwynne describes it, the Anglos were initially profoundly shocked by the extreme brutality of the Comanches against women and children. He then notes that the Texans' fourth and fifth century Pick and Celtic ancestors would have recognized Comanche practices as similar to their own. Acknowledging the needless brutality and racial bigotry of white settlement of North America, one should also acknowledge that it was an advance for what we would define as civilization. Far more importantly, it should be recognized that settler colonialism is intent on delegitimizing America to its people in order to deconstruct it and replace it with something else, heavily influenced by Marxism. Kirsch concludes his important and helpful book by asserting: While the creation of the United States and Israel was a curse to some people, it has been a blessing to many others. It is a sign of ignorance to turn any country into a symbol of evil, but in the case of these countries in particular, it is also a sign of ideological malice. To the extent that settler colonialism spreads into the American bloodstream, it will spread hatred, division and ill will. Home News 5 companies that are scaling back DEI, LGBT advocacy Pushback against the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion has led several major companies to cease efforts to embrace the progressive ideology that encourages a focus on race, gender and sexual orientation in hiring practices and business relationships in the workforce. The trend began earlier this summer when Tractor Supply Co., a major retailer in the United States, announced it was working to "eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment," in addition to vowing to "no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign," an LGBT activist organization. The move by Tractor Supply followed an effort by conservative influencer Robby Starbuck to boycott the chain over its "DEI council" and "DEI hiring practices," as well as its support of other progressive priorities. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Specifically, Starbuck urged Tractor Supply customers to contact the retailer's leadership to express opposition to its embrace of "LGBTQIA+ events at work" and "LGBTQIA+ training for employees," funding "pride/drag events" and "sex changes" for its employees, engagement in "climate change activism" and display of "pride month decorations in the office." In response to the backlash, Tractor Supply said it had "taken this feedback to heart" and would work to better "represent the values of the communities and customers we serve." Throughout the summer, other companies have followed in Tractor Supply's footsteps. Here's a list of five companies that have abandoned DEI and other progressive political activities. Home News 5 findings from Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale's complete diary The Tennessee Star has released all 90 pages of the manifesto of Audrey Hale, the trans-identified shooter who killed six people at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee last year. The journal had remained under seal from the Metro Nashville Police Department after the FBI sent the local law enforcement agency a memo stating that it strongly discourages the release of so-called legacy tokens because of concerns that future mass shooters would immerse themselves in and study these materials for inspiration and tactics. Critics of the move to keep the document confidential theorized that there was an effort to hide that trans ideology either motivated or played a partial role in the attack. Over the past year, The Tennessee Star and conservative podcaster Steven Crowder have released excerpts of Hale's diary that revealed a disturbed young woman who fantasized about her imaginary penis, resented her parents and Christianity for their refusal to embrace her self-professed gender identity as male, and detailing her intention to open fire at the Christian school. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Tuesdays publication of the complete manifesto contains unredacted screenshots of the handwritten journal for all to see. The contents of the diary document admiration for other mass murderers, sexual frustration, Hales desire to kill herself and others, in addition to providing context for her gender dysphoria. Here are five findings from the unredacted version of Audrey Hales diary. Home News Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, is arrested and charged Colin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old Colt Gray charged in the Apalachee High School shooting, has been arrested and charged in connection with the actions of his son. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced at a press conference Thursday that Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. "These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son Colt to possess a weapon," GBI Director Chris Hosey said. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News that Colin Gray bought his son an AR-15 style rifle as a gift in December 2023, months after he told Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that his son did not have unsupervised access to guns as they investigated a school shooting threat. An earlier statement from the FBI Atlanta Division said in May 2023, the FBI's National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and the threats included photographs of guns. The then-13-year-old Colt Gray was interviewed along with his father, who told officials that he had hunting guns in his house, but his son didn't have unsupervised access to them. Colt Gray, who wasn't identified by name in the statement, also denied making the threats, and no charges were filed in that investigation. On Friday, the father and son duo appeared in Barrow County Superior Court in Winder to answer their charges separately. Colt Gray appeared before the court at around 8:30 a.m. EST to answer to his four felony murder charges for which he is being treated as an adult, according to NBC News. His father followed him in the same courtroom where he is facing a maximum of 180 years in prison if he is convicted on all the charges. Before the shooting, Colt Gray's family life had been in upheaval. His parents, who have been married for more than 14 years, had been living separately. His mother, Marcee Gray, was also arrested in Georgia on Nov. 6, 2023, and slapped with a number of charges, including possession of methamphetamine, sale, distribution, possession of dangerous drugs and concealing identity of a vehicle, according to a crime report. She said she separated from Colin Gray after 14 years of marriage because she had continually suffered domestic violence. In a statement posted on Facebook in November 2022, Marcee Gray revealed that her husband had suffered significant abuse as a child. "From my husband's first memory, all he knew was abuse. Severe physical abuse (I'm talking everything from getting a broken arm at age 8 while he was totally asleep to having a barstool crack his skull open ... I still rub my fingers across the scar/gouge on his scalp and think to myself, 'How?! I can't even comprehend it!'" she wrote. "That is what substance abuse can do." She explained in another post, along with a video link to rock band Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids," that she believes God had sent her to him. "I know it's hard to understand from the outside looking in. Everyone in my and his family couldn't understand why I stayed as long as I did. Ultimately it was my own decision I made a commitment to the Lord and my husband. No one but me understands the pain that my husband lives with every single day," she said. "Every single person in his life has hurt or betrayed him And I truly believe that the Lord sent me to him because no one else was strong enough to stay by his side through thick and thin. I'm not about to give up on him now We are just taking a break." The four people who died in the Apalachee High School shooting were identified as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and his colleague Christina Irimie, 53. Authorities also said nine others were injured during the shooting, but all of them are expected to survive. "We're very happy to say that they will make a full recovery," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Thursday. Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High School, described Colt Gray to CNN as "quiet" and said she wasn't surprised he would launch such an attack on the school. She said he habitually skipped classes or school entirely. "He never really talked. He was pretty quiet," she said. "He wasn't there most times either. He just didn't come to school, or he just would skip class. But even when he would've talked, it was one-word answers and short statements." She said shortly before the shooting on Wednesday morning, Colt Gray had been sitting beside her in their Algebra I class. She said he left the classroom and then came back a short while later with a gun. Sayarath said that because the classroom doors automatically close when people exit, they must be let back into the classroom by someone already inside. She said their teacher saw that Colt Gray was trying to re-enter the class with a gun, and they never allowed him back inside, so he turned to another class. He "turned to the classroom that would have been to my right, and he just starts to shoot, and you hear about 10 to 15 rounds back-to-back," Sayarath said. "When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and kind of crawled in an area, like, piled on top of each other. The teacher turned off the lights, but we all just kind of piled together, and I pushed desks in front of us. I was just telling people, 'Push desks in front of you, block in front of you, get low' things like that." Home News Supreme Court denies request to reinstate $4 million in funds for Okla. due to abortion policy The United States Supreme Court has declined to reinstate $4 million in federal family planning funds for Oklahoma because the state government refuses to allot the money for elective abortions. In a brief order released Tuesday, the high court declined to give a writ of injunction on behalf of Oklahoma in its ongoing litigation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to the order, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch would have granted the application for an injunction. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In October 2021, the HHS issued a final rule allowing Title X federal funding to go to family planning clinics that referred their patients for abortion counseling, reversing an earlier measure by the Trump administration. In 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and thus allowed states to decide whether to ban abortion, Oklahoma took issue with a federal provision that required Title X funds to be used for counseling and referrals for abortions. HHS offered the state an alternative: Providers could give patients seeking pregnancy counseling or referrals the telephone number of a national call-in hotline instead. When Oklahoma rejected that option, HHS terminated the states grant, explained legal expert Amy Howe. Oklahoma went to federal court, challenging the termination and seeking to require HHS to renew the grant for 2024-25. The district court denied the states request for temporary relief, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld that ruling. In March 2021, a group of 19 states led by Ohio filed a joint motion to stop the Biden administration from scrapping the Trump administration rule on Title X funding. To be sure, some States provide such funding. And many advocates would like to see more public funding. But the broader national consensus against funding elective abortion remains, stated the joint motion. Title X reflects this consensus. Since its 1970 enactment, the law has funded non-abortion family planning. All the while, it has banned the use of Title X funds in programs where abortion is a method of family planning. In February 2022, however, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected an injunction request from the states, claiming that they have not demonstrated that they will be irreparably harmed without the injunction." Home Opinion Target retreats from LGBT merch after year-long profit bloodbath This years pride month is shaping up to be a much more humble affair at Target. In an extremely gratifying twist, the company that bragged their transgender line is great for our brand has changed its mind after a year-long stock market bruising. Its the latest evidence that the wildfire of consumer activism is not only spreading but forcing the kind of change most people never thought possible. If you asked conservatives two years ago, stopping the woke at major brands wouldve been a victory. But reversing the woke? Thats a tectonic shift in the power structure of Big Business. For once, CEOs who for years have thrown their radical agenda in the face of shoppers are feeling enough pain in their profit margins to stop and ask if appeasing the far-Left is worth it. Targets CEO Brian Cornell, who flaunted the stores chest binders and tucking swimming suits for kids as progress, finally counted the cost of his social extremism late last summer. By the end of a dismal August, he didnt apologize, but he did admit that it was time for some soul searching. As his first and second quarter earnings tanked, he hinted at changes ahead. As we navigate an ever-changing operating and social environment, were applying what weve learned to ensure were staying close to our guests and their expectations of Target. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe What Cornell learned, Americans will be pleased to know, is that trans activism is the fastest road to financial insolvency. After thumbing his nose at Christmas shoppers with shelves full of LGBT pandering, the full weight of consumer outrage started to sink in. Like his counterparts at Anheuser-Busch, Nike, Disney, Planet Fitness, RipCurl, and Doritos, he sent shoppers running for the exits. But the activism has obviously gotten to an unsustainable point for his business, forcing Target to announce what would have been unthinkable a year and a half ago: a significant reduction in pride products. On its website Thursday, the company wanted people to know that this summers LGBT merchandise will not only be limited but designed with adults not children in mind. Were offering a collection of products including adult apparel and home and food and beverage items, curated based on consumer feedback, the notice read. The collection will be available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance. Of the companys 2,000 stores nationwide, only some will carry the items that landed them in hot water last year. Naturally, the companys course-correction didnt thrill the corporate hostage-takers in the LGBT movement, who immediately blasted Targets decision to put profitability first. Kelley Robinson, president of the extreme Human Rights Campaign, said Cornells move was a disappointing betrayal of their progressive values. Pride merchandise means something, she insisted. LGBTQ+ people are in every zip code in this country, and we arent going anywhere. The companys PR team rushed to reassure Robinson and other activists, saying in a statement, Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round, headquarters wrote. Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members, which reflects our culture of care for the over 400,000 people who work at Target. So while Americans can (and should) celebrate the difference theyre making with their money, the work isnt over. This muted approach to pride is still an effort to play both sides. As Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told The Washington Stand, CEO Brian Cornell is discovering that customers do expect more now that many consumers are spending less at Target because of its LGBTQ fixation. By avoiding Target, consumers are getting the woke corporations attention, but not necessarily their behavior. They should continue spending elsewhere until their behavior meets consumers expectations. FRCs Meg Kilgannon also chimed in, pointing out that pride months celebration of unnatural lifestyles, proclivities, and identities has become more and more obnoxious over time. The idea that Target is setting a limit on Pride merchandising and marketing is remarkable for a corporate America too willing to bend the knee to HRCs fake business scores, she agreed. As American shoppers endure rising prices and lower wages, retail stores suffer not only from Bidenomics but their own ridiculous investments in social justice and culture war issues that have nothing to do with profits and everything to do with virtue signaling to shape public opinion. I havent shopped in Target recently and dont plan to, Kilgannon said. But it is nice to think that the June rainbow radicals might be dialing things back. If people stop shopping in June, or at least stop spending money in stores and with businesses with rainbow logos and beyond, more retailers will get the message. Others, like expert Stephen Soukup, author of The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, urge people not to be duped by Targets half-measures. They seem unlikely to make anyone happy, he told TWS, while almost certainly frustrating observers and activists on all sides of the issue. Target says, for example, that it is carefully assessing which stores will have LGBTQ merchandise this year, he pointed out. Thats irrelevant in the digital age. Wherever the displays are, they will be videoed and uploaded to social media, causing every bit of outrage and frustration they have caused in previous years, Soukup said. Likewise, he explained, its important to remember that Target took a hit on its Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index score last year, simply because it responded to customer anger at its displays. The company will almost certainly get nicked again this year for supposedly capitulating to anti-LGBTQ sentiment by limiting its Pride Month offerings. Ultimately, Soukup predicted, Both outcomes are likely to aggravate Targets shareholders. It took several months last year for the companys stock price to recover from its Pride Month-induced freefall, and a repeat of that disaster may well cause larger and more activist investors to question managements competence and foresight. Regardless, there's no denying that Americans are moving the needle on corporate extremism. As Perkins said on Mike Johnsons (R-La.) Truth Be Told podcast before he was elected speaker, This is not a gray area for most people. Even non-believers understand the difference between males and females. And I actually think this is why were seeing such significant pushback across the nation When Americans are silent, he warned, we are playing right along with the deception that is destroying the lives of many young people. At the end of the day, he acknowledged, What we have is not our own God has entrusted you with the resources to buy food, clothing, the necessities of life. Do you think He would really want you sending that to an entity that uses the profits ... [to attack] the biblical truth that he expects us to live by? So it really comes down to a stewardship issue. Its not about boycotting. [Its about using money] in a way that would honor God And Ill have to be very, very clear. I do not think being caught in a Target store is honoring God. Originally published at The Washington Stand. Home Opinion What it means to say God speaks our language Have you heard from God lately? Do you know that God speaks to you in your own language? In working with the former communist bloc countries of Eastern Europe for the last six decades to get local Bible translations into the hands of every person, weve witnessed a profound revelation among people who had never had Bibles before. The revelation that each of these transformed souls is hit with is: God loves me. He sees me and loves me. The gypsies of Eastern Europe This year, EEM partnered with Hungarian Gypsy Missions International and a Slovakian preacher who has worked diligently over the last 15 years to create the first-ever Bible translation for the local Romani dialect. While the term Gypsy is considered derogatory in the West, it is often used descriptively by this regional people group. For the last 1,000 years, the Romani people have been widely oppressed and treated with extreme contempt in Europe. They have faced social ostracization, persecution, violence, murder and even sterilization. The widespread neglect, avoidance and mistreatment of the Romani continues today, reinforcing the idea that they are unwanted and forgotten. But the God of the universe has not forsaken these precious people. He loves them, sees them and has a purpose for them. This was revealed in one of the Romani communities visited by EEM this year, when they were able to read the Word of God for the first time in their own heart language. Men were emotional, holding up their Bibles in church, outpouring their hearts to God and to one another. Everyone was sharing about the things they were finally getting to learn for the very first time. One woman, with tears in her eyes, said this: I just realized ... and its so humbling ... I just realized that God speaks our language. In essence, what she was saying is that God loves us that He would stoop so low to speak our language. Its beautiful and tragic to hear. Just as Jesus died for you and me, He also gave his life for these beautiful people, tossed aside by the world, misunderstood, devalued and abused. What an incredible revelation. We know that the Word of God is incomparable. It is alive, divinely inspired and sharper than any double-edged sword. It is utterly transformative. Perhaps this most-powerful piece of literature is one that, at times, we take for granted. Afterall, we have the Bible in our language, in our homes, on our phones and in every pew at church. We in the West are certainly not starved for the Word of God. Yet, there are many throughout the world who are. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe So will my message be that goes out of my mouth it wont return to me empty. Instead, it will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Bibles in the language that speak to our heart Like this woman and her people, we wouldnt know the fullness of Gods heart for us if we werent able to read His Word in our own heart language. This is why its crucial that every soul has a Bible in their native tongue. This is why we must continue on in the Great Commission, namely through sharing the Gospel message found in Gods Word. This is why our ministry slogan is, The Bible. We Want Everyone to Get it! We dont just want everyone to have it; we want everyone to get it. Get it into their hands, get it into their minds, and get it into their heart so that they can understand Gods purpose through it and therefore know their true identity in Christ. What can we take away from this? Value the Bible. This holy, transformative text we behold is a precious gift, especially in the hands of people who have never before heard the Good News, as well as for those most persecuted for following Christ. Let us imagine if we were in these peoples shoes of never having had the Bible in our language or living in constant fear of being persecuted for harboring its message of hope. If this was us, the Bible would be our truest, most valuable treasure, and we would treat it as such. This holy, transformative text we behold is a precious gift, especially in the hands of people who have never before heard the Good News, as well as for those most persecuted for following Christ. Let us imagine if we were in these peoples shoes of never having had the Bible in our language or living in constant fear of being persecuted for harboring its message of hope. If this was us, the Bible would be our truest, most valuable treasure, and we would treat it as such. Pray for the Romani people that they would receive the Word of God, be transformed by its message and step into the Great Commission alongside us. Pray that Jesus would have His way among them, showing them how valued, loved and seen they are despite the false narratives reinforced by the culture that surrounds them. that they would receive the Word of God, be transformed by its message and step into the Great Commission alongside us. Pray that Jesus would have His way among them, showing them how valued, loved and seen they are despite the false narratives reinforced by the culture that surrounds them. Help spread the Word of God. We all bring something to the table, whether through evangelism, language skill sets, giving or teaching. Each of these roles, alongside countless others, presents opportunities to help share the Word of God with unreached people groups around the world. If you are bilingual, you have the opportunity to translate in mission work. If you are called to give to missions, consider giving to a ministry that works toward crafting accurate Bible translations and distribution, a cause that will not return void. Likewise, if you are compelled to the international mission field yourself, you can hand-deliver the Good News to those who have never received it. Just as God speaks my language, He also speaks to others to the Romani people, to the poor, to those who dont know him yet. He speaks our language and loves each of us deeply a truth so powerful and moving, that we couldnt possibly keep it to ourselves. Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ (Romans 10:17). Home Opinion When freedom means slavery When someone keeps repeating a word, its a sign theyre trying to convince themselves as much as the audience. So when freedom got tossed around like confetti at the recent grand left-wing convention, youve got to wonder whats really going on. Lets be honest: Progressives, the folks who seem to have never met a government regulation they didnt love, are now the ones shouting freedom the loudest. Strange, right? But heres the thing: When the champions of control start waving the freedom banner, it reeks of overcompensation. After all, their version of freedom comes with a lot of fine print. And thats exactly what were here to discuss: the fine print of todays liberalism that will usher in the opposite of what they claim to represent. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe First things first, we need to highlight the deception at play. The word games are designed to muddy the waters of the great American ideal of liberty. According to the New York Times, progressives used the word freedom a whopping 227 times during their convention, in addition to decking the arena with freedom signs like it was some kind of Orwellian pep rally. The far-left ABC News put it this way: The word freedom [was] seemingly on the lips of every attendee and speaker and the name of Beyonces hit song and now-campaign anthem. The follow-up question is obvious: Whose version of freedom are we talking about? In the American tradition, freedom isnt some vague notion its grounded in a social compact of limited government and individual rights. Its about what the government cant do and what it must do: protect our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, as laid out in our founding charter, the Declaration of Independence. American freedom is about curtailing state power, not expanding it under the guise of progress. These ideas werent original to Americans, of course they trace back to political philosopher John Locke, who himself was influenced by Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish theologian who boldly argued that kings are also subject to Gods law. Theres only one true sovereign, and much to the lefts dismay, its not Caesar. The bottom line is that American freedom is rooted in protecting God-given rights from government overreach, a belief that is centuries old. Thats why the Bill of Rights is essentially a list of restrictions on federal authority, and the Constitution spells out the specific, narrow roles of each branch. Spoiler: You wont find nationalized healthcare enumerated anywhere. The founders designed a government of boundaries, not a blank check for endless state intervention. Yet the lefts idea of freedom means expanding the governments scope in ways that are completely at odds with our republics constitutional framework. Just look at the agenda rolled out in Chicago: Healthcare should be a right, taxpayer-funded Medicare expansions, subsidized childcare, free preschool, a higher minimum wage, and welfare-style tax credits. Add in Americas first national paid family and medical leave program, and its a recipe for endless debt on top of the $35 trillion hole were already in. To these people, Government is the answer, almost no matter the question, as the Wall Street Journal observes. This spin on freedom isnt new. Progressives have long hijacked the concept, twisting it into freedom from want. Back in FDRs era, he justified his New Deal with the claim that necessitous men are not free men, setting the stage for decades of government activism disguised as liberation. In practice, though, liberalisms sappy slogans are an on-ramp to tyranny. The left remains obsessed with micromanaging every facet of our lives, embedding their cradle to grave paternalism into the U.S. code. For instance, the Federal Register, which logs every drafted and final rule, is set to cross 100,000 pages in 2024 alone. These rules are more than merely red tape theyre hidden taxes that total a jaw-dropping $1.9 trillion annually, hitting businesses and consumers hard. Indeed, if the economic burden of U.S. regulations was its own nation, itd be the worlds ninth-largest economy bigger than South Korea! Progressive freedom is not about liberating individuals its about placing them under the thumb of the state. And the libs dont even try to hide it. Recently, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson brazenly dismissed the Constitution, saying, For us right now, [its] about reimagining freedom and this American story in a way that is more revolutionary than what our founders actually put down on that little piece of paper. This story is an old, ugly one. More than 50 years ago, economist Friedrich Hayek warned that the promise of greater freedom has become one of the most effective weapons of socialist propaganda, noting that what was promised to us as the Road to Freedom was in fact the High Road to Servitude. Progressives keep cackling the word freedom, but their true aim is clear: shackles. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. Christians are suffering as jihadist violence wreaks havoc in Burkina Faso A terrorist attack by an Islamic militant group has left hundreds of civilians dead in the town of Barsalogho, less than a hundred miles from Ouagadougou, capital of the West African nation Burkina Faso. The attack is the latest incident in a wave of violence that has embroiled the nation for years, with jihadist groups who aim to establish an Islamic caliphate across the region seeking to undermine what they consider Western-influenced governments. Authorities are attributing the latest atrocity to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group. Townsfolk were digging defensive ditches when they were attacked by the heavily armed Islamist group, with eyewitnesses reporting that the attack left corpses strewn around the scene, lying next to the shovels that were all they had been carrying. Preliminary reports estimate between 200 to 400 people were killed, with many more injured. Barsalogho had already been struggling to deal with the effects of Islamic violence, with the town providing refuge to almost 90,000 refugees, made up mostly of Christians who have fled from jihadist violence further north. UK-based Release International, which has been offering support to Christians all across Burkina Faso, are present in Barsalogho responding to the latest incident. "Christians in Burkina Faso have been suffering attacks and displacement for several years now and many of those in Barsalogho had already fled from their homes and communities further north thinking they would be safe there," CEO Paul Robinson said. "However, these militant groups have proved that they will stop at nothing to seize control and impose their interpretation of Islam on everyone by force." Since 2025, more than two million people have been displaced by Islamist violence in what is one of the world's poorest nations, creating a humanitarian crisis. Burkina Faso's Christians have been among the most impacted, with churches and schools regularly targeted, and believers facing the ever-present threat of death or kidnapping. "Many Christian families have been forced to flee their villages because of the threat of attack. These displacements impact daily life, affecting access to basic services, education and the means of basic subsistence," a Release International partner working on the ground in Burkina Faso said. Alongside the current violence, the country's inhabitants have also been forced to live through military coups - two as recently as 2022- as well as face repeated droughts and famine. The atmosphere of chronic insecurity has caused Burkina Faso's people to lose faith in their government's ability to protect and provide for its citizens. Release International, which operates in around thirty countries around the world, is currently offering support to the many pastors and widows in Burkina Faso who have been displaced by the violence against Christians, initially providing food and hygiene products before assisting them in getting started earning a living. The organisation is also engaged in helping ensure access to education for the children of displaced Christian families. Release International is currently running an appeal asking Christians for their support in meeting the ongoing needs of those who have been forced to flee violence. In Indonesia, Pope Francis broadcasts his message of fraternity to Asia The age of world leaders may be hotly debated elsewhere, but in Indonesia this week, Pope Francis, the 87-year-old head of Roman Catholicism, began the most physically demanding trip of his pontificate so far. It was the first stop on a two-week, four-country tour of Southeast Asia, with a packed schedule of meetings and public speeches braving likely punishing heat and humidity. Landing in Jakarta on Tuesday after a 13-hour flight, Francis greeted his hosts with non-stop smiles, but over his three days in the vibrantly diverse Indonesian archipelago, the pope did not hide his fragility, greeting crowds from a wheelchair and heaving himself from transportation to podium to altar with the help of his entourage. Despite his health challenges, which include an ailing knee and troubling sciatica, the pope used his evident vulnerability as a way to bridge differences. At an meeting on Thursday with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar at the famed Istiqlal Mosque, the pope submitted to a kiss on the head from the imam after the two leaders, clad in white, signed a joint declaration on "Fostering Religious Harmony for the Sake of Humanity." Francis returned the favour by pressing the imam's hand on his cheek. The meeting was a continuation of a journey that began with the 2019 document "Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together," co-signed on the pontiff's visit to Abu Dhabi with the grand imam of Al-Ahzar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb. Home to nearly 242 million Muslims, Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world, with a Catholic population of approximately 8 million. But the country prides itself for being a beacon of tolerance among faiths, adhering to the maxim "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in diversity). A growing number of violent episodes by Muslim groups, including a thwarted attack by Islamic terrorists in East Java in August, have raised concerns that religious tensions may be increasing. Speaking to government and diplomatic leaders on Wednesday, the pope offered the church's help in countering extremism and intolerance. The Istiqlal Mosque, itself a symbol of interfaith dialogue, stands in front of the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. The two sites are connected by an underground tunnel, aptly named "Tunnel of Friendship," which the pope praised as a symbol of fraternal unity overcoming differences in creed and theology. At the meeting with Umar, which took place under a tent near the mosque, the pope laid out his vision for peaceful coexistence between members of different faiths. "Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs no matter the cost," the pope told the crowd, which included Hindu, Buddhist and Protestant representatives. "Such an approach, however, may end up dividing us," he said, "because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different. What really brings us closer is creating a connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care and reciprocity." Rather than focusing on dogma, the pope listed other concerns that bring faithful of all religions together, including "defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace." The joint declaration, only a few paragraphs long, outlined two major crises: dehumanization and climate change. The document urged religious traditions to come together "to defeat the culture of violence and indifference afflicting our world." It also stated that interreligious dialogue can be "an effective instrument for resolving local, regional and international conflicts, especially those incited by the abuse of religion." Finally, it called on all people of goodwill to take actions for the good of the environment and its resources. After the event, the pope made sure to tell members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia how to be good neighbors in a pluralistic society. " ... Proclaiming the gospel does not mean imposing our faith, placing it in opposition to that of others, or proselytizing, it means giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ, always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone," he said. Francis ended his visit to Indonesia with a Mass on the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium, where 100,000 people gathered to cheer for him. The pope in his homily underlined the importance of caring for the poor and reaching out to the marginalized. "I would also like to say to you, to this nation, to this wonderful and varied archipelago, do not grow weary of setting sail and casting your nets, do not grow weary of dreaming and building again a civilization of peace!" the pope said. "Always dare to dream of fraternity!" Francis' next step in his "tour de force" will be Papua New Guinea, where he is expected to reflect on climate change and the care of creation, poverty and the bounty of lessons to be learned from Indigenous communities. Religion News Service Editor's Note: In this week's global news dispatches, political and social unrest takes center stage as governments grapple with growing challenges. From escalating political tensions in Honduras, continued military actions in the West Bank, and labor strikes in Tennessee, to Pakistan's controversial expulsion of Afghan refugees, these reports highlight mounting discontent and humanitarian concerns worldwide. Afghan nationals walk along a fenced corridor after crossing into Pakistan through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 28, 2021 following the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. [Photo: AFP] Attacks on Xiomara Castros Government Escalate After Termination of Extradition Agreement With the U.S. Following the termination of the extradition agreement between Honduras and the United States requested by President Xiomara Castro, the Central American country has experienced a political earthquake. President Castros decision was taken after the U.S. ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu made statements to the Honduran media questioning the meeting of several officials with Venezuelan officials. The right-wing opposition in the Central American country has accused the executive branch of making the decision due to alleged relations between some government officials and criminal groups. Such rumors increased after Congressperson Carlos Zelayabrother of former President Manuel Zelaya (the husband of Castro who was ousted in a coup detat in 2009)said that, in 2013, he was in a meeting where a drug trafficker was present. Carlos Zelaya clarified that this meeting was not a meeting known or ordered by his brother or by President Castro, but rather it was a personal meeting. The congressperson announced that he would resign from his political post to be investigated so that he could clarify that there is no connection between criminal groups linked to drug trafficking and Castros left-wing political party Liberty and Refoundation (Libre). I am going to present my resignation to the National Congress as congressman and as secretary of the Congress to strip myself of any kind of shielding I may have and to be investigated, said Congressperson Zelaya. He stated that he would have no objection to appearing before the U.S. justice system to prove his innocence if the U.S. government so requires. *** Israels Siege on the West Bank Continues: Al-Qassam Commander Wissam Khazem Assassinated in Jenin At least three Palestinian resistance fighters were killed in the early morning of Friday, August 30, by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the town of Zababdeh, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. One of the slain fighters was later identified as Wissam Ayman Khazem (30 years old), who was a commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Khazem was reportedly shot dead as his vehicle was targeted by Israeli gunfire. The other two fighters were identified as Maysara Suleiman Masharqa (33 years old), and Arafat Jaser Amer (27 years old), who were targeted by a drone after they had escaped the shooting attack. Amer was a member of the Jenin Brigade, affiliated with Saraya al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Masharqa was a field commander with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a network of military groups associated with Fatah. The bodies of the three fighters were reportedly confiscated by the Israeli Occupation Forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Confiscating the corpses of Palestinian freedom fighters has been a long-standing practice by the IOF, using them as bargaining chips for future negotiations. On the evening of August 30, the IOF forced Palestinian families to evacuate the eastern neighborhood of Jenin as part of its large-scale military operation in the West Bank. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese slammed Israel for justifying launching a large-scale offensive in the West Bank using self-defense as a pretext. *** Hundreds of Rideshare Drivers Form Tennessee Drivers Union and Launch Labor Day Weekend Strike On August 20, hundreds of rideshare drivers voted to form the Tennessee Drivers Union and to strike on August 30 to address worsening working conditions at the Nashville International Airport. Workers struck strategically on Labor Day weekend, as they recognized that it was one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Rideshare drivers are demanding that the Nashville International Airport expand the rideshare lot and expand access to clean bathrooms. The drivers are also demanding a limit on the use of scooters after 9 p.m. for driver and pedestrian safety, enforcement of the ban on fake taxis, and a living wage. Nashville rideshare drivers have long been urging the city to crack down on those impersonating taxi or rideshare drivers, leaving passengers feeling unsafe. Drivers should be paid by the minute and mile! reads a statement by the Tennessee Drivers Union. Uber has increased its take rates significantly over the past three years, the statement reads. Many drivers fear being unhoused, and drive for hours at a time to be able to make it week to week. The statement further reads, The drivers refuse to continue to let huge companies like Uber and Lyft profit off of [their] labor. They want Nashville to hear their struggle Unless and until their demands are met, Tennessee and its tourists can expect further disruptions. *** Pakistan Set to Illegally Expel More Afghan Refugees Pakistans Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi declared on August 28 that his government is going ahead with a fresh round of expulsions of undocumented Afghan refugees from the country, despite the concerns of numerous human rights advocates and organizations. Naqvi made the announcement in a meeting with the UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan Indrika Ratwatte, who was visiting Pakistan. According to the statement issued by the ministry after the meeting, Naqvi affirmed that no one will be allowed to stay in Pakistan without a visa or other legal documents. The first round of mass deportations of some of the 1.7 million undocumented Afghani refugees from Pakistan in November 2023 was met with widespread criticism. The government of Pakistan has claimed it has been preparing for the second round of expulsions in 2024. The current Pakistani government has launched numerous attacks on refugees, accusing them of participating in terror activities, smuggling, and other crimes in the country. It also has labeled them a burden on the countrys ailing economy. During last years expulsion drive, several accusations were lodged against the Pakistani authorities of abuse, extortion, and harassment of refugees. Rights groups, including the UN, have pointed out that the expulsion of refugees is illegal under international law and a violation of humanitarian law. There are close to 3 million Afghans living as refugees in Pakistan. Some have been there for decades and went to the neighboring country to escape war, chaos, and human rights violations in their country. The Pakistani government has labeled all refugees who do not have documents such as proof of registration or Afghan citizenship cards as undocumented aliens, to be expelled. Around 44,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Western countries since 2021 have been living in Pakistan. Most worked with U.S.-led international forces during the two-decades-long occupation of the country. They were promised repatriation by Western powers during the chaotic withdrawal after two decades of occupation. Oracle is an enterprise software vendor based in Austin, Texas. It specializes in database software and enterprise software products, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), human capital management (HCM), customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise performance management (EPM), customer experience commerce (CX commerce), and supply chain management (SCM). The company is increasingly focused on supporting generative AI across its database, infrastructure, and applications offerings. Oracle has a market cap of $383 billion, making it the 11th largest tech company in the world. Here is the latest Oracle news and analysis: With an increasingly decentralized workforce and unprecedented demands from both business and the economy, the network as always is the all-important component of a modern IT infrastructure of an organization. The emergence of new age technologies like AI, Gen AI, SD- WAN is pushing the technology companies to evolve rapidly, creating technology that not only keeps pace with development but also enhances it. A primary technology driving this evolution is the network industry, the substrate on which global organizations function seamlessly. It has now grown significantly, becoming a US$ 5.09 billion industry in Indias networking infrastructure in 2023, and projected to hit over US$ 6 billion in 2028. The new era of networks Ruckus builds and delivers purpose-driven networks that perform in the worlds most challenging environments. Since its introduction in 2019, WiFi-6 has been the go to for high-performance industries, meeting their demands of speed, network efficiency, and performance in crowded environments compared to its predecessors. Wi-Fi 7 promises to pack an even bigger punch, as it can greatly improve these capabilities by providing faster data rates, lower latency, and better interference management, making it more suitable for new technologies like AR/VR, 8K streaming, and the growing Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, says Sanjiv Verma, Vice President APAC, RUCKUS Networks. Estimates show that the Wi-Fi 7 Global Market Size will be US$ 24.2 billion by 2030. Wi-Fi 7s extreme speeds, low latency and increased capacity delivers exceptional user experiences and empower an entirely new class of advanced connected devices and demanding applications. The networks of today are expected to be scalable, agile, AI-ready, flexible, intelligent and of course secure, and Wi-Fi 7 is acting as a major propellent of modern networking needs of CIOs, he adds. Purpose driven technology Ruckuss range of products is designed to provide a one-stop solution to an organizations every need, with an array of products in cloud and software, management, switches and access points. Speaking of the WLAN market growth, Thomas Schwab, World Wide Vice President, Channels and Alliances, RUCKUS Networks, says, Enterprise-class WLAN grew by 90.0% year-over-year by vendor revenue, with verticals such as education, services, hospitality, and retail growing at an even stronger pace, and cloud-managed wireless gaining significant traction. Switching business in India had a strong 30.4% YoY growth by vendor revenue with key industries that contributed to the switching business include services, finance, telecom, and manufacturing as per Thomas. In 2018, Ruckus IoT Suite, a new approach to building access networks to support IoT deployments was launched. Ruckus Cloudpath product, is a secure network access software which allows any user and any device to join any networkwired or wirelesssecurely, says Sanjiv. The controllers with AI/ML enabled network analytics and assurance, which automatically alert IT to network anomalies and offers actionable insights to fix those before they become service affecting. AI for the Future Sanjiv highlights the new era of networking, which has evolved to meet the evolving needs of organizations, merging deliverance and accessibility for customers. Modern Networks are getting more diverse and complex. With service disruptions and subject matter expertise getting costlier to manage, and hybrid work almost a guarantee in most organizations, Ruckus has worked on creating new technologies that meet these demands, says Sanjiv. The role of AI within enterprise networks is expanding being deployed in Day-to-day network management, Network automation, Network troubleshooting, Network design and optimization, Configuring and adapting network to an organizations business intent. Ultimately, as AI driven solutions take centerstage, and its popularity drives down the costs of AI training, Ruckus is getting ahead of the curve of mass adoption. Additionally, Thomas adds that with AI proliferating and changing the face of technology, channel partners become instrumental in evangelizing this technology to the right beneficiaries. RUCKUS is capitalizing on this trend with RUCKUS One which has a built-in RUCKUS AI engine that ensures Unified Management & Assurance, Flexible Subscriptions and other benefits, says Sanjiv. Partners for the win Ruckus believes in focused partnerships with channel partners including distributions, SIs, ISVs, resellers, across the globe including India and SAARC to cater to the growing networking market demands across industries of all sizes. Thomas adds, With the RUCKUS BIG DOGS Partner Program, Ruckus will prioritize partners by their tier, each with its own advantages, designed to foster a mutually successful relationship. RUCKUS provides extensive resources, training, incentives and engagement to help build a trusted and mutually profitable relationship. The Ruckus diverse suite of products covers all bases that an organization might need from Edge Computing, Zero Trust, Policy to AIOps. Ruckus is intent on providing premium quality services across demanding, fast-paced industries, like hospitality, multi-conglomerates and manufacturing, says Thomas Schwab, World Wide Vice President, Channels and Alliances, RUCKUS Networks. Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. The Charity Commission has disqualified trustees and recovered thousands of pounds from two foundations it investigated after allegations arose around donations intended for charities linked to King Charles. The Commission banned a trustee of the Mahfouz Foundation and two trustees of the Burkes Peerage Foundation for 12 years from holding senior positions in the sector after finding misconduct and/or mismanagement at both charities. The regulator recovered 113,000 of misapplied charitable funds from the Burkes Peerage Foundation and 49,581 from the Mahfouz Foundation. Meanwhile, a separate investigation into the Kings Foundation by Scottish charity regulator OSCR is ongoing. Mahfouz Foundation The Commissions inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation, a charity that aimed to advance the history, literature, language, institutions and culture of the Middle East, was opened in November 2021 . It examined if the charity, founded by Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, had used its donations to advance its charitable purposes. The regulator concluded that the charitys trustees used its bank account as a conduit to transfer funds on behalf of third parties, and the funds did not further its charitable purposes. Funds included deposits into the charitys bank accounts that donors believed were being made directly to the Kings Foundation, a charity registered in Scotland. The inquiry also found out that 193,730 of the donations intended for the Kings Foundation were transferred from the charitys bank account to trustee Michael Wynne-Parkers private company bank account. Wynne-Parker has been disqualified from serving as a trustee or in a senior management position in any charity for 12 years. The regulator oversaw the return of 106,270 to the donor, which is the amount that had remained in the charitys bank account from the original deposit. The inquiry also required the repayment of 49,581 by the trustees to make up for the loss the charity had incurred due to misapplied funds. As previously reported , the Mahfouz Foundation was removed from the charity register on 6 October 2023. Angela Ascroft, critical case lead for the Commission, said: The trustees actions in this case demonstrated scant regard for the charitys purposes, instead allowing the charity to be misused as a conduit for funds that were misapplied and misused. "All trustees of a charity are jointly responsible for ensuring its funds and bank account are used only to achieve its purposes. "Our work in this inquiry demonstrates that we will not hesitate to take strong action where trustees fail in these essential duties. Burkes Peerage Foundation The statutory inquiry into Burkes Peerage Foundation, established to advance the education of the UK public in the subject of genealogy and heritage, came out of the investigation of the Mahfouz Foundation in February 2022, when the Commission discovered the links between the two charities. The Commission opened an inquiry to determine the extent to which the trustees were complying with their legal duties in the way they administered and managed the charity, including compliance with legal obligations on annual accounts and returns. The inquiry concluded that trustees William Bortrick and Mark Ayre failed to manage conflicts of interest, misapplied charity funds, received unauthorised personal benefit and failed to submit accurate annual returns to the regulator. It found that the trustees had purchased items that did not further the charitys purposes, including antique furniture, paintings and statues. For example, a desk and bookcase were bought for 16,000 using the charity's funds and were kept and used at Bortricks home. The inquiry also found out that the charity paid for services that benefited a company linked to both of the trustees. The Commission recovered 113,000 of misapplied charitable funds from the trustees. And the charitys remaining funds, 121,455, were passed to another charity which will use the money in line with its objectives. The Commission has disqualified Bortrick and Ayre from being trustees or senior managers at any charity for 12 years and the charity was removed from the charity register on 2 August 2023. Ascroft said of this case: Throughout the inquiry, Mr Bortrick and Mr Ayre provided contradictory statements and proved to be unreliable witnesses. They also failed in their most basic duty to act in the charitys best interests and are responsible for serious misconduct and/or mismanagement. The Commissions intervention means that, whilst disqualified, they can no longer be trustees or senior managers in charities. Our intervention also ensured that misapplied funds of more than 100,000 have been repaid and transferred to another charity. Ties with cash for honour scandal Previously, the Sunday Times published allegations that Mahfouzs donations to the then-named Princes Foundation, a charity set up by King Charles III in 1986, was part of an effort to try and gain British citizenship and an honour. The investigation further alleged that Michael Fawcett, then chief executive of Princes Foundation, coordinated an honour exchange for donations. Fawcett temporarily stepped down as its chief executive after the Times investigation. It also alleged that Bortrick acted as the fixer who transferred the donation of a Russian businessman to the Princes Foundation, after its ethics committee rejected the gift due to his financial crime allegations in Russia. The charity later accepted a donation through the Mahfouz Foundation, which acted as an intermediary and was controlled by Bortrick, according to the Times investigations . The Times investigations prompted the Metropolitan Police to investigate the allegations. The Met eventually closed the investigation and concluded that there were no wrongdoings by Mahfouz or the king. Civil Society has contacted the Kings Foundation for comment. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, The Dutch data protection watchdog issued facial recognition startup Clearview AI with a fine of 30.5 million euros ($33.7 million) over its creation of what the agency called an illegal database of billion of photos of faces. The Netherlands Data Protection Agency, or DPA, also warned Dutch companies that using Clearviews services is also banned. The data agency said that New York-based Clearview has not objected to this decision and is therefore unable to appeal against the fine. But in a statement emailed to The Associated Press, Clearviews chief legal officer, Jack Mulcaire, said that the decision is unlawful, devoid of due process and is unenforceable. The Dutch agency said that building the database and insufficiently informing people whose images appear in the database amounted to serious breaches of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Facial recognition is a highly intrusive technology, that you cannot simply unleash on anyone in the world, DPA chairman Aleid Wolfsen said in a statement. If there is a photo of you on the Internet and doesnt that apply to all of us? then you can end up in the database of Clearview and be tracked. This is not a doom scenario from a scary film. Nor is it something that could only be done in China, he said. DPA said that if Clearview doesnt halt the breaches of the regulation, it faces noncompliance penalties of up to 5.1 million euros ($5.6 million) on top of the fine. Mulcaire said in his statement that Clearview doesnt fall under EU data protection regulations. Clearview AI does not have a place of business in the Netherlands or the EU, it does not have any customers in the Netherlands or the EU, and does not undertake any activities that would otherwise mean it is subject to the GDPR, he said. In June, Clearview reached a settlement in an Illinois lawsuit alleging its massive photographic collection of faces violated the subjects privacy rights, a deal that attorneys estimate could be worth more than $50 million. Clearview didnt admit any liability as part of the settlement agreement. The case in Illinois consolidated lawsuits from around the U.S. filed against Clearview, which pulled photos from social media and elsewhere on the internet to create a database that it sold to businesses, individuals and government entities. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Silicon Valley billionaire Thomas Siebel has accused the Italian energy company Enel SpA of copying the IP of the software firm he runs, C3.ai. C3, based in Redwood City, California and known for its data management and analysis software, accused Enel of misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract in an Italian civil suit. C3 says it is owed 2.1 billion ($2.3 billion). This is an unfortunate situation, Siebel said Thursday in an interview on Bloomberg TV. Enel was a valued customer that accessed a lot of our tech. It appears they may have copied thousands of lines of our source code. Enel declined to comment on the lawsuit or the interview. Enel was one of C3s early prominent customers. C3 has said the energy firm used its products to integrate data from across divisions. Enel said in 2019 that the collaboration allowed for innovative business processes. This is a modal window.The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. However, the relationship between the two companies soured, and now C3 is accusing of Enel of stealing its intellectual property. It turned to courts in Italy to file a legal claim in February, according to a regulatory filing. We have to protect our IP rights to benefit our shareholders, and we are doing that, Siebel said in the interview. It has also filed a criminal report with Italian law enforcement and is considering doing the same with US Federal law enforcement, it said in the filing. In a May 2023 interview with Bloomberg, Siebel spoke about the souring relationship. Enel was hugely successful, he said when asked about the status of its business with the Italian energy giant. For some reason they decided they wanted to own their own platform and theyre trying to build it themselves well see how that goes, he said at the time. With a ticker symbol that is literally AI, C3 was a major subject of investor interest throughout 2023, seeing its shares more than double in value that year. It was also a highly-shorted name with sellers expressing skepticism over its technology. Top photo: Thomas M. Siebel, chief executive officer of C3.AI Inc., during a panel session at the Bloomberg Tech Summit in London, UK, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The UK has struggled to keep its tech firms owned by local investors. Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. BEREA, Ohio Feeling valued matters to Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins. Who can blame him? Hes learned how fickle life as a kicker can be in the NFL. He spent seven years in Washington, but that was after two seasons in Buffalo, where injuries kept the Bills draft pick from ever kicking for them. Washington eventually moved on from him after seven seasons and, after he landed in L.A., Cameron Dicker took his job when an injury sidelined Hopkins. September 5, 2024: As of August 2024, Ukraine has received several dozen F-16 fighters but has not yet used them in combat. Ukrainian personnel are still learning how to operate and maintain the aircraft. The United States government currently forbids Ukraine from using them because it is unhappy over Ukraine forces recently invading Russian territory in the Kursk area. Before Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Ukraine wanted F-16s because it had done what it could with its Russian-built MiG-29s, but heavy combat losses meant replacements were needed and Ukraine preferred F-16s over other Western fighters. So would Russia but Ukraine had a better chance of getting them. Both Russian and Ukrainian fighter pilots were familiar with the superiority of the F-16 over the MiG-29 and even its major upgrade, the MiG-35. For a few years after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russian and Ukrainian pilots had an opportunity to fly in an F-16. Western pilots had already done this with MiG-29s because some MiG-29 pilots defected to the West while flying their Mig-29s. The Russian situation in Ukraine has become increasingly perilous and the Ukrainian F-16s may not become operational before the war ends or degenerates into Russian defeat Russia refuses to acknowledge. Such a situation would likely result in NATO nations supplying F-16s to suggest that Ukraine not use its F-16s inside Russia or too close to the Russian border because the Russians would make an extraordinary effort to down one or more F-16s. Russia is embarrassed by the inability of their answer to the F-16, the MiG-29, to match the F-16s in aerial combat. Instead Russia is concentrating lots of anti-aircraft systems in border areas where the F-16s might operate. This is an effort to shoot one of the F-16s down. This would deflect criticism of the poor performance of the MiG-29. Since 1981 over 1,600 MiG29s have been produced and the aircraft is still produced in small quantities each year. Upgrades were added haphazardly and many of these did not work as intended. There was inadequate quality control and Russian manufacturers were not able to fix these problems. There was no uniformity in adding or maintaining upgrades. This resulted in a lot of MiG-29s with different capabilities. It was difficult just to keep track of which MiG-29 could do what and with what degree of consistency. There was also a problem with ergonomics, or ease of use. Ukrainian pilots who trained to use F-16s found the layout of the F-16 cockpit more efficiently organized and much easier to use. MiG-29s were expensive to maintain and, without adequate maintenance, became dangerous to fly. Russian warplanes were never as durable and long-lasting as western models. Western aircraft were designed to spend much more time in the air because western pilots received a lot more training. Both the Ukrainian and Russian Air Forces had a difficult time recovering and rebuilding after the end of the Cold War. The Russian Air Force had over 10,000 military aircraft in 1991. The mighty Soviet Red Air Force instantly lost nearly half its strength because the 14 new states formed from the Soviet Union took possession of whatever warplanes were stationed within their borders. For both Russia and Ukraine, 1991 was followed by two decades of sharply lower defense budgets that cut maintenance and eliminated all but a few purchases of new aircraft. There were efforts to refurbish older aircraft. After 2000 Russia steadily increased defense spending, but it was not enough. By 2015 Russia could only put into action about ten percent of the warplanes the Red Air Force could at its 1991 peak. To make matters worse, growing development problems with its new Su-57 stealth fighter meant that Russia had to depend even more on late Cold War designs which included the Su-27/30, MiG-29, and Su-25, plus some older heavy bomber and recon aircraft. Upgrades made to those aircraft since 1991 were mainly for export customers. Russian defense firms needed the cash, not another IOU from the Russian government. Ukraine inherited 200 MiG-29s in 1991 but only kept about three dozen in service because of the high cost of maintenance. Despite that, after the Russian 2014 attack Ukraine began an upgrade program for its operational MiG-29s. The first of Ukraines MiG-29MU1 aircraft entered service in 2018 and, by the second time Russia invaded in February 2022, there were 18 MiG-29MU1s and one MiG-29MU2 with further enhancements available. The air war over Ukraine was initially a tactical win for Ukraine, but that was costly, with 47 fighters or attack aircraft lost. Twenty of these were MiG-29s, four were Su-27 fighters and the rest were twelve Su-24 and Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Russia lost four Su-24s, 13 Su-25s, ten Su-34s, successor to the older Su-24 and one Su-35 (an upgraded Su-27). The Ukrainians prevented Russia from achieving air superiority and forced them to launch their airstrikes from inside Russia using air-to-ground missiles. Four of the new Su-57 stealth aircraft were also used for this and the Su-57s never entered Ukrainian air space. Ukraine has been offered several dozen MiG-29s that were still in use, or in active storage, by NATO nations that were phasing out their MiG-29s for Western jets. Those transfers were initially stalled by disagreements within NATO about sending these MiGs or F-16s and A-10s to the Ukrainians. That hasnt prevented less visible assistance, like supplying Ukraine with MiG-29 spare parts as well as pilot transition training programs operated by American volunteers, some of them former F-16 and A-10 pilots, who know how to obtain unclassified manuals and equipment to create flight simulators adequate for pilot transition training. Programs like this have already succeeded for other types of Western weapons Ukraine wanted and anticipated getting them by selecting and training operators in advance. Meanwhile Russia had given up on its Mig-29s, which it had been unable to upgrade successfully. There were many upgrades available and some of them did not work. In 2019 Russia made a desperate effort to keep the venerable MIG company, founded in 1939 as MiG or Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau, in business. This was done out of a combination of nostalgia, national pride, and practicality. That last item is all about maintaining competition, in the form of having at least two firms designing and producing fighter aircraft. Nostalgia and national pride are also important because during the Cold War the MiG organization was the primary developer of fighter aircraft. During World War II MiG was one of three, Yakovlev, Lavochkin and MiG, developers of successful fighter aircraft. One of the earliest successes was the MiG-3 fighter. After the war, Yakovlev and Lavochkin moved on to other aerospace endeavors while the Sukhoi Design Bureau, which had worked on ground attack aircraft during the war, began developing jet fighters which were competition for MiG and eventually surpassed MiG by the 1990s. After World War II MiG was famous for developing the first two generations of Russian jet fighters. This included the first successful Russian jet fighter, the MiG-15 and several subsequent improved versions like the MiG 17 and 1919. Then came the MiG-21, the most widely used jet fighter of the Cold War. In the 1960s the MiG-23/27 showed up, along with a lot of MiG design problems. Despite that MiG manufactured most Russian jet fighters during the Cold War. For over three decades, MiG has been losing its edge and by the end of the century was in danger of disappearing. This decline continued despite efforts to turn the quality problems around. For example, in 2019 the Russian Air Force received the first two production models of the new MiG-35 fighter. Four more followed by the end of 2019. Air force tests under operational conditions were encouraging but there were no more orders. That was largely because no export customers for the MiG-35 could be found. Bad experiences with older MiG aircraft, even after 1991, had ruined MiGs reputation. For many potential export customers, the fact that the Russian Air Force did not order a lot of MiG-35s confirmed their fears. The MiG-35 was designed to replace hundreds of Cold War era MiG-29s and Su-27s but the lack of export orders proved fatal to the independence of the MiG firm, which was now known as MAC, or Mikoyan Aircraft Corporation. Soon MiG became part of the UAC or United Aircraft Corporation, a state-owned firm that now controls nearly all Russian combat aircraft development and production. In June 2022 UAC dissolved its MAC division and the Mig-29/35 became just another product line, and one with no future. The MiG-35 has been in development for nearly three decades because MiG was no longer the outstanding combat aircraft developer and manufacturer it was during the Cold War. Russia was trying to change that so that there would still be two organizations, MiG and Sukhoi developing and building fighters. The long gestation time for the MiG-35 is an example of the problems MiG has been having. The MiG-35 is basically a much-improved Cold War era MiG-29. The MiG-35 is a 29-ton, twin-engine fighter with a combat radius of 1,000 kilometers and can refuel in the air. It has an internal 30mm autocannon and nine hardpoints that can carry 6.5 tons of bombs and missiles. It has an AESA radar and a fire control system that can handle smart bombs and missiles. Max altitude is 19,000 meters and the MiG-35 can reach that altitude in about a minute. Max speed is 2,400 kilometers an hour at high altitude and 1,400 at sea level. It is a very maneuverable aircraft meant to provide superior performance in combat. Air force tests of these new capabilities against the latest Su-30 models revealed that the new MiG was not worth the expense. The Russian air force was not optimistic about the MiG-35 because its experiences with new MiG aircraft in the previous decade were disappointing. For example, in January 2016 the air force received the last of 16 MiG-29SMT jet fighters it ordered in early 2014. The Russian Air Force paid $30 million for each of these MiGs but really didnt want them. The government insisted in order to keep the MAC from going bankrupt. That became a possibility in 2013 when it was revealed that Russia would not order 37 of MACs new, and still in development MiG-35 fighters. Because of development problems the MiG-35 was delayed from 2016 to 2018 and finally showed up in 2019. You could see where this was going. Cancellation of the billion-dollar MiG-35 order put MAC in a financial bind and the best solution seemed to be purchasing more of the existing MiG-29SMTs. The 22-ton MiG-29SMT is an upgrade of the original MiG-29 with improved avionics, a more powerful engine, and the ability to use smart bombs and missiles against ground targets. It could carry 4.5 tons of bombs and missiles. All that was not enough. Meanwhile, MAC was running out of time, cash, and options. It had orders for some MiG-29Ks, for use on aircraft carriers and upgrades to Indian MiG-29s. Serbia was close to placing an order. MAC could not expect much more help from the government which was dealing with a major cash shortage as a result of record low oil prices and trade sanctions because of Russian aggression in Ukraine that began in 2014. This was not the first time Russia purchased MiGs mainly for financial, not military reasons. In 2006 Russia agreed to buy 28 MiG-29 fighters to prevent the MAC from going bankrupt. That crisis was triggered when Algeria told Russia that it was canceling their 2007 $1.3 billion order for 28 MiG-29 fighters and returning the ones already delivered. Algeria insisted that there were quality issues and that some of the aircraft were assembled from old parts. The accusation turned out to be true and Russian prosecutors tried and convicted several MAC executives for passing off defective, or used, aircraft parts as new. Many of these parts made their way into MiG-29 jet fighters that were sold to Algeria. The MiG-29 has been in service since the 1980s, but stocks of Cold War era spare parts were still around, and it was suspected in the Russian aviation community that some of these older parts were used to build the Algerian aircraft. These were supposed to be new aircraft but some of their components were definitely not. Some MiG employees were very unhappy with the corrupt practices involving aircraft parts. This sort of crime often extends to parts for airliners. The MiG employees felt personally responsible for any defective aircraft leaving their plant and didn't want to be flying in an airliner containing fraudulent parts either. Russian prosecutors, already involved in an anti-corruption program underway for several years, jumped on these allegations and quickly convicted senior executives who presided over widespread fraud in the aircraft components industry. MiG hoped that the new MiG-35 would save the company. Described as the equivalent of the American F-35, the MiG-35 would be the low-end to the high-end Su-57, seen as the Russian F-22 stealth fighter. The Su-57 was no F-22, and the MiG-35 was no F-35. The MiG-35 is a considerably redesigned MiG-29. The MiG-35 was originally designed to carry a 30mm autocannon and up to five tons of bombs. The big selling point for the MiG-35 was its offensive and defensive electronics, as well as sensors for finding targets on land or sea. All this looked very impressive on paper, but the Russians have long had problems getting the performance to match promises. This is particularly the case with the advanced electronics of the MiG-35, which was running into problems because the competing F-35 electronics set a very high bar. The MiG-35 has little stealth capability and first flew in 2007. Russia had hoped to buy a hundred or so MiG-35s after 2016 but the reality of MiG-35s poor performance halted any purchase plans. The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983. Some 1,600 MiG-29s were produced, with about 900 of them exported. The original MiG-29 was a 22-ton aircraft roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s. Not just adding new electronics but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time, the early 80s, Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. Reality was different. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. Russia offered to upgrade the airframe so that the aircraft could fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This was not easy to do, as the MiG-29 had a history of unreliability and premature mechanical and electronic breakdowns. It was also more expensive to maintain than comparable Su-27/30 and foreign fighter jets. Ukraine made the most it could out of its MiG-29s with its own upgrades. But early in the 2022 war Russian missiles damaged the Lviv facility, the only place equipped to carry out upgrades. Ukraine needed more fighters and, like most long-time MiG customers, wanted anything but more MiGs. China-Madagascar economic roundtable yields new cooperation agreements People's Daily Online) 17:01, September 06, 2024 President of the Republic of Madagascar Andry Nirina Rajoelina delivers a keynote speech at the 2024 China-Madagascar Roundtable on Economic Development in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) The 2024 China-Madagascar Roundtable on Economic Development was held in Beijing on Sept. 5, 2024. President of the Republic of Madagascar Andry Nirina Rajoelina attended the event and delivered a keynote speech. Xu Lijing, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily, was also present and delivered a speech. China has undergone a remarkable change over the past several decades, and its experience and exemplary role are inspiring, said Rajoelina. Rajoelina emphasized the need for reliable and trustworthy partners as Madagascar undergoes its own economic transformation, inviting Chinese enterprises to boost investments in his country. He expressed hope for the establishment of cooperative partnerships in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, trade and tourism. Chinese and Malagasy industry representatives sign cooperation agreements at the 2024 China-Madagascar Roundtable on Economic Development in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) Chinese and Malagasy industry representatives signed cooperation agreements during the event, including constructing a special economic zone in Madagascar, as well as tourism, energy, mining and agriculture. The roundtable was jointly organized by the Presidency of Madagascar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, the Embassy of Madagascar in China, People's Daily Online, and the Sino-Africa Chamber of Commerce of Wenzhou. The event also saw participation from key Chinese figures. Nan Cunhui, a standing committee member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, chairman of the Zhejiang Federation of Industry and Commerce, and honorary chairman of the Sino-Africa Chamber of Commerce of Wenzhou, attended alongside Zhang Xiaolun, chairman of China National Machinery Industry Corporation. Wang Tongzhou, chairman of China Communications Construction Company, was present, as was Chen Zhangliang, former vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology and former president of China Agricultural University. Ren Hongpeng, vice president of China Railway Engineering Corporation, and Xu Kaiyu, chairman of the Sino-Africa Chamber of Commerce of Wenzhou, rounded out the list of notable attendees engaging in discussions. Ye Zhenzhen, president of People's Daily Online, acted as the event's moderator. The 2024 China-Madagascar Roundtable on Economic Development convenes in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) September 5, 2024: As of this year, Russia has increased its efforts to influence operations in Africa that cause political and economic problems for NATO countries. Russian troops have been increasingly active in Africa since 2018. Even with the problems Russia is having in Ukraine, their operations in Africa continue to succeed. This actually helps them in Ukraine because NATO nations depend on raw materials from Africa, while Russian military operations in Africa are disrupting shipments to Western Europe. Currently Russia is believed to have about a thousand mercenaries operating throughout Africa. For example, in early August 2024, Russian and Malian soldiers in northern Mali suffered heavy casualties fighting CSP rebels. CSP stands for the Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad, or CSP-DPA. Malian soldiers backed by the Wagner Group Russian mercenaries have been cooperating for over five year and their joint operations are successful most of the time. CSP was formed in 2021 and mainly consists of Tuaregs, a North African Berber group that dominated the region for over two thousand years until European colonial forces showed up in the early 19th century. The Tuaregs put up a fierce resistance to the French and were not defeated in Mali until 1905. The Tuaregs continued to feud with their North African and sub-Saharan African neighbors. The colonial powers left most of Africa in the 1960s. This was bad for the Tuaregs, who are outnumbered by the people of Niger, Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Burkina Faso, countries the Tuaregs used to dominate. The French colonial governments used the Tuaregs as their enforcers and this backfired on them when the French left and the newly independent governments of Niger, Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Burkina Faso sought to suppress Tuareg power in the region. This effort is still underway as Tuareg power and influence continues to decline. An example of this continued resistance was the recent clashes with Tuareg militias in northern Mali that left over a hundred Malian troops and Russian mercenaries dead. In July 2024, the opposition political parties in the landlocked African nation of Mali finally received some cooperation from their transitional military government. On July 10, 2024, Assimi Goita, the interim president of Mali told opposition political parties they could resume operations after a three-month suspension imposed in April. The opposition parties were angry that Goita reneged on his promise to retire from government by March 2024. By allowing a revival of planning for national elections, Mali could finally look forward to the return of democratic government that would be elected and effective. Mali is in northwest Africa just south of the Sahara desert. Its northeastern neighbor Algeria is where drug smugglers move their cargoes from ports in Guinea or Ivory Coast north via Mali and Algeria, and then to markets in Europe and the Middle East. Islamic terrorist groups handle the smuggling that passes through Mali. In 2023 and 2024 the economic and political situation in Mali worsened, with more Islamic terrorist violence and growing areas of northern and central Mali coming under the control of Islamic terrorist groups. The Mali army and a small number of Russian Wagner Group military contractors have been unable or unwilling to carry on with that effort or prevent the Islamic terror groups from crossing the Niger border and advancing into Mali. The terrorists include groups affiliated with al Qaeda, an alliance called JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems), and the more violent groups like ISGS (Islamic States in Greater Sahara), which is one of the two ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) groups in the region. When they showed up in 2018, ISGS operated mainly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, especially the area where the three borders met. Until recently those Islamic terrorists were only a problem, but now they are a real threat to the normally well defended capitals of all three countries. Islamic terrorist violence in northern Mali has left over a hundred dead each month the fighting continues as does the advance of the Islamic terrorists into Mali and its capital Bamako In central Malis Mopti region, thousands of civilians have been blockaded by Islamic terrorist groups angry over the way locals have cooperated with the army against Islamic terrorists. Back in September 2023 representatives from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso met in the Mali capital Bamako to work out details for forming AES (Alliance of Sahel States). The alliance is meant to improve security for all these nations. Currently Islamic terror groups are attacking all AES members. Burkina Faso is the worst hit, with about 40 percent of its territory controlled by Islamic terrorists. Mali and Niger fear the same fate will befall them. Recently, AES was formally established July 6th, 2024, as an anti-French and anti-ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). The Mali government forced the French and African G5 peacekeepers out by the end of 2021. In 2017 the prior Mali government, Chad, Niger, the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso agreed to form a new G5 counter-terrorism force that would work in cooperation with the similar but larger and better equipped French force that had been operating in the Sahel since 2014. The Sahel is the semi-desert area south of the Sahara Desert that covers much of northern Africa. Back then the French concluded that the Sahel was still troubled by thousands of Islamic terrorists and that this situation could not be taken care of quickly. In order to maintain pressure on the Islamic terrorists, France established a special force of 3,000 troops to fight Islamic terrorists throughout the Sahel. In practice this meant just part of the Sahel and included Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso. This French force grew to some 4,000 troops equipped with 200 armored vehicles, 20 transport and attack helicopters, six jet fighters and three large UAVs. There were also two twin-engine C-160 air transports available for use within the Sahel. Supplies and reinforcements were regularly flown in using long-range transports like the C-17 belonging to NATO allies, especially the U.S. and Britain. From the beginning the French force included a thousand French troops in Mali and the rest dispersed to other Sahel bases and ready to quickly move anywhere in the region where Islamic terrorist activity had been detected. The G5 nations already cooperated by sharing intelligence and providing quick access to their territory by the French force. In addition, the Americans provided satellite and UAV surveillance and other intel services, especially analysis and access to nearly all American data on Islamic terrorist activities in the region. Each of the G5 member countries contributed 500 to 2,000 personnel consisting largely of special operations troops. Many of these troops had already worked with their French counterparts or been trained by French or American special operations advisors. All this was meant to keep the Islamic terrorists in the Sahel weak and disorganized. That worked until the current Mali military regime ordered the French/G5 force out. AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), which has been around since 2007, was still in business as gangsters smuggling drugs and illegal migrants north and getting support from Islamic terrorists in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Islamic terrorists continued to carry out attacks in Mali, mainly the north and the G5 states to let the world know that Islamic terrorists are still present in the area. The Mali population is now about 23 million and the economy is one of the worst in the world, with millions of Malians barely surviving on foreign aid. There is less foreign aid because Mali has not been able to prevent gangsters or Islamic terrorists from stealing the aid to sell on the market for cash to finance their operations. There are other armed groups like, like tribal militias and rebellions soldiers that interfere with foreign aid distribution. This chaotic situation has been going on since 2012, when a separatist rebellion in the north was defeated. Continued high levels of corruption, ethnic rivalries and Islamic terrorism kept Mali from achieving a lasting peace and much prosperity. In 2021 the situation got worse when there was another military coup. The Mali military has staged three government takeovers since 2012. One, in May 2021, was an internal dispute within the military. Since the May coup foreign donors have warned that most of the foreign aid will stop coming if Mali does not carry out a significant reduction in corruption, government ineffectiveness and overall instability. None of these three military takeovers were about corruption, but rather anger at the corrupt politicians stealing money meant to finance operations against Islamic terrorist and separatist minorities in the north. The colonels running the military government are unwilling to step down and are trying to make it on their own, despite the large number of UN peacekeepers and French troops dealing with the Islamic terrorist problem up north. As of early 2024 the chaos remains the same even though some military training detachments from the European Union and Russia operate. Russia is also involved in several economic development projects, like a solar power plant The 15,000 UN peacekeepers were gone by the end of 2023. The Mali government, run by rebellious army officers, doesn't want any UN personnel in the country to witness and record the crimes the military government continues to commit. The only thing keeping the Mali military government operating is taxes from the gold mines. These were developed and continue to be operated by foreign firms and recruit their own security personnel to guard the mines and the convoys taking the gold out of the country. Russian mercenaries are also active in the CAR (the Central African Republic) and eastern Congo, where many essential raw materials are mined for foreign customers. Eastern Congo provinces like North and South Kivu are the center of all this mining and fighting, and the Russians are now involved unofficially but very effectively. Russia is also active in Libya, which has a North African coastline and enables Russia to supply its mercenaries in Libya as well as ship out local raw materials. President Joe Biden announces new actions on June 30, 2023 to protect borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan forgiveness plan. A U.S. judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Joe Biden's administration from implementing its latest student debt forgiveness plan, just days after seven Republican-led states filed a lawsuit seeking to halt it. U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall in Augusta, Georgia, said the states had established a likelihood of proving the Education Department lacked authority to cancel student loans under the plan, which the states alleged it was on the verge of doing. "This is especially true in light of the recent rulings across the country striking down similar federal student loan forgiveness plans," Hall, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, wrote. Hall issued a temporary restraining order after Republican state attorneys general sued on Tuesday over a rule the Education Department proposed in April that would allow it to provide full or partial debt relief to certain types of borrowers. The rule, which according to court papers would affect an estimated 27.6 million borrowers, has yet to be finalized. But the state attorneys general said they had obtained documents showing the department had instructed federal loan servicers to begin canceling loans under the policy as soon as this week, potentially resulting in what they said would be the unlawful forgiveness of $73 billion in debt overnight. The states, led by Missouri, said the Education Department has no authority to carry out such debt forgiveness. The administration has estimated the cost of the policy at $146.9 billion, while the states peg the cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Hall said he decided to "hastily" issue the order pausing the policy pending a Sept. 18 hearing in order to preserve the status quo. The White House said in a statement it strongly disagreed with the ruling, calling it "an overreach based on false claims fueled by Republican elected officials." Republicans object to the cost of debt forgiveness and argue it is unfair to make some taxpayers cover the expense of other peoples' college educations. "Today is a huge victory for every working American who won't have to foot the bill for someone else's Ivy League debt," Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, said in a statement. An Education Department spokesperson said it was reviewing the ruling, adding the draft rule at issue would not be implemented until it was finalized. "The department is committed to supporting borrowers and fighting for relief for those who qualify," the spokesperson said. The lawsuit is the latest legal challenge to the Democratic president's efforts to fulfill a campaign pledge and bring debt relief to millions of Americans who turned to federal student loans to fund their costly higher education. The department under Biden has already approved $169 billion in debt relief for nearly 4.8 million people. Republican-led states successfully convinced the 6-3 conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court in June 2023 to block a $430 billion program championed by Biden that would have canceled up to $20,000 in debt per borrower for up to 43 million Americans. The administration then pursued a different program dubbed the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan, that was designed to lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers and speed up loan forgiveness for some. But Republican-led states convinced a federal appeals court to block that plan while litigation over it continues to play out. The Supreme Court on Aug. 28 declined to lift that injunction. In this article ATD-CA 3382.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Customers exit a 7-Eleven convenience store, operated by Seven & i Holdings Co., in Kobe, Japan, on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. had made a preliminary non-binding proposal to buy Seven & i, which operates more than 85,000 stores across the globe, and the deal would be the biggest-ever foreign takeover of a Japanese company. Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Seven & i Holdings has rejected the takeover offer from Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard , saying the offer "is not in the best interest" of its shareholders and stakeholders. In a filing with the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the owner of 7-Eleven revealed that Couche-Tard had offered to acquire all outstanding shares of Seven & i for $14.86 per share. According to LSEG data, the offer price will value Seven & i at $38.55 billion. Stephen Dacus, chairman of the special committee that Seven & i had formed to evaluate Couche-Tard's proposal, called the proposal "opportunistically timed and grossly undervalues our standalone path and the additional actionable avenues we see to realize and unlock shareholder value in the near- to medium-term." In April, Seven & i announced a restructuring plan for the company, aimed at growing 7-Eleven's presence globally as well as divesting its underperforming supermarket business. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Dacus wrote that even if Couche-Tard increases its offer "very significantly," the proposal does not consider the "multiple and significant challenges" the takeover would face from U.S. anticompetition agencies. "Beyond your simple assertion that you do not believe that a combination would unfairly impact the competitive landscape and that you would 'consider' potential divestitures, you have provided no indication at all of your views as to the level of divestitures that would be required or how they would be effected," he wrote in a letter that appeared to be addressed to ACT Chair Alain Bouchard that was published in the Tokyo Stock Exchange filing. He also pointed out that the Couche-Tard proposal did not indicate any timeline for clearing regulatory hurdles or whether the company was "prepared to take all necessary action to obtain regulatory clearance, including by litigating with the government." Dacus said Seven & i is open to sincerely considering proposals that are in the best interests of the company's stakeholders and shareholders, but warned it will also resist one that "deprives our shareholders of the company's intrinsic value or that fails to specifically address very real regulatory concerns." Shareholder speaks out Speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" shortly before the response was filed on Friday, Ben Herrick, associate portfolio manager at Artisan Partners, said the Couche-Tard offer "highlights the fact that this management team and the board have not done all of the things in their power to increase the corporate value of this organization." watch now Artisan Partners is a U.S. fund that holds a stake of just over 1% in Seven & i. In August, the firm had reportedly urged Seven & i Holdings to "seriously consider" the buyout offer and solicit offers for the company's Japanese subsidiaries "as quickly as possible." Herrick explained Artisan asked Seven & i to consider the offer because the fund feels that capital allocation overseas has been overlooked. He said Seven & i's Japanese convenience store business does not need much change, but said there's a "huge opportunity" in international licensees operating outside the United States. "You have more than 50,000 stores, or about 50,000 stores that are generating about $100 million or just over $100 million of operating profit for for the company. So I think there's a big mismatch there," he said. Liz Cheney arrives with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, to vote at the Teton County Library during the Republican primary election, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug 16, 2022. Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney will vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, his daughter Liz Cheney said Friday. "My dad believes, and he's said publicly, that there's never been an individual in our country who is as grave of threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is," Liz Cheney said at the Texas Tribune Festival. A former member of the House from Wyoming, Liz Cheney broke with Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. When Liz Cheney was up for reelection the following year, Trump successfully worked to defeat her in the state's Republican primary. Asked by NBC News for comment, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung insulted Liz Cheney without addressing her remarks. Dick Cheney, who served as President George W. Bush's vice president from 2001 to 2009, previously made his disapproval of Trump known in a 2022 ad for his daughter's reelection campaign. "He is a coward. A real man wouldn't lie to his supporters," Cheney said in the ad. "He lost his election and he lost big. I know it, he knows it and deep down, I think most Republicans know it." Liz Cheney on Wednesday became the latest Republican to back Harris when she delivered a surprise endorsement of the Democratic vice president during an event at Duke University. On Friday, she also endorsed Democratic Rep. Colin Allred in the Texas Senate race against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. "Here in Texas, you guys do have a tremendous, serious candidate running for the United States Senate," Liz Cheney said, referring to Allred, with whom she served in the House of Representatives. "You might not agree on every policy position, but we need people who are going to serve in good faith. We need people who are honorable public servants. And in this race, that is Colin Allred," she added. A water tower at the United States Steel Corp. Edgar Thomson Works steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. It's one the few things Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump agree on: opposing the sale of U.S. Steel to the Japanese company Nippon Steel . But the proposed deal is shattering party loyalty in parts of western Pennsylvania where some steelworkers feel they're being used as political talking points. "I'm pissed," said Chris Kelly, the mayor of West Mifflin, a small town near Pittsburgh. "I believe everybody's being played as a pawn." Kelly, a Democrat, said he was initially skeptical of Nippon buying U.S. Steel, which operates plants in West Mifflin and surrounding communities known as the Mon Valley. The company has been making steel here since its inception in 1901. It employs some 4,000 people across Pennsylvania and has said it sustains more than 11,000 indirect jobs and brings in $3.6 billion in economic impact to the region. During an interview inside his garage which doubles as his mayoral office Kelly said Nippon won him over by promising billions of dollars in investments. "I've learned what the deal is about," he said, adding that it would protect jobs and pensions. "I wish [national politicians] were here today to talk to actual union workers in the mill and the effect it would have on them if they stop this deal in its tracks. It's too important." Kelly is bucking his own party. Two people familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News that President Joe Biden is preparing to announce that he will formally block the sale. The news was first reported by The Washington Post. A White House official said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States hasn't sent a recommendation to Biden the next step in the process. Biden opposed the sale during a visit to Pittsburgh in April. Earlier this week, during her own visit to the Steel City, Harris said she opposed it, too. "I couldn't agree more with President Biden," she said. "U.S. Steel should remain American owned and American operated, and I will always have the back of America steelworkers." September 6, 2024: Military staffs strive to become efficient during peacetime, but rarely achieve that goal until they are actually in a wartime environment. In peacetime there is no life or death incentive to be efficient with planning. When the shooting starts, the need for speed is a matter of life or death. Even irregular forces, like Islamic terrorists or guerillas, survive because they were able to develop and execute plans quickly enough. That is often due to the efforts of one or a few leaders of these groups. By identifying and killing these leaders, using assassins or air strikes, the organizations these men controlled become less effective, at least temporarily, until new leaders can be installed. More effective military or terrorist organizations have succession plans indicating who will replace dead or disabled leaders and planners. This sort of thing does not get much or any media coverage. Instead there are reports of an organization becoming less effective due to the loss of leaders or planners. While military organizations recognize this problem and seek to address it, irregular groups often do not. The irregulars depend on a charismatic leader to keep them well organized and effective. If that leader is killed, the organization is less effective until a new leader, whether planned or improvised, can take over. As has been recently demonstrated in Ukraine, you cant teach experience. Its something that requires actually doing the deed or using training methods that accurately portray what you need experience in handling. This was evident during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. The nine new Ukrainian armored brigades involved were equipped with 230 tanks and 1,550 other armored vehicles. Some of the new tanks and IFVs (Infantry fighting vehicles) were Western models but most were the Russian type tanks and IFVs Ukraine had many of and had long used. There was also additional artillery ammunition, HIMARS missiles and long range Scalp guided bombs as well as short range anti-aircraft missiles. There were also specialized armored engineer vehicles for clearing paths through minefields. There were drones for reconnaissance, surveillance and spotting targets for artillery, missiles or longer range weapons. But those nine new brigades werent very effective. Back in 1982 the U.S. Army came up with a solution to the problem the Ukrainians encountered. The Americans created a large National Training Center (NTC) where army combat brigades could confront a realistic Russian opponent. The NTC is a 147,000-hectare facility in the Mojave Desert at Ft Irwin, California. There the United States Army revolutionized the training of ground combat troops during the 1980s with the development of MILES laser-tag equipment for infantry and armored vehicles and the use of MILES in a large, wired to record all activities, combat training area. Other countries soon realized the importance of these innovations, and a few built their own NTC clones. NTC-type training centers are usually built to enable a combat brigade to go through several weeks of very realistic combat exercises. NTC training was not only very close to the experience troops encountered in combat, but it also stressed commanders the same way actual combat does. This enables commanders to test themselves and their subordinate commanders before they get into a real fight. You can also use NTC facilities to experiment with new tactics in addition to keeping troops well trained in whatever the current tactics are. This includes counter-terror operations as well as the kind of novel combat tactics that might be encountered in the future. Ukrainian troops had received several weeks of additional training before joining in their 2023 offensive. What was missing was enough additional training for the new brigades, as brigades, to learn how to operate effectively in a combined arms operation involving so many different types of equipment and capabilities. A few weeks of combined arms training for the brigades would have made a big difference by developing skills needed to integrate and operate all the new equipment effectively. That lack of training was evident after the offensive began and was slowed down by Russian defenders who were outnumbered and not as lavishly equipped. Defending does not require as much training or additional weapons to succeed. While the NTC is primarily for peacetime training, it can be used in wartime if there is time to send the brigades to an NTC for three weeks of additional training. During the 2003-2011 Iraq War, several National Guard brigades, which were composed of reservists, were sent to the NTC before going to Iraq. NTC training was modified for Iraq War conditions and the troops who trained there found the training useful because many things later encountered in Iraq, they had already experienced at the NTC. Ukrainian military leaders have long been aware of the NTC concept, which has been adapted by many nations since the 1980s. Ukraine does not have one and none of its brigades have actually used one. Nevertheless, Ukraine supplies the United States and other NATO nations with advice on how to modify their current NTC training to represent the current state of the Russian forces. The NATO countries report back to Ukraine any NTC revelations that might help the Ukrainian forces. Ukraine has long been aware of how important NTC-type training is. For example, in 2014 Ukraine persuaded a German firm to cancel a signed $134 million contract to build a NTC-like military training facility for Russia. This cancellation was the result of the growing list of economic sanctions on Russia as a result of the 2014 Ukraine crisis. Many Russians feared the Ukrainian land-grab would cause major economic damage, but in the case of this German contract, the loss was meant to hinder Russian efforts to modernize and upgrade their armed forces. This training center contract was to enable Russia to join the United States, Germany, China, Israel, and many other major military powers who are benefitting from the use of instrumented combat training centers. Russia had hired Rheinmetall, a German firm that built such a training range in 2008 for Germany, to build a very similar training center in Russia. Since 2003 Israel has been using and expanding its own NTC. This is a 39,000 hectare TTC Tactical Training Center at Ze'elim in the Negev desert. In addition to wide-open areas for the training of armor, infantry, and artillery units, there are several villages and urban areas wired for training troops to fight in close quarters. Israel has now developed a portable version of this technology and many other innovations as well. China opened its own version of an NTC in 2010. The Chinese NTC was a big deal. It meant the Chinese were really serious about training their ground combat troops to the highest standards. This kind of training is serious business, in part because it's expensive to use an NTC. Not just the fuel and ammo the troops will use, but the expense of a staff to run the NTC and perform as the OPFOR opposing force. American intelligence officers identify and track which units go through the Chinese NTC and mark them as likely to be much more effective in combat. Fort Irwin itself has been expanded and since the 1980s the United States has established many similar training centers, all using lots of electronics to assist the trainees in having a realistic experience while also enabling them to see their mistakes and learn from them. Israeli and American manufacturers have individually, or through collaboration, developed new features for NTC-type facilities. These include portable equipment that can allow any area to be wired to provide the same effect by constant monitoring and recording of everything everyone does. There are also Vehicle Player Units (VPUs) that make Hummers appear as armored vehicles, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, or artillery as needed for the monitoring system. This saves a lot of money by not using the real thing. There is also a system that releases different colored smoke when a vehicle is hit, indicating if it is damaged or destroyed. Helicopters and warplanes, for example, were eventually modified so they could operate as part of NTC exercises. One of the critical aspects of this type of training is the playback. Instructors can edit the electronic record of who did what when and show commanders and troops where they made mistakes. This feedback makes the troops and their commanders more effective in future combat operations. There will be fewer surprises. Blocked from buying an NTC from Germany, Russia considered turning to China, which has built modern military training centers. These were not as effective as the one Germany was offering Russia but were probably good enough. Russia never did get a training center able to train brigade-size units in a realistic and effective fashion. Russia subsequently built smaller, more tactical training centers using some of the concepts found effective in NTCs. This did not make up for the absence of a proper NTC and that proved to be the case when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: JPMorgan upgrades Nio to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said a turnaround is underway for the China electric vehicle company. "We are upgrading NIO to OW from Neutral on the back of: 1) higher visibility on new model initiatives and pipeline into 2025; and 2) rapid improvement in cash position and hence removal of investors' concerns of further fund raising or equity dilution risk." Barclays initiates MicroStrategy as overweight Barclays said the crypto company has a "unique and differentiated" offering. "We are initiating coverage of MSTR with an OW rating and $146 price target. The company's strategyto convert a sticky enterprise software business into a bitcoin accumulation vehicleis unique and differentiated." Barclays upgrades Coinbase and Robinhood to equal weight from underweight Barclays said the valuation for both stocks is starting to look for more "sensible." "Over the past year+, the business models at both COIN and HOOD have matured and while we still see risks for both models, we also see potential top-line catalysts (product, regulation, etc.)." Morgan Stanley upgrades OMA to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said shares of the Mexican airport operator are compelling. "We are upgrading OMA to OW from EW, as we see a more attractive risk reward following the stock's recent underperformance, while we also see upside to consensus traffic numbers in 4Q24/1Q25 based on flight schedule data." Deutsche Bank initiates Burford Capital as buy Deutsche Bank said it is bullish on shares of the litigation finance leader. "We are initiating coverage on Burford Capital (BUR US) with a Buy rating and a $18 price target, which implies a +38% upside from the 9/4/24 close." Deutsche Bank upgrades Hubbell to buy from hold Deutsche Bank said it is bullish on shares of the utility and electrical solutions company. " HUBB has the highest power & utility exposure within our coverage universe, at ~64% of sales, positioning the company for MSD-HSD [mid single digits- high single digits] organic growth (we think 7%+ growth is achievable) for the next several years." Morgan Stanley reiterates Chewy as overweight Morgan Stanley said shares of the online pet company are "compelling." The firm also said it is a favorite idea. "We believe CHWY's forward margin trajectory remains compelling & underestimated." Daiwa reiterates Nvidia as outperform Daiwa said it is sticking with the stock following its recent earnings report. "What to do now with the shares? we expect the sell side to remain bullish on Nvidia shares given the material Generative AI opportunity. AI is big and could be bigger than the world changing events of the PC, smartphone, Internet, etc." Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy Bank of America said its survey checks show App Store revenue is on the rise for Apple. "As per SensorTower data, App Store revenue in F4Q (after 67 days) increased to $5.7bn, with total downloads (iPhone + iPad) +4.9% y/y (6.6bn) during the same period." Morgan Stanley initiates Trane Technologies as a top pick Morgan Stanley said the heating and cooling company is a high-quality stock. "We view Trane as the highest-quality business across US Industrials, offering the most attractive combination of growth and durability (30%+ service), both of which are strengthened by outsized exposure to a number of key industrial mega-trends." Bank of America reiterates Broadcom as a top pick Bank of America called the stock a "high quality AI franchise" following earnings on Thursday. "We rate Broadcom Buy due to its high-quality diversified exposure to secular product cycles in the smartphone, cloud data center, telecom and enterprise storage markets." Bank of America downgrades Ciena to neutral from buy Bank of America said in its downgrade of Ciena that it sees too many negative challenges for the networking company. "We are downgrading our rating from Buy to Neutral and maintaining our $59 PO, based on 20x CY25E P/E, in line with its historical range." Mizuho upgrades Fortive to outperform from neutral Mizuho said in its upgrade of Fortive that the industrial conglomerate is "too attractive to ignore." "The evolution of the portfolio has been aggressive and arguably created little value relative to peers as shown by a fairly stagnant and range-bound stock price for most of that time." JPMorgan downgrades Super Micro to neutral from overweight JPMorgan said it sees too many negative catalysts for Super Micro. "While the latest filings from the company indicate that the company is working diligently to be in compliance with regulatory requirements from a filing perspective and business is continuing as usual otherwise, at the same time it is tough to get more visibility into the timing over which the company will be back in compliance with its filing requirements." Rosenblatt initiates OneSpan as buy Rosenblatt said the cybersecurity company is well positioned. "We are initiating coverage of OneSpan with a Buy rating and $20 price target because the investment thesis has significantly improved." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight The firm said it is sticking with its top pick and overweight rating on Tesla. "Aside from regular qualification, we can't rule out the upcoming US election and rising geopolitical tension as potentially still critical factors in the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China." Loop reiterates Costco as buy Loop raised its price target on the stock to $975 per share from $970 following its sales report. "Our rating remains Buy on Costco, as we see deflation in price points which is driving traffic to clubs. August traffic grew 7% worldwide and 6% in the US." Mizuho names Micron and Oracle to the top picks list The firm named both stocks to its best ideas list. "We see MU well positioned in the AI race with its growing HBM [high bandwidth memory] share. We have confidence in Oracle's management team to expand operating margins to 45% by FY26." JPMorgan initiates Archrock as overweight The firm said the nat gas company is well positioned. "We initiate coverage of Archrock, Inc. (AROC) with an Overweight rating and a YE25 price target of $24." Barclays upgrades RadNet to overweight from equal weight Barclays said the radiological company is well positioned for artificial intelligence. "We believe RDNT has one of the clearest use cases for AI in health care, has a strong first-mover advantage, and possesses distinct advantages to develop and train AI on data from its own radiology business." Oppenheimer reiterates Live Nation as outperform The firm raised its price target on the stock to $120 per share from $110 following a visit to New York's Jones Beach Amphitheater. "We are more encouraged in LYV's Venue Nation unlocking higher earnings power following our recent visit to the refurbished Jones Beach Amphitheater." Bank of America reiterates ASML Holding as buy The firm said it is sticking with the semis company as a best idea. " ASML remains our Top pick in EU Semicaps and we see the recent pull back as particularly enhanced buying opportunity." Goldman Sachs said investors should not pull the plug on Broadcom after its latest earnings report. Analyst Toshiya Hari reiterated a buy rating on the semiconductor and infrastructure software supplier on Friday. Hari's $190 price target implies shares can rally 24% from Thursday's closing level. Hari's call comes one day after Broadcom posted fiscal third-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates for both revenue and earnings. But Broadcom also said revenue in the current quarter should come in at about $14 billion, a touch below the consensus estimate of $14.11 billion, based on analysts polled by FactSet. The Goldman analyst also noted that revenue from Broadcom's semiconductor solutions business came in below analysts' expectations in the third quarter. However, Hari said challenges tied to artificial intelligence-related revenue should be seen as simply a "near-term hiccup." "In the near-term, post this quarter's hiccup, we envision a re-acceleration in the AI Semiconductor business coupled with a cyclical recovery in the non-AI revenue stream putting the company back on a beat and raise cadence," Hari told clients in a report. Despite the tepid forward guidance and AI-related performance, Hari said Goldman still is confident in its long-term investment thesis for the following reasons: Broadcom's competitive position in the high-speed networking and custom compute business An "industry-leading" profile for profit margins and returns Consistent free cash flow generation and a focus on returning capital to shareholders Still, shares tumbled more than 9% in early trading on Friday as investors studied the earnings report. That marks a turnaround from what has been a strong year, with Broadcom surging nearly 37% in 2024. AVGO YTD mountain Broadcom, year to date A pedestrian passes by the Google office in New York City on Jan. 25, 2023. Leonardo Munoz | View Press | Getty Images A month after losing a landmark antitrust case brought by the Department of Justice, Google is headed back to court to face off for a second time against federal prosecutors. In August, a judge ruled that Google has held a monopoly in internet search, marking the biggest antitrust ruling in the tech industry since the case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. This time, Google is defending itself against claims that its advertising business has acted as a monopoly that's led to higher ad prices for customers. The trial begins in Alexandria, Virginia, on Monday and will likely last for at least several weeks. It represents the first tech antitrust trial from a case brought by the Biden administration. The department's earlier lawsuit was first filed in October 2020, when Donald Trump was in the White House. While U.S. officials have spent the past several years going after Big Tech, only Google has so far has ended up in federal court. The DOJ sued Apple in March, saying its iPhone ecosystem is a monopoly that drove its "astronomical valuation" at the expense of consumers, developers and rival phone makers. In late 2020, the Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust suit against Facebook (now Meta ), claiming the company had built a monopoly through acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Earlier this year, Meta asked a court to dismiss the suit. In 2023, the FTC and 17 states sued Amazon for allegedly wielding its "monopoly power" to inflate prices, degrade quality for shoppers and unlawfully exclude rivals, undermining competition. For Google, the focus turns to its ad tools, which are part of the company's $200 billion digital ad business. The government claims Google is in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibit anticompetitive behavior. The DOJ will argue that Google locked in publishers and advertisers to its products and that websites had to develop workarounds in response. A coalition of states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, joined the case. watch now Google's ad business has drawn numerous critics over the years because the platform operates on multiple sides of the market buying, selling and an ad exchange giving the company unique insights and potential leverage. In its initial lawsuit, the DOJ cited internal communication from a Google ad executive, who said owning multiple sides of the ad-selling process is like "if Goldman or Citibank owned the NYSE," referring to the New York Stock Exchange. At stake is how Google is allowed to operate its portfolio of ad products. The DOJ, if successful, seeks the divestiture of, at minimum, the Google Ad Manager suite (GAM), the marketplace that gives brands the ability to create and manage ad units and track ad campaigns and lets publishers sell ad inventory. That's different from Google's flagship platform Google Ads which is primarily for businesses looking to advertise their products or services across search, websites, YouTube and other partner sites. In the most recent quarter, Google parent Alphabet reported ad revenue of $64.6 billion, accounting for over three-quarters of total sales. Of that amount, $48.5 billion came from search and other businesses like Gmail and Maps, and $8.7 billion came from YouTube. The GAM suite is part of the Google Network business, which generated $7.4 billion in second-quarter revenue, or about 11% of total ad sales. In addition to a potential partial breakup, Google could see a flood of litigation from advertisers seeking monetary rewards if the DOJ is successful. Bernstein analysts said Google could face up to $100 billion in such lawsuits. In the first antitrust case, the court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies. Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with the DOJ, which argued that Google has kept its share of the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its dominance. "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly," Mehta wrote. Google now awaits its punishment for that case. The DOJ is asking for an extended time frame, until February, to offer remedies, followed by a hearing in April. Google says the DOJ should have already done its homework and should be prepared to offer its proposal in October. What each side will argue In the second case, the DOJ plans to show that Google has cobbled together unrivaled power through the acquisitions of companies like DoubleClick in 2008, and by building services that let ad buyers target users across the internet. The company's M&A strategy "set the stage for Google's later exclusionary conduct across the ad tech industry," the Justice Department alleges. The agency claims Google controls 91% of the market for ad servers, the space used by publishers to sell ads, and takes advantage of its power by unfairly raising ad prices. The DOJ plans to call YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in for live testimony. Mohan, was previously vice president at DoubleClick before the acquisition. After being rolled into Google's ad tech stack, DoubleClick's technology allowed Google to require publishers, in some instances, to use all of its tools to gain access to any of them, meaning they couldn't use rival services for parts of the online ad-buying process, the agency alleges. "Website creators earn less, and advertisers pay more, than they would in a market where unfettered competitive pressure could discipline prices and lead to more innovative ad tech tools that would ultimately result in higher quality and lower cost transactions for market participants," the DOJ says. Some publishers have been forced to turn to alternative models like subscriptions to fund their operations, the government says, while others have gone out of business. watch now Google has long fought back against claims that it dominates online ads, pointing to the market share of competitors including Meta. It will argue that buyers and sellers have many options especially as the online ad market has evolved. Google will also argue that the DOJ's pursuits would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow. The company says that its ad tools adapt to handle the billions of ad auctions taking place on the internet each day, and that the DOJ doesn't have an accurate picture of the ad space. Google will also tell the court that it's always offered competitive rates for customers, who often mix and match advertising platforms. As it relates to deal-making, Google will claim that DoubleClick and AdMeld weren't killer acquisitions at the time and that regulators signed off on them. In trying to prove its case, the DOJ has listed potential testimony from Jerry Dischler, formerly vice president of Google's ad platform who currently leads the company's cloud applications. It's also noted the potential to call on several Google product managers. Also on the DOJ's list is Google AI executive Sissie Hsiao, who was formerly a director of global display, video and mobile app advertising, and Scott Sheffer, who is listed as vice president of Google partnerships. The government plans to include evidence from internal Google communications, testimony from publishers, advertisers and companies that tried to compete with Google as well as experts and professors from Stanford and Harvard, filings show. Google also noted it may call on Nitish Korula, engineering director for Google assistant who was formerly senior technical advisor to search head Prabhakar Raghavan. It also requested testimony from Simon Whitcombe, a vice president at Meta, and suggested depositions from executives at BuzzFeed and The New York Times. Though the DOJ and Google submitted a list of executives named for potential testimony or deposition, those individuals won't necessarily be called. Google declined to comment for this article. WATCH: Google's antitrust woes mount This picture taken on May 1, 2024 shows professors and students looking at a Minimal Fab, a small-scale semiconductor factory that does not require a clean room, at Tokyo University in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP) (Photo by YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images) Japanese semiconductor equipment providers have been counting on China as their largest source of revenue, even as they have got caught in the U.S.-China crossfire. Japanese semiconductor equipment powerhouse Tokyo Electron with a market cap of nearly $72 billion, saw its share of China revenue jump to 44% in financial year ended March 2024 compared with 23% a year earlier, according to the company's earnings report. That share increased to nearly 50% in the first quarter of financial year 2025 compared with 39.3% in the same period last year. Screen Holdings , meanwhile, generated as much as 43% of its total sales from China in the financial year ended March 2024, up from 19% in financial year 2023. That share rose to 51% in the first quarter of the current financial year from 23% in the same period last year. The company expects China sales share to be at 41% for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. The large business of Japanese chip companies in China underscores the challenge that the U.S. ally faces in balancing White House's demands with its domestic economic interests. The U.S. is introducing new export-control measures, including for quantum computing and chip-related goods, according to a statement from the Department of Commerce on Friday. Former Republican presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not appear on ballots in North Carolina and Michigan, appeals courts ruled in two separate decisions Friday. Election authorities in the two swing states previously decided that Kennedy's name would remain on their ballots, rejecting his request to withdraw from the race. Friday's rulings are good news for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In North Carolina and Michigan, Trump polls better in a two-way race against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris than in a six-candidate race, according to polling averages from RealClearPolling. When Kennedy suspended his long-shot campaign and threw his support behind Trump on Aug. 23, he said that he planned to remove his name from ballots in 10 swing states where Trump stood to benefit from the race shrinking to a head-to-head matchup with Harris. But Kennedy's plan was easier said than done. In three battleground states North Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin state election authorities rejected Kennedy's request to get off the ballot. North Carolina's State Board of Elections on Aug. 29 voted against the We The People Party, who nominated Kennedy in the state, deciding "it would not be practical to reprint ballots that have already been printed and meet the state law deadline to start absentee voting." Absentee ballots in North Carolina were scheduled to be mailed out starting on Friday, but that process has been halted in light of the state appeals court decision, which granted Kennedy's request. In a memo sent to North Carolina's 100 county election directors, the state election board's general counsel Paul Cox instructed the directors not to send out any ballots but to keep those they had already printed with Kennedy's name. He wrote that the board has not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling. "The court has also ordered that the We The People party's ballot line be removed (including Kennedy and [his running mate, Nicole] Shanahan)," Cox wrote. "Obviously, this will be a major undertaking for everyone. Our attorneys are reviewing the order and determining how to move forward. No decision has been made on whether this ruling will be appealed." Trump welcomed the North Carolina appeals court decision Friday afternoon in remarks to the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte. "That sounds like a bad thing for [Kennedy]. It's not. It's actually a great thing," he said. "He's an incredible team player, and he didn't want anybody to be voting his name, because, as you know, he fully endorsed us. He's with us." "They [will] vote for me now. All of the Bobby people are going to vote for me," Trump said. But polls show that voters who plan to support a third-party candidate in North Carolina do not all vote for Trump when the race narrows to two candidates. While the Republican's chances improve in a head-to-head matchup, Harris' share of the vote also increases. In a six-candidate race in the state, Trump and Harris are tied at 46.3%, according to RealClearPolling. In a head-to-head matchup, Trump narrowly leads Harris, 47.9% to 47.2%. In Michigan, Kennedy's original request was rejected due to state law, which according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says minor party candidates cannot withdraw from the presidential race. Kennedy filed a lawsuit against Benson over the decision, but a judge on Tuesday ruled that his name would stay on the ballot. Friday's appeals court decision reverses that ruling, granting Kennedy's request to get off the ballot. With Friday's rulings, the only state still rejecting Kennedy's withdrawal effort is Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Aug. 27 voted 5-1 to keep Kennedy's name on its ballot. Kennedy on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. Pavel Durov, chief executive officer of Telegram, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. The boss of messaging platform Telegram said late Thursday that charges against him by France are "misguided," in his first public comments since being detained in the country nearly two weeks ago. Pavel Durov, who founded Telegram in 2013, was last week charged with enabling criminal activity on the messaging app including dissemination of child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud, and refusal to share information with authorities. One of the charges complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable an illicit transaction in an organized gang carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a 500,000 euro ($555,833) fine if someone is found guilty after trial. Durov, who has been in France since his arrest on Aug. 24, posted a 5 million euro bail and remains under judicial supervision. He cannot leave French territory and has to report twice weekly to a police station, prosecutors said last week. In his first public comments on the situation, Durov said Thursday that France's decision to detain and charge him was based on a "misguided approach. "If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself," Telegram's CEO and founder said in a statement posted on his Telegram account. "Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach." Millionaires are eyeing up European cities as they look to relocate but London doesn't make the top five, according to a new report. Some 83% of high-net-worth individuals defined as those earning $1 million or more who are considering moving countries favor city living for the cultural and economic opportunities it provides, Knight Frank's European Lifestyle Report, published on Wednesday, revealed. Meanwhile, 17% cited a preference for rural and resort locations for the natural scenery and slower lifestyle. Real estate consultants Knight Frank surveyed 700 high-net-worth individuals from 11 different countries including the U.K. and U.S. about their view of the most attractive European cities and resorts. It ranked 10 cities and resorts based on the "European Lifestyle Monitor" which evaluated them on five key metrics: the economy, quality of life, environment, infrastructure and mobility, and human capital. Paris topped the list and stood out in categories including economy and human capital, which includes factors like universities, corporate headquarters and cultural investment. However, London often thought of as a hub for the super-rich didn't even make the top five, coming seventh. Henley & Partners, a consultancy that tracks migration trends, says a record 128,000 millionaires are planning on relocating globally in 2024, compared with 120,000 in 2023, according to the Knight Frank report. Additionally, 19% of ultra-high-net-worth individuals those worth $30 million or more are planning to apply for a second passport or gain citizenship in another country, Knight Frank found. The main priorities for millionaires when relocating are security and privacy, followed by employment, tax, and education, according to the report. Gen Z and millennials tend to prioritize employment, while older generations are more preoccupied with taxation. "Security and taxation are more critical for HNWIs [high-net-worth individuals] than visa concerns when relocating. With rising geopolitical volatility and privacy challenges in the digital age, this focus is unsurprising," the report said. "Geopolitical tensions and policy changes are driving HNWIs to relocate to more favourable jurisdictions," Kate Everett-Allen, Knight Frank's head of European residential research, said in the report. "The swift withdrawal of CHF 1.5 billion [Swiss francs, or $1.8 billion] from Credit Suisse in late 2022 by wealthy account holders highlighted how quickly affluent individuals can react to perceived financial risks." Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the courthouse after a jury found him guilty of all 34 felony counts in his criminal trial at New York State Supreme Court on May 30, 2024. Former President Donald Trump will not be sentenced in his New York criminal hush money case until after the Nov. 5 presidential election, a judge ruled Friday. The sentencing, which was set for Sept. 18, will instead take place on Nov. 26, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan ruled. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, will not be sentenced at all if the court grants his request to dismiss the case in light of a Supreme Court ruling expanding the scope of presidential immunity. Merchan in his four-page order said he will rule on Trump's bid to vacate the jury's guilty verdict on Nov. 12. Trump will be sentenced "if necessary" two weeks later, Merchan ruled. "This matter is one that stands alone, in a unique place in this Nation's history," the judge wrote. If Trump is sentenced, then the public deserves "a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury," and one that is "free from distraction or distortion." "Unfortunately, we are now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities rendering the requirements of a sentencing hearing, should one be necessary, difficult to execute," Merchan wrote. The case centers on a $130,000 payment made by Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking ahead of the 2016 presidential election about an alleged one-night stand with Trump years earlier. Trump reimbursed Cohen in monthly installments after he won the election. Trump in mid-July had asked Merchan to dismiss the case and vacate the guilty verdict against him, pointing to the Supreme Court's bombshell July 1 ruling that granted former presidents "presumptive immunity" for their official acts in office. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office replied saying that ruling was irrelevant to the hush money case, and would not support erasing the jury's verdict even if it did apply. The Supreme Court's ruling had already spurred Merchan to delay Trump's sentencing, which was originally scheduled for July 11, by more than two months. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung in a statement Friday said, "There should be no sentencing in the Manhattan DA's Election Interference Witch Hunt." "As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other Harris - Biden Hoaxes, should be dismissed," Cheung said. A spokesperson for Bragg told NBC News that the Manhattan DA's office "stands ready for sentencing on the new date set by the court." Trump's lawyers have repeatedly sought to get Merchan to recuse himself from the case. They accused him of political bias before and during the trial, in large part due to his adult daughter's work for a political firm whose clients include high-profile Democrats such as President Joe Biden. Merchan rejected two recusal requests ahead of the trial, which began in mid-April and ended in late May with Trump's conviction on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records. On Aug. 13, Merchan shot down Trump's third recusal bid, describing one of his arguments an attack on the still-present gag order restricting some of Trump's statements related to the case as "nothing more than an attempt to air grievances against this Court's rulings." Claims that former U.S. President Donald Trump is a threat to the country's democracy have been weakened by the legacy of his first term, historian Niall Ferguson said Friday. "I think this whole argument that Donald Trump was going to end democracy and establish some kind of American fascism was blown up because of the way his first term went. Remember, all these things were said in 2016, that Trump would be a tyrant," Ferguson told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at the Ambrosetti Forum, an annual economic conference held in Italy. "The great weakness, in my view, of Trump's case has always been his conduct on January 6, 2021 and his attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, this I thought was the end of his political career. I was dead wrong, he's back," Ferguson continued. Jan. 6, 2021 saw dramatic scenes of rioting, vandalism and looting at the U.S. Capitol, which began as protests against Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. A select committee report released in 2022 found Trump made repeated attempts to "delegitimize the election process," made false claims about the legitimacy of the result, and performed a "dereliction" of duty by refusing to call off the mob. "I think the key point that one has to make here is that the system contained Trump's impulses in 2020, 2021, successfully, and I think it would contain them again if he were to be only the first person since Grover Cleveland to have two non-consecutive terms as president," Ferguson said, referring to another former U.S. president. In this article X 5401.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT This picture taken on Feb. 16, 2024 shows a logo of Nippon Steel Corp. at the company's Kyushu manufacturing base in Kitakyushu city of Fukuoka Prefecture. U.S. President Joe Biden plans to express concern over Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion purchase of U.S. Steel, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, pushing the U.S. company's stock nearly 13% lower on bets the deal could face greater political opposition. Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion takeover of U.S. Steel would create national security risks because it could hurt the supply of steel needed for critical transportation, construction and agriculture projects, the U.S. said in a letter sent to the companies and seen by Reuters. The letter cited a global glut of cheap Chinese steel, and said that under Nippon, a Japanese company, U.S. Steel would be less likely seek tariffs on foreign steel importers. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. said in its 17-page letter sent Saturday to Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel , and first reported by Reuters, that decisions by Nippon could "lead to a reduction in domestic steel production capacity." CFIUS added "U.S. Steel's decisions in (trade) cases will be influenced by Nippon Steel and may take into account Nippon Steel's commercial interests and competitive position in the global steel market." The letter provided a first glimpse of the national security grounds that the Biden administration could use as a basis for its expected move to block the merger, even as the companies and many industry experts questioned the strength of the arguments. CFIUS appeared to be "significantly expanding" its definition of national security risk, said Sarah Bauerle Danzman, a professor at Indiana University and a fellow at the Atlantic Council. "While the resilience of U.S. domestic steel capacity is clearly in the national interest, it is unclear how ownership by a firm domiciled in a major treaty ally would fundamentally threaten this," she said. Many Republican and Democratic lawmakers have voiced opposition to the deal. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Monday at a rally in Pennsylvania, the swing state where U.S. Steel is headquartered, that she wants U.S. Steel to remain "American owned and operated." Her Republican rival Donald Trump has pledged to block the deal if elected. According to CFIUS, China's "persistent use of market-distorting government interventions" has allowed the country to unfairly gain dominance in the global steel market, as it exports extensive surplus steel that artificially lowers international prices. It cited 2022 data that showed China produced about 54% of total global crude steel and was the largest exporter. While U.S. Steel has aggressively petitioned for trade relief against foreign imports, Nippon Steel has at times opposed U.S. efforts for relief, CFIUS said. Goa is set to welcome travellers from Uzbekistan as the country's flag carrier has announced it will operate twice a week flights from Tashkent to Goa from October 27, 2024. The new international route, serviced Uzbekistan Airways via an advanced Airbus A320 Neo, will connect Tashkent to the Manohar International Airport (MOPA), opening new avenues for tourism and cultural exchange between Uzbekistan and Goa.The introduction of the flights comes after discussions with the Uzbekistan Embassy, tour operators and support from the Indian Embassy in Tashkent, the Tourism Department of Goa said. The concerted efforts of the Goa Department of Tourism have played a critical role in making this connection a reality. To expand Goa's global reach, the state's Tourism Department will participating in the upcoming Tashkent International Tourism Fair (TITF).Goa Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte, welcomed the initiative and said, "The introduction of direct flights from Tashkent to Goa marks a significant milestone in enhancing Goa's connectivity with Central Asia. This new connection will not only boost tourism but will strengthen our cultural ties with Uzbekistan. We are committed to developing Goa as a well-connected and accessible destination for travellers worldwide."Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director Tourism and Managing Director GTDC, reiterated the Minister's sentiments, saying, "Uzbekistan Airways' decision to commence flights to Goa highlights the growing global interest in our state as a prime tourism destination. This direct connectivity will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for visitors from Uzbekistan, making Goa more accessible and inviting."This new route aligns with the states broader strategy to diversify the tourist base and promote Goa as a year-round destination. The Department of Tourism looks forward to welcoming an influx of tourists from Uzbekistan and showcasing Goas unique blend of culture, history, and natural beauty. The launch of this new flight route will play a pivotal role in boosting tourism from Uzbekistan, contributing directly to the expansion and vibrancy of Goas tourism sector. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Brian De Palma, the director behind Carrie, Scarface and The Untouchables, was sometimes criticized for borrowing from more accomplished directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. But he was a favorite of Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael, a sought-after director whose visual style led to offers to helm huge Hollywood hits like Fatal Attraction, Flashdance and Taxi Driver, according to ScreenRant. De Palma, though, told Business Insider he had no regrets about turning down those smashes. But there is one career move that hed like to take back. Now a movie I wish I hadn't done was Wise Guys, he explained. The studio changed their minds and didnt want to make it. They just wanted us to go away. I should have just taken my money and walked instead of dealing with a studio that didnt want to make the movie. The screwball plot of Wise Guys is comically convoluted so lets keep it to this: Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo play two low-level mobsters and best pals who eventually are contracted to kill one another. Comedy stuff happens, as they say. Don't Miss Despite De Palmas regrets, some thought Wise Guys was pretty good. Ebert gave it three-and-a-half stars, calling it an abundant movie, filled with ideas and gags and great characters. It never runs dry. It never has the desperation of so many gangster comedies, which seem to be marching over the same tired ground. This movie was made with joy, and you can feel it in the sense of all the actors working at the top of their form. Ebert reserved special praise for De Palma. I wouldnt have suspected that he had this comedy in him, wrote the critic. Now heres this polished, confident comedy that never seems to go wrong. Advertisement So whats the problem? Ebert was in the minority, for one. Wise Guys sits at a lousy 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Most reviews from forgotten 1980s comedies dont make their way online, but Rotten Tomatoes critic blurbs provide the general consensus: A lame Mob comedy, proving Piscopo is not movie material. Brian De Palma, who made some funny movies years ago, seems to have lost his touch. A waste of celluloid. But De Palmas real issue seems to be with the studio. MGM clearly lost interest in the film after it inked the contracts, and the director could see the writing on the wall. Whats the use of pouring your heart and soul into a movie only to discover MGM had no interest in promoting it? Good or bad, a movie without studio backing is unlikely to find an audience. Its either that or De Palma really hated working with Joe Piscopo. Its no secret that cloud security is a complex undertaking. Todays threat actors have grown increasingly adept at launching sophisticated attacks at scale, increasing the pressure on security teams to sort through the barrage of incoming signals to quickly detect, digest, and respond to attacks. Modern digital estates can also sprawl across multiple cloud platforms and encompass numerous devices, networks, applications, and identitiesmaking finding your most pressing vulnerabilities like searching for a needle in the proverbial haystack. But what if you could bring together all your cloud security tools under a single unified platform? This platform would not only automatically detect, contextualize, and disrupt attacks but also consistently enforce cloud security posture management (CSPM) best practices across the full application lifecycle. By integrating various toolsfrom vulnerability scanning and compliance checking to real-time threat monitoringyou can achieve a more streamlined and efficient security operation. Read on to learn how you can use a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) to enhance security readiness and remain in control, from the earliest stages of development to deployment and runtime. Why invest in CNAPP? CNAPP offers several benefits over a best-of-breed approach, in which organizations rely on multiple standalone solutions to address different aspects of cloud security. While best-of-breed tools might excel individually, they often require complex integrations and constant management to ensure cohesive protection. In contrast, CNAPP simplifies this process by providing a unified platform that reduces the need for manual integration and maintenance, allowing security teams to focus more on strategic threat response rather than tool management. Because CNAPP integrates multiple cloud security solutions under a unified platform, it can do everything from flagging back-end code and infrastructure for vulnerabilities to detecting and automatically disrupting attacks in runtime. For more complex threats that require human intervention, CNAPP empowers security admins with the necessary context to understand and remediate the attack or vulnerability. A unified CNAPP also increases visibility and control because it can pull data and correlate insights from all stages of the cloud application lifecycle into a single pane of glass. It continuously scans your environment to ensure youre up to date on current security best practices, industry and government regulations, necessary security patches, and more. This reduces the risk of misconfigurations due to human error and enhances your overall compliance posture, further driving security readiness and enabling teams to proactively remediate risks before threat actors can exploit them. How does CNAPP protect against your most pressing threats? So, how do CNAPPs benefits stack up against a modern threat landscape? Lets start by looking at API security. Threat actors are increasingly targeting APIs due to their growing prominence in cloud-based environments, making securing APIs a key priority for many organizations. A CNAPP solution can help secure APIs by providing visibility and governance into the security risks that can arise in pre-production by integrating with various DevOps pipelines. It can also scan infrastructure for critical misconfigurations or risks that could lead to an attack. In the deployment phase, a CNAPP enforces key security policies and compliance requirements to ensure the application infrastructure meets your standards for encryptions, access controls, and secure configurations. Finally, in runtime, a CNAPP continuously monitors for threats and responds to incoming attacks and anomalous behavior to ensure youre protected at the speed of attack. Another major runtime security focus is data securityspecifically, data security posture management (DSPM). While DSPM has existed as a concept for years, it was only recently coined by Gartner in its 2022 Hype Cycle for Data Security. DSPM is essential because it focuses on protecting the data, not just the infrastructure housing it. This is key as threat actors increasingly target data in their attacks. DSPM works to detect and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data, blocking attackers from exfiltrating or manipulating critical data in the event of a breach. By integrating DSPM as part of CNAPP, companies can protect not only their cloud security posture but also the valuable data that lives within their digital estates. Ultimately, CNAPP isnt a product. Its a cutting-edge approach to multicloud security that integrates various security functions into a single unified platform to deliver more holistic, contextualized, and efficient protection. By leveraging CNAPP within their digital estate, security leaders can improve their control and security readiness posture by enforcing CSPM consistently and automatically across the full cloud application lifecycle. Ready to learn how you can integrate a CNAPP into your cloud security strategy? Explore Microsofts cloud security solutions to learn more. Photo-Illustration: Curbed; Clockwise From Top Left: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect, Logan Jackson/R&Co, Maura Wright/ AGO Projects/ZAK+FOX, Design Within Reach Summer may be over (it hurts, I know), but the start of September means a month packed with design happenings and the sometimes overwhelming delight of seeing so much new work. R & Company opens its triennial Objects: USA show, which could just as easily be called Who You Should Know in American Design. Bloomingdales is bringing Italian design to 59th Street and online, pairing a few classic brands with local names for exclusive collaborations (some of which are less expected, like Lucali Pizza and Rag & Bone), and it is talking all things design all month. Recycled, Meticulous Craft at The Future Perfect From left: Tube Lounger, by Piet Hein Eek. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect Classic cupboard in scrap wood. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect From top: Tube Lounger, by Piet Hein Eek. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect Classic cupboard in scrap wood. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfe... more From top: Tube Lounger, by Piet Hein Eek. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect Classic cupboard in scrap wood. Photo: Piet Hein Eek/The Future Perfect Leave it to the Dutch, in this case, designer Piet Hein Eek, to transform repurposed industrial pipes, stripped from his own building, into a chaise longue that is both visually intriguing and perfectly functional (yes, you can sit in it). At Future Perfects West Village gallery, Eek will present a range of furniture works so meticulously crafted from recycled and reclaimed materials that will they fool you into thinking they were simple to produce. The collection, three years in the making, includes a chandelier of metal tubes and a coffee table made of an unfathomable number of wood layers called Waste Waste Waste. Its a testament to Eeks skill as a craftsperson that the sustainable nature of the pieces is actually one of the least interesting things about them. The refined, complex textures, a color palette of faded and weathered tones, and a pretty-gritty dichotomy reveal the artists penchant for labor-intensive techniques. More reasons to visit the gallery: New works from the artist who gave us Electric Kool-Aid Tiffany lamps (Autumn Casey), and works by design-manufacturer Mattermade and MyunJi Kim will also be on display. On view from September 11 at Future Perfects West Village location. A Design Whos Who at R & Company From left: Lantern vessel in collage. Photo: Courtesy Jolie Ngo/R & Company Ryan Deckers Sluggard Walker to the right. Photo: Logan Jackson From top: Lantern vessel in collage. Photo: Courtesy Jolie Ngo/R & Company Ryan Deckers Sluggard Walker to the right. Photo: Logan Jackson R & Companys triennial exhibition, Objects: USA, returns for its second edition. Selecting 100 works from 55 artists who work across all mediums could have been daunting, but guest curators Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Kellie Riggs sorted them according to what they called the seven archetypes of objecthood: Truthsayers, Doomsdayers, Insiders, and Codebreakers are among them. There are maximalist wonders by ceramic artists Jolie Ngo; Katie Stout; and clays most surreal storyteller, Roxanne Jackson, plus the molten, genre-bending pieces of Misha Kahn alongside Ryan Deckers alien-in-motion sculptures. It calls to mind the Washington Daily News review from the inaugural 1969 Objects:USA exhibition that R & Companys triennial pays its respects to:This whole line between crafts and fine arts doesnt exist. Opens September 6 at R & Companys 64 White Street location. Bloomingdales Italian Design Tribute From left: Missoni x Kartell for From Italy With Love at Bloomingdales. Photo: Missoni x Kartell Collaboration/Courtesy Bloomingdales Photo: Missoni x Kartell Collaboration/Courtesy Bloomingdales From top: Missoni x Kartell for From Italy With Love at Bloomingdales. Photo: Missoni x Kartell Collaboration/Courtesy Bloomingdales Photo: Missoni... more From top: Missoni x Kartell for From Italy With Love at Bloomingdales. Photo: Missoni x Kartell Collaboration/Courtesy Bloomingdales Photo: Missoni x Kartell Collaboration/Courtesy Bloomingdales Bloomingdales is celebrating all things Italian in a big way. Working directly with the country, From Italy, With Love will launch alongside New York Fashion Week and continue for two months with in-store events, exclusive products from Italian legends (Max Mara, Ferragamo, Valentino), and collaborations that pair Kartell and Missoni, and pizza-making legend Lucali with Rag & Bone. Why not? Alongside the food theres a market at the department stores 59th Street location there will be a design installation of classic and new Italian furniture (expect Gessi, Kartell, Sigma L2, and Porro). Panels on Italian design, conducted by those behind Milans Salone del Mobile design fair, will take place every Wednesday in September with industry leaders, among them architect Ferruccio Laviani; Salones president, Maria Porro; PINUP Magazines Felix Burrichter, and Curbeds own Wendy Goodman. Those who cant make it to the brick-and-mortar experience can view the collections online. Opens September 5, with a full schedule of From Italy, With Love events on the Bloomingdales website. Standout Show: Maura Wright From left: Floral Tureen by Maura Wright. Photo: Maura Wright/AGO Projects/ZAK+FOX Mirror Vase No. 4. Photo: Maura Wright/AGO Projects/ZAK+FOX From top: Floral Tureen by Maura Wright. Photo: Maura Wright/AGO Projects/ZAK+FOX Mirror Vase No. 4. Photo: Maura Wright/AGO Projects/ZAK+FOX In A Taste of Something Special, opening at textile house ZAK+FOXs Park Avenue South showroom in collaboration with collectible gallery AGO Projects, artist Maura Wrights coil-built ceramic vessels are a real mix of styles and movements: classic French porcelain, American folk art, the decorative decadence of the Rococo era. The works that stand out demonstrate the potential of clay, rendered in a high-low sensibility. Grecian vases adorned in flowers are coated in a metallic silver glaze; a yellow and pink amphora looks like its delicately stitched together on every edge. Opens September 6 at ZAK+FOX. New Launch: Design Within Reach x Mabeo Studio From left: Photo: Courtesy Design Within Reach/ Photo: Courtesy Design Within Reach/ From top: Photo: Courtesy Design Within Reach/ ... more From top: Photo: Courtesy Design Within Reach/ Photo: Courtesy Design Within Reach/ Botswana-based Mabeo Studio launches its first collection with Design Within Reach. As studio founder Peter Mabeo told Wallpaper*, the Lesire collection borrows its name from the Tswana word for wedding veil. The mirrors, tables, and bench are scalloped hardwood, a direct reference to the crochet techniques of lace veils. The six-piece collection is soft edges and curves but also satisfyingly solid, rendered in dark panga panga wood (a species native to East and Southeast Africa). Mabeo has previously collaborated with Dover Street Market, Patricia Urquiola, Vincent Van Duysen, and Fendi. Until September 19, the collection is briefly available at a discount on DWRs website. Two scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics 08 Oct 2024 | 5:31 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.. UK population growth hits record high despite low fertility rate 08 Oct 2024 | 5:04 PM London, Oct 8 (UNI) The United Kingdom's (UK) population reached 68.3 million in mid-2023, setting a new record, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. see more.. Bodies of 5 Russian climbers found on Nepal's Dhaulagiri 08 Oct 2024 | 4:34 PM Dhaulagiri, Oct 8 (UNI) A five-strong group of Russian climbers, who went missing on October 6 while trying to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri in Nepal, have been found dead, Mingma Sherpa, director of the Heli Everest travel company involved in the search operation, said on Tuesday. see more.. Ukraine loses over 200 soldiers in Kursk Region 08 Oct 2024 | 4:31 PM Moscow, Oct 8 (UNI) The Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 200 soldiers, three armored fighting vehicles, as well as four artillery pieces and two mortars over the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. see more.. STORY LINK Pound to Euro End of Week Forecast: GBP/EUR Wavers Despite Surprise German Factory Growth Advertisement Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate faced fluctuations on Thursday, despite positive economic releases from the Eurozone.At the time of writing, GBP/EUR was trading at 1.1859, virtually unchanged from the session's opening levels.The Pound (GBP) struggled to attract investor interest on Thursday, with a sparse UK economic calendar leaving the Pound largely at the mercy of broader market sentiment.The lack of fresh UK data meant GBP was primarily driven by risk dynamics, and initial uncertainty in market mood prevented any significant upside for the Pound.However, Sterling found modest support in the wake of a better-than-expected UK services PMI. The surprising acceleration in the vital services sector boosted optimism around the UK economy, helping GBP remain steady. Further bolstering sentiment was news that the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) had revised up its growth forecasts for the UK, signalling resilience in the country's economic outlook.Speculation around the Bank of Englands (BoE) potential path forwards also lent some support to the Pound. Expectations that the BoE may pursue a more measured approach to monetary unwinding compared to other major central banks kept GBP afloat, despite the overall quiet economic backdrop.Towards the end of the session, an improvement in global risk appetite provided additional tailwinds for Sterling, which has become increasingly sensitive to risk-on sentiment in recent months.The Euro (EUR) saw initial gains on Thursday, buoyed by a surprise rise in German factory orders.Orders in Germany, the Eurozones largest economy, jumped by 2.9% in July, significantly outperforming market forecasts of a 1.5% decline, though the pace of growth slowed from Junes revised 4.6% expansion.In addition, Eurozone retail sales posted a modest 0.1% rise in July, recovering from a 0.4% contraction in June. These positive data releases initially provided support for the euro, boosting confidence in the regions economic recovery.However, as global markets shifted toward risk-on sentiment later in the session, the euro's safe-haven appeal diminished. Investors favoured riskier currencies, leading to a loss of momentum for EUR as the trading day progressed.Looking ahead, the Pound-Euro exchange rate could see fresh volatility driven by key Eurozone data releases. Germanys trade balance report is expected to be a major driver, with a projected rise in the country's trade surplus likely to support the euro. Any unexpected deviation from forecasts could lead to significant EUR movement.Later in the session, the Eurozones Q2 2024 GDP estimate will be under scrutiny. If the data reveals downward revisions, the euro could face pressure, potentially reversing earlier gains.On the UK side, a quiet economic calendar will leave Sterling vulnerable to broader market sentiment. If risk appetite continues to improve, GBP may benefit due to its increased sensitivity to risk-driven market dynamics. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Euro Forecasts Nepal asks service providers to lift ban on Tik Tok Kathmandu, Sep 6 (UNI) The Nepal Telecommunications Authority on Friday directed the country's internet and mobile service providers to lift the ban on TikTok, in line with a cabinet decision on the popular short-video app. "The authority issues a directive to all the concerned Internet and mobile service providers to remove the restrictions against TikTok until further notice," read the directive. On Aug. 22, Nepal's cabinet decided to lift the ban on TikTok, which was imposed in November last year. Domestic air traffic grows 8 pc in September: ICRA 08 Oct 2024 | 4:06 PM New Delhi, Oct 8 (UNI) The domestic air traffic rose 8.1% year-on-year to 132.3 lakh in September 2024, research and rating firm ICRA said on Tuesday. see more.. Will analyse after final results are out in Haryana: AAP 08 Oct 2024 | 3:37 PM New Delhi, Oct 8 (UNI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Environment Minister in Delhi Government Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that the ground messages received after the Assembly election in Haryana was different than the exit poll predictions shown on various television channels and an analysis will be done after the final results are out. see more.. Alert BSF foil attempt by Bangladeshi smugglers to infiltrate, one BSF man injured 08 Oct 2024 | 2:07 PM New Delhi, Oct 8 (UNI) Alert personnel of the BSF foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of around 12-15 Bangladeshi smugglers armed with sharp weapons who were trying to smuggle contraband into India on Monday (October 7). see more.. Cong objects to delay in updating of results on EC website 08 Oct 2024 | 1:04 PM New Delhi, Oct 8 (UNI) While the counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly was underway, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner alleging delay in updating of results on the ECIs website. see more.. Hurrying along the icy platform to catch the night express to a city that no longer exists (Leningrad, in this case), I suddenly caught a whiff of one of the most evocative, nostalgic perfumes in the world the sharp, thrilling scent of burning coal. I looked around in amazement. Could the Soviet railways still be using steam engines in the early 1990s? Was I to be hauled through the frozen night behind some vast black Communist locomotive with a red star on its boiler? No, the whiff of coal came from the samovars in the 'soft class' sleeping cars, all of them still fuelled by coal, for the typical Russian reason that they always had been, so why not? Each extra-wide carriage had its grumpy provodnik, a well-wrapped woman of an unknown age who handed out the blankets, and for four kopeks (about 1 per cent of nothing) would draw you off a glass of black tea from the samovar, in a beautiful silver holder. At the end of this month, Britain's last coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, in Nottinghamshire, will be shut, thanks to a spiteful green decree which more or less outlaws it I mention all this because I think people forget that coal can be a likeable fuel. In modern times it is cursed as a polluter and a wrecker of the atmosphere, but it did not feel quite like that when we still used it a lot. My generation were the last to live in houses with coal fires, the last to listen to our fathers trying not to swear as they used various odd methods to get the coal to light. My favourite of these involved holding an old-fashioned broadsheet newspaper across the fireplace, to improve the updraught. When this (frequently) went wrong, the whole paper would catch fire and go whirling up the chimney. You've all read about the lovely, captivating glow of the coals in the grate, of the occasional violent crack as a cinder shot out on to the hearth rug, perhaps of the sigh of the kettle always on the hob (my grandfather had one of these) or the sleepy rustle of the embers dying at bedtime. They're all true, and I mention them to explain one of the many reasons why no amount of Green Zealots will ever persuade me that coal is an evil fuel. It was beautiful, as steam engines were beautiful and steelworks were beautiful too, especially by night. And it was very useful and surprisingly efficient. It still is. Yet we treat it as if it is a poison. So at the end of this month, Britain's last coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, in Nottinghamshire, will be shut, thanks to a spiteful green decree which more or less outlaws it. Its 650ft chimney is a landmark for travellers on the M1 motorway and has been for almost 60 years. Since 1968, it has produced enough electricity to supply the needs of two million people. It burns more than five million tons of coal a year, and once used up two-thirds of the production of South Nottinghamshire's now-closed pits. It is a relic of an age when this country was still an industrial nation, an age which for many who experienced it rather prefer to its current state. But in fewer than four weeks it will damp down its last fires and die. If experience is anything to go by, it will soon afterwards be stripped to the bone, and then its giant chimney will be blown up, an assertion of dogmatic certainty which makes my blood run cold. Wouldn't it make more sense to mothball its mighty, irreplaceable turbines and keep it, just in case? What if we need it again, as we needed it in a hurry last January? In that predictably chilly month, the wind predictably failed to blow and the sun predictably failed to shine, so all four of its generating units had to be run at once for the last time to get the nation through the cold weather. And what if that happens again in January, or we get another of those devastating long, snow-heaped winters like the one in 1962-1963? Look at the films of that endless, searing freeze and see how it was in fact coal that kept the country from shutting down completely. Ah, the Net Zero believers will say, but coal-fired power stations create CO2 and so create global warming. Perhaps. I'm open to the belief. It might be true. But even if it is, these measures make no sense. The UK's whole electrical generation capacity, in all forms of power, is 85 gigawatts. If we gave up using electricity entirely, it would make no difference to the impact of Chinese coal burning. Bear in mind that Ratcliffe-on-Soar produces over two gigawatts (GW) of power, and emits perhaps 10 million tons of CO2 a year. Britain's coal power stations never produced CO2 on the scale attained in recent years by the big new energy superpowers. China has the highest installed capacity of coal power plants in the world. As of July 2023, it ran coal-fired power plants with a capacity of over 1,100 gigawatts, about 500 times the size of Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Britain could have kept all its coal-fired power stations running, and not even been noticeable beside the Chinese effort. Its 650ft chimney is a landmark for travellers on the M1 motorway and has been for almost 60 years The last time I was in China, in Inner Mongolia, I watched in wonder as some of the longest trains in the world came roaring past me, all filled with coal from that region's recently opened coalfields. And let us not forget India, also busily building coal-fired power stations to propel it into the economic superpower status it so desires. There is another thing about coal-powered electricity. It is less prone to power cuts than wind or solar energy. Put simply, coal's strong, regular generators produce a current that is heavier, has more inertia and is less likely to trip when things go wrong. Special devices have been developed to try to overcome this in renewables. We shall see how well they work in years to come. In any case, if it were not for carbon-rich, deeply 'unGreen' gas power, the system would not be able to run at all. The zealots want to get rid of gas too. And they think they know how to do so. We will find out if they are right in the early 2030s, when we will discover if wind and solar power can in fact step in to replace the many gas plants that are due to retire around then. The 2030s could be an interesting decade. For in 2029, a supposedly coal-free Britain will have to stop hypocritically importing coal-fired electricity from the Netherlands when that too is supposed to come to an end. And what, by then, will have happened to our neglected, bungled nuclear power effort? I suspect that, when the current climate change dogma has gone the way of so many other frenzies (in 1974 the same sort of people, backed by the BBC, were predicting a new ice age with the same sort of vigour), we will turn back to coal, at least in power stations it is what all the really modern countries are doing. And perhaps people such as me might be permitted a coal fire again, too, when we are old and grey and full of sleep. As I walked down to the station in the rain yesterday morning, a young woman came towards me on the pavement, clutching an umbrella in one hand while staring at the smartphone she held in the other. Since she wasn't looking where she was going, she bashed her umbrella into mine, almost knocking it out of my hand. I blurted out the one word that springs most naturally to the lips of so many of us in circumstances such as these. 'Sorry!' I said. Having secured my apology for her carelessness, she gave me a filthy look and walked on. Ah, well, a bloke gets used to this sort of treatment after a lifetime spent apologising for sins he hasn't committed. Tread on my foot in the Tube? 'Sorry,' I'll say, as I wince in agony. Elbow me aside in the bus queue? 'Sorry,' again. Look at Tony Blair, who was happy to apologise for Britain's failure to relieve the Irish potato famine, 150 years after the event When a young woman accidentally clobbered me with her umbrella while she was glued to her mobile, I would perhaps have expressed my feelings more honestly had I said: 'Watch where you're going, you idiot!' 'I'm so sorry, but we ordered our food 50 minutes ago and there's still no sign of it'; 'Sorry, but you said you would come yesterday to fix our leaking pipe.' I apologise to the dog when I trip over her, and I've even been known to apologise to inanimate objects when I've bumped into them in the street. This week, a survey of 1,000 adults confirms that a great many others find it simply untrue that sorry is the hardest word. Commissioned by Honor to launch its new mobile telephone, the researchers find that the average Briton apologises about three times a week or roughly 150 times year while 38 per cent of us admit to saying sorry when we don't really mean it. Of course, some people apologise for the failings of others as a sarcastic expression of passive aggression. In my experience, this is particularly true during marital rows. 'Oh, I'm terribly sorry, darling. I should have reminded you that I wouldn't be here for supper tonight. I only warned you three times yesterday.' No wonder that almost half of those interviewed said their biggest bugbear was someone who said sorry without meaning it. But I reckon that, more often than not, we say sorry simply to signify goodwill and avoid a confrontation. For example, when that young woman accidentally clobbered me with her umbrella while she was glued to her mobile, I would perhaps have expressed my feelings more honestly had I said: 'Watch where you're going, you idiot!' But this might well have provoked a torrent of abuse or in these violent times, perhaps worse. By muttering 'sorry' instead, I was saying: 'OK, we both know that you're the one at fault. But I'm a reasonable fellow, I realise it wasn't intentional, and I'm not going to make a big deal of it.' Call it timidity, if you will. I prefer to think of it as civility. But then I have to admit it's an awful lot easier to say sorry when we're clearly innocent than when we're actually to blame. Indeed, nowhere is this more true than in the Westminster bubble. There, politicians have no hesitation in issuing grovelling apologies for the mistakes and shortcomings of others, while showing the deepest reluctance to say sorry for those for which they themselves are responsible. Look at Tony Blair, who was happy to apologise for Britain's failure to relieve the Irish potato famine, 150 years after the event. He said sorry, too, for Britain's involvement in the shameful slave trade, some two centuries after this country led the world in abolishing it. But while he veritably gushed contrition for the sins of the Stuarts, Hanoverians and Victorians, he showed no such readiness to say sorry for his own catastrophic mistakes. Take the Iraq War. True, he eventually delivered an apology of sorts, after the Chilcot Inquiry found him guilty of a wide range of failings, from deliberately exaggerating the threat posed by the Iraqi regime to disregarding warnings about the potential consequences of military action. But no sooner had he said he accepted 'full responsibility without exception or excuse' for the consequences of that war (which rumble on to this day), than he offered excuses galore, rejecting most of Chilcot's criticisms and insisting that almost all his own decisions were for the best. He was sorry, all right but only because he'd been criticised. This week, he was at it again, refusing point-blank to apologise for throwing open our borders to mass immigration. Asked by the BBC's Amol Rajan if his policy had been a mistake, he answered with a flat 'no'. He should try convincing the millions kept waiting for hospital appointments or homes of their own that he bears no responsibility for the way public services have buckled under the sheer weight of numbers. Keir Starmer is no better at admitting to his own faults. This week, he was quick enough to offer his profound apologies to everyone who had suffered in and after the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower for which, of course, he personally was not to blame. But just try getting him to say sorry for taking the winter fuel allowance away from struggling pensioners while giving pay rises of 10,000 to train drivers already earning 65,000 a year. Oh no, he'll tell you. Those decisions may have been mine, but they were all the fault of the Tories! But it's not only Labour politicians who have trouble expressing convincing remorse. How's this for a non-apology from the Conservatives' Liz Truss, after her reckless mini-budget sent mortgage rates rocketing through the roof: 'I'm not saying that I got everything absolutely perfect in the way the policy was communicated. But what I am saying is I faced real resistance and actions by the Bank of England that undermined my policy and created the problems in the market.' As for my fellow Mail columnist and former PM, Boris Johnson, there can't be a politician alive who has had to deliver more apologies whether for breaking his own lockdown rules, misleading the Queen over the legality of proroguing Parliament, offending the people of Liverpool or, on one famous occasion, upsetting the entire population of Papua New Guinea through his love of a vivid phrase. Writing elsewhere in 2006, while he was an Opposition spokesman on higher education, he said: 'For ten years we in the Tory Party have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing, and so it is with happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party.' Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner in London was furious, telling BBC's Radio 4 that his comments were highly damaging to her country and 'an insult to the integrity and intelligence of all Papua New Guineans'. No sooner had she spoken than Boris issued his immortal 'apology': 'I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea, who I'm sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us.' He then added: 'I would be happy to add Papua New Guinea to my global itinerary of apology.' A heartfelt expression of genuine remorse? Or a tongue-in-cheek effort to raise another laugh? If I've wronged you, dear Boris, then what can I say except sorry. I want you to think about the children. I want you to remember those children dying in the English Channel just three days ago, because we are in danger of getting hardened to the horror. I am afraid that we dont even know their names, such is the general apathy these days about this trade. We dont know their stories, or exactly where they came from. We just know that there were six of them aboard that boat or seven if you include the baby in the womb of the pregnant woman, who also died. We know that they had got up before dawn, to get into a boat, and to begin an illegal crossing from France to England. We can assume that they were frightened, because it was dark, and the waves must have seemed huge, and because they were in a boat that was criminally overloaded, with about 70 people aboard. Migrants on an inflatable dinghy attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain the day after the tragic deaths We know that about 6am, some way off Cap Gris-Nez, the bottom of the boat ripped open, with the sheer weight of its passengers, and within seconds the fatal and perfidious barque had capsized. I want you to think of the last few moments of those poor children. Imagine their utter terror, their screams for their mothers, their struggles, perhaps against bigger and stronger adults, to find some piece of the wreck to cling to. Think of those drowning kids and all the 12 passengers who died, and ask yourself WHO was ultimately responsible for their deaths. Yes, of course I blame the gangs, who put them to sea in a cockleshell with only eight lifejackets for the entire complement. I blame the parents of the children, for behaving with such callous disregard for the lives of their own families. I blame the authorities for letting them set off from that beach the gendarmes, generously funded by the UK, who did not intercept it, just as they miss so many others. And you know what, I am afraid I now blame the UK government. Yes, I blame Keir Starmer. I blame Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary. I blame them because they have casually and irresponsibly cancelled the one plan that had a chance of stopping the gangs. If you cancel a plan to address a cross-Channel racket, and you put nothing in its place, then you are to blame for the deaths that follow. I realise that No10 staged yet another summit yesterday, on how to tackle the gangs who operate the small boats. Forgive me for being underwhelmed. Of course we should hunt these people down. We should concert with all the agencies of our international friends and allies. We should use every organ of the British state: armed services, special forces, intelligence agencies, diplomats; and we should be using all the sleuths of the Treasury and HMRC to follow the money. And once we have winkled these evil people-traffickers from their lairs, I would be perfectly happy to crowd them all into one of their inflatable dinghies, tow them out 12 miles, and then lance the boat with ceremonial boarding pikes just to give them a taste of their own medicine. I am all in favour of extirpating the gangs, and that is indeed what we have been trying to do. But we have by now proved that you cannot fix this problem unless you also tackle the demand, the insatiable demand from people around the world to seek the comforts and opportunities of life in the UK. That demand is insatiable for one reason only: the would-be illegal migrants are willing to take this appalling risk, and endanger their own childrens lives, because they know that once they reach the shores of England or rather, once they have been helped aboard a UK vessel of any kind there is virtually no chance whatever that they will be deported. As soon as they make contact with any emanation of the UK authorities, they will be surrounded and supported by a taxpayer-funded legal industry whose objective is to keep them in this country. That is why they take a chance on these vessels, and that is why the only way to fix the problem is to change the odds. That was why the Rwanda plan was right, and why Labour was so foolish to scrap it. By raising the realistic possibility that you could end up not in Kent but in Kigali, the Rwanda plan dramatically changed the calculations of the would-be illegal immigrants. Even before it had come into effect, migrants were beginning to choose other countries, and on Thursday in a dazzling illumination of Labour stupidity we learned that the Rwanda policy is now finding favour across the EU. When Priti Patel and I unveiled the Rwanda partnership, in April 2022, our opponents gave the impression that this idea was so unfeeling and barbaric that no other European country would touch it. This was always rubbish. The Danes were already pursuing similar ideas. Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, has now signed a gigantic contract for two offshore reception centres, on identical principles, in Albania, capable of processing 36,000 people. Now Joachim Stamp, the German migration commissioner, has actually expressed an interest in using the very facilities in Rwanda that Starmer and Cooper have so bone-headedly vacated, wasting hundreds of millions of pounds of UK taxpayers money. Why is the Rwanda plan acceptable to Germany, normally unimpeachably liberal in such matters, but noisome in the nostrils of Starmer and Cooper? I will tell you: its politics. This is a fundamentally weak Labour government driven by short-term political considerations. Time and again, Starmer has shown that he is willing to forget the interests of the UK, and to prefer the interests of his Left-wing client groups. He has given a huge pay increase to public-sector workers not because it is in the national interest, but because that is what his union paymasters have demanded. He has become the first leader of a major Western democracy to impose a partial arms boycott on Israel, so that the UK has effectively turned its back on its ally, for the first time ever, when Israeli hostages are still being held and slaughtered by Hamas. I dont believe that this embargo is in the UK or Western interests; but its what the Left-wing lobbies want. Now, he has scrapped the Rwanda policy, and removed the deterrent to the small-boats gangs not because the scheme is bad but simply because it is a Tory plan that has got the goat of Lefty lawyers. The question for Starmer is: What is he going to put in its place? I suggest he comes up with something good, and pretty damn quick, or else he should listen to commonsensical Europeans like Joachim Stamp, and revive the Rwanda scheme. We have already had more crossings this year than the same time last year, and the number of deaths is climbing. If Starmer and Cooper continue with their obstinacy, and fail to produce a solution, they will not be able to wash away their guilt. Its time for Labour to bring back Rwanda or take the blame for the deaths of children at sea. The cast of a controversial new reality show about Mormon influencers in Utah are hitting back at the backlash they've received from the church and its followers. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premieres on Hulu on September 6, has caused a stir both online and in the LDS church thanks to the outrageous antics of the cast. Some of the wild scenes on the show have included a sex act involving breakfast cereal, a swinging scandal, a drunken arrest, and a trip to a male strip revue in Vegas. One cast member also revealed the results of her labiaplasty on camera, while another confessed to getting pregnant to her now-husband when she was just 16 and he was 21. Speaking to DailyMail.com about the reception to the series, some of the women said that they hope other Mormons can be less judgmental towards them moving forward. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast are hitting back at the backlash they've received from the church and its followers over their scandalous new reality series The series, which premieres on Hulu on September 6, has caused a stir both online and in the LDS church thanks to the outrageous antics of the cast Some of the wild scenes on the show have included a sex act involving breakfast cereal, a swinging scandal, a drunken arrest, and a trip to a male strip revue in Vegas 'I hope when the show comes out that the church members will be a little more open minded and realize that we're not against them, we're with them - we're just showing our sins publicly,' Jessi Ngatikaura explained. 'I feel like it's a lot of projection,' added Taylor Frankie Paul. 'At the end of the day we're not representing those people, we're representing ourselves and our stories - and our message is that we're not all the same and we don't all live the same,' she continued. 'There's different spectrums of Mormonism and it's unfortunate that we're getting judged so harshly before they've even seen it.' Cast members Jen Affleck and Mikayla Matthews said that they've had to stop reading comments on social media due to the hate and trolling they've received. 'It's the keyboard warriors - nobody's gonna say that to your face,' said Mikayla. 'For me I'm seeing [the show] as a good opportunity to still represent the church and empower other people in the church who maybe feel like they can't fully be their authentic selves or talk about their flaws or their imperfect marriages and that's what I'm here to do,' explained Jen. Demi Engemann - who has a kinky sex act with her husband exposed on the show - said she isn't worried about having her bedroom antics revealed on reality TV. Speaking to DailyMail.com about the reception to the series, some of the women said that they hope other Mormons can be less judgmental towards them moving forward The Hulu series also depicts cast member Jessi Ngatikaura drinking alcohol - which is strictly forbidden in the religion 'We're pretty open with how obsessed we are with each other and how we push the boundaries and have fun with it for sure,' she laughed. For Taylor, whose 'soft-swinging' scandal was the catalyst for the series, she says that she saw the Hulu series as an opportunity to show the world that she was more than just a partner-swapping divorcee. 'It was a time for me to show more of myself and a bigger picture of my life rather than that one story and headline,' she said. Some cast members, including Mayci Neely, hope that the show will bring everybody more followers and lucrative sponsorship deals on social media. 'I'm hoping if anything it should help me get more brand deals,' she said. 'That was one part of the purpose of going on the show - [to get] more exposure, to further the career,' she continued. 'You don't get paid a ton in reality TV, but you can if your following grows and you get more brand deals, so that's the hope!' Demi Engemann (pictured) -who has a kinky sex act with her husband exposed on the show- said she isn't worried about having her bedroom antics revealed on reality TV Some cast members, including Mayci Neely (pictured), hope that the show will bring everybody more followers and lucrative sponsorship deals on social media The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of glamorous influencer moms who have their faith and friendships rocked by a couple-swapping scandal. The cast's social media accounts have been flooded with negative comments since Hulu first announced the show on July 29. Some naysayers have taken issue with the fact that the cast includes Taylor, who went viral in 2022 after she revealed that she and her Mormon friends had engaged in 'soft swinging' parties - which eventually led to her divorce. 'These girls are obsessed with monetizing being "Mormon" yet NONE of them actually represent an LDS wife,' one person commented. 'What's sad is none of these girls actually live the values of the LDS church, so this will only give the church more negative attention,' wrote another. 'Where do they find these people? What a terrible representation of our faith,' added one. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of glamorous influencer moms who have their faith and friendships rocked by a couple-swapping scandal Cast member Mikayla Matthews (pictured) got pregnant to her husband when she was just 16 and he was 21-years-old Additionally, the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted a cryptic statement on their website seemingly aimed at the Hulu series last month. 'Some portrayals are fair and accurate, but others resort to stereotypes or gross misrepresentations that are in poor taste and have real-life consequences for people of faith,' they wrote when discussing the representation of Mormonism in the media. 'While this is not new, a number of recent productions depict lifestyles and practices blatantly inconsistent with the teachings of the Church. 'Others irresponsibly mischaracterize the safety and conduct of our volunteer missionaries,' the statement continued. 'We understand the fascination some in the media have with the Church, but regret that portrayals often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members or the sacred beliefs that they hold dear.' The cast already contains a number of controversial figures, including influencer Whitney Leavitt, who was slammed in 2021 for doing a TikTok dance next to her ailing baby in the NICU The Mormon mom-of-two is still raising eyebrows online, most recently getting hammered by some of her Mormon followers for promoting a sex toy on Instagram The series is produced by the team behind Netflix's My Unorthodox Life, which followed designer Julia Haart after leaving her strict orthodox Jewish community behind to become a hotshot in the fashion world. 'The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging sex scandal that makes international headlines,' teases a press release. 'Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line. 'Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?' The group first came to national attention in 2022 when Mormon TikTok star Taylor Frankie Paul (pictured) exposed her swinging friend group on social media Taylor lost her husband and the father of her two children Tate Paul (pictured) after she broke one of the rules in their 'soft swinging' arrangement The 30-year-old was also arrested last year after a drunken domestic dispute with her new boyfriend resulted in her five-year-old daughter Indy accidentally being hit with a chair The cast already contains a number of controversial figures, including influencer Whitney Leavitt. The momfluencer sparked extreme backlash in late 2021 after she performed a TikTok dance to a Kendrick Lamar song in the NICU next to her ailing newborn, who was hooked up to breathing tubes and suffering from a respiratory issue. The Mormon mom-of-two is still raising eyebrows online, most recently getting slammed by her own followers for promoting a sex toy on Instagram. 'Well... I'm LDS and I believe sex is for only making babies not for fun,' commented one. 'Is she the dancer that was dancing with her baby on critical care?' quizzed another. The Mormon monfluencers first came to national attention in 2022, when TikTok star Taylor Frankie Paul, now 30, publicly revealed that she was part of a group of Utah couples who indulged in 'soft swinging' a practice where partners are swapped but only with the understanding that they don't have full penetrative sex. But Taylor caused a sensation when she admitted that she had broken the cardinal rule and ended up losing her husband and father of her two children Tate Paul, who divorced her over the incident. She also lost a lot of her friends, who turned on her and denied their involvement in the couple-swapping situation. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premieres on Hulu on September 6. Bonuses are seen as a generous token of appreciation from employers who reward staff for their hard work - but, for many, these 'rewards' have turned out to be anything but. A recent discussion on Instagram's text-sharing app, Threads, has shed light on the bizarre - and sometimes offensive - bonuses handed out by bosses, leaving employees feeling more insulted rather than appreciated. The conversation was sparked by London-based entrepreneur and YouTuber, Ben Askins, who has amassed a following of 15,000 people on the platform. Askins, co-owner of the green technology company Gaia, recently shared his own disappointing experience of being rewarded with a bonus during his former role as a hotel worker. Asking followers, 'What's the worst "bonus" your boss has given you? I'll go first,' the content creator posted a photo of a poster promoting a staff appreciation event called 'Slippers Friday'. Bonuses are seen as a generous token of appreciation from employers who reward staff for their hard work - but, for many, these 'rewards' have turned out to be anything but (stock image) But instead of workers being gifted a comfortable perk, employees were offered pairs of used slippers - previously worn by hotel guests. The description reads: 'Dear Colleagues. We are pleased to announce "Slippers Friday" program at the D******* Hotel, where each associate has the opportunity to take home 4 pairs of used guest slippers! We look forward to seeing you!' Over 400 responses flooded in from employees across various industries, sharing their own tales of shocking and laughable bonuses, with comments ranging from amusing to downright outrageous. One user recounted a particularly underwhelming gift, saying: 'I once had a boss thank me for dealing with a tough employee situation by giving me a $10 Subway gift card that only had $2.73 left on it.' Another former supermarket worker revealed that after working overtime, they were allowed to take home rotten fruit as a form of bonus. One disgruntled employee detailed their own miserable bonus, writing: '"Wear jeans on Friday but must pay $1 to do so." Cash collected from the jeans wearers every week but never heard where it was going.' Ben Askins, co-owner of green technology company Gaia, recently shared his disappointing experience of being rewarded with a bonus during his former role as a hotel worker Over 400 responses flooded in from employees across various industries, sharing their own tales of shocking and laughable bonuses Another worker recalled a 'pizza lunch' where management provided four medium pizzas for a team of 20 after telling them to 'bring their appetites' - leading to small, rationed slices that left most of the team hungry. A second explained how her Christmas 'bonus' was offered as a shopping trip with her boss - who further suggested she would have to have 'work outfits' picked out personally for her. Elsewhere, one professional chef shared: 'I was a chef for a well known international hotel chain. They held an employee appreciation day. The kitchen staff was required to prepare all the food, and set everything up. 'The event was scheduled for a very busy time of day, so none of the kitchen staff were able to go until later. By that time, the food that was left was old and cold. We were told to make ourselves a plate, clean everything up and get back to work.' As I scraped away with a toothpick, trying to remove the tiniest specks of dust from a grate in the salon of the superyacht, I knew this wasn't what people had in mind when they pictured life below deck. They're likely to envy me for working in beautiful surroundings, seeing stunning sunsets and drinking 25 cocktails in the most glamorous spots from Positano to Palma. The Channel 4 reality show Below Deck now in its tenth series has gained a cult following, chronicling the lives of crew members, like me, who work aboard superyachts during charter season. In part, the show is pretty accurate I'm part of a dynamic team who work hard and play hard but there are plenty of downsides the series doesn't show. Like starting the morning shift at 6am by cleaning up cocaine residue while your guests carry on hoovering up lines around you, or panicking because you haven't got time to dust your boss's collection of Birkin bags in-between sorting their laundry, changing their bedsheets and taking them their mid-morning almond milk cappuccino. After two years of working as a stewardess on some of the world's most beautiful boats, at 23 I have decided to hang up my deck shoes for good and come home to the UK (picture posed by model) Unsurprisingly, cleaning with toothpicks does not feature on the reality show either. And that's before we get to sleeping in a cabin so tiny that only one person can stand in it at any given time though after several 17-hour days on the trot you're so tired, you're fit for nothing but falling into bed. That's the full reality of life below deck: for every glamorous moment of being invited for a sunset swim alongside your super rich hosts, there are a hundred others in which you are nothing more than a glorified skivvy-cum-waitress-cum-nanny sometimes all at the same time. It's one reason that, after two years of working as a stewardess on some of the world's most beautiful boats including a month aboard the superyacht of two global celebrities at 23, I have decided to hang up my deck shoes for good and come home to the UK. I fell into boat life by accident. While I grew up in a middle-class family and attended private school, I was never one of the yachting crowd. The first time I realised you could make a career out of sailing was when I came across a girl on TikTok who posted beautiful pictures of sunsets from all her travels under the hashtag #yachtlife. It looked amazing and quickly got me hooked on the idea of joining the industry. To Mum's dismay, after university, I didn't join a teacher training course as planned, but went on a two-week course on the Isle of Wight to get my qualifications, the first a STCW certificate (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) followed by stewardess training. It cost 4,000, but I figured it would be money well spent. The course throws you in the deep end quite literally. You're taught sea survival skills, from how to rescue someone who falls off the boat to putting life rafts in the water, as well as learning how to put out a fire and evacuate those on board. We learned about piracy, too it's quite common around the coasts of Africa and South America and the procedures to go through if your boat is hijacked. The stewardess course covered everything from laundry and housekeeping to floristry and cocktails. You might think there's not much to learn about making a bed, but guests on superyachts expect a hospital corner, with not a crease in sight. From there we were on to silver service, how to cut cigars for guests, how to identify premium champagnes and how to care for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Hermes when packing and unpacking guest suitcases. Jeans, for instance, must be folded in thirds, not quarters. Every year, there's a big event in Antibes, one of the superyacht hotspots on the French Riviera, where 'greenies' those who don't have any experience on a boat turn up and try to get a job. I wasn't sure of my chances there, competing with thousands of novices just like me. So I tried my luck in a different hunting ground and, along with a friend, flew out to Palma, Mallorca, which is another popular place for 'yachties'. Getting work was harder than we'd anticipated. We had very little money (that 4,000 course had made sure of that), so we had to stay in a hostel, setting the alarm for 6.30am every day to go 'dock walking', as it's known canvassing for work by handing out CVs to boat crews. Eventually, though, I was offered my first day of work, 'detail cleaning' on a luxury vessel in dry dock which had just been refurbished. For a day rate of 150 euros (126) I had to meticulously clean one of the boat's two 'salons'. After four weeks of day shifts, I landed my first full-time stewarding job on a charter yacht based in the south of France. Hired out by guests throughout the summer for about 200,000 a week, it had four guest cabins, and eight crew myself included who lived in five tiny cabins below deck not much bigger than the average person's wardrobe. Some guests were lovely. They'd invite you to join them for a drink, or for a swim (picture posed by models) I was told I'd be working ten hours a day but, from day one, I was often on shift from 6am until after midnight, with only a one-hour break. I quickly realised that 17-hour days and more are common, and that while on paper my 3,500 euros (2,900) monthly salary looked good since I wouldn't be spending much, in terms of an hourly rate, it's not much more than minimum wage. And the job is exhausting: you're endlessly changing beds, sorting laundry, cleaning, then serving meals and drinks, before starting all over again. On more than one occasion I phoned my mum in tears saying I didn't want to carry on but, in a way, I was lucky. Exhaustion and loneliness were the biggest struggles for me in that first job, but a lot of girls encounter much worse. One friend working on a superyacht had to sleep in the laundry room on towels because the billionaire owners said they didn't have a bed for her, while above deck she knew they were paying for underage girls to be brought on board for sex. She phoned me in tears one day, saying she couldn't bear it: everyone had told her she had to 'stick it out'. I told her to disembark the moment she arrived in port. Stories like that are not uncommon. Some of the boats may look amazing but don't meet the basic marine safety standards. And there are a lot of creeps about. Lots of crew I spoke to talked of seeing prostitutes being brought on board. Sexual harassment is also rife, not just from the guests but sometimes the captain. I've heard stories about yacht owners paying to have sex with members of the crew who then have to serve breakfast to the wife. I didn't have any problems on that front, but I was shocked by the drug use. Aside from the more energetic guests, partaking while I was setting the breakfast table, I lost count of the number of lines of cocaine I cleared up from the marble bathrooms and dressing tables. Don't get me wrong some guests were lovely. They'd invite you to join them for a drink, or for a swim. But there were plenty of people who could barely be bothered to acknowledge your existence or just talked down to you. One time, I served a beer to a guest and without making eye contact he said icily 'do you have a flake to put in that?' because he decided there was too much froth. After three months of this, I was more than ready for a break, feeling the most tired I've ever been in my life and desperate to go home and rest. But within hours of returning to my mum's, I had a call from a friend asking if I could fly back out to France to work as a stewardess on a highly prestigious yacht with a very famous owner. I was bone tired, but it was too good an opportunity to turn down and so, within 24 hours, I was back below deck this time on a 50-metre yacht with 12 crew and two holidaying Hollywood celebrity owners for whom, for the month I was on board, I was the main port of call. I landed my first full-time stewarding job on a charter yacht based in the south of France (picture posed by models) I was cleaning their cabins, serving their drinks and nannying their kids, all the time my eyes agog at the level of wealth on display around me. I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which means I can't say too much, but I will say they had a member of staff for pretty much any job you can think of, including a dog-walker. Again I was lucky: the celebrities may have been mega-famous, but they did have manners. They asked how I slept and said thank you, which is more than you can say for a lot of the one per cent club of the world's wealthy. Even so, after my month was up, I was ready for a break, and I returned home for the winter, only to return to join a 40-metre yacht based in the Med this summer. This time the owners lived on board, meaning they were based on the boat, but would fly off to London or Hong Kong if they got bored. They travelled a lot on the yacht too during the few months I was there we sailed to Montenegro, Italy, Greece, Spain. I never got tired of coming into harbour in all these amazing places. In the end, though, the physical tiredness got to me. While the owners were lovely the wife once returned from a trip with a pair of Louboutin shoes for me I was in permanent sleep deficit, often topped up with a hangover, because there's a very heavy drinking culture. When you do get a bit of time off, you want to spent at least a few hours in the place where you're docked, and that means letting off steam in the bars and restaurants. The tiredness leads to other hazards too: one crew member I know broke their arm falling down a hatch on the boat. I know numerous others, too, who have broken everything from fingers to ankles falling down stairs and tripping over hatches while the boat is in motion. You can have all the safety procedures in the world, but there are natural hazards that come with walking round a boat at sea and they are magnified when you're tired especially when the bow of the boat is rising three metres in the air before bouncing back down again in unsettled weather. Weather at sea is unpredictable, and alongside millpond waters and stunning sunrises there are plenty of storms and squalls. When you're in passage, with no land in sight, it can be really scary: I've been thrown in the air from my bunk more than once. It's easy to forget, too, that being at sea can result in more than just broken bones. The dangers were writ large last month when Bayesian, the luxury boat owned by British tech tycoon Mike Lynch sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours after being hit by a sudden, violent storm. Seven people, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah tragically died. The boat on which I was working had been there a week earlier, which made it feel terrifyingly close to home. By the time the disaster happened, I'd already handed in my notice. I'd woken up one morning after just a couple of hours' sleep, in the certain knowledge that I couldn't face another six months at sea. I'm working my notice period at the moment, and can't wait to take my suitcase down the gangway for the last time. Even so, I won't totally rule out going back. For all the slog, there is something rather addictive about life below deck even if it's nowhere near as glamorous as it looks on TV. Gabriella Windsor flagged down a black cab on the high street after her shop Lady Gabriella Windsor's smile as she popped into a Boots branch in London last week will no doubt warm the hearts of royal fans around the nation after royal suffered horrific tragedy at the beginning of the year. Gabriella, 43, was spotted picking up some cosmetic essentials in the capital six months on from the death of war hero and financier Thomas Kingston, who died in February after suffering a traumatic head wound. Following his sudden and tragic death, the royal family rallied around the royal, who is the second cousin of King Charles, inviting her to join the royal procession at Ascot in June and allowing her to move back into Kensington Palace with her parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. She has seldom been seen in public since Kingston's death - however a sighting on Kings Road gave royal fans hope that, despite her grief, she is on the path towards healing. After leaving the store on Kings Road, Gabriella flagged down a black cab on the high street before chatting to the driver, opening the door and hopping into the taxi. looked in high spirits as she popped into Boots in central London for a shop last week The 43-year-old looked chic in her vibrant blue outfit; a long skirt and matching cardigan, as she stood on the pavement holding onto her sunglasses. She opted to wear her long blonde tresses down in a straight blow-dry and decided to step out with natural makeup. Gabriella accessorised her look with a flamboyant necklace that had gold charms on it, along with a turquoise bead bracelet. Other pictures of Gabriella show her strolling down the high street with a large smile on her face - a welcome sight amid her grief. Thomas Kingston died from a 'traumatic head wound' and a gun was found near his body in outbuilding of his parents' Cotswolds home on February 25, according to Gloucestershire Coroner's Court. He was just 45 years old. His father found his war hero son by forcing entry to a locked building after Mr Kingston had earlier visited for lunch with his parents, senior coroner Katy Skerrett said in March. Police and paramedics were called to the scene after a member of the family made a 999 call. Police said Mr Kingston's death was not suspicious. Gabriella paid tribute to her husband in a joint statement with his family at the time, describing him as an 'exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him' - and called his death a 'great shock to the whole family'. After leaving the store, Gabriella flagged down a black cab on the high street The royal channeled summer in a colourful all-blue ensemble, pairing a button-up cardigan and a matching cotton maxi skirt Gabriella chatted to the driver of the black cab before opening the door and hopping into the taxi The second cousin of King Charles was snapped holding cardboard bag from Boots after popping into the health and beauty retailer for a shop The 43-year-old looked chic in her vibrant outfit, as she stood on the pavement holding onto her sunglasses During this difficult period, her friends and the Royal Family rallied around Gabriella after she moved out of the Notting Hill home she shared with her husband and moved back in with her parents, who live in Kensington Palace, according to the Mail's Richard Eden. One of her friends said: 'They wanted Ella to be with them, and she didn't want to be alone in the home she shared with Tom. All of us are rallying round and she's going to be OK.' Gabriella made her first public appearance since her husband's death at Royal Ascot this year, appearing in the carriage procession accompanied by Princess Anne and Peter Phillips. An image showed King Charles' niece Zara Tindall warmly embracing Gabriella as she arrived at the event in June. She was seen speaking with Princess Eugenie, who was among the members of The Firm who attended the equestrian event. Just a couple of days prior to Royal Ascot, Gabriella made a low-key appearance at Trooping the Colour at the weekend, after being invited by the King. She was seen watching the parade with family inside the palace, including her brother, Lord Frederik Windsor and his wife, Sophie Winkleman, whom she stood next to. Lady Gabriella was photographed observing the performance behind Princess Anne, her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence and the Duke of Kent. Lady Gabriella hung back from the balcony and watched the RAF flypast from inside Buckingham Palace. If you are struggling with your mental health, you can contact the Samaritans hotline on 116 123. New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) Continuing its attack on Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, the Congress on Friday accused her of receiving "rental income'" from an entity affiliated with a company that the regulatory body was investigating for various cases, including that of insider trading. Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, In 2018, Madhabi Puri Buch become the whole time member of SEBI and rented out one of her properties. In the financial year 2018-19, she received a rent of Rs 7 lakh on it. She received rent of Rs 36 lakh for the same property in 2019-20, which increased to Rs 46 lakh this year. The name of the company to which Madhabi Puri Buch gave her property is Carol Info Services Limited which is affiliated to Wockhardt Limited," he said. "Wockhardt Limited was under SEBI's investigation for various cases, including that of insider trading, during 2023, Khera alleged. Demanding a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khera asked, "Was SEBI Chairperson's appointment in March 2022 approved with the understanding that she could maintain prior financial ties as long as she aligned with the PM's wishes? Why was there no effort to ensure Ms Buch adhered to conflict of interest standards, unlike her predecessors, or was this oversight part of a mutually beneficial arrangement?" Khera said that this matter related to Buch was very serious. "Crores of people of the country trust SEBI. If a question mark is raised on this, then the investment of the public will be put into question. At the same time, the Prime Minister of this country is not worried about the country's reputation - this is our biggest concern," he said. UNI RBE RC An influencer has been slammed by people with gluten allergies after filming herself making a sourdough loaf on a long haul flight from the US to Spain. Maria Baradell, who is originally from Venezuela but now living in Dallas, Texas, was flying to the European country via Chicago to visit her sister. She said she wanted to surprise her sibling with a fresh loaf of bread, as her social media is centred around baking dough. The baker filmed herself before and during her ten-hour flight where she kneaded the dough in the plane cabin. She then showed people the finished result after reuniting with her sister and baking the loaf after arriving at her house. However, viewers with coeliac disease, who are severely intolerant to gluten, took issue with her method and said she could have put other coeliacs within the plane cabin at risk. Maria has sparked a heated debate after she was filmed making sourdough on a long-haul flight In Maria's video, she films herself at the airport before boarding her flight, and revealed that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had to 'check her bag' before going through security as she had some 'suspicious stuff' packed. This included several bags of powder, including flour and sourdough starter, which is made from yeast. Maria then films herself adding water to a bowl, sourdough starter - a living culture of wild yeasts and bacteria - along with flour and salt. She then mixed the bread around before covering it with a towel in the hope that the dough would proof. Some time later, Maria then got her dough again and started folding it before allowing it to sit during the bulk fermentation process. The mother-of-five then went to sleep after nearly eight hours of allowing it to ferment, but she said it was still not ready. 'Altitude, humidity and temperature all played a part,' she said. Maria then made it to her sister's house, where the sourdough continued to cold prove for 20 hours. The baker then scored it before baking it in her oven and she was very pleased with the results. Maria wrote: 'It was amazing, made with love!' However, viewers of the clip were far from impressed, with many commenting that her decision to make bread onboard was not considerate to those with allergies. Maria Baradell (pictured left), who is originally from Venezuela but now living in Dallas, was flying to the European country to see her sister (pictured right) Maria then filmed herself adding water to a bowl, sourdough starter - a living culture of wild yeasts and bacteria - along with flour and salt Maria then filmed herself mixing the dough together on the flight - much to the dismay of her followers The mother-of-five then went to sleep after nearly eight hours of allowing it to ferment, but she said it was still not ready Maria then made it to her sister's house, where the sourdough continued to cold proof for 20 hours The baker then scored it before baking it in her oven and she was very pleased with the results One wrote: 'What about people who have severe allergies?' Another penned: 'How were you allowed to take flour? Powders are not allowed according to my experience.' A third said: 'As a wheat allergy girlie this would take me out do you know how long flour can stay in the air??!' A fourth commented: 'Not me watching this with a severe gluten allergy.' Maria then responded: 'What do you do when your seat mate eats next to you? Every single meal item provided had gluten.' According to the National Celiac Association, if you are exposed to airborne flour, there is the potential that it can get in your nose, throat, mouth and then get swallowed into the GI tract. Viewers of the clip were far from impressed, with many commenting that her decision to make bread onboard was not considerate to those with allergies In a third clip, Maria said that since her video went viral she has 'learned a few things' and added that she would 'never attempt' making sourdough on a plane again. According to the Independent, Maria said all the ingredients that were brought with her were allowed after passing TSA's tests. She also claims she asked the people sitting in her row whether it was okay for her to make bread and that all germs would have been killed when she baked it at her sister's house. Maria also stressed that she used sanitiser regularly when she was handling the dough. American Airlines and the TSA were contacted by MailOnline for comment. Popular Australian fashion brand Peppermayo has warned customers to be vigilant when shopping online after a high school student was 'scammed' by an illegitimate website. Ramsey, from the US, ordered a dress online and only realised she had fallen for a fake company when the outfit didn't arrive. She vented her frustrations in a video that's now exceeded more than 9.3million views - and in the comments Ramsey clarified she bought from Peppermayo, or so she believed. Now the brand has publicly responded explaining Ramsey fell victim to fraudsters wanting to steal money from shoppers. 'Our comments have been flooded with people calling us scammers,' a Peppermayo spokesperson said in a video. 'We just want to clarify that Ramsey was scammed by an imitation counterfeit website using our IP and logos to scam and take money from unsuspecting, well-intentioned shoppers. 'Like phishing emails from criminals that pretend to be your bank or the government to steal your information, scam websites pretending to be us is incredibly common.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Peppermayo for a comment. Aussie fashion retailer Peppermayo has responded publicly after a high school student fell victim to an online scam posing as the brand (imitation Peppermayo websites pictured right) 'We are currently working with a company to get these removed, but they will keep popping up,' the brand warned. The spokesperson confirmed Ramsey bought a dress from a website called 'Pepperr Mayo', which is spelt incorrectly. The order number was also only four digits long, whereas real order numbers from the brand start with PM followed by AU, US or UK and the order code. 'We have since reached out to Ramsey and offered her a replacement dress so that she is not without a dress for her homecoming,' the spokesperson continued. 'We know there is a lot being said about our brand online please remember to stay safe online and check where you are purchasing from.' Ramsey, from the US, ordered a dress online and only realised she had fallen for a fake company when the outfit didn't arrive The spokesperson confirmed Ramsey bought a dress from a website called 'Pepperr Mayo', which is spelt incorrectly (left). Fraudsters also tend to send fake emails using Gmail accounts (right) The video surprised loyal fans who have only had positive experiences when ordering from the brand. 'I was shocked when I saw that video because I've only ever had positive experiences with your brand,' one commented on the clip. 'First of all, it's so easy to tell who the scammers are. I don't want to sound mean but you must be vigilant and it's definitely not your fault. she could have easily seen from all the fake parts of this!' another said bluntly. 'Awesome to address this! As an individual lucky enough to be on the Peppermayo PR list, I've experienced nothing but phenomenal customer service, incredibly high quality pieces, and wonderful people all around!' a third added. Someone else said: 'I work in cybersecurity and the cyber criminals just keep getting smarter and smarter.' 'I'm surprised people aren't noticing the all caps in emails - an immediate sign of criminality,' another added. There are ten Mario Kart toys to collect with Happy Meal prices starting at $5.75 Customers can now collect Mario Kart toys from McDonald's Australia - but only for a limited time. The fast food giant launched the collectables on September 5 across restaurants nationwide. Fans will receive one figurine with every Happy Meal purchased and there's ten to collect - including Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, Peach, Donkey Kong, a rare gold Mario and more. Prices start from $5.75 and the Happy Meal comes with a bespoke box that acts as a garage door to house all of the toys. Sydney foodie Adrian Widjy raved about the collectables in a video, and others were equally as excited by the range. 'I can't believe I got the gold Mario Kart! I really wanted this,' he said. 'And the box it comes with is super adorable.' Earlier this year McDonald's Australia launched a new treat for chicken nugget lovers to keep warm over winter. McDonald's Australia launched the collectables on September 5 across restaurants nationwide. Prices start from $5.75 for one Happy Meal From Wednesday, July 17, diners can get their hands on free limited-edition McDonald's 'Nuggies' ugg boots as part of the restaurant's 'BootPursuit' giveaway. The snuggly merchandise has a nugget design and will be sure to keep your feet toastie warm. Liz Whitbread, senior brand manager for McDonald's Australia said: 'There exists a great debate, what is the best Chicken McNugget shape - the bone, bell, ball or boot? 'Crowned as the supreme dipping icon, we're celebrating the humble boot-shaped Chicken McNugget by bringing back one of our most sought-after merch collections - Nuggies, but this time we're giving away even more.' Ive dedicated years of my life to studying the Titanic. Maybe Id be a hypocrite if I didnt admit Ive written two books on her, appeared in documentaries and TV interviews about her and yet, still, I am glad the ship is falling apart. This week divers retrieved a priceless bronze statue from the wreck and also discovered part of the liners bow had decayed and fallen off on to the sea bed. The front railing iconic from the Oscar-winning film about the 1912 disaster is finally rusting and crumbling to nothing. Slide me Shocking images have revealed the iconic bow of the Titanic has finally collapsed after more than 110 years beneath the waves The news that rocked the world, after the 'unsinkable' Titanic was lost in the Atlantic in 1912 But instead of feeling sorrow, as so many Titanic fans around the world say they feel, I have nothing but relief. You see, my great-grandfather died on the ship his remains are possibly still on board and I believe its time to let her go. Not only that, I also firmly believe the Titanic is cursed that it not only wrecked so many lives over 100 years ago, but it is still a malign influence today. The imposing Titanic looming over Southampton docks before its fateful maiden voyage William Bessant, my great-grandfather, was working as a lowly stoker in the boiler rooms (those men covered in soot and coal you see in the film) when the ship sank on her maiden voyage on 15 April, 1912, killing at least 1,500 people. Julie Cook's great-grandmother Emily Bessant, with four of her five children, was left destitute by the death of her husband William on the Titanic A locket with a photo of William Bessant - Julie Cook's great-grandfather He left behind a wife, Emily, and five children in poverty. My great-grandmother had to take in laundry to survive. I heard this story again and again from my own Titanic-obsessed father (grandson of the stoker who died) who told me how important it was to remember the crew. And so I did. I read books, watched documentaries and learned what I could. My personal interest became professional when I started researching and writing my books one non-fiction, The Titanic And The City Of Widows, and a novel, The Titanic Girls. As part of my research I joined lots of social media groups. Just tap Titanic into Facebook and hundreds come up. I joined several to find other descendants like me, to gauge why people are so obsessed with her and to make connections and find primary sources for my books. The groups were helpful in tracing relatives of those aboard that night, from engineers and eminent passengers right down to the more lowly stewards and firemen. In particular I spoke to a wonderful descendant of the famous American socialite and wreck survivor Molly Brown, who was very kind. My conversations were fascinating and deeply moving, but I soon learned there was also a very real dark side to the Titanic community, with the same loud, overly knowledgeable voices usually mens in every group. Many times I had to press mute or block someone for aggressively replying to a comment of mine, or even sending aggressive personal messages. There was the man who accused me of never having a relative on the Titanic at all and making it up, and also countless other men who sent me unsolicited sexual messages. One unhinged woman even accused me of stealing the front cover of my book from a picture on her wall. Julie Cook, whose great-grandfather William Bessant was a stoker in the Titanic's boiler room, has written two books about the tragedy It was clear these people were completely obsessed with the disaster and wasting many hours of their lives picking over its every detail. There were conspiracy theorists who believed it never happened, the ones who felt it was an insurance job, the ones who said Titanic was actually switched with sister ship The Olympic. There were even those who believed Jack and Rose from the 1996 film were real people and discussed their romance. It is a strange thing that a ship which sank over 100 years ago can inspire such emotion. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the bow of the ship in an iconic scene from the 1997 film Titanic The ship sinking in the epic movie, which was directed by James Cameron using state-of-the-art computer graphics that helped to create the modern obsession with the disaster The final moments of the Titanic in the movie, which in real life caused more than 1,500 deaths I stayed in these groups after finishing my books because, I admit, it fascinated me too. The lure, the pull, the obsession was something Id never come across. Even the utterly potty comments kept me entertained and I often learned new things from the more measured, intelligent members. Then, last year, a second tragedy happened in those waters and made headlines around the world. A submersible aptly named Titan disappeared on June 18 during an expedition down to the wreck. Aboard were Stockton Rush (a big name in the Titanic community and CEO of Oceangate, which ran the expedition), deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and passengers Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. All five perished. The Titan sub which was crushed during a voyage down to the Titanic last year - all five passengers and crew died instantly in the tragedy If I thought Titanic online groups were strange before, I had no idea what was to come. In the aftermath of the disaster, the Titanic community erupted into a toxicity Id never seen. I was used to the griping of she wasnt 269 metres long, she was 268 metres long from those some of us called, rather disparagingly, the rivet counters people who obsess over tiny details about the ship and love to correct others. But the poisonous reaction to these new deaths was something else. There were two camps. Those who felt Titanic should now be left alone and that the symbolism of a sub named Titan being wrecked when visiting her was just too disturbing. And, on the other side, that expeditions must continue, to honour those who perished and retrieve artefacts from the wreck before it was too late. Some of these people are inevitably more concerned with the monetary value of what may be recovered, or what they can get from gruesome Titanic tourism. Arguments and name-calling ensued. I got threats sent to my personal email from strangers who read an article I wrote in this newspaper last June about the Oceangate tragedy. One man reacted to my piece by threatening hed find me and see me soon such was the heightened emotion over this ship. Another accused me of cashing in on the tragedy the irony when diving companies were making hundreds of thousands from visiting her! Much as I hate to admit it, Id check in regularly to the groups to see what bitter fighting was going on, or check no one else had made slanderous accusations about me. Yet I do understand the lure of such a fixation. Its human nature to focus on the things we fear, such as large-scale disasters. The bow of the RMS Titanic, which became an iconic image of the 1997 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, pictured in 1998 The crumbling ship, which was found on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 1985, has held a tight grip on the public's imagination since the disaster I was drawn in for many years as I pieced together my own ancestors history and placed him in the wider Titanic world. I too was partially obsessed for a time. But I now see that I was wrong to hold on so tight. The Titanic must be left in peace. You may or may not believe in curses, but to me, the wrecking of Titan on an expedition to see Titanic was a sign that said: leave her alone now. In fact, many people believe the ill-fated liner was always cursed, from the few crew members who dreamed about the disaster over 100 years ago and refused to get on the ship, to the oligarchs of the day who had a feeling and didnt board. Personally, Ive always felt there was a curse around the Titanic, a sense that arose from my research and all the what ifs that happened for example, the Titanic narrowly avoided smashing into the liner SS New York in Southampton as she set sail before even reaching open waters. Then there are the anecdotes of people who have laid wreaths above the wreck site only to feel strange and hear strange noises. Regardless of such beliefs, though, it is also a gravesite and the place my own great-grandfather lies his body was never recovered. My great-grandmother was among hundreds of parents, wives, children who never saw their loved ones again, something some forget as they shove and push to get down to see the Titanic before she vanishes. Following the Titan tragedy, I left every Titanic social media group I had been a part of. It felt incredibly liberating saying goodbye to all that venom, pettiness and sniping. And as I did I realised that this ship had destroyed lives then and it is still destroying lives now. So when I saw the images this week that show the Titanic is breaking apart, I felt massive relief. Finally, I thought. At last. I can imagine the furore going on in the online Titanic community. My stomach lurches at the thought of it. The wreck zone is a place of deep sadness and grief. If the great ship is finally eroding, maybe we can stop divers going to plunder her, and stop people risking their lives for just a glimpse of her. The Titanic took 1,500 souls in 1912, and five more in 2023. Its time we left them all in peace. Aussies in the know are flocking to secret 'fairy pools' set in a stunning national park near one of Queensland's most famous beaches. Noosa, 150km north of Brisbane, is home to two tidal rock pools with 'divine' crystal blue water that visitors have dubbed the best in the country. The picture-perfect swimming spots are set in the wildlife sanctuary of the Noosa National Park; they can be found at the end of a 45 minute walk from the car park. While the rough breaks at nearby Noosa are a popular haunt for surfers, the protected pools offer a calm oasis cut into the rugged coastline. The once secret spot is now pinned on Google Maps, but visitors warn that the concealed destination is easy to miss, and the directions read like a treasure map. Travellers start by following the winding coastal walk until they reach a spot called Picnic Cove. There is a bench at the cove and once you reach it you'll need to set off the path and pass along a rope for a quick 'scramble' down the rocks, with the pools lying below. Fans of the jewel-coloured swimming location have said it's important to time your visits to coincide with low tide, which is when the pools become accessible. Visitors to Noosa's 'fairy pools' have dubbed the swimming experience 'spectacular' The famous Noosa 'fairy pools' are 150km north of Brisbane and a 45 trek through the Noosa National park Others advise beating out throngs of fellow-swimmers by getting there an hour before low tide in the summer. Those lucky enough to visit have said that floating in the serene waters is an 'insanely beautiful' experience. 'It's the most magical place I have been in a long time,' one said. 'It was absolutely amazing being right at the edge of the ocean in the pool as you see the waves rise and roll in, and yet somehow you're safe,' another added. The two tidal pools are reached after 45 minute walk through the Noosa National Park, but you'll have to venture off the track to find them Although the 'hidden' pools are pinned on Google Maps, travellers warn that they can be hard to locate as they are off the hiking track in the national park 'One of the most spectacular spots for a sunset...a nice hike, beautiful scenery and outdoor tracks, all culminating in a beautiful set of natural pools,' a third chimed in. Many were 'dying' to find the off the radar spot on their next visit to Noosa; others were hoping that not too many people discovered the local secret. Whales and turtles can sometimes be spotted playing in the ocean beyond, and make for an even more enjoyable dip. Swimmers lucky enough to visit the fairy pools when nobody else was present have said that the experience was 'unforgettable'. 'It's like the world made you a pool only for yourself,' one said. It's the third leading cause of death in the US, killing more people than dementia and afflicting as many as cancer. Yet millions of Americans have never heard of it. That's why sepsis has been dubbed a 'silent killer.' It happens when the body over-reacts to an infection, sending the immune system haywire and violently attacking healthy tissue. Another reason for its moniker is that it often starts with seemingly benign symptoms - a fever, tiredness, and shortness of breath, to name a few. But within hours, it can lead to multi-organ failure, heart attacks, and amputations. Now, new CDC data has found that the condition is on a small but notable rise, with South and Appalachia most vulnerable, as well as wealthy states along the east coast areas. The latest sepsis data from the CDC has shown a slight uptick in sepsis deaths in the last three months, which experts warn could be due to a lack of cohesive sepsis strategy in the US Sepsis can affect patients of any age, including three-year-old Beauden Baumkitchner, who had both legs amputated after he scraped his knee and contracted staph bacteria Your browser does not support iframes. The data, from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, looked at death rates from sepsis from late 2022 to 2024. Overall, sepsis deaths have shown a slight uptick, increasing from 9.3 cases per 100,000 to 10.3 cases per 100,000, just under a one percent rise. From 2022 to 2024, men consistently were more likely to die from sepsis, with a death rate of 11.5 per 100,000 in Q1 2024 compared to 9.4 per 100,000 in women. Most age groups remained steady over the past two years, but those ages 85 and older saw a spike from 141 per 100,000 in Q3 2023 to 166 per 100,000 so far in 2024. As of the first quarter of 2024, southern and Appalachian states had the highest numbers of sepsis deaths. Louisiana recorded the most, with 18 per 100,000, followed closely by Kentucky and Arkansas at 17 per 100,000. While these states are historically prone to chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cancer, all of which are risk factors for sepsis, wealthier states along the east coast also recorded higher numbers of sepsis cases. New Jersey, for example, has a sepsis death rate of 16 per 100,000, with Maryland and Pennsylvania following close behind at 14 and 13 per 100,000, respectively. According to the CDC, men have consistently been more likely to die from sepsis compared to women The above map shows the average death rates for sepsis in each US state per 100,000 people Experts have suggested that a steady rise in the condition, which causes the immune system to overreact to an infection and attack healthy organs, could be due to a lack of cohesive care in the US. Unlike the UK, Australia, and several other countries, the US does not have a national sepsis protocol. In fact, 2023 CDC data found that more than 1,400 hospitals - about one-quarter - in the US do not have a sepsis program whatsoever. And of those, just over half provide staff dedicated time to focus on developing sepsis protocol. However, the new CDC data does show that the amount of hospitals with a sepsis program increased from 73 percent to 78 percent from 2022 to 2023. 'Doctors are not provided with enough information to help them to diagnose sepsis,' Dr Steven Simpson, Professor of Medicine at the University of Kansas and Chair of nonprofit Sepsis Alliance, previously told DailyMail.com. 'There's no catchy phrase to help doctors and hospitals look out for it, like they have in other countries. 'Every hospital in the country should have a sepsis committee, a sepsis quality improvement program and organize their facility so it is primed to spot and treat sepsis. Currently, this is absolutely not the case.' Sepsis affects more than 1.7million Americans every year. That's comparable to cancer, which is diagnosed in 1.9million people and also on the rise throughout the US. Sepsis kills more than 350,000 every year, or one person every 90 seconds. Only cancer and heart disease kill more in the US, with 600,000 and 700,000 deaths, respectively. While those diseases mostly affect elderly populations, what makes sepsis so frightening is that it can affect anyone. People ages 65 and older tend to be the most vulnerable, though about 75,000 patients every year are under 18. It's also the leading cause of hospital death, accounting for one in three. According to Sepsis Alliance, sepsis claims more lives 'than those who die from stroke, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and opioid overdose combined.' Around the world, the condition accounts for one in five deaths - 20 every minute - and outnumbers cancer. But despite how terrifyingly common the condition has become, one in three Americans has never even heard of it, Sepsis Alliance found. And sepsis is not even included in the CDC's 'Leading Causes of Death' list, though it's unclear why. The following chart shows that people ages 85 and older have shown the largest spike in sepsis deaths in the last two years The majority of sepsis patients are over 85 years old, though it has been known to affect patients as young as infants The lack of awareness can make it harder for patients to identify the condition and seek help immediately, sepsis survivor Don Smith previously told DailyMail.com. Mr Smith, now 67, went into sepsis in 2017 after being infected with strep throat, unaware of the extreme reaction playing out in his body. But within days, his foot became so swollen that he couldn't get out of bed. He had several toes amputated, as they turned black from a lack of circulation. Up until that point, he only had a vague idea of what sepsis is. And several other patients he has met have said that their doctors would only tell them 'you were very sick' instead of telling them they were septic. 'Use the word sepsis. Tell people what it is and what it means because I had heard the word sepsis before, but I didn't have the slightest idea what it was,' Mr Smith said. 'And I almost died from it. We need to get the word out so fewer people die.' 'Use the word sepsis. Tell people what it is and what it means because I had heard the word sepsis before, but I didn't have the slightest idea what it was,' Mr Smith said. 'And I almost died from it. We need to get the word out so fewer people die.' Sepsis also carries the risk of repeated hospitalization, as it can cause permanent organ damage and other long-term effects. Chloe Cummings (left) and her mother Kimberly have both become septic about 18 times combined and are at constant risk of being hospitalized Another danger is that sepsis can leave the body more vulnerable to repeated bouts - Sepsis Alliance, for instance, estimates that one-third of sepsis survivors end up back in the hospital within three months, usually due to repeated episodes. In many patients, sepsis causes permanent damage to organs like the lungs, brain, and heart, which require long-term maintenance and can result in repeat hospitalizations. A new study published this week in the American Journal of Critical Care, for instance, found that of 7,100 patients with sepsis, nearly one in four were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Of those, two-thirds were due to repeated bouts of sepsis and nearly half were from infections. Priscilla Hartley, study co-author and assistant professor of nursing at Augusta University in Georgia, said that for nine in 10 cases, readmission occurred in patients 'considered well enough to be discharged home or to home health care.' Chloe Cummings, 30, has gone into sepsis over a dozen times since she was an infant. Her mother previously told DailyMail.com that sepsis attacked her daughter's bones, landing her in the hospital frequently because something as innocent as falling off a swing could result in a fracture or dislocation. 'It's just a reminder that you do not come away from this with unscathed,' Ms Cummings said. Leaving your blinds open at night could increase your risk of Alzheimer's, a study suggests. Researchers in Chicago analyzed maps of excessive light exposure, also called light pollution, in 48 states. The team then divided them into five groups ranging from lowest to highest nighttime light intensity. The analysis revealed the higher outdoor nighttime light, such as from streetlights and neon signs, was linked to a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's than any other risk factor in people under 65. And those senior citizens, nighttime light pollution appeared to have a greater influence on the development of Alzheimers than alcohol abuse, depression and obesity. Getting too much outdoor light exposure at night, such as city lights peaking through your window, could raise your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study Your browser does not support iframes. This could suggest that younger people may be particularly sensitive to the effects of light exposure at night, the researchers, from Rush University Medical Center, said. It is unclear why younger people could be more vulnerable, but it could be due to individual differences in light sensitivity, they added. Dr Robin Voigt-Zuwala, first author of the study, said: We show that in the US there is a positive association between Alzheimers disease prevalence and exposure to light at night, particularly in those under the age of 65. Nightly light pollution a modifiable environmental factor may be an important risk factor for Alzheimers disease. The researchers said they hope their findings could help educate people about the potential risks of light at night. Awareness of the association should empower people particularly those with risk factors for Alzheimers disease to make easy lifestyle changes, Dr Voigt-Zuwala added. Easy-to-implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks. This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution. Light exposure inside the home could be as important as light exposure from the outside, the team added. While they did not examine the effects of inside light in the present study, they said that blue light has the greatest impact on sleep. However, using blue light filters, swapping to warm light, and installing dimmers in the home could effectively reduce light exposure. The research adds to a long list of health effects from light pollution, including UV exposure irritating skin conditions and raising the risk of certain cancers. One 2021 review, for example, found that overexposure to light at night increased the risk of breast cancer by 10 to 14 percent, as it suppresses melatonin production. Interrupted melatonin production has been dubbed a carcinogen, particurly for hormone-dependent breast cancers. The new findings were published Friday in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. A Liverpool woman has shared the terrifying ordeal of suffering a collapsed lung everytime she has a period in what doctors believe is a rare form of endometriosis. Jennifer Pickering, 39, led an active lifestyle until September 2023, when she thought she pulled her shoulder blade at the gym. But after suffering for two days in pain, an x-ray revealed her right lung had collapsed. Ever since, the former pilates teacher has suffered a collapsed lung once a month timed perfectly with her menstrual cycle. While she doesn't have an official diagnosis, doctors have 'informally' said she has thoracic endometriosis a rare form of the reproductive condition in which tissue from the uterus spreads to other parts of the body. Jennifer Pickering, 39, who led an active lifestyle until September 2023 when she thought she pulled her shoulder blade at the gym After suffering for two days in pain, an X-ray revealed her right lung had collapsed. Since the former pilates teacher, from Liverpool, has suffered a collapsed lung once a month timed perfectly with her menstrual cycle Typically, the tissue grows in the abdominal and pelvic area, such as on the bowel or bladder. But in thoracic endometriosis said to affect around one in 10 women with endometriosis the tissue grows in the chest cavity, affecting the lungs. Endometriosis affects around 1.5 million women in the UK, and causes extreme pain, usually around the time of a menstrual period. It can also cause bowel problems, fatigue, trouble getting pregnant and pain when urinating. WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS? Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes and bowel. Every month these cells react the same way as those in the womb. They build up and break down, but unlike cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood cannot escape. This can cause inflammation, pain and the formation of scar tissue. The long-term condition affects women of any age, including teenagers. Currently in the UK it affects around 1.5million women. Common symptoms include: pelvic pain period pain pain during or after sex pain peeing or pooing feeling sick difficulty getting pregnant Treatments include: painkillers hormone medicines and contraceptives surgery to cut away patches of endometriosis Source: NHS and Endometriosis UK Advertisement Thoracic endometriosis behaves like the lining of the womb, each month with the menstrual cycle it builds up and then sheds, according to Endometriosis UK. It can cause chest pain, lung collapse, sometimes sufferers cough up blood, or blood is found in the chest cavity. Without treatment, the condition could be deadly. However, for many women these symptoms go undiagnosed for years, Endometriosis UK adds. If further tests confirm Ms Pickering's diagnosis of thoracic endometriosis, she may be prescribed the contraceptive pill to help, as well as following a strict, healthy lifestyle. Ms Pickering said: 'I feel like thoracic endometriosis has taken my whole life. 'I used to like to travel, hoverboard, go to the gym it's been really, really difficult to give it all up. 'The treatment has been incredibly painful, too.' In September 2023, Ms Pickering was 'cooling down' after a light workout at the gym. She completed some yoga stretches on a mat, focusing initially on her legs and glutes. But when she moved into a certain position, she felt something 'tear' in her right shoulder blade. 'It was like somebody had stabbed me in the back, it was very painful,' she said. 'I was a bit like, "what on earth is going on?" 'I immediately left the gym just thinking I'd pulled my shoulder.' Two days later, after realising the pain hadn't gone away, she decided to drive herself to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital torequest a scan. But the scan showed her right lung had spontaneously collapsed and she'd need to see a lung specialist to get it re-inflated. Following her surgery she spent six weeks having consultations with the lung specialist believing it 'probably' wouldn't happen again. Thoracic endometriosis behaves like the lining of the womb, each month with the menstrual cycle it builds up and then sheds, according to Endometriosis UK Ms Pickering began to think her lung collapses could be linked to her menstrual cycle but doctors dismissed this at first, as she hadn't been diagnosed with pelvic endometriosis 'It happened a second time in October 2023,' Ms Pickering said. 'I was kept on the respiratory ward in the Royal for a week, until the first week of November.' For the first time, Ms Pickering began to think her lung collapses could be linked to her menstrual cycle but doctors dismissed this at first, as she hadn't been diagnosed with pelvic endometriosis. She also hadn't experienced any of the symptoms of pelvic endometriosis such as heavy periods and pelvic pain. In November, she was referred for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) which involves a tiny camera and surgical tools being inserted into the chest to treat her lung collapse, and spent 'months' in recovery. In November, she was referred for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) which involves a tiny camera and surgical tools being inserted into the chest to treat her lung collapse, and spent 'months' in recovery Ms Pickering spent two months in recovery until her lung collapsed for the third time, in January 2024 She said: 'During post-op, they have to give you something called a chest drain. 'It drains any excessive fluid or air which, if not drained, could be really dangerous for the heart. 'They're very painful, it's very hard to sleep with them in it literally feels like a foreign body inside your chest. 'Beyond that, you've got to be very cautious for the first three to eight months - you're given quite a detailed recovery programme. 'It says stuff like you can't hoover until you're 12 weeks in or pick up a child until 10 weeks in.' A sample has been sent for a biopsy and Ms Pickering is still waiting for the results, but has been told by doctors it's 'more than likely' to be endometrial tissue Ms Pickering spent two months in recovery until her lung collapsed for the third time, in January 2024. 'After January, it continued every month like this,' she said. 'I sat down and worked it out it was 26 days apart, every time. 'I was really suspicious that it did have something to do with my cycle.' In April 2024, Jennifer was re-diagnosed with cyclical lung collapse. She was sent to a radiologist who had experience diagnosing thoracic endometriosis and an MRI revealed she has 'nodules' around her chest cavity. A sample has been sent for a biopsy and Ms Pickering is still waiting for the results, but has been told by doctors it's 'more than likely' to be endometrial tissue. In the meantime, Ms Pickering has started raising money on GoFundMe in order to fund a thoracic endometriosis training day for doctors. 'We're in the early stages of planning it, at the moment,' she said. 'I want to clue doctors up on the condition because it gets missed in a lot of scans. 'It would be about training radiologists on what to look for and I'm hoping to bring mine in to give a talk.' Most people recognise a rash as the first sign of measles, but experts say there are multiple other symptoms that can appear days earlier. But some of these sneezing, coughing and aches and pains can be easily mistaken for a cold or flu. Experts say there's one red flag that parents should be aware of, that is almost always an indication of measles. The virus causes small, white spots on the inside of the cheek that appear like 'grains of sand', but are often missed, said Helen Bedford, Professor of childrens health at Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. She told MailOnline they are called Koplik spots, and can appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips, and tend to be around 1 to 3mm in diameter. One of the first warning signs that's often missed are small white spots on the inside of the cheek Experts are now warning parents about the early warning signs in order to prevent outbreaks of the virus that 'spread like wildfire'. Measles can prove fatal, killing roughly three in every 1,000 children who contract it, studies show. Complications include blindness, deafness and swelling of the brain (encephalitis). It's one of the most contagious pathogens known to mankind and can spread through an infected person's cough and sneezes. Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, aches and pains as well as the measles rash, but the virus can lead to serious complications including pneumonia and meningitis. Another tell-tale sign of measles is the rash, it usually starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. The spots that form the rash can be raised and join together to form blotchy patches. But unlike chickenpox this rash is not usually itchy. On white skin, the rash appears red or brown. However, it may be harder to see on brown and black skin, according to the NHS. Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles. A few days later, some people develop small white spots on the inside of their cheeks and the back of their lips. The tell-tale measles rash also develops, usually starting on the face and behind the ears, before spreading to the rest of the body Earlier this year UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed measles cases were on the rise. Your browser does not support iframes. The UK saw the biggest measles outbreak in 10 years with cases in February rising higher than the last major out break in 2013. Analysis shows that if just one child in a classroom is infected, they can pass the virus on to up to nine other unvaccinated children, making it one of the most infectious diseases worldwide and more infectious than Covid. 'If a child is ill with what you think is measles, it's better for parents to ring ahead to a doctor rather than rushing them to the GP, because measles is highly infectious, it spreads like wildfire,' Professor Bedford said. With no treatment, defence is the best approach in the form of the highly infectious measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine given at one year old, then three years and four months offers life-long protection. After both doses, 99 per cent of people are protected from measles. In January the NHS launched a catch-up campaign, with pop-up clinics at schools and letters sent to millions, in the hopes of increasing jab uptake. Steve Russell, NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening: 'People who are unvaccinated can get catch-up jabs at MMR pop-ups in schools and other convenient places while GPs, teachers and trusted community leaders are encouraging groups that are less likely to get their jab to come forward.' But it is never to late to get the jab. People who missed their vaccine can schedule a catch up any time by contacting their GP practice. 'The most important thing is to get children vaccinated. Some people think is their child's past the age of the recommended vaccination, but it is never too late. You can have the vaccine into adulthood,' Professor Bedford added. The FDA has just announced a plan to investigate a product millions of women use every day - tampons. It follows international attention on the menstrual products after a bombshell study earlier this year found many popular brands contain toxic metals. Long term exposure to these heavy metals - including lead, arsenic and cadmium - has been linked to kidney and liver damage, miscarriage and higher risk of cancer. Senator Patty Murray, from Washington state, has spearheaded the push for more research into tampons and other menstrual products. A previous study showed that some brands of period underwear contains 'forever chemicals' which have also been linked to cancer, as well as infertility and hormone problems. Sen Patty Murray, a democrat from Washington, announced the FDA's decision to investigate tampon safety. She previously sent a public letter to the agency urging this sort of study Tests on 30 products purchased in New York, Athens and London found some contained levels of arsenic, chromium and even lead. And all 16 metals tested were detected in at least one tampon Sen Murray has a history of pushing for more consumer product testing - having pushed legislation focused on cosmetics and baby powder in years past. Announcing the review this week, she said: 'These are products millions of women are using on any given day, so its important we absolutely put to rest any concerns about their safety. 'For too long, womens health has been overlooked and understudiedever since I came to Congress, making sure that womens health was a federal priority has been important to me.' Sen Murray said the FDA has promised to organize an independent group to review older studies on this topic to determine how widespread the problem is. This includes looking at studies that measure how the long-term health of tampon users differs from those who use other menstrual products. They also announced that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, an arm of the agency, will be beginning a new study to determine how common heavy metals are in tampons. About 34 million US women use tampons - making it the first line of defense against a period for about 47 percent of people on their monthly cycle. It's unclear how exactly heavy metals get into these products. Cotton plants, used in making the tampons, have been shown to absorb heavy metals from soil, pesticides, fertilizers and wastewater, the Berkeley researchers said in their July paper, published in the journal Environmental International. Your browser does not support iframes. It is also possible the metals could've been introduced in the manufacturing process as workers apply chemicals to the tampon to whiten the products, disinfect them and reduce their odor. Historically, manufacturers have used heavy metals in everything from paint to batteries to cosmetics - so researchers have become aware of a wide variety of health problems associated with them. If you swallow, inhale or otherwise come into contact with heavy metals briefly, they likely won't do you harm. But long-term exposure to heavy metals has been linked to brain damage and memory loss, breathing problems, liver damage, kidney damage, miscarriage, abnormal heart beat and a higher risk of cancer. Research hasn't looked specifically into how contacting these chemicals through a tampon could affect a person - but the vagina is made of highly absorbent tissue and has lots of blood vessels, which makes it possible, theoretically, for it to absorb heavy metals directly into the bloodstream. Older studies by watchdog organizations like the Environmental Working Group have raised concerns about the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS or forever chemicals, in many household items, including tampons In a Berkeley study in July, researchers detailed they found lead, and all 16 other heavy metals tested, in all 30 tampons they tested from 14 different brands. The researchers declined to comment on which brands were tested, but they shared that they are all available from major retailers in the US, UK and parts of Europe. The organic products they tested had higher levels of Arsenic in them, and non-organic products had higher levels of lead in them Right now, the US regulates tampons as a medical device - which means the FDA reviews them for absorbency, strength, integrity and whether or not they enhance the growth of harmful bacteria. It is not clear if they test for heavy metals specifically. 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.. UK population growth hits record high despite low fertility rate 08 Oct 2024 | 5:04 PM London, Oct 8 (UNI) The United Kingdom's (UK) population reached 68.3 million in mid-2023, setting a new record, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. see more.. Bodies of 5 Russian climbers found on Nepal's Dhaulagiri 08 Oct 2024 | 4:34 PM Dhaulagiri, Oct 8 (UNI) A five-strong group of Russian climbers, who went missing on October 6 while trying to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri in Nepal, have been found dead, Mingma Sherpa, director of the Heli Everest travel company involved in the search operation, said on Tuesday. see more.. Ukraine loses over 200 soldiers in Kursk Region 08 Oct 2024 | 4:31 PM Moscow, Oct 8 (UNI) The Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 200 soldiers, three armored fighting vehicles, as well as four artillery pieces and two mortars over the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. see more.. Idaho health authorities have released a warning about a steep increase in cases of a highly contagious Victorian-era disease. Two public health organizations joined together to warn citizens of the Gem State that cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, are 17 times higher this year than last year. There have been 171 cases thus far- the majority of which have occurred in children, who are particularly susceptible to the disease. It can can cause 'violent coughing fits' that last for months, as well as fever, difficulty breathing and congestion. This illness, which was common in the 1900s, had been previously controlled by vaccination - but Idaho has emerged as the state with the lowest uptake of all recommended vaccines the US in recent years. Pertussis spreads from person to person via droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing. Once in the body, the bacteria multiples and releases toxins into the respiratory system that cause tissues to swell, leading to the cough characteristic of the condition Lekshmi Venugopal, an epidemiologist at Idaho's Southwest District Health, said: 'We are deeply concerned by the significant increase in pertussis cases across Southwest Idaho this year'. In the entirety of 2023, there were only 10 cases in the state - representing a 1600 percent increase in cases, the Idaho Statesman reported. Thus far, 117 cases have been reported in Ada county in the Southwestern part of the state, which includes its capitol, Boise. Canyon County, directly to the west of Ada, reported 49 cases. About 67 percent of these cases have occurred in people under 19. 'Whooping cough, though it may start like a common cold, can lead to prolonged illness and severe complications, particularly in infants and those with existing health conditions,' Dr Venugopal said. Pertussis is a bacterial infection that spreads from person to person through the air by respiratory droplets. Symptoms appear about a week after the initial infection, after the bacteria attaches to tiny hairs in the throat and nose and begin releasing toxins which cause airways to swell, according to the CDC. Early on, this causes runny or stuffy nose, low grade fever and a mild cough - but can progress into violent coughing fits that result in vomiting, exhaustion and problems breathing. 'Those who get these coughing fits say it's the worst cough of their lives,' the CDC's website detailed. Your browser does not support iframes. About one percent of babies who catch the bug die. The illness is preventable - through vaccination - and treatable - through antibiotics. However, Idaho routinely ranks amongst the lowest in the nation for childhood vaccination. In the 2022-2023 school year roughly 81 percent of Idahoan kindergarteners met federal public school requirements for vaccinations - the lowest percentage in the nation, where the average rate is 93 percent. The above map shows the state by state rates of vaccination exemptions for the 2022-2023 school year, highlighting the top five states with the highest percentages of exemptions for all mandatory school vaccinations The state also has the highest percentage of kindergartners applying for exemption from vaccines, at about 12 percent, compared with a national average of 3 percent. Public health authorities consistently promote vaccination, which they say slash rates of the pertussis drastically. These vaccinations protect about 98 percent of children in the year since their last dose, according to the CDC. In the 1900's, whooping cough was one of the common childhood diseases- before the vaccination became widely available in the 1940's, the number of cases has decreased more than 90 percent. US health authorities recommends every person gets two series pf shots to protect against the illness - one set of DTaP in infancy and one of Tdap around age 11. A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals, in a potentially worrying development. They are the 14th person to become infected in the US since the strain hit livestock earlier this year - but the first not to have been directly exposed to an infected bird or cow. It is still unclear how the Missourian patient infected, but experts have been warning for months against drinking raw milk because of fears the virus can spread to people via this route. A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals (stock) There have also been 196 herds of dairy cows infected with the disease across 14 states. No cows with H5N1 have been detected in Missouri, but some bird blocks have tested positive for the virus Another option is that he caught the virus from someone who was sick - though state health officials insist 'the risk of sustained transmission or infection among the general public remains low'. After being hospitalized on August 22, the unnamed Missouri patient was tested for a battery of illnesses, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) reported that he had the H5N1 virus. He told officials that he had not been exposed to animals, which means they are unsure where he got the virus from. The patient had several 'underlying medical conditions' but recovered in the hospital and was discharged and sent home. 'To ensure patient privacy is maintained, no additional patient information will be provided,' the DHSS said. It is unclear what symptoms he had - but common early signs include fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea and shortness of breath. In one Texas dairy farmer, the virus caused the man's eyeballs to bleed after he picked it up from a dairy cow. Since 2022, 15 people have tested positive for bird flu in the US, and scientists traced all those infections back to an affected animal either a dairy cow or a bird. Fourteen of those infections, including the Missouri patient, have happened this year. Last week, federal officials confirmed that the virus had hit cows in California the largest supplier of milk in the US. Officials said the states supply of milk and beef is not affected. The pasteurization process - where milk is heated and then quickly cooled to kill microbes - gets rid of viral particles and infected cows are being quarantined and kept from the food supply. The CDC has therefore warned people not to consume raw milk because studies have shown the virus may be able to infect people through this route. Other wings of the government have made public statements warning about the disease. The uptick in cases this year prompted FDA commissioner Dr Robert Califf to tell a Senate committee to prepare for the possibility that the virus could become a epidemic in May of this year. Like all flus, the virus is spread primarily through droplets in the air which are breathed in or get into a person's mouth, eyes or nose The H5NI virus is primarily spread amongst wild birds and poultry on farms, but has also been detected in dairy cows and humans this year He said officials were drawing up plans to roll our testing kits, antiviral drugs and vaccinations in case the virus mutated. 'This virus, like all viruses, is mutating,' Dr Califf told the policymakers. 'We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it might jump to humans.' '[The] real worry is that it will jump to the human lungs where, when that has happened in other parts of the world... the mortality rate has been 25 percent.' The US government has since awarded $176million to Moderna to bank roll its H5N1 vaccine. This comes amid increasing concerns that, as the strain jumps between humans and animals, it could evolve to infect people with ease and cause a global crisis. That is what happened with so-called Spanish flu at end of World War I, which was caused by a similar strain to the one circulating now (H5N1). Although estimates vary greatly, the former is thought to have killed 50 million people about one in every 35 of those alive at the time. More than 190 outbreaks of H5N1 have been reported in dairy cattle across the US since March, when this family of flu viruses were first found in cows. The virus had been detected in tens of millions of birds and poultry globally since it first began spreading in 2020. Not only is the virus spreading at speed, it is also killing at an unprecedented level, leaving some experts to say this is the deadliest variant so far. The CDC notes that in previous cases of bird flu, human to human spread is very rare, and when it occurs, it usually only spreads among a few people. The virus, which normally takes host in wild birds and poultry, has been infecting cows and other animals across the US this year. A human can contract the virus if they get air droplets or bodily fluids from a sick animal in their eyes, mouth or nose. A series of deeply violent, sinister murders and attacks carried out by children have hit the headlines in recent months. Last week, the 17-year-old boy who stalked and murdered schoolgirl Holly Newton, 15, was found guilty of murder in just the latest youth case to reach the courtroom. From the killing of Brianna Ghey by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe to that of Shawn Seesahai by two unnamed 12-year-olds, some of Britain's most dreadful crimes have involved shockingly young perpetrators. MailOnline spoke to clinical and forensic psychologist and co-host of Locked-Up Living Dr Naomi Murphy about some of the most chilling crimes to go through the UK's courts in recent times. Dr Murphy, who has almost two decades of experience working with some of the country's most dangerous criminals, including teenagers convicted of murder, told MailOnline how those at the heart of such cases are often 'really damaged'. She said: 'Children who kill are not happy children, they are children who are disturbed, they are damaged, and so who knows what they were also contending with while at home. 'People who behave sadistically, sadism is often relishing in glee at hurting or having power over someone else, is often a way of coping with your own vulnerabilities.' Here, MailOnline takes a look at some disturbing recent cases - and the possible motives behind them. Holly Newton - murdered by a 16-year-old in January 2023 Holly Newton, 15, suffered 36 wounds after a teenager who had been reported to police for allegedly stalking her attacked her in the street with a kitchen knife Holly was followed for 45 minutes by her killer, who claimed in court he had only meant to kill himself Schoolgirl Holly Newton, 15, was stabbed to death in an alleyway by a 16-year-old boy a court heard was 'stalking' her on her way home from school in January 2023. The teenager and keen dancer had been shopping with friends in Hexham, Northumberland, when the boy - now 17 - followed her for 45 minutes before launching a savage attack with a kitchen knife in which he stabbed her 'many, many times'. When a 16-year-old boy she was with at the time attempted to intervene, he was also stabbed and required surgery to wounds to his shoulder, arm and thigh. Holly was left with 36 injuries after the boy stabbed her 12 times, slashed her 19 times, and caused five 'defensive' injuries in a frenzy which snapped the knife. The killer - who cannot be named because of his age - claimed in court he had only wanted to kill himself and had no memory of stabbing the schoolgirl. He admitted manslaughter, but was convicted of murder by a jury. Chillingly the court heard that before the murder the teenager had become obsessed with Holly, and was effectively 'stalking her'. Holly's killer (right) then confronted her at a bus stop before stabbing her 36 times, and injuring a friend she was with at the time The night before she was killed, her mother was so worried that she contacted the police about the boy at 9:40pm, as he had turned up uninvited at their home in Haltwhistle. Officers arranged to go and meet the mother and daughter at 4pm the next day, but the appointment was pushed back to 8pm as Holly 'pleaded with her mother to let her go out with friends' after school. The circumstances were so severe that it was agreed Holly shouldn't leave school if the teenager was outside. She had texted a friend to say the boy was 'basically stalking' her, adding: 'He's gonna follow me until I talk to him'. Brianna Ghey - murdered by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe in February 2023 Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed 28 times in Linear Park, Cheshire in March 2023 in a crime which shocked the nation Schoolgirl Brianna Ghey was murdered in a killing motivated in part by transphobia by 15-year-olds, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. Jenkinson and accomplice Ratcliffe lured the schoolgirl to Linear Park, Culcheth, where she was stabbed 28 times to the head, neck, chest and back. At her trial, it was revealed Jenkinson had a fascination with violence, torture, and murder and falsely claimed to have killed two victims already, talking of a desire to take body parts as sick souvenirs. Both Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were found guilty of murder and were sentenced to life in prison at Manchester Crown Court, and the judge permitted for the teenagers to be named publicly for the first time. Both appeared emotionless during much of the proceedings. Scarlett Jenkinson, who was 15 at the time of the crime, had watched torture videos on the dark web and fantasised about taking body parts as trophies Eddie Ratcliffe, who was also 15 at the time of Brianna's death, played with fidget toys or completed puzzles during the trial They were allowed to play with fidget toys or do crossword books throughout proceedings, and Ratcliffe was allowed to type his answers instead of answering after the court heard he had stopped speaking to anybody except his mother after being charged. Dr Murphy said the apparent detachment of the killers post-murder was a 'defence' as they avoided the reality of the heinous crime they had committed. She told MailOnline: 'It's not actually in anyone's interest to be harming other people so people are actually traumatised by their offending behaviour as well, so people go into a state of detachment after committing offences. 'Often it's that same detachment from humanity that's enabled them to harm others in the first place. There is a detachment, it's kind of like a dissociative state that people get into.' Describing the pair's behaviour in court, she said: 'If people have a fidget toy, for instance, it gives you displacement activity, it's a bit like adults might want a cigarette. 'If you are doing something with your hands it allows you to get away from what's in your head. It serves as a distraction.' Speaking about Jenkinson's online history of watching sadistic videos on the dark web, she said this alone would not have caused the teenager to kill. 'I don't think that online material would produce that level of disturbance in a child, I think they would already have to have been harmed to be disturbed enough to do that. 'But if somebody is spending a lot of time online engaged in fantastical material, even sadistic fantastical material, then obviously they are building up more of a picture in their head of behaviour they could act out.' Shawn Seesahai - murdered by two 12-year-olds in November 2023 Shawn Seesahai, 19, was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton with a machete by two 12-year-old boys The two 12-year-old killers of Shawn Seesahai, 19, are believed to be Britain's youngest knife murderers. Shawn was stabbed to death in a brutal machete attack in a Wolverhampton park on November 13, 2023. A judge has yet to make a ruling on whether the pair can be named at a sentencing hearing later this year. Evidence heard by the jury showed the pair's twisted minds, with one posing with a photograph of the machete that would be used to murder Shawn just hours before the attack. A conversation between the two killers on Snapchat showed how one was 'putting on a lot of front', Dr Murphy said. The first killer said: 'Everyone's talking abt (sic) it, literally everyone, everyone knows.' The second responded with a voice note, saying: 'It is what it is.' They then shared more messages, saying: 'I'm scared man' - before the other says 'I'm not', followed by the acronym 'IDRC' which means 'I don't really care'. The other one then responds with a voice note saying: 'I ain't said nowt (sic) cause every time I talk about it, like I act weird apparently so (inaudible) comes and goes.' There is then a response saying: 'I'm just scared your you too (sic).' A month-long trial was told Mr Seesahai was shoulder-barged by the smaller of the two defendants, who 'often' carried a machete with a 42.5cm-long blade. He was then punched, kicked, stamped on and 'chopped' at with the weapon. They told the court they both played video games in the hours after the killing, claiming they did not know Mr Seesahai had died until the following day. One of the killers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was pictured with a machete just hours before the murder Dr Murphy said the second boy, who claimed he was 'not scared' was likely to be attempting to appear 'hard'. 'Adolescents do tend to underestimate the risk to themselves, that's why there's so much risk-taking amongst teenagers because they don't really think about the long-term impacts. There's an immaturity there. 'I would say that to be discussing it in that way, saying I'm not scared, that is somebody who is using a lot of bravado to cope with the situation. 'My guess is you wouldn't have to push that hard with that child in a room to get them to acknowledge that they are actually scared.' Criminal psychologist Linda Sage told MailOnline: 'The motivations behind Brianna's murder and Shawn's were different, but also similar in the perpetrator's need for power and control, this is usually lacking somewhere in their own life, whatever their backgrounds are. 'Brianna's was predatory, luring a particular victim to a particular location, Shawn's on the other hand, the location was chosen, but the victim could have been anyone that fitted into the perpetrator's mindset. 'Other young killings have been for retaliation over perceived injustices or jealousy, the motivations are different, but the need for power and control is the same.' Muhammad Ali - murdered by a 15-year-old in January Muhammad Ali, 17, from Birmingham, was murdered by a 15-year-old seeking revenge for an attack on his friend Muhammad was entirely innocent and had no idea what the 15-year-old was talking about - but was stabbed in the heart Teenager Muhammad Ali, 17, from Birmingham, was murdered by two teenagers out for revenge after an attack on a friend. Muhammad had met with a friend at the Bullring on January 20 and was enjoying a hot chocolate when the two teenagers, who have not been named, approached the pair and accused them of attacking a friend. Neither Muhammad or his friend knew anything about the attack, and were not responsible. The pair continued to quiz Muhammad and his friend, until Muhammad told the pair to go away because he didn't know what they were talking about. One of the boys then pulled out a large knife and stabbed him in the heart before fleeing. Ali was taken to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but the damage to his heart was too severe and he was pronounced dead at around 6.40pm. One 15-year-old boy was convicted of murder and possession of a knife. The other was convicted of manslaughter and possession of a bladed article, after a court heard he had 'encouraged' the stabbing. They will be sentenced in October. Alfie Lewis - murdered by Bardia Shojaeifard in November 2023 Alfie Lewis, 15, was stabbed to death outside a school in Leeds, West Yorkshire Knife-obsessed killer Bardia Shojaeifard was described in court as appearing to be a completely normal teenager before he stabbed 15-year-old Alfie Lewis to death with fatal wounds to the heart and leg. Chilling footage showed the defendant in school uniform minutes before he launched an unprovoked attack on Alfie, who was walking to meet with friends. The killer is then seen fleeing the scene and returning home after stabbing the teenager in broad daylight in front of other schoolchildren. The court heard the killer, who was 14 at the time, had 'no interest' in crime, drugs or gangs, but horrifying images show the teenager posing with knives. Bardia Shojaeifard, who was 14, at the time of the murder must serve a minimum of 13 years for the killing Dr Murphy said Shojaeifard probably fled home simply because it was 'familiar', but added she believes he 'would not have appeared normal' due to his obsession with weapons. She said: 'Our homes should be our place of safety, and even if his home wasn't that safe place it's familiar. My guess is that he's in shock at what he's done and he goes into automatic pilot and then just goes home. 'I don't know if he would have seemed normal. That's quite a titillated fascination with knives which would suggest to me a preoccupation with trying to be powerful to defend against vulnerability. 'I would expect that this is someone who has probably felt quite physically threatened at points in his life so carrying weapons will make him feel more powerful. 'Brandishing them about and boasting effectively, it's not that different to older generations beefing it up down the gym and walking round with massive biceps on show. 'A knife is the way that younger people would do that to depict I'm hard, don't mess with me.' Shojaeifard claimed one picture had been edited to superimpose a blade in his hand Another photo shown to the court had the boy holding a knife and wearing a scarf around his face whilst on holiday Shojaeifard claimed one picture had been edited to superimpose a blade in his hand - an alteration he said was made because 'it was funny.' Another photo shown to the court had the boy holding a knife and wearing a scarf around his face whilst on holiday to his family's ancestral home of Iran. He said his uncle was a craftsman who made knives and he wanted to show his friends the cultural differences from England, while Shojaeifard's father, a car mechanic, said it was a 'model'. The teen denied murder, claiming he feared for his life when he pulled out the weapon, which police said had a black-painted handle. He was found guilty by a jury after a trial in April. Mikey Roynon - murdered by Shane Cunningham in June 2023 Mikey Roynon was stabbed to death at a party - three teenagers, who took knives to the event, were charged with his murder Mikey Roynon, 16, from Bristol, was knifed in the back of the neck with a zombie knife at a house on Eastfield Avenue, Bath on June 10 last year. Three teenagers, all 16, were arrested and it was found that all three took knives with them to a schoolgirl's 16th party. One of the boys admitted stabbing Mikey but claimed he was acting in self defence. He said the victim had swung a knife towards his friends. A jury found Shane Cunningham, who stabbed Mikey, guilty of murder and his two friends Leo Knight and Cartel Bushnell guilty of manslaughter. All three had initially been charged with murder. Sean Cunningham, 16, who stabbed Mikey, was found guilty of his murder by a jury Cartel Bushnell , 16, was found guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder after a trial earlier this year Bus CCTV footage shows the boys travelling to the party, with a weapon at one point being clearly visible through Cunningham's trousers. Footage of Cunningham's police interview showed how he remained staring into space and unresponsive throughout. Not even answering with 'no comment', the teenager appeared to be pretending the interview was not going ahead. Dressed in grey joggers and a t-shirt, he refused to give any answers to police questions, although the court he did later admit stabbing Mikey. The other boys acted similarly, either remaining silent or responding with no comment, police footage shows. Leo Knight, also 16, was found guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder Dr Murphy said this is an unusual tactic that suggests the boys were 'really damaged' individuals. She told MailOnline: 'That is quite a hard strategy to use with the police. It's quite hard to even do a no comment interview where you're saying no comment. 'To sit there ignoring and not answering, that's individuals who are able to muster up defences to not engage with material that's upsetting or difficult or painful, and again I would say that, that isn't something that a healthy child is able to do. 'That's a child that's already had to toughen themselves up and push through. 'What's really sad is we're look at those and they'll look like monsters because of their inability to be remorseful. Actually that's a really damaged person to be able to behave like that. 'My experience is that people act out brutality to the degree that they've experienced themselves. So if they are able to be that brutal, if they are able to get pleasure out of somebody else's pain, they've experienced that themselves probably.' Justin McLaughlin - murdered by Daniel Haig in October 2021 Justin McLaughlin, 14, died in October 2021 after being stabbed in the heart after a fight broke out at a station in Glasgow Justin McLaughlin, 14, died in October 2021 after being stabbed in the heart by Daniel Haig, who was 16 at the time, at Glasgow's High Street station. Haig stabbed Justin after a fight broke out between a group of young people on the platform. During the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, the court heard Haig had become involved in a scuffle with Justin and a group of his friends at the railway station on 16 October. The teenager pulled a knife out of his bag and was seen on CCTV chasing the group. Justin tripped and fell before Haig caught up and stabbed him. Haig told the trial he had a knife in his rucksack for 'protection' after claiming to have been attacked the day before. He also said he had not intended to kill the 14-year-old. He was given a life sentence for the crime by judge Lord Clark at the High Court in Edinburgh in August 2023. Dr Murphy told MailOnline many young killers may have issues at home, including being brought up in situations where extreme violence is commonplace. Daniel Haig, now 18, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years, but this has now been reduced to 13 years An appeal against Haig's lengthy sentence revealed how he grew up surrounded by criminals in a family in which violence, including with weapons, was 'normalised'. The judge, reducing his 16-year minimum term by three years, said: 'The information now available to the court shows exposure to extreme domestic violence from an early age, first as a witness, later as a victim, and thereafter as a perpetrator. 'The appellant's mother is reported to have stabbed his father and, on a later date, to have threatened the appellant with a knife while he was holding his younger sibling. 'The older relative, association with whom seems to have triggered an escalation in the appellant's behaviour, is alleged to be involved in criminal behaviour in the east end of Glasgow and to have links to serious and organised crime. 'His father and uncle are currently serving lengthy prison sentences for violence, and an older maternal cousin is serving a prison sentence for murder. 'It is clear that the appellant has grown up in a familial environment in which the use of violence, including the use of weapons, has been normalised.' Charlie Cosser - murdered by Yura Varybrus in July 2023 Charlie Cosser was murdered by someone he had never met before after a disagreement broke out at a party Charlie's killer Yura Varybrus, who will be 18 this November, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years earlier this month A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death at an end of term party in West Sussex on July 22 last year. Charlie Cosser was murdered by someone he had never met before after a disagreement broke out after his killer was asked to leave the event. Charlie's killer Yura Varybrus, who will be 18 this November, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years earlier this month - and the judge at Brighton Crown Court ruled his identity could be revealed. He stabbed his victim three times in the chest, and Charlie had a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital caused by internal bleeding. He died two days later. The teenager was found around ten to 20 minutes after the stabbing, sitting on a pallet complaining his 'chest and back really hurts' and was rushed to hospital. Varybrus showed no emotion as the verdict, finding him guilty of murder, was read. He claimed he had no memory of the incident, having drunk 'heavily' throughout the night. The killer, who gave no evidence, burnt his clothes in a fire pit at a friend's house and went for a carvery lunch with his parents the day after the murder. Some U.S. voters will get to cast their ballots in the 2024 election any day now as the very first ballots of the cycle are set to start going out on Friday. The crucial battleground state of North Carolina begins to mail its first ballots on September 6 with sixty days to go before Election Day. It is the first state in the country to start sending out ballots as the campaign season kicks in to high gear for the final stretch. It comes as Robert Kennedy Jr. has been attempting to get his name removed from the state ballots, but a North Carolina judge rejected the effort Thursday. However, she did order election officials not to send out ballots before noon. Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are looking to secure the key swing state and its sixteen electoral votes while the Tar Heel State also has one of the most contentious governor races of 2024. Trump won the state in 2016 and 2020. But the latest polls show a neck-and-neck race with the ex-president leading the vice president by just over half a point according to the Real Clear Politics average. North Carolina is the first state in the country to start mailing out ballots ahead of the 2024 election. The first ballots were set to go out sixty days before election day on November 5 The Harris campaign sees North Carolina as one of its opportunities of a state Democrats can flip come November and have been spending both time and money there. The first ballots go out before Harris and Trump even come face-to-face on the debate stage for the first time as their much anticipated primetime showdown is scheduled for September 10 in Philadelphia. The first ballots go out in Pennsylvania September 16. But Professor Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University does not believe North Carolina's early vote-by-mail start date having a big electoral effect for either candidate. 'Let's just say send it out 45 days before the election instead of sixty, I don't know that we would see much of a different outcome,' Cooper said. 'The same people would likely still cast a vote then.' He offered two pieces of evidence however as to why it could potentially be beneficial to Harris along the margins: mail in voting has been used more often by Democrats in recent years and Harris is still riding an enthusiasm boost from when the ticket switched from President Biden. 'It's hard to hold enthusiasm for months at a time,' he noted. The first ballots in North Carolina are mailed out before Kamala Harris and Donald Trump come face-to-face on the debate stage on September 10 North Carolina begins sending out mail ballots sixty days out to all voters who request them including military personnel and overseas voters. As of Friday morning, county boards of elections had received more than 132,500 absentee ballot requests including about 12,500 requests from military and overseas voters. Voters can make the request for an 'absentee-by-mail' ballot either by filling out the official form online, by mailing with a paper form or by dropping one off in person. Voters in the swing state do not need any excuse to vote by mail. While the first ballots are headed out on Friday, voters have until seven days before the election on November 5 to request a mail ballot. More than one million people voted by mail in the North Carolina 2020 election, but it took place at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Another 3.6 million voted early in person. In 2022, less than 190,000 people voted absentee by mail in the midterms while more than two million opted to vote early in person. Election workers stuff absentee ballot applications in North Carolina in September 2020. The number of people who voted by mail in the last presidential election skyrocketed due to the pandemic but it dropped back down in 2022 'It is usually a relatively small proportion of the overall ballots cast, so two to three percentage points,' said Cooper of vote-by-mail in the state. '2020 it skyrocketed to about one in every five ballots cast, and then in 2022, it went back down.' Cooper called it 'significant in a state like North Carolina,' but expects it to pale in comparison to in person voting either early or on Election Day. Early in-person voting begins in North Carolina on October 17. There are some changes for voting this year either in person or by mail in the state. Voters who mail their ballots must include a photocopy of an acceptable ID or complete a photo ID exception form to return with their mailed absentee ballot packet. Harris made a visit to North Carolina in August to deliver her first policy address about the economy in Raleigh. It came just after Trump was also in the state also to deliver remarks focused on the economy. The stops were among several by both nominees there this year. Most recently, Harris' running mate Tim Walz headed to North Carolina after campaigning in Georgia last week. Democrats have been ramping up their efforts to flip the state. The latest polling shows Trump up by less than a point. He won it by less than 75,000 votes in the last presidential election. The last Democrat to win North Carolina in a presidential election was former President Obama in 2008. Democrats see it as one of the few battlegrounds they could add to their column since 2020. The state is known for its independent streak. While Trump won it in 2016 and 2020, North Carolina also elected Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Voters in North Carolina will also be voting for governor between Robinson and Stein This year's governor race between Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein has been a brutal one. The latest Real Clear Politics average has Stein up by nearly nine points. Traditionally, Republicans were more likely to cast their ballots by mail, partly because of the number in the military but that shifted when Trump started questioning mailing ballots in 2020. More Republicans listened to him while Democrats opted to do the opposite. There are ongoing efforts by some Republicans to make sure their voters use every option available to them to cast a vote even if it means voting by mail. A father who lost his 15-year-old daughter to suicide after a long battle with anorexia has blasted the amount of toxic information she could easily access on Instagram. Robb Evans' worst nightmare came true in April, 2023, when he learnt his daughter, Olivia, had taken her own life after struggling with anorexia for two years. One key contributor to Liv's illness was the easily accessible advice online on how to become a 'better anorexic'. 'Instagram was the main platform she used,' Mr Evans told Daily Mail Australia. 'She'd be looking at things like what exercises to do and ways to cheat on weekly health checks to avoid hospitalisation. 'She learned that you could put weights in your shoes, wear extra layers of clothes, wear extra jewellery, drink lots of water, things like that.' The Melbourne father allowed himself just three days to grieve before he decided to try and improve Australia's prevention and treatment of eating disorders. He joined 36 Months representatives - including Nova radio presenter Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli and Rob Galluzzo, the founder of production company FINCH - to present the New South Wales Parliament 115,000 petition signatures in August. Robb Evans' 15-year-old daughter Liv (pictured together) committed suicide in April 2023 after a two-year battle with anorexia Mr Evans (pictured second right, holding Liv's ashes) brought his daughter's urn to present NSW Parliament with 115,000 signatures urging the legal age to use social media to be increased to 16 The project wants to see the legal age for social media use increased from 13 to 16, a difference of 36 months. It has received bipartisan support in parliament including from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and NSW Premier Chris Minns. Mr Evans said bringing Liv's ashes to parliament was fulfilling a promise they'd made in the depths of her illness. 'She and I said we would help people with eating disorders,' he said. 'I always said, "when you're better, and when you're ready to do it, I will stand there with you and we'll do it together". 'Now we're doing that, just not in the way I wanted to.' Mr Evans' emotional retelling of how social media destroyed Liv's 'poor little character and self-confidence' prompted the government to host a Social Media Summit in October. The NSW Government has reached out to residents to complete a survey sharing their own thoughts on social media. The consultation closes September 8, Sydney and Adelaide will host the summit on October 10 and October 11, respectively. While social media was just one of the contributing factors to Liv's anorexia, Mr Evans believes reducing children's access to it can only bring good. 'There's so many different pain points because it's such a hideous and complex illness. Social media is just one element,' he said. 'The warped view Liv had of her body was so drastically shaped by what she was looking at on Instagram and it's just getting worse with AI filters. 'If you can keep them off it for longer, then perhaps they can have some better thinking and the opportunity to build some self esteem.' Mr Evans (left) recalled Liv (right) learning techniques on how to become a 'better anorexic' through Instagram The urn containing Liv's ashes Liv first started limiting food after being bullied at school at just 13 years old. 'Unfortunately by the time she was able to articulate to me what started the eating disorder - I talk about it kind of like a tiger - it had its claws into her so deeply that she didn't want to change,' Mr Evans said. 'It attacks the vulnerable, particularly young girls. 'For many, it's about control. They gain control through an eating disorder. 'They can't control everything else, but they can control how much they exercise or if they consume food.' Liv's parents were quick to realise she was limiting the amount of food she ate and did their best to provide a 'safe environment' while she worked to recover. However, their efforts would often come undone by fake information spread online. 'She once showed me a post saying how you can be healthy on 200 calories a day. That's insanity,' Mr Evans said. 'It's not possible to sustain life on 200 calories a day.' Several accounts, which Liv would access in secret, also taught her how to hide her eating disorder from her parents. 'If she had a lolly or honey, she'd pass her blood sugar test and stay out of hospital for longer,' Mr Evans said. 'She'd find ways to hide her food - like in clothing - to then go drop in the toilet. 'Up until recently I was still finding food in bizarre places in her room.' Even when Liv took her life after 13 prior attempts, it was using a method she'd found online. Liv's parents were quick to realise she was limiting the amount of food she ate and did their best to provide a 'safe environment' while she worked to recover. However, their efforts would often come undone by fake information spread online (pictured, Mr Evans and Liv) The 115,000 petition signatures (pictured) presented to the NSW Parliament called for the age children can access social media to be increased from 13 to 16 'When you lose a child you don't really know what you're going to do. We spent a lot of time together and I just felt I needed to do something,' Mr Evans said. 'It was three days after [Liv's death] that I started on a mission of things that would have had an impact on Liv and helped save her life. 'The thing that really breaks my heart is that this such beautiful, delicate, loving little girl will not be known by most of the world. 'I just feel like it's my duty as her dad to show everybody who this amazing girl was, what her potential was. 'I think it would be a great shame if the world didn't get to know who that person is.' Using Liv's story, Mr Evans has already helped healthcare centres receive increased funding for an in-home eating disorder recovery program and dog therapy. 'Just recently, the 36 Months team reached out to me to say, "look, we've been following senior story and so forth and we'd like to get your support",' Mr Evans said. 'I said I'd be happy to be involved because of the impact that it had on Liv. 'If we could have protected her for another few years - I mean, hindsight is a wonderful thing. 'It just seems like a no brainer that the longer that we can keep our kids off social media, the better it's going to be for them.' Mr Evans (right) believes it's his 'mission' to spread Liv's (left) story in the hopes it will help others battling an eating disorder Mr Evans added a legal framework would help take the pressure of both parents and children when discussing social media use. 'It's easy to say the parents should be vigilant and all that kind of stuff but there's so much pressure on parents to give their children access to a phone,' he said. 'As soon they've got that, they've got access to social media and so forth. 'If we can change the law, it removes that conversation. 'I mean, you just don't generally have 13-year-olds pressuring their parents for alcohol because they know that you can't, it's illegal. 'It's an easy conversation to have.' The upcoming Social Media Summit will focus on five key concerns: the impacts of social media on children and young people's wellbeing, online safety, social media's role in disinformation and misinformation, addressing online hate and extremism, and how social media is changing the way government delivers services. NSW residents are welcome to share their thoughts on the government's Have Your Say website until Sunday. As part of the survey, contributors are asked what age they think people should be allowed to begin using social media. Its findings will be presented to the summit. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Meta, the owner of Instagram, for comment. Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard home goods brand has hit more trouble - this time over the loop in her logo, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Just days ago, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) denied an application regarding the name of her brand, saying businesses are not allowed to trademark geographic locations. This would include the 'American Riviera' nickname of the coastline near the Sussexes' mansion in Montecito, California. Now the same office is questioning the way the letter 'O' for Orchard is depicted on the intricate and swirling logo for the company, planned to help boost the fortunes of Meghan and Harry following the end of their $20million Spotify deal. In a 'non-final action' document, USPTO writes that the application has been reviewed by an examining attorney and: 'Applicant must submit an amended description of the mark that agrees with the mark on the drawing. 'The current description is inconsistent with the mark on the drawing and is thus inaccurate. Descriptions must be accurate and identify only those literal and design elements appearing in the mark. Meghan Markle has been hit with yet another blow in her bid to get her American Riviera Orchard home goods brand off the ground with trademark officials now querying her logo, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Just days ago, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) denied an application regarding the name saying businesses are not allowed to trademark geographic locations. This would include the 'American Riviera' nickname of the coastline near the Sussexes' mansion in Montecito, California . 'In particular, the current mark description indicates that the letter 'O' appears in the mark. However, the letter is now clearly visible or highly stylized that it is unrecognizable as a letter. Furthermore, the description is incomplete because it does not describe all the elements in the mark.' But the office gives Meghan a hand if she's stuck on what it suggests is a more accurate description of the current image. It writes: 'The following description is suggested, if accurate: The mark consists of a double lined octagon enclosing the stylized and overlapping letters 'AR' and incorporating decorative and looping lines. The latter 'A' contains a stylized flower at the top of the letter.' The same document took issue with Meghan's descriptions of some of the good she plans to market, saying they are 'too broad'. These included 'bath soap, cocktail napkins, pans, cooking utensils, namely forks, strainers, spoons, spreaders, spatulas, whisks, tongs'. Descriptions of 'yoga blankets, meditation blankets' also came in for scrutiny, with a direction that the proper classification with the office should be 'gift wrap of fabric or textile'. Meghan's application includes stationery sets, with letter openers, envelopes, printed note cards, printed holiday cards, greeting cards, invitations, recipe cards and embossed stationary. The latest document suggested additional wording to clarify the classification. The Duchess of Sussex launched publicity for American Riviera Orchard in March, by sending out 50 jars of 'homemade' strawberry jam to celebs. Each had a number from the batch. Her latest blow for the company comes after previous bungles and failures to secure rights over her podcast brand, Archewell, last year. Additionally, the USPTO refusal regarding the name, on August 31, also revealed a slew of problems with the filing, including Meghan's agents' apparent failure to sign the correct documents. Now, USPTO is querying the way the letter 'O' for Orchard is depicted on the intricate and swirling logo for the company, planned to help boost the fortunes of Meghan and Harry following the end of their $20million Spotify deal. The knockback even included a screenshot of another Santa Barbara business's product already using the term 'American Riviera'. It showed that the site sbcoastalcandles.com sells an 'American Riviera' candle for $34.95. 'Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is primarily geographically descriptive,' the USTPO said in its filing. 'Commonly used nicknames for geographic locations are generally treated as equivalent to the proper geographic name of the place identified. 'American Riviera is a common nickname for Santa Barbara, California.' The decision could throw a wrench in the works for the launch of Markle's embattled brand, which was reportedly scheduled to go live by the end of the year. According to her trademark filings, Meghan, 43, plans to sell tableware, drinkware, decanters, kitchen linens and pantry goods including jellies, jams, marmalade and spreads. Her trademark application already suffered an embarrassing setback when the USPTO said she failed to pay $11,382 in international registration fees and other 'irregularities' that needed to be 'corrected'. DailyMail.com exclusively revealed those initial trademark troubles last month. The USPTO's decision is not final, and Markle's lawyers can still appeal and revise their application to try to get at least some of her products approved. A source close to the Sussexes told DailyMail.com that some back and forth with USPTO is 'routine and expected when filing for trademarks' and that they believed Meghan would be filing response with the office soon. This is the second time her trademark applications have been shot down. In August 2023 the Duchess abandoned a bid to get her podcast 'Archewell' trademarked, after the USPTO found a self-help blog by the same name had already made a successful application. The Sussexes have also reportedly 'struggled' to find a CEO for Meghan's new home goods and lifestyle venture though sources close to the Duchess have insisted she is happy running the business herself. And she is also having to deal with a constant revolving door with her staff. The reported insider told Closer Magazine that Prince Harry and his wife were 'the toughest of taskmasters' with high staff turnover. 'The numbers don't lie and to have almost 20 members of staff quitting on them tells its own story,' the source told Closer. 'It's unprecedented, even for a startup. In a 'non-final action' document, USPTO writes that the application has been reviewed by an examining attorney and: 'Applicant must submit an amended description of the mark that agrees with the mark on the drawing. 'The current description is inconsistent with the mark on the drawing and is thus inaccurate. Descriptions must be accurate and identify only those literal and design elements appearing in the mark,' the document reads. 'The brutal reality is Harry and Meghan are the toughest of taskmasters, they're very demanding and difficult to work for and that puts a lot of people's backs up.' However, a source close the to Sussexes has dismissed that claim. High-profile figures quitting the Sussexes' employ have included Meghan's personal assistant Melissa Toubati in 2018 shortly after their wedding; Meghan's female bodyguard in January 2019; senior communications secretary Jason Knauf in March 2019; and Queen Elizabeth's former aide and Meghan's private secretary Samantha Cohen in October 2019. Knauf was later revealed to be the source of the bullying complaint against Markle, which sparked a palace investigation. Details of the probe's conclusion were not revealed, and the Sussexes strongly denied all claims of bullying. The couple's PR chief Sarah Latham quit when Harry and Meghan decided to leave the UK in 2020. The couple's 14 other palace staff were also axed at the time. And American PR expert Christine Weil Schirmer joined the Sussexes in 2020 as head of communications but left quietly late last year. Last month their chief of staff, PR guru Josh Kettler, quit after just three months on the job, becoming the latest staff member to leave the Sussexes. The decision was reportedly a 'mutual' agreement at the end of Kettler's trial period. In the hugely damaging row over prominent Labour donors and activists being shoe-horned into key government and Whitehall roles, the finger of blame has been pointed firmly at Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer's embattled chief of staff who was accused recently of 'hoarding power' at No 10. The former senior civil servant and Second Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office for part of the last Conservative Government is deeply unpopular among Tories, not least because she led the Covid 'Partygate' inquiry that played a decisive part in Boris Johnson's downfall. But, in a strange twist of fate, she is turning out to be just as controversial with Labour after a series of disasters on her watch. There was disbelief among many Labour MPs, for example, when it emerged recently that Lord Alli who has given 500,000 to the Party including donations to Starmer of 16,200 for suits and 2,845 for glasses was granted a rare pass to 10 Downing Street after the new government took power. 'This was exactly the sort of scandal that Gray was supposed to prevent,' said one appalled senior Labour MP. Gray is also said to be behind a raft of former Labour apparatchiks being appointed to senior civil service posts appointments that have been condemned as cronyism. Many Labour insiders detect instead the influence of Morgan McSweeney (pictured), Starmer's 'head of political strategy' in the contentious appointments Lord Alli (pictured) was given a rare pass to Downing Street following Labour's victory Sir Keir (pictured) has been accused of gross cronyism for the contentious appointment of his allies to powerful positions across Westminster Yet she is not the only one being attacked for such appointments. I can reveal that, where two of the most contentious civil service posts are concerned, many Labour insiders detect instead the influence of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's 'head of political strategy'. (It is no small irony that amid the furious row over cronyism, Gray and McSweeney are reportedly locked in their own toxic feud in the heart of No 10, only adding to the impression of chaos and disorder.) The two appointments are those of Jess Sargeant as deputy director in the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Constitution Group (PCG); and Emily Middleton as a director general in the Department for Science and Technology. Both roles require the utmost impartiality the watchword of the civil service for decades, when it was the envy of the world. Sargeant and Middleton each worked for Labour Together, a shadowy think tank whose name hardly smacks of impartiality and which was run for many years by one Morgan McSweeney. It is probably the most influential political organisation that most voters have never heard of, spreading its tentacles over every area of government. Jess Sargeant (pictured) was made deputy director in the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Constitution Group (PCG) Emily Middleton was made a director general in the Department for Science and Technology. Founded in 2015 in the aftermath of Ed Miliband's disastrous election defeat, its original purpose was to shore up the party by uniting its disparate factions. It was run by McSweeney from 2017 until he joined Starmer's private office in the summer of 2021, and describes itself as 'instrumental in supporting Keir Starmer's political project'. One senior source said: 'Morgan was calling all the shots at Labour Together right up until the General Election. He regarded it as an integral part of Team Starmer so he was effectively still in charge.' Which raises the question of just how much influence McSweeney had over the eyebrow-raising civil service appointment of Jess Sargeant, the former 'director of constitutional change' at Labour Together. As the new deputy director in the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Constitution Group (PCG), she now holds one of the most sensitive roles in Whitehall. And yet, unusually, Sargeant was not subject to an independent recruitment process and her job was not advertised externally. (This is because she was appointed through what is called an 'exceptions process', which reportedly allows time-limited appointments to be made without competition.) That would be concerning for any civil service role. Yet in this instance it is especially troubling, because the body in question is responsible for the enforcement of Whitehall rules. '[The Lord Alli scandal] was exactly the sort of scandal that Sue Gray (pictured) was supposed to prevent,' said one appalled senior Labour MP Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer departs from number 10, Downing Street ahead of the weekly PMQ session on September 04, 2024 Indeed, if you were looking to install preferred candidates, the PCG is where you would start. My Labour source added: 'Labour Together is not only influencing individuals and policy but also capturing key parts of the machinery of government.' But what about Emily Middleton? There was also a huge row over her appointment last month, again by the 'exceptions' process, to the top civil service post of director general in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Her appointment took place only weeks after it was disclosed that the consultancy firm in which she was a partner, Public Digital, had handed donations totalling 67,000 to the Labour frontbencher Peter Kyle. Kyle is Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology in Starmer's Cabinet and Middleton's political boss. Middleton was also a 'policy fellow' at Labour Together and worked on 'secondment' for Labour before the election. The list of Labour Together luminaries in government seems to be growing by the day. James Kilmartin, who was 'director of strategy and planning' at Labour Together, is a special adviser to the Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, one of Starmer's most trusted ministers, and also close to McSweeney. Stef Lehmann, a special adviser to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, was director of transport at Labour Together and seconded to Haigh's office before the election. Gray and McSweeney have long been at loggerheads Ellie Cumbo was a policy adviser at the think tank and is now one of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood's key political advisers. Josh Williams, who was director of strategy for Labour Together, is also a new adviser to the Justice Secretary in a sign of howimportant McSweeney regards prison and sentencing policy. The organisation McSweeney once ran is not just flexing its muscles in the civil service. Its outriders are sitting on the green leather benches of the Commons. Josh Simons, who replaced McSweeney as Labour Together's director, is now the MP for the safe seat of Makerfield in Wigan. Other associates who won seats at the election include Hamish Falconer, who was a Policy Fellow. He is already a government minister, serving in the Foreign Office. Three more staffers Chris Curtis, who was Labour Together's polling expert, economist Miatta Fahnbulleh and policy expert Gordon McKee, were also elected for the first time at the election. 'No other think tank has five of its number becoming MPs in Starmer's first election victory,' said one senior Labour source. 'It is all part of the McSweeney project to have Starmer loyalists in the civil service, in ministers' private offices and in the Commons.' To ensure the Starmer writ continues to run at Labour Together, Jonathan Ashworth, who lost his Leicester seat to a Muslim independent candidate, is the new director. Even before the election, Labour Together showed it held more backroom sway with the Party leadership than any other organisation. It provided 300,000 for staff secondments to nine shadow cabinet ministers. They included Rachel Reeves, now Chancellor of the Exchequer. Reeves was a founding member of Labour Together and worked closely with McSweeney. The group also funded appointments for Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Defence Secretary John Healey, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary. All in all, McSweeney's old outfit will form a key ideological pillar of Starmer's Downing Street. Labour Together is stuffed with cash. Earlier this year, it received more than 1.3 million from hedge fund manager Martin Taylor. Yet it was on McSweeney's watch that Labour Together failed to declare more than 700,000 of donations as required under electoral law. In 2021, an Electoral Commission investigation found the organisation had committed more than 20 breaches and was issued with a 14,250 fine. Jonathan Ashworth, its new director, insists the charge of cronyism is unfair. 'Labour Together is a think tank which unashamedly supports this government and we are purely focused on Labour winning the next general election. 'We are very proud of the fact some people associated with Labour Together have now got key roles whether it is in Parliament or in government.' But it appears the rows over the civil service appointments and party donors is cutting through to the public. A recent poll by More in Common showed that 53 per cent of those asked think that Labour is 'somewhat or very corrupt' and that's after they've clocked up barely two months in power. Police have charged two 13-year-old boys after a pregnant woman was allegedly assaulted at a bus stop before suffering a miscarriage in hospital. Officers from Police Scotland were called to High Street in Tranent, East Lothian, on Friday, August 30, at around 6.20pm following an incident at a bus stop. A pregnant woman was allegedly pushed to the ground leaving her injured. She was said to have been taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for injuries, where her husband later said she had suffered a miscarriage. Following 'extensive enquiries', police confirmed on Thursday that two 13-year-old males have been charged and reported in connection with the assault. Officers from Police Scotland were called to High Street in Tranent (pictured), East Lothian on Friday, August 30 A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Following a report on August 30, that a female was assaulted at a bus stop in Tranent, extensive enquiries were carried out by the East Lothian Community Police Team. 'Two 13 year old boys have now been charged and reported.' The distraught husband had earlier posted an appeal on social media following the incident in a bid to track down the boys. He posted an update on Tuesday stating his wife has suffered a miscarriage while in hospital. He wrote: 'I just want to update everyone about the condition of my wife. 'It is with a heavy heart to inform the community that my wife had a miscarriage, pregnancy loss and she is still in the hospital recuperating. 'This is a very traumatic, heart-breaking, and a horrible experience for us, especially to my wife and kids. The woman was said to have been taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for injuries, where her husband later said she had suffered a miscarriage 'I am making an appeal to everyone, if you have sons [and] daughters, nieces [and] nephews, please have a word with them. 'Teach them and remind them everyday how to respect people and behave in public places. Good manners should be taught and start at home.' Previously the husband posted: 'Two high school students wearing black uniform (wearing shorts and the other one is wearing a trouser) pushed my pregnant wife while in the bus stop around 6.20pm at the high street waiting for the bus. 'She even offered [them] a seat and she was nice to them but they were so rude. My wife got hurt, she was angry and told them she was pregnant.. They said sorry and ran away. Are there any CCTV in that area?' On Saturday afternoon the man posted: 'Just an update regarding my post last night, my wife is bleeding now and she is in severe and unbearable pain. 'We are waiting for the ambulance service. This is a call for justice.' The White House is slamming Tucker Carlson for his interview with a man he called 'the best and most popular historian in the US' over his claims that Adolf Hitler was not World War II's chief villain. Daryl Cooper - a podcast host and so-called historian - caused controversy when he said that not only did the Nazis not intend to murder millions but that Winston Churchill is the main villain of the war. The show caused outrage online, especially after X CEO Elon Musk quote-tweeted the video, writing: 'Very interesting. Worth watching'. Musk has since deleted the post. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates issued a harsh rebuke to the episode of the show. 'Giving a microphone to a Holocaust denier who spreads Nazi propaganda is a disgusting and sadistic insult to all Americans, to the memory of the over 6 million Jews who were genocidally murdered by Adolf Hitler, to the service of the millions of Americans who fought to defeat Nazism, and to every subsequent victim of Antisemitism,' Bates said in a statement. The White House is slamming Tucker Carlson for his interview with Darryl Cooper, a man he called 'the best and most popular historian in the US' over his claims that Adolf Hitler was not World War II's chief villain Darryl Cooper may be the best and most honest popular historian in the United States. His latest project is the most forbidden of all: trying to understand World War Two. (1:20) History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict (12:39) The Jonestown Cult (32:10) World War Two (45:04) How pic.twitter.com/HJ2B8RjcCY Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 2, 2024 'Hitler was one of the most evil figures in human history and the 'chief villain' of World War II, full stop. The Biden-Harris Administration believes that trafficking in this moral rot is unacceptable at any time, let alone less than one year after the deadliest massacre perpetrated against the Jewish people since the Holocaust and at a time when the cancer of Antisemitism is growing all over the world.' Much of what Cooper said about World War II blames Great Britain Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 'Now, he didn't kill the most people, he didn't commit the most atrocities, but I believe... that when you get into it and tell the story right and don't leave anything out, you see that he was primarily responsible for that war becoming what it did,' Cooper said. While he didn't consider Hitler to be the hero of World War II, he says that only erred when he got Germany into 'a war where they were completely unprepared to deal with the millions and millions of prisoners of war, of local political prisoners.' 'They went in with no plan for that and they just threw these people into camps and millions of people ended up dead there,' seeming to insinuate that the Holocaust happened by accident. Cooper hosts a podcast called 'Martyr Made' which saw a massive boost in listenership following his appearance with Carlson. The interview has been viewed over 29.1 million times, according to the social media platform's numbers. Cooper doubled down on his blame of Churchill, posting a lengthy thread on the UK Prime Minister - considered by many the hero of World War II - on X after the controversy. Carlson's show caused outrage online, especially after X CEO Elon Musk quote-tweeted the video, writing: 'Very interesting. Worth watching'. Musk has since deleted the post Cooper - a podcast host and so-called historian - caused controversy when he said that not only did the Nazis not intend to murder millions but that Winston Churchill and not Adolf Hitler is the main villain of the war 'I know that sounds like hyperbole. Churchill didn't order the most deaths, oversee the most atrocities, or commit the worst crimes. But most of those crimes could not have been committed if the war had not happened, and Churchill was the leader most intent on making it happen,' Cooper wrote. Cooper's statements have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, including by many conservatives. Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney wrote: 'Actually, this is pro-Nazi propaganda, including, 'Churchill was the chief villain of WW2' and Hitler 'didn't want to fight.' No serious or honorable person would support or endorse this type of garbage.' 'This is just the same old Hitler apologetics (He didnt want to widen the war, They didnt know what to do with all POWs so he put them in camps, etc.). Remarkably, there isnt any historiography behind it. This popular historian just makes conclusory claims. Shameful,' added Compact Magazine Editor Sohrab Ahmari. Musk has not commented on why he deleted his post. The first black Briton to reach the North Pole has been announced as the UK's new chief scout. Dwayne Fields, 41, has been chosen to lead half a million young people and adult volunteers in succession to TV star Bear Grylls, who has spent 15 years in the role. The Scouts said a key part of Mr Fields' mission will be to attract new volunteers, especially in communities new to the group to bring in more young people. Mr Fields was formally announced as the 11th Chief Scout on Thursday at a north London park where he began his Cubs journey, snubbing a life of 'weed, cocaine and guns' in the inner-city and choosing a better path. 'Scouts helped shape who I am today and I hope my story will encourage others to join and achieve their dreams,' he said after being formally invested in the role at Scout Park in north east London on Thursday. Dwayne Fields joined Ben Fogle in a journey to the North Pole before taking the Scouts role Dwayne Fields speaks to a group of scouts at the scout park after being chosen to lead half a million young people and adult volunteers in the UK As the first Chief Scout from an ethnic minority group, Mr Fields will be 'encouraging and inspiring teams to grow the movement'. The Scouts said they chose Mr Fields for the top role for 'his values, commitment to help young people, and outstanding leadership qualities'. Outside of the Scouts and numerous TV appearances, the 41-year-old married father co-founded the #WeTwo foundation to help young people from underprivileged backgrounds 'expand their horizons and find their place in the world'. Only ten people have previously held the role of Chief Scout, dating back to Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell in 1907. Most of Mr Fields' predecessors came from Armed Forces backgrounds and illustrious private schools. But as a role model for hundreds of thousands of young people, Mr Fields stands more chance of relating to the issues and risks facing children today. In 2011 he told the Guardian he had survived an attempted shooting in his 20s and has scars from a stabbing on his chest and stomach. 'In my area there were two to three estates in conflict and mine was bang in the middle,' he told the outlet. 'I was 10 years old the first time I had a knife in my face. From a young age, I knew how cheap life was.' Mr Fields stressed he never carried a knife himself - but recognised friends were trying to pull him towards a life of 'weed, cocaine and guns' before he chose another path. Welcoming Mr Fields, Carl Hankinson, UK chief volunteer at the Scouts, said: 'He champions the sense of belonging Scouts gives young people. He is able to reach across generations, to further expand reach across all communities.' Born in Jamaica, Mr Fields came to the UK at the age of six. He grew up in inner city London without access to nature and was offered 'new horizons' with the Scouts, according to the group. When he joined as a Cub Scout, membership of his local pack gave him 'friendships, skills, belief in himself and hope for his future'. He went on to become the first black Briton to reach the North Pole in 2013 and has gone on to have a successful career in adventure and TV, presenting shows on Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic. Mr Fields was formally invested as chief scout on Thursday at Scout Park in north-east London where he spent time in Cub Scouts as a child. He said: 'Scouts helped shaped who I am today and I hope my story will encourage others to join and achieve their dreams. 'My volunteer leaders believed in me as a young person and taught me to believe in myself. They showed me I could do anything I put my mind to and others would help me along the way. 'Now I want a new generation to learn the skills for life, friendship and belonging I felt when I needed them most. I want to show that the outdoors is a place for all us to be at our best and truly open to all. 'I am calling for more volunteers to step up and make a difference to young people's lives across the country.' Dwayne Fields, speaks to the scouts at the Scout Park in London after taking on the position Dwayne Fields, participates in archery at the scout park on Thursday, September 5 The adventurer will succeed TV star Bear Grylls, who was appointed as chief scout in 2009 Ayesha Karim, UK Youth Lead, says: 'I think Dwayne's going to be an amazing new chief Scout because the bottom line is he absolutely exemplifies what it is to be a Scout. 'He lives by our values. He is consistently kind to anyone he meets. If you've met him before, you'll know he just takes the time to really get to know you, and also truly talks with so much passion about Scouts.' HRH The Duke of Kent, Joint President, says: 'It gives me great pleasure to pass on my deep-felt congratulations to Dwayne Fields on his appointment as the 11th Chief Scout. 'As an explorer, a TV presenter, and someone who has already shown a clear commitment to young people and Scouts, I'm quite sure he will relish his new role. I wish Dwayne, and all Scouts, every success in the future.' Foreign journalists on 2024 FOCAC Beijing summit: Let's walk together 17:29, September 06, 2024 By Peng Yukai, Zhao Tong, Zhou Linjia, Xie Ying ( People's Daily Online The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is being held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. The summit, themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future", has brought Chinese and African leaders together to celebrate friendship and chart the way forward for cooperation. Following the 2018 FOCAC Summit in Beijing, this is the first grand reunion of the China-Africa big family in six years. It is also the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with the highest attendance of foreign leaders. Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations. In this video, filmed at the summit's media center, People's Daily Online spoke with foreign journalists who shared their perspectives on the summit and offered insights on the evolving China-Africa partnership. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) More than thirty years after an Indiana college student was found brutally slain in her apartment, a Missouri man has been charged with her murder. Dana Shepherd, 52, was arrested in Columbia, Missouri, in connection with the 1993 killing of 19-year-old Carmen Van Huss, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced Tuesday. Shepherd has also been charged in Carmen's rape. "For 31 years, the family of Carmen Van Huss has been searching for answers and justice. While nothing can ever replace their loved one, we hope that today's arrest brings them some measure of peace. We remain dedicated to bringing justice to all victims and will continue to pursue every lead, no matter how much time has passed," Deputy Chief Kendale Adams said in a statement. On March 24, 1994, Carmen's father allegedly found his daughter dead and naked, lying in a pool of blood. Police said there was evidence of a struggle. "She was raped and stabbed over 60 times and my dad had to see her like that, blood everywhere, blood on walls, his daughter was naked, laying there ... he had to see that," the victim's brother, Jimmy Van Huss, told WTTV-TV. "That changed him forever." Detectives followed up on hundreds of leads and conducted dozens of interviews over the years, but Carmen's case eventually went cold. Her case was reopened in 2018 when a detective submitted a DNA sample from the crime scene to a DNA tech company. In the summer of 2023, using genetic genealogy, Shepherd was identified as a suspect, according to police. "This arrest, more than 30 years after the senseless murder of Carmen Van Huss, demonstrates the dedication and perseverance of IMPD detectives, the Marion County Forensic Services Agency, and the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. It also is a testament to the power of genetic genealogy and analytic capability," Adams said. Carmen was studying art at Indiana University when she died. "She was an art lover, an animal lover, she picked up stray cats all the time," recalled Jimmy. "We were really getting close and spending more time together because I was now a freshman in high school and our six-year age difference was not as prominent. She was always happy and everyone loved her. "Her murder changed everything about all of us. Especially my father, he was never ever the same," he explained. "I learned about her death really after seeing my dad hugging my mom and crying on the balcony of Carmen's apartment on the news. I could see their pain, and we were never the same." "She was an art lover, an animal lover, she picked up stray cats all the time," recalled Jimmy. "We were really getting close and spending more time together because I was now a freshman in high school and our six-year age difference was not as prominent. She was always happy and everyone loved her. "Her murder changed everything about all of us. Especially my father, he was never ever the same," he explained. "I learned about her death really after seeing my dad hugging my mom and crying on the balcony of Carmen's apartment on the news. I could see their pain, and we were never the same." Originally published on Lawyer Herald. The UK's rail minister got an award-winning engineer sacked for speaking to the media about safety concerns at London Euston station, while in his former role. Peter Hendy, who was the former chair of Network Rail, threatened to withhold contracts from his employer one of the UK's largest rail consultancy firms unless the engineer was dismissed. News website Politico revealed Lord Hendy was angered after the engineer, Gareth Dennis, told a journalist that overcrowding at the station was 'unsafe'. Mr Dennis spoke about the conditions of overcrowding, particularly when one or more trains are delayed or cancelled, whereby thousands of people gather in the concourse. A letter from Lord Hendy to the engineer's employer SYSTRA, was obtained by Politico last week, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). According to the website, the letter warned that 'finding a potential supplier criticising a possible client reflects adversely on your likelihood of doing business with us or our supply chain.' Peter Hendy, (pictured) who was the former chair of Network Rail , threatened to withhold contracts from his employer one of the UK's largest rail consultancy firms unless the engineer was dismissed Mr Dennis spoke about the conditions of overcrowding at London Euston, particularly when one or more trains are delayed or cancelled The email sent to the rail consultancy firm reportedly said 'the allegation that Network Rail is running an unsafe operation is a serious one'. However, speaking to RailTech, Mr Dennis said the comments in question had been made during 'a very tame interview' with The Independent. He insisted he did not lay blame on a particular person, or that Network Rail needed to 'get its act together', but said it was a 'condition of the history of the station', which would 'always be a challenge and that has to be manage'. Lord Hendy, who sent the letter in May of this year, was chair of Network Rail from 2015 until he became a part of Sir Keir Starmer's new Labour government in July. Mr Dennis was suspended on May 20, according to a letter from his employer seen by Politico, citing Lord Hendy's complaint. Further emails show that on May 24, Mr Dennis was offered a financial settlement to leave SYSTRA on the condition he sign an agreement with a confidentiality clause. He did not sign it and was subsequently dismissed with four weeks notice on July 8 after a disciplinary hearing. Lord Hendy, Downing Street, Network Rail, SYSTRA and the Department for Transport have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Shadow transport secretary Helen Whatley previously raised concerns about the appointment of Lord Hendy following the whistleblower incident. Shadow transport secretary Helen Whatley previously raised concerns about the appointment of Lord Hendy to Sir Keir's (pictured) new government following the whistleblower incident She was quoted in The Independent as saying: 'We need a culture in Government where people aren't afraid to speak up when something's wrong, not one where whistleblowers are threatened. 'We now need to know who knew what and when, and whether Keir Starmer thinks his minister's conduct is acceptable.' Lord Hendy is the 71-year-old grandson of the 6th Baron Wynford of Wynford Eagle whose hereditary title stretches back to the reign of George IV. His mother Mary Best was an aristocratic debutante until she married Hendy's father Jack who was a communist electrician. Lord Hendy was educated at Latymer Upper School and the University of Leeds where he graduated in Economics and Geography in 1975. In 2013, escort Rachel Grundy claimed that she had a nine-month affair with Lord Hendy as he supervised London's travel network for the 2012 Olympic Games. Ms Grundy alleged Lord Hendy gifted her Oyster Cards with 10 of credit on each, as well as a London 2012 badge as tokens of his affection. The Telegraph reported at the time, Lord Hendy did not comment on his private life and then Mayor of London Boris Johnson said there was no evidence of 'impropriety'. Lord Hendy was honoured with a CBE in the 2006 New Years Honours list for his services to Public Transport and to the community in London. In October 2022, as part of the Special Honours, Lord Hendy received a life peerage. A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'The railway's independent safety regulator raised concerns about our plans for handling passenger congestion at Euston in September 2023 and issued an improvement notice. 'These concerns were addressed and following further inspections by the regulator, its improvement notice was withdrawn in December. 'Disappointingly, neither the Independent, nor its quoted 'expert', checked the facts before talking about safety at Euston months later, based on a now defunct improvement notice. 'Our railway is one of the safest in the world, a hard-won fact that has been delivered by taking safety concerns seriously, whenever and whoever raises them. This was not one of those times. Euston can be congested at times, but that is very different from being unsafe. 'In the end the decision on how employee conduct is handled is a matter for employers in this case, Systra'. A spokesperson for SYSTRA Ltd said: 'We are unable to comment on individual staff matters other than to confirm that a thorough investigation was carried out.' Bruce Lehrmann has been collecting $1300 a month in Centrelink benefits since he was publicly accused of rape, and while Channel Seven continued to fund his lavish lifestyle. The network paid Lehrmann's rent in Balgowlah, on Sydney's northern beaches, for 12 months as part of a lucrative $105,000 arrangement in exchange for last year's exclusive interviews on the Spotlight program. Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach told the Federal Court the network paid thousands for Lehrmann's use of sex workers, massages, cocaine, and expensive dinners in a bid to entice him to do the exclusive interviews. Seven and the former Liberal staffer have fiercely denied those claims. The accommodation deal came to an end in April - just weeks after Federal Court Justice Michael Lee found, on a balance of probabilities, that he had raped former colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Lehrmann lodged an appeal to overturn that civil judgement, with a case management hearing on Friday morning. His lawyer Zali Burrows told the court a bitter argument over $117,000 has emerged between Lehrmann and his former defamation firm Mark O'Brien. Ms Burrows said there were filing fees associated with his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, but Lehrmann did not have to pay them because he was on welfare. Bruce Lehrmann is pictured enjoying a long lunch with a friend in Bondi last year Lehrmann was represented in the Federal Court on Friday by his solicitor, Zali Burrows (pictured) Daily Mail Australia understands Lehrmann has been on the benefit scheme called Austudy since about 2021, when Ms Higgins first went public with her rape allegations against him in an interview with Wilkinson on Ten's show, The Project. Lehrmann - who has not had a job since 2021 - was eligible to receive Austudy, rather than employment scheme Job Seeker, because he is a part-time law student. Before the appeal can proceed, Ten has asked Lehrmann to pay $200,000 surety to cover their costs in the event that he loses. The network made an application to permanently stay the appeal, which means it would not be allowed to proceed, if he could not pay the deposit within 42 days. However, he will fight that application in a hearing on October 14. At Frida's hearing, Network Ten's lawyer Tim Senior told the court Lehrmann's team did not file an amended notice of appeal by the August 29 deadline, and he had no explanation why. He said there was a lack of clarity around Lehrmann's legal representation and the extent of Ms Burrow's involvement, and the timeline of the appeal. 'We don't have a date, and it's a matter for the court, but it's very difficult for us to consider our position in these circumstances where [legal] counsel may or may not be briefed,' he said. 'We don't know why there's been this delay after so much time.' Bruce Lehrmann is pictured during one of his two Spotlight interviews last year Lisa Wilkinson (pictured outside court in April) interviewed Brittany Higgins about her rape claims in 2021 Ms Burrows told the court there were costs issues to deal with before filing an amended notice of appeal. The costs issues were in relation to Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Wilkinson last year. As the loser of the trial, he is expected to cover his opponent's costs - worth about $2million. Justice Lee handled those costs proceedings, but they have been paused until there is an appeal outcome. Ms Burrows told the court Lehrmann's former law firm, Mark O'Brien, was holding $117,000 in a trust. The money came from Lehrmann's combined $445,000 defamation settlements with the ABC and news.com.au last year. Terms of the settlement meant the money would cover his legal fees, rather than going into his personal bank account. After those fees were paid, there was $117,000 left over which Ms Burrows argued should be used to fund Lehrmann's appeal. Mark O'Brien worked for Lehrmann on a no-win no-fee basis. Justice Wendy Abraham appeared confused why Ms Burrows would mention a costs matter - which is being handled by Justice Lee - in relation to the appeal. 'What's this got to do with me?' she said. 'This is an appeal Why isn't Justice Lee dealing with it?' Pictured: CCTV from the night Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in 2019. She is pictured in white, he is standing to next to her in a light blue shirt Ms Burrows said she would file an application to the registrar in relation to the $117,000, but asked for Justice Abraham's assistance in hastening the process. 'The reason, Your Honour, why I'm asking you to deal with the application instead of the registrar is so it can be dealt with expeditiously,' Ms Burrows said. Justice Abraham: 'Why couldn't the registrar deal with it expeditiously?' Ms Burrows: 'I'm not saying the registrar can't, but I'd be grateful if perhaps if you could give a recommendation if it could be dealt with priority.' The judge said: 'So, without any notice, you want this court - me - to deal with a matter you have yet to file before the registrar so you can succeed and settle?' 'You raise this now, when one assumed this has been going on for some time, while you're in breach of orders and I have no explanation as to why.' Ms Burrows said: 'It has taken some time to consider the costs agreements and my client has filed an application for a refund of those [$117,000] fees, but it was returned on a technical issue, and will be refiled.' Ten's lawyer Mr Senior told the court it was 'very concerning' Ms Burrows intended to 'hijack' the appeal proceedings with a costs matter that was being dealt with in a different case. 'I don't really know what to say,' he said, turning around to look at his colleague, Marlia Saunders, who appeared equally confused. 'I'm very concerned about the possibility of an amended notice of appeal being filed and messing up the timetable.' The matter will return to court later in September. As another university year begins, a new study ranked colleges across the US on the basis of how financially successful their graduates are - with top spots being taken by Ivy League schools. The Wall Street Journal has compared a wide range of schools - large and small, public and private, technical and liberal-arts - to determine the one with the best college experience. Rather than focusing on a university's reputation or personal finances, the Journal judged 'how much a school improves students' chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on college life'. Here are the Top 10 US universities with the most financially successful students: 1. Princeton University This New Jersey Ivy League University has ranked first for the second time in a row. With its incredible graduation rate and influential alumni network, Princeton has long been a favorite among prospective students. This New Jersey Ivy League University has ranked first for the second time in a row. With its incredible graduation rate and influential alumni network, Princeton has long been a favorite among prospective students Just months after arriving on campus, students can apply for a 'Princeternship,' a brief internship and job-shadowing opportunity over their first winter break. Rose Weathers, a sophomore who interned at WestBridge Capital said: 'Ive reached out to a few alums in fields Im interested in, and almost every single one has responded and agreed to meet with me.' 2. Babson College Babson College, a well-known Massachusetts business college, has climbed up the ranking to second place - namely due to its emphasis on providing students with a hands-on university experience. Babson College, a well known Massachusetts business college, has climbed up the ranking to second place Mandatory classes such as Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship where students launch startups in groups during their first two semesters of college using a loan of up to $3,000 provided by the school have proven to be extremely popular. Ethan Ide, a junior at Babso explained: 'It is not a simulation. Youre working with international suppliers, and you have a website, and youre selling to people across the globe. Getting that hands-on experience from day one was kind of insane.' 3. Stanford University Despite not being an Ivy League, Stanford has long been the most sought out college for those wishing to pursue medicine, finance, business and law Despite not being an Ivy League, this 150-year-old university has long been the most sought out college for those wishing to pursue medicine, finance, business and law. Apart from this, graduate students at Stanford have produced groundbreaking research for years and the university is one of the most successful in bringing in funding for startups. 4. Yale University Yale University is also one of the leading institutes of research in science and boasts one of the countrys best-performing arts and literature programs Best known for its economics, political science, law and biology programs, this private Ivy League research university in Connecticut is one of the the third-oldest institution of higher education in the US. Yale University is also one of the leading institutes of research in science and boasts one of the countrys best-performing arts and literature programs - making it a favorite amongst students of various interests. 5. Claremont McKenna College Founded as a men's college in 1946 and turned into coeducational in 1976, Claremont McKenna is one of the nation's leading private liberal arts college. Despite being a seven-college consortium, the college boasts itself on being able to provide job opportunities to nearly all its students. Founded as a men's college in 1946 and turned into coeducational in 1976, Claremont McKenna is one of the nation's leading private liberal arts college According to its website, over 90 percent of students complete internships and nearly half study off-campus during their four years. 6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology One of the world's leading technology-focused universities, MIT has long been known as a cutting-edge research institute. One of the world's leading technology-focused universities, MIT has long been known as a cutting-edge research institute Its reputed alumni as well as faculty members have also majorly contributed towards helping students build industry specific skills and attain jobs. The university notably earned a perfect 100 on its Salary Impact Score on the publication's ranking. 7. Harvard University Founded in 1636 as Harvard College, this private Ivy League research university is the oldest institute in the US Founded in 1636 as Harvard College, this private Ivy League research university is the oldest institute in the US. Known for its engineering, political science, psychology, mathematics and economics programs, the university provides innumerable real-life career-building opportunities with the help of its world-famous alumni members. 8. University of California, Berkeley California's first land-grant university, UC of Berkeley is known for its unique opportunities in many graduate programs including ecology, physics, sociology, and statistics California's first land-grant university, UC of Berkeley is known for its unique opportunities in many graduate programs including ecology, physics, sociology, and statistics. Berkeley has long been the hub of liberal student activism, most notably the Free Speech Movement of 1964 and promotes top-quality research as well as public service. 9. Georgia Institute of Technology, Main Campus The Georgia Institute of Technology, a public research university has cemented its place as one of the nation's best engineering and computing schools. The Georgia Institute of Technology, a public research university has cemented its place as one of the nation's best engineering and computing schools The Institute also offers outstanding programs in business, design, liberal arts, and sciences. Ava Maalouf, a graduate from Georgia Tech earlier this year with a degree in chemical engineering revealed that she received four or five internship offers every year she was at Georgia Tech and recently had her pick of seven full-time job offers. 10. Davidson College Established in 1837, Davidson prides itself on providing one-on-one advising and professionalization workshops while focusing on technical and soft-skill development Established in 1837, Davidson prides itself on providing one-on-one advising and professionalization workshops while focusing on technical and soft-skill development. Based in North Carolina, this college focuses on academic potential and accomplishments rather than a student's ability to pay tuition. Maori chiefs have crowned the 27-year-old daughter of their deceased former king as his successor in a surprise choice that has been praised for reflecting modern values. Thousands celebrated Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki's anointment in an emotional ceremony in New Zealand's North Island. She is the only daughter and youngest child of 69-year-old Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died in his sleep last Thursday while recovering from heart surgery. Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki is the second ever Maori queen in the eight-monarch reign of the Kiingitanga movement, dating back to 1858. The appointment of Queen Nga Wai was largely unexpected, with most believing one of her elder brothers Whatumoana or Korotangi would be next in line. Whatumoana had already taken on many of his father's ceremonial duties during the late king's periods of illness. 'It is certainly a break from traditional Maori leadership appointments which tend to succeed to the eldest child, usually a male,' Maori cultural advisor Karaitiana Taiuru told AFP. Mr Taiuru said it was a 'privilege' to witness the young queen's appointment, hoping she would guide the Maori community through the new challenges of the technical era. Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki (above) was elected as New Zealand's new Maori Queen on Thursday Queen Nga Wai is the only daughter of the late King Tuheitia, who passed last week aged 69 'The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership to guide us in the new world of AI, genetic modification, global warming and in a time of many other social changes that question and threaten us and Indigenous Peoples of New Zealand,' he said. She was elected by the council of chiefs and ascended a tall, wooden throne on Thursday morning (local time), on the final day of the seven-day funeral for Kiingi Tuheitia. Nga Wai, wearing a wreath, cloak and whalebone necklace, was ushered to the throne in the small town of Ngaruawahia, reportedly flanked by chanting, shirtless Maori men carrying ceremonial weapons. Her traditional 'moko' chin tattoo seen in the ceremonies was inked back in 2016 to mark the anniversary of her father's coronation. Queen Nga Wai then took part in her father's final funeral rites following the ascension ceremonies. She sat beside his coffin on a carved war canoe, rowed by 21 men. A flotilla of smaller, traditional canoes ushered them down the Waikato river, manned by a dozen rowers each. The coronation took place on the final day of funerary proceedings for the late Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia's coffin was rowed and carried to the top of a sacred place, Mount Taupiri The procession stopped at the base of sacred Mount Taupiri before players from three rugby teams carried Kiingi Tuheitia's coffin, draped in feathered cloaks, up the steep mountain to the summit. The events marked the end of a weeklong tangihanga (funeral rite) for the leader who had in recent months rallied New Zealand's Indigenous people to unify in the face of a more racially divisive political culture. Kiwi leaders applauded the election of Queen Nga Wai. New Zealand Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the torch had been passed 'from one legendary unifier to another'. 'Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki commands an incredible wealth of matauranga Maori, a love for Toi Maori and is committed to looking after her people,' he said, according to Stuff. 'As the youngest child of Kiingi Tuheitia and Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki follows an incredible and historic legacy before her of predecessors who have helped shape and influence Aotearoa New Zealand's cultural identity as a nation,' Hipkins said. 'The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership,' said a Maori cultural advisor Thursday marked the final day of a week-long proceeding, attended by tens of thousands Former Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia (pictured above) passed in his sleep after heart surgery Kiwi Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the new Queen would bring 'hope'. 'We welcome the Upoko Ariki, Ngawai Hono i te po, who carries forward the mantle of leadership left by her father. The path ahead is illuminated by the great legacy of Kiingi Tuheitia,' he said in a statement. The Maori monarch's position was founded in 1858, aiming to be a unifying movement for all Maori tribes. Queen Nga Wai's grandmother, Queen Te Arikiniui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was the only previous Maori Queen, and held the position for over four decades. Queen Nga Wai studied Maori language and customary law at Waikato University in Hamilton on the North Island. She has worked teaching traditional Maori performing arts. The father of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray was arrested on charges including murder after it was revealed that he purchased the AR-15-style rifle the 14-year-old used to shoot dead four people on campus. Gray, 54, was taken into custody by local authorities at 6:11pm by local authorities and charged with two felony counts of murder, four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight felony counts of cruelty to children. His mugshot was released by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office Thursday night. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. The 14-year-old was apprehended on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, just minutes after he killed two students and two teachers with the semi-automatic weapon. The dad allegedly purchased the deadly weapon as a Christmas present to his son - just months after they received an initial visit from the FBI. The father of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray was arrested on charges including murder after it was revealed that he purchased the AR-15-style rifle the 14-year-old used to shoot dead four people on campus Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. 'These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,' GBI Director Chris Hosey said at an evening news conference. 'His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.' In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person. Its the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children's actions in school shootings. Colt Gray was given the gun he used to allegedly shoot dead four people at his Georgia high school as a Christmas present from his father Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first convicted in a mass school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison of not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their sons deteriorating mental health before he killed killing four students in 2021 . The arrest came after sources claimed that the father-of-three bought his 14-year-old son the assault rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift in 2023. This was just months after the teenager and his father were interviewed by local law enforcement in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, according to investigators. The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' the father, Colin Gray, said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office. Colin reportedly assured officers that he would be 'mad as hell' if he learned the allegations about his son making threats were true, and that 'all the guns [would] go away.' Online, his aunt vowed 'full throttle blood' as she claimed he'd been subjected to 'abuse' his entire life. Those comments were deleted last night after a barrage of backlash. The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. Two students view a memorial as the flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The American and state of Georgia flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Two students and two teachers were dead inside the school building by the time he laid down his AR-style weapon. Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspenwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were named as the deceased. When police searched the teen's Georgia home following the bloodbath, they reportedly found clues the teenager was 'obsessed' with mass shootings - specifically the Parkland massacre in 2018, which left 17 people dead. Gray was known to the FBI after several tips came in about him last year. The boy remains in juvenile custody in Georgia, awaiting his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning. He will be charged as an adult, sheriffs said. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene. Sheriff Smith revealed that Wednesday was Gray's first 'real day' at Apalachee High. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene Gray has been charged with four felony counts of murder, and will be tried as an adult, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed He said: 'He was a brand new student to Barrow County Schools, he had enrolled about two weeks prior. This was his second day at school. He had been before, he left early, on that day and this was his first real full day.' According to law enforcement, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23am, hitting at least 13 people as frantic scenes took over the school. Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure 'chaos.' A makeshift memorial has been created using a wreath and flowers. On Thursday, families and students stopped by the somber scene to pay their respects to the lives lost in the tragedy. Italy has been rocked to its core, after it was revealed the mistress of Italy's culture minister filmed herself several times with a secret camera hidden in her glasses in the corridors of power. Gennaro Sangiuliano, 62, was on the verge of tears when he publicly confessed to having an affair with fashion influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia, whom he broke up with over the summer following their passionate affair. Sangiuliano said he first met Boccia at a party in Naples in May this year, but ended things with her between the end of July and the start of August. In a apparent fit of rage, the 41-year-old mistress, a highly educated woman with two degrees in economics, has been releasing private conversations that have allegedly implicated Sangiuliano in a corruption and misappropriation of public funds scandal. She claimed that her former lover has been using public funds to pay for her trips, provided her with confidential information and appointed her as a special adviser despite an apparent conflict of interest. The minister publicly confessed to having an affair with fashion influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia (Pictured) Gennaro Sangiuliano (Pictured, right) said he first met Boccia at a party in Naples in May this year, but ended things with her between the end of July and the start of August She said she used Ray-Ban stories to capture videos inside Palazzo Montecitorio, where it is forbidden to film He was forced to apologise to his wife Federica Corsini (pictured, left) Boccia appeared to support her claimed with audio recordings of phone calls with government officials, screenshots of flight tickets and photographs of programmes for official government events. She also used the Ray-Ban Stories sunglasses, which have a built-in microphone and camera, to record herself in the Palazzo Montecitorio, where it is forbidden to film. The minister claims to have paid for most of her trips out of his own pocket, and denied that his ministry approved an adviser contract. The minister said: 'She didn't have access to classified or confidential documents.' But she also appeared to counter that, publishing documents on Instagram that she claimed proved her involvement in official meetings, site visits and consultations. In an interview with Italian media on Wednesday, he tearfully apologised to his wife, Federica Corsini: 'The first person I have to apologise to, who is an exceptional person, is my wife.' Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano (C), cuts the ribbon at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, for the inauguration of the reopening of the Pompeian domus Casa dei Vettii, on January 10, 2023 Federica Corsini and Gennaro Sangiuliano at the 81st Venice International Film Festival He also said he had apologised to his boss, Giorgia Meloni, who he said had rejected his resignation letter. Meloni has not officially commented on the scandal, though said during a meeting on Wednesday: 'We are making history, and we all need to be aware of it. This does not allow for breaks and pauses, and much less for errors and false steps.' Her government has been hit by a series of scandals this year, with her tourism minister Daniela Santanche being investigated for alleged fraud and false accounting. Meloni herself was forced to dump her long-term partner, the father of her daughter, after he was caught making lewd remarks to his female colleagues at the TV station he worked at. The architect firm, who were hired to design Grenfell Tower's refurbishment and saw flammable cladding wrapped around building, has been blocked from shuttering. Studio E - the firm who led the design of Grenfell Tower's refurbishment - has been in the process of closing down for more than four years. But despite the business being in liquidation it cannot shut as long as investigations into the fire, which devastatingly tore through the block and killed 72 people, are active, The Times reports. During this week's public inquiry into the disaster, it emerged Studio E holds a 'very significant degree of responsibility' when it comes to the tragedy of Grenfell. This is due to the company's part in decisions made on materials used among other failings, where they prioritised cost-cutting over safety, leaving the block encased in highly flammable cladding. The public inquiry into the tragedy this week laid bare the sheer duplicity of the companies involved in wrapping the 24-storey building with cladding panels which turned it into a blazing deathtrap. Studio E - the firm who led the design of Grenfell Tower's refurbishment - has been in the process of closing down for more than four years (Pictured: Studio E's director Andrzej Kuszell) Studio E's 'cavalier attitude' concerning fire safety rules was also laid bare during this week's public inquest. It also emerged that the managing architect, Bruce Sounes, had no prior experience in overcladding residential towers, The Times reports. The public inquiry revealed they were 'troubled' by his lack of due diligence when fully reading product certificates. The official guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service on corporate manslaughter states that, even if a company is in liquidation, there is no legal obstacle to initiating prosecution, and steps can be taken to prevent the company from being dissolved. According to the advice, when the company is dissolved and withdrawn from Companies House - a procedure that can take up to a year - a company can't be prosecuted. In his withering 1,700-page report, chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick condemned 'unscrupulous' firms and 'deliberate' lies about fire safety tests. He also placed blame on a culture of 'systematic dishonesty' among building firms who supplied cladding, as well as politicians, who failed to act on safety warnings over the course of 20 years. He also deemed contractors Rydon along with architect Studio E took 'a casual approach and believed another firm was responsible for fire safety regulations. Andrzej Kuszell, one of the founder's of Studio E, has extended an apology to the survivors of Grenfell, as well as those who lost loved ones during the inquest. But despite the business being in liquidation it cannot shut as long as investigations into the fire, which devastatingly tore through the block and killed 72 people, are active The covered remains of Grenfell Tower. In his withering 1,700-page report, chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick condemned 'unscrupulous' firms and 'deliberate' lies about fire safety tests Reiterating he was 'really, really sorry', he said: 'Absolutely every one of us would wish to turn the clock back.' He continued: 'I have to say that if we had understood that building regulations were not robust this is so sad to say but I don't think this tragedy would have happened, and it really cracks me up, because it shouldn't have happened.' Police and prosecutors were under mounting pressure to speed up their Grenfell investigation yesterday. Angela Rayner demanded that they act 'as quickly as possible' after it emerged it could be ten years after the 2017 blaze before bereaved families see any justice. The Deputy Prime Minister said: 'Justice delayed is justice denied.' In May 2020, Studio E went into voluntary liquidation but has still not closed and remains on Companies House. A liquidator of the business' has said its shuttering is 'entirely' dependent on the conclusion of the inquiry, according to The Times. Legal sources told the publication there was 'little point' in placing corporate prosecutions against liquidated companies as there would be no assets to recoup. The Metropolitan Police have warned it will take them 12 to 18 months to examine Sir Martin's report 'line by line', with charges of corporate manslaughter, as well as gross negligence manslaughter, being considered. Nineteen companies as well as 18 individuals are currently under investigation, according to the force, but no suspects have been named. There is growing anger at the shocking details exposed by the long-running inquiry into the 'systematic dishonesty' among building firms involved in the fatal refurbishment of the west London tower. The inquiry report revealed that a senior employee at insulation firm Kingspan told a colleague that 'all we do is lie' when discussing concerns their product was not fire safe. Bosses at main contractor Rydon gleefully told each other 'We are quids in!' after hoodwinking the local authority over the true costs of the project. Grenfell Tower in September this year. The inquiry exposed disturbing emails between Kingspan's employees, including one in which Arron Chalmers told Peter Moss that he knew the insulation panels did not pass fire tests And an employee at cladding provider Arconic told colleagues the company was 'not clean' when it came to fire tests. A worker at insulation firm Celotex wondered in an email whether its product 'realistically shouldn't be used' because 'in the event of a fire it would burn'. The inquiry exposed disturbing emails between Kingspan's employees, including one in which Arron Chalmers told Peter Moss that he knew the insulation panels did not pass fire tests, and Mr Moss replied: 'WHAT, We lied? Honest opinion now.' Mr Chalmers wrote: 'Yeahhhh'. Mr Moss said: 'S*** product. Scrap it', and his colleague replied: 'Yeah all lies mate,' and 'Alls [sic] we do is lie in here.' And in a separate email in 2016, Mr Chalmers admitted it 'does seem a bit of a cheat'. Philip Heath, a technical manager at the company, said a builder who questioned its product's fire safety should 'go f*** themselves'. He also told friends that builders asking questions were mistaking him for 'someone who gives a dam [sic]'. During the inquiry, it emerged that Rydon, the lead contractor on the Grenfell project, had told the block's management organisation it could save it up to 376,175 on the cladding, whereas in fact there were far greater savings being offered to Rydon by a sub-contractor as much as 576,973. Angela Rayner (pictured) demanded that police and prosecutors act 'as quickly as possible' after it emerged it could be ten years after the 2017 blaze before bereaved families see any justice. The Deputy Prime Minister said: 'Justice delayed is justice denied.' Simon Lawrence, contracts manager at Rydon, suggested to the inquiry that 'Rydon took some of the saving for themselves'. An email from Zak Maynard, Rydon's commercial manager, in 2014, was more blunt. 'We are quids in!!', he wrote, although he told the inquiry he was 'joking'. At Arconic, the France-based firm which made the combustible cladding panels, internal emails about a failed fire test were damning. Claude Wehrle, its technical manager and a part-time firefighter, wrote in 2010 that it was 'hard to make a note about this because we are not clean'. Mr Wehrle dodged the inquiry, citing an obscure French law. Arconic has rejected any claim an unsafe product was sold. Kingspan said its failings were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now'. Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing'. Alan J Carter Clark, who is the liquidator for Studio E Architects Ltd, declined to comment. Others said it was the responsibility of the airline Some said the man needed to buy second seat A photo of a plus-sized passenger struggling to fit between the armrests on a plane has sparked a fierce debate over whether obese travellers should have to pay for an extra seat. The man was snapped by a fellow traveller as he squeezed into his aisle seat during a flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen on Monday. Poll Should overweight people have to pay more to fly? Yes No Should overweight people have to pay more to fly? Yes 33676 votes No 3908 votes Now share your opinion 'This guy sat behind me on my flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen yesterday,' the man who took the photo wrote on Facebook. 'I felt sorry for him and the guy next to him in the middle seat, both of whom must have felt very uncomfortable for the short flight. 'Maybe it's time for airlines to address situations like this in a thoughtful and sensitive way.' The man said the larger passenger was 'protruding into the aisle' forcing others to squeeze around him on their way to the bathroom. Some said the man should have to pay for an extra seat so as not to impinge on everyone around him. 'No matter the reason someone is oversized, if they are, they have to purchase an extra seat. That is not discrimination, it is a safety requirement,' one said. The plus-sized passenger was snapped by a fellow traveller as he struggled to get into his aisle seat during a flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen on Monday 'I am in agreement that if you can't fit into your seat, you need to buy a second one. Whether we agree with seat size or not, you are buying a set amount of space on the plane and shouldn't spill over to someone else's space,' a second wrote. 'Just like checked bags, there should be a passenger weight limit for a single seat. And, that limit should be based on seat size/class,' a third suggested. 'I'm a fatty. Probably knocking on this guy's size. It's his responsibility to make sure he is comfortable and that no one else is being crushed by him,' a fourth man said. 'The airlines could do with making seats bigger and more comfortable. Not for guys like me but for the average person. Most people are uncomfortable in normal seats. 'I always purchase an extra seat or more recently I go business.' 'My father's friend was this large. He always understood that traveling meant one of two things: he had to pay for first class, or he had to buy two seats. He never complained about it, just went with the cheaper option,' a fifth wrote. 'We had wonderful friends who were this large. They always bought three seats,' another commenter shared. However, others said the onus should be on airlines - and plane makers - to increase seat sizes as humans get bigger over the generations. The photo ignited a heated debate over whether plus-sized passengers should have to pay for an extra seat or if it was the airlines' responsibility (pictured, Sydney airport) 'The airlines need to be reined in. People are not livestock yet that is how the airlines look at them. Travel used to be enjoyable (even in economy) but now only those who can afford business or first class are treated as human,' one wrote. 'This happened to me once a few years ago when a guy like that had the middle seat next to me,' a second wrote. 'I am pretty small but it was very uncomfortable for both of us. I agree that the airlines need to address the situation.' 'Sadly airlines are a business. They will maximise profits as much as possible. Some enlarging of seat might be tolerated by corporate but they aren't likely going to make seats to fit this guy comfortably,' a third said. 'Spirit Airlines have already mastered this in my view. I'm a big guy and always book a big front seat. Not much more cost if bought in advance and really makes it comfortable for me and other people,' a fourth shared. 'Other airlines should do the same.' Others shared similar uncomfortable experiences they had on flights. 'I had a woman like this next to me last year. I had to sit kind of sideways so as to not be touching her. My legs and hips were sore for days because I sat like that for four hours,' one man commented. 'I was on an international flight seated by a man that large. My husband and I took turns standing in the aisle because he took up his seat and most of mine. It was a full flight and the flight crew did nothing about it,' a woman wrote. 'A heavyset gentleman sitting behind me had trouble getting comfortable and kept pulling on my seat. I didn't recline my seat to avoid making him more uncomfortable, despite my own back pain. I think airlines should consider implementing a seat policy to ensure all passengers' comfort,' another said. Aspiring homeowners may have to wait decades before earning the right to buy their council home. Deputy PM Angela Rayner who benefited from the Thatcher-era Right to Buy scheme herself in 2007 confirmed the policy would be tightened up to prevent the rapid sell-off of social housing. While ministers support the principle of former council tenants becoming homeowners, there are concerns over council homes not being replaced during a supply crisis. The Housing Secretary twice suggested yesterday that renters could be required to live in their homes for years, or even decades, before becoming eligible for the scheme. Currently, applicants only need to have lived in their council property for three years before being able to take advantage of the discount. Ms Rayner told LBC radio: 'I think clearly, if you've lived in a house for decades, you should have an opportunity to buy it. Deputy PM Angela Rayner who benefited from the Thatcher-era Right to Buy scheme herself in 2007 confirmed the policy would be tightened up to prevent the rapid sell-off of social housing Rayner benefited from the scheme herself, using it to buy her former council house in Stockport, Manchester, (pictured) for just 79,000 at a 25 per cent discount 'But the 2012 changes that the government made that meant people could buy them after a very short time on a high discount, it meant that taxpayers were not getting good value for money and we weren't able to replace the social stock. 'We have to make sure the system is fair. That's what we're consulting on. Not taking away Right to Buy, I don't think that's the right decision to make, but also make sure we have the social housing, which is critical.' Downing Street has confirmed that while they will not scrap Right to Buy altogether, reforms such as reducing discounts on council house purchasing could take place after a review. Last night, the Ministry of Housing did not rule out consulting on time spent in a property. Shadow housing spokesman and Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said: 'Over the years, Right to Buy has enabled millions of families to achieve their dream of becoming homeowners. 'If Angela Rayner was serious about improving people's lives, she would be finding ways to increase housebuilding, rather than cutting a programme that gets people on the housing ladder and gives them a stake in their communities.' Shadow housing spokesman and Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said: 'If Angela Rayner was serious about improving people's lives, she would be finding ways to increase housebuilding, rather than cutting a programme that gets people on the housing ladder and gives them a stake in their communities' The Conservative Party's housing spokesman David Simmonds said: 'The Right to Buy has helped millions into home ownership, giving something back to families who worked hard, paid their rent and played by the rules' The Conservative Party's housing spokesman David Simmonds said: 'The Right to Buy has helped millions into home ownership, giving something back to families who worked hard, paid their rent and played by the rules. 'Our reforms helped council tenants get their first step on the housing ladder, but now Angela Rayner would undo all of that progress by cutting or even scrapping the Right to Buy discount. It just goes to show that the Labour Party are the enemy of aspiration and social mobility.' Ms Rayner used the scheme in 2007 to buy a council house in Stockport for 79,000, benefiting from a 25 per cent discount. Following her marriage in 2010, she sold it for 48,500 more than she paid for it. Reports from former neighbours, that she had been living in a different house, with her then-husband, prompted questions over whether she failed to pay capital gains tax on the sale. Greater Manchester Police investigated Ms Rayner but dropped the probe in May. She was not found to have committed a crime. A California barber turned out to be a monster babysitter after he allegedly tortured and murdered a 6-year-old boy he was watching after meeting the mom at church. Ernest Lamar Love, 41, is accused of beating young Chance Crawford to death with a piece of wood after the boy 'peed his pants at a local park,' according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Chance's mother Charlyn Saffore dropped the boy off at Love's barbershop in Placentia around 6:30pm so she could go work the night shift at St. Joseph's Hospital. She met Love through church and considered him a 'trusted friend,' according to a post she made on Instagram before the child's death. However, the 'trusted friend' repeatedly whacked Chance with the piece of lumber and then poured hydrogen peroxide on his wounds before forcing the first-grader to do 'push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks,' according to prosecutors. The man babysitting Chance Crawford, 6, beat the boy to death with a piece of lumber, according to prosecutors Ernest Lamar Love, 41, was charged with murder and torture in connection to the heinous crime. Months before the alleged beating, Love was flaunting his barber's license on social media Security cameras captured Love entering his own barber shop around three hours before the senseless assault holding the piece of lumber 'with a reluctant Chance following behind him,' according to the district attorney. Chance eventually collapsed and prosecutors say Love drove the boy, who was 'unconscious and struggling to breathe,' to the emergency room at CHOC Hospital at around 1:30am. That's when doctors witnessed Chance's severe injuries. 'Doctors at CHOC discovered that much of Chances flesh was missing from his buttocks, leaving raw, gaping wounds, along with subdural hematoma, extreme brain swelling, and other injuries consistent with violent shaking. 'The little boy also had healing fracture on his shoulder blade,' according to the charging document, which had some family members on social media questioning if there had been prior abuse. Chance valiantly fought for his life in the hospital but ultimately died from his injuries on Tuesday afternoon. He was just three days into first grade. Vance Crawford, Chance's father, is pictured with him. Crawford considers Love 'a monster.' Chance is pictured on his fifth birthday with his mother Charlyn Saffore, left, and his grandmother, right Crawford described to KTLA the horrifying ordeal he was put through watching Chance pass away Vance Crawford, the child's father, posted a black and white version of the image of his son wearing a crown. 'I lost a son yesterday the anger I feel is unmatched but I will get justice,' he wrote. 'Rip son daddy loves you.' Crawford described to KTLA the horrifying ordeal he was put through watching Chance pass away. 'Seeing my son like that and in the condition he was in, in critical condition from the time he was brought in, its just devastating,' Crawford said. 'He didnt even die peacefully. He died a tragic death and its not fair.' Crawford considers Love 'a monster.' 'He deserves whats coming. Im going to let God handle him.' Charlyn Saffore, Chance's mother, also memorialized her son, describing him as 'a light to the world he lived in.' Love is pictured with his barbering certificate in May. At the time, he said he was bettering himself, adding he does everything for his children Months later, Lamar posted a picture of himself beaming as he holds his wooden barber plaque Saffore set up a GoFundMe to pay for funeral expenses. So far, people have donated $15,263 toward her $20,000 goal 'It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we have to share the unexpected passing of my beloved son, Chance. He passed...at the hands of someone who I thought was a trusted friend,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Chance was a dearly loved son, grandson, and a light to the world he lived in. He was only 6 years old and he was intelligent, lively, sharp, witty, and had a smile that would light up an entire room. 'If you knew him, you would have loved him like his entire community did,' Saffore wrote on Instagram. Saffore set up a GoFundMe to pay for funeral expenses. So far, people have donated $15,263 toward her $20,000 goal. KTLA reported that Saffore met Love at Amazing Church in Lake Elsinore. A church leader said Love was suspended from the church for inappropriate relationships with female parishioners. A anonymous man who used to go to the church described Love as a womanizer with an anger problem. 'Every few months, he would show have a different woman there at the church,' a former church member said. Love has been described as someone with an anger problem who dated many women from his former church A former churchgoer told KTLA he never saw Love take his anger out on children Love pleaded not guilty to the four charges against him, two of which include murder and torture. He is currently facing 32 years to life in prison plus five years if he's found guilty on all charges He continued: 'He was kind of stern...He would get angry about certain things, you could see it on him, but I never saw him take it out on kids.' Love's Facebook is full of pictures of him flaunting his newly minted cosmetology ad barber license. It appears as though he just got the license in May. In one post where he's holding his certificate, Love revealed in the caption that he is a father. 'It's hard to take time and improve yourself when your a true parent because my kids come before me,' he wrote. In mid-July, he posted another photo of himself decked out in Chicago Bulls merch and holding his official wooden plaque. Love pleaded not guilty to the four charges against him, which include murder, torture, assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death, and causing injuries leading to paralysis or death. He was arraigned Wednesday morning and is being held without bail. Love faces a maximum sentence of 32 years to life in prison plus five years if he's found guilty on all charges. Starting this fall, low-income Mexican students who live within 45 miles away from California's south border qualify for discounted in-state tuition at nine community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties. "It's been more accessible, and more adaptable to my income, it's been life changing," Melany Garcia told Border Report. She is one of the program's participants in the pilot program, which will run for the next 5 years. "Being here in the United States is opening more doors than studying in Mexico." Melany and her binational peers have access to this opportunity thanks to Assembly Bill 91, signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom last year. The bill, authored by Assemblyman David Alvarez, cleared the path for U.S. and Mexican citizens with a Visa to attend the schools north of the border, a move that is meant to fuel the future workforce of the San Diego Region. Qualifying students would pay the in-state rate $46 per unit, versus the average $300 nonresident tuition fee per unit. "We have a very unique, special situation where we can attract students not just from other parts of California and within San Diego, but also from across the border in our border region," Alvarez told inewsource last year. "(They) are really our regional assets." The San Diego region needs to ramp up post-secondary educational attainment if it wants to meet its 2030 goal of adding 20,000 skilled workers per year to support the local economy's growth, according to a 2023 report by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. The report highlights that "investing in Latino and Black student success would reverse the talent shortage trend and create a talent surplus," and this program would fuel that by trimming financial barriers faced by the cross-border students. Each one of the 9 participating community colleges limits the program's participation to 150 students, meaning up to 1,350 students could benefit from this initiative per year. "Our community values education, and as an educational institution we simply need to remove the barriers for our students by removing the cost to attend college, and that's what we've done," said Southwestern Community College President, Mark Sanchez. The Chula Vista, California, school has approximately 80 students enrolled this semester as part of the AB-91 program. "It allows us to ensure that we can educate and prepare the broadest talent pool for those job opportunities now and into the future," he added. Originally published on Latin Times. Colt Gray has admitted 'I did it' to investigators despite being read his Miranda rights after he was arrested for shooting dead four people at his Georgia high school. The 14-year-old was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said the boy was 'still talking' after he was read his rights by authorities, according to CNN. Gray's father Colin, 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin knowingly allowing his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. Colt Gray has admitted 'I did it' to investigators despite being read his Miranda rights after he was arrested for shooting dead four people at his Georgia high school Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said the boy was 'still talking' after he was read his rights by authorities Gray was given the gun he used to shoot dead four people at his Georgia high school as a Christmas present from his father months after they were questioned by the FBI over alleged threats. His father Colin Gray has told authorities that he bought the gun for the boy himself as a Christmas gift. Colin Gray has yet to make any public comment on the shooting. This was just months after the teenager and his father were interviewed by local law enforcement in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, according to investigators. The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. The 14-year-old was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers A huge police presence descended on Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday after officials said the student opened fire, injuring nine and killing four 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' the father, Colin Gray, said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office. Colin reportedly assured officers that he would be 'mad as hell' if he learned the allegations about his son making threats were true, and that 'all the guns [would] go away.' Online, his aunt vowed 'full throttle blood' as she claimed he'd been subjected to 'abuse' his entire life. Those comments were deleted last night after a barrage of backlash. The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. Gray appears in the booking photo with long hair that has been dyed blond - a far cry from the smiling, baby-faced boy pictured in his middle school yearbook just two years earlier. The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Two students and two teachers were dead inside the school building by the time he laid down his AR-style weapon. Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspenwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were named as the deceased. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim When police searched the teen's Georgia home following the bloodbath, they reportedly found clues the teenager was 'obsessed' with mass shootings - specifically the Parkland massacre in 2018, which left 17 people dead. Gray was known to the FBI after several tips came in about him last year. The boy remains in juvenile custody in Georgia, awaiting his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning. He will be charged as an adult, sheriffs said. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene. Sheriff Smith revealed that Wednesday was Gray's first 'real day' at Apalachee High. He said: 'He was a brand new student to Barrow County Schools, he had enrolled about two weeks prior. This was his second day at school. He had been before, he left early, on that day and this was his first real full day.' According to law enforcement, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23am, hitting at least 13 people as frantic scenes took over the school. Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure 'chaos.' Horrific details from inside classrooms have emerged - depicting the chilling chaos students endured as gunshots rang out this morning One mother described the scenes outside the high school as 'chaos' A junior at the school, Lyela Sayerath, said she was sat next to Colt Gray in algebra class minutes before he began the shooting spree. She told CNN that Colt left the classroom at the beginning of their class at 9:45am, around 30 minutes before active shooter alerts sounded. Gray didn't take a bathroom pass, she said, leading her to initially think he was merely skipping class - before a loudspeaker announcement told teachers to check their emails. Shortly after, Sayerath said Gray returned outside their classroom, and a student got up to open the door for him before jumping back at the sight of his gun. 'I guess he saw we weren't going to let him in. And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open, so I think he just started shooting in the classroom,' she said. Sayerath said Gray proceeded to fire off a number of bullets 'one after another', adding: 'When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and like kind of crawled in an area like piled on top of each other.' Sayerath said her friend was in the next classroom and witnessed someone being shot, which left him 'shaken up'. 'He saw somebody get shot. He had blood on him. He was kinda limping. He looked horrified,' she added. As information floods in on the school shooting - officially the deadliest in Georgia's history - students and parents shared their shock at the horror that unfolded. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by law enforcement, and 'gave up and got on the ground' One mother, Erin Clark, shared the text exchange she had with her son Ethan from the moment he learned there was an active shooter at his school. He wrote: 'school shooting rn (right now). I'm scared. I'm not joking.' His mom responded instantly, assuring him that she was leaving work. In a heartbreaking response, Ethan wrote: 'I love you.' 'Love you too baby. Where are you?' Clark said. Ethan told her that he was in class, adding 'someone's dead.' Heartbroken students have been arriving outside school grounds in a steady stream on Thursday to mourn the tragedy. A makeshift memorial has been created using a wreath and flowers. On Thursday, families and students stopped by the somber scene to pay their respects to the lives lost in the tragedy. President Joe Biden issued a statement condemning gun violence after the tragedy. He said: 'What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Heartbroken students have been arriving outside school grounds in a steady stream on Thursday to mourn the tragedy On Thursday, families and students stopped by the somber scene to pay their respects to the lives lost in the tragedy 'Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. 'We cannot continue to accept this as normal.' Biden called on Congress to say 'enough is enough' and pass new gun safety legislation, describing gun violence as an 'epidemic.' Western Australia police have posted a $250,000 reward for information about the violent sexual assault of a backpacker at a beach rave party. The 31-year-old woman was struck in the head and sexually assaulted in the sand dunes of Broome's Cable Beach on May 29, 2022, police allege. The woman was one of around 200 revellers at the psy-trance 'bush doof' and was approached by a man as she was relieving herself in nearby sand dunes between 4.30am and 5am. He then bludgeoned her over the head with a rock multiple times and sexually assaulted her. She suffered serious facial injuries in the assault. 'This was a random and vicious attack on a young woman, and she continues to live with the aftermath of the incident every day,' Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Fowler of the WA Special Crime Squad said. 'Someone in the community knows something. This amount of (reward) money has the potential to change someone's life, and at the same time, help police and the victim get some much-needed answers.' The Special Crime Squad described the man as dark-skinned, with a slim build between 170 to 177cm tall. A 31-year-old woman was assaulted at a rave party attended by around 200 people in 2022 The woman was bashed and sexually assaulted in dunes near a party on Cable Beach, Broome 'It occurred pretty much within sight, just behind a sand dune where the event was, so within a matter of metres from where people gathered, listening to music,' Sergeant Bryan Beck said in a press conference at the time. Despite her extensive injuries, the woman managed to drag herself back to the party and alert organisers before she was taken to Broome Hospital in a critical condition as the party raged on. The man was believed to have fled immediately and disappeared across the dunes. More than 100 people reportedly told police they were at the event in 2022. One man told Daily Mail Australia in 2002 that he and others were unaware of the attack until the following day. 'It's just shocking what happened,' he said. 'People come together from different countries and have a good time and it's usually a good and positive vibe.' A person at the event said the female backpacker was in a great deal of pain following the attack. Images show the serious injuries sustained by the woman during the brazen 'bush doof' attack 'Bush doofs' loosely organised, outdoor parties in regional areas are popular in Broome. The tourist town regularly hosts events held on its beaches and in the bushland. It's believed the event in 2022 was organised over the Facebook messenger app. Party-goers were hesitant to talk about the attack in 2022, and residents of the town avoided media. When asked who organised the event, one man said: 'None of your business.' He then suggested 'everyone knows' who the alleged rapist is, but others said that was simply not true. WA police released images of the party as they launch a $250,000 appeal for any information In 2022, Senior Sergeant Beck said people may have been hesitant to involve police due to possible drug use at the event, but assured the public the investigation was solely focused on the assault. He also said police do not have information to suggest the perpetrator was a guest of the rave. However, Sgt Beck told the ABC the incident meant local police would take an interest in future raves. 'Behind the scenes, we've had conversations with organisers and local council around bush doofs,' he said. 'Given there was something quite serious that occurred at this event, we're interested in knowing more about these events, and the people that go to these events.' The reward of $250,000 will be aid for anyinformation leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Anyone who can assist is urged to contact Crime Stoppers either by telephone or their anonymous online portal. Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said he lamented that school shootings are a 'fact of life' and argued the U.S. needs to harden security to prevent more carnage like the shooting this week that left four dead in Georgia. 'If these psychos are going to go after our kids we've got to be prepared for it,' Vance said at a rally, on Thursday, in Phoenix. 'We don't have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We've got to deal with it.' The Ohio senator was asked by a journalist what can be done to stop school shootings. He said further restricting access to guns, as many Democrats advocate, won't end them, noting they happen in states with both lax and strict gun laws. Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said he lamented that school shootings are a 'fact of life' and argued the U.S. needs to harden security to prevent further carnage He touted efforts in Congress to give schools more money for security. 'I don't like that this is a fact of life,' Vance said. 'But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We've got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they're not able.' Vance said he doesn't like the idea of his own kids going to a school with hardened security, 'but that's increasingly the reality that we live in.' He called the shooting in Georgia an 'awful tragedy,' and said the families in Winder, Georgia, need prayers and sympathy. 'If these psychos are going to go after our kids we've got to be prepared for it,' Vance said at a rally, on Thursday, in Phoenix, Arizona Earlier this year, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, toured the bloodstained Florida classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened. She then announced a program to assist states that have laws allowing police to temporarily seize guns from people judges have found to be dangerous. Harris, who leads the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, has supported both stronger gun controls, such as banning sales of AR-15 and similar rifles, and better school security, like making sure classroom doors don't lock from the outside as they did in Parkland. Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children Vance argued the U.S. needs to harden security to prevent more carnage like the shooting this week that left four dead in Georgia On Thursday, the father of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray was arrested on charges including murder after it was revealed that he purchased the AR-15-style rifle the 14-year-old used to shoot dead four people on campus. Colin Gray, 54, was taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. The 14-year-old was apprehended on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, just minutes after he killed two students and two teachers with the semi-automatic weapon. The dad allegedly purchased the deadly weapon as a Christmas present to his son - just months after they received an initial visit from the FBI. The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. The American and state of Georgia flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School on Thursday in Winder, Georgia Colt Gray was given the gun he used to allegedly shoot dead four people at his Georgia high school as a Christmas present from his father Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. 'These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,' GBI Director Chris Hosey said at an evening news conference. 'His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.' In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person. The first mugshot has emerged of Colin Gray, the man accused of buying his 14-year-old son Colt the AR-15-style rifle the boy used to shoot dead four people at his high school. Gray, 54, was taken into custody by local authorities at 6:11pm and charged with two felony counts of murder, four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight felony counts of cruelty to children. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. The 14-year-old was apprehended on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, just minutes after he killed two students and two teachers with the semi-automatic weapon. The dad allegedly purchased the deadly weapon as a Christmas present to his son - just months after they received an initial visit from the FBI. The first mugshot has emerged of Colin Gray, the man accused of buying his 14-year-old son Colt the AR-15-style rifle the boy used to shoot dead four people at his high school Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. 'These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,' GBI Director Chris Hosey said at an evening news conference. 'His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.' In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person. Its the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children's actions in school shootings. Colt Gray was given the gun he used to allegedly shoot dead four people at his Georgia high school as a Christmas present from his father Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first convicted in a mass school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison of not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their sons deteriorating mental health before he killed killing four students in 2021 . The arrest came after sources claimed that the father-of-three bought his 14-year-old son the assault rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift in 2023. This was just months after the teenager and his father were interviewed by local law enforcement in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, according to investigators. The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' the father, Colin Gray, said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office. Colin reportedly assured officers that he would be 'mad as hell' if he learned the allegations about his son making threats were true, and that 'all the guns [would] go away.' Online, his aunt vowed 'full throttle blood' as she claimed he'd been subjected to 'abuse' his entire life. Those comments were deleted last night after a barrage of backlash. The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. Two students view a memorial as the flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The American and state of Georgia flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Two students and two teachers were dead inside the school building by the time he laid down his AR-style weapon. Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspenwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were named as the deceased. When police searched the teen's Georgia home following the bloodbath, they reportedly found clues the teenager was 'obsessed' with mass shootings - specifically the Parkland massacre in 2018, which left 17 people dead. Gray was known to the FBI after several tips came in about him last year. The boy remains in juvenile custody in Georgia, awaiting his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning. He will be charged as an adult, sheriffs said. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene. Sheriff Smith revealed that Wednesday was Gray's first 'real day' at Apalachee High. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene Gray has been charged with four felony counts of murder, and will be tried as an adult, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed He said: 'He was a brand new student to Barrow County Schools, he had enrolled about two weeks prior. This was his second day at school. He had been before, he left early, on that day and this was his first real full day.' According to law enforcement, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23am, hitting at least 13 people as frantic scenes took over the school. Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure 'chaos.' A makeshift memorial has been created using a wreath and flowers. On Thursday, families and students stopped by the somber scene to pay their respects to the lives lost in the tragedy. The mother of 14-year-old Georgia school shooter Colt Gray has a lengthy rap sheet including domestic violence, drug use and fraud that led to her being sentenced to jail time last December. Gray was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers, killing four. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights. His father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, is accused of buying his 14-year-old son Colt the AR-15-style rifle the boy used and was arrested Thursday on several counts of second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. Public records show that Gray's mother, Marcee Gray, has a criminal record dating back to 2007 and spent time in jail as recently as this past April and was banned from contacting father Colin without a third party intermediary. Marcee, 43, has a record across four Georgia counties and includes drug use, domestic violence and property damage, as well as civil claims of fraud. Marcee Gray, the mother of 14-year-old Georgia school shooter Colt Gray, has a lengthy rap sheet involving domestic violence, drug use and fraud that led to her being sentenced to jail time as last December Gray was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers, killing four. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights She was arrested November 6, 2023, on allegations of possession of meth, fentanyl and muscle relaxants but was never charged on the drugs, only the vehicle fraud. Last December, Gray pled guilty to counts of using a license plate to conceal identity, damage to property and trespassing/family violence, as she used a tag for a Nissan Kick to conceal the identity of her Nissan Rogue. Gray - listed on her LinkedIn page as a Senior Quality Engineer at a local factory - was eligible under a Georgia law that allows certain defendants to plead guilty without being convicted, according to AJC. On December 21, she was sentenced to five years in jail and banned from having any contact with Colt's father Colin, as well as paying out $1,500 to an Atlanta construction company in restitution. Gray only had to spend 46 days in confinement before getting the rest on probation, while also having to take part in a family violence intervention program and not use drugs or alcohol. On April 12, she was charged in connection with a November 4 aggravated battery against a 73-year-old woman, as well as theft, false imprisonment, criminal trespass and failure to appear when she threw the woman against a wall. She also taped the elderly woman's hands and feet to keep her from leaving and broke a bathroom mirror in the woman's home. Gray's other charges include misdemeanor traffic offenses in 2019, a speeding charge in 2014 and traffic offenses in 2007. His father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, is accused of buying his 14-year-old son Colt the AR-15-style rifle the boy used and was arrested Thursday on several counts of second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children Marcee, 43, has a record across four Georgia counties and includes drug use, domestic violence and property damage, as well as civil claims of fraud The most she was ever punished was 12 months of probation and 40 hours community service. She also has been accused of civil fraud by a local Chevrolet dealership, saying she bought a 2018 Suburban with a $10,000 check with her and Colin's names on is that was 'dishonored due to lack of funds'. Gray was ordered to pay over $19,000 in restitution and attorney fees, with records showing that Colin's paychecks were being garnished to help pay down the debt. The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. Lauren Vickers, a neighbor, told the New York Post that the family had been trouble ever since moving into the neighborhood in 2022 and the kids were clearly not being taken care of. 'There were nights where the mom would lock him and his sister out the house. And they would be banging on the back door, just screaming like 'Mom! mom! mom!' and crying. It was absolutely devastating,' she said. On December 21, she was sentenced to five years in jail and banned from having any contact with Colt's father Colin, as well as paying out $1,500 to an Atlanta construction company in restitution Gray has been charged with four felony counts of murder, and will be tried as an adult, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed She added that Marcee was often clearly intoxicated, even when driving her children - shooter Colt was described as 'quiet' - to school. 'I would find her in the driveway, passed out, with the car running and blaring music early in the morning,' Vickers added. A former landlord for the Grays described Marcee as a 'f***-up' while Colt was 'trying his best'. The arrest came after sources claimed that the father-of-three bought his 14-year-old son the assault rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift in 2023. This was just months after the teenager and his father were interviewed by local law enforcement in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, according to investigators. The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' the father, Colin Gray, said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office. Colin reportedly assured officers that he would be 'mad as hell' if he learned the allegations about his son making threats were true, and that 'all the guns [would] go away.' Online, his aunt vowed 'full throttle blood' as she claimed he'd been subjected to 'abuse' his entire life. Those comments were deleted last night after a barrage of backlash. Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Two students and two teachers were dead inside the school building by the time he laid down his AR-style weapon. Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspenwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were named as the deceased. When police searched the teen's Georgia home following the bloodbath, they reportedly found clues the teenager was 'obsessed' with mass shootings - specifically the Parkland massacre in 2018, which left 17 people dead. Gray was known to the FBI after several tips came in about him last year. The boy remains in juvenile custody in Georgia, awaiting his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning. He will be charged as an adult, sheriffs said. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene. Colin Gray was taken into custody by local authorities at 6:11pm Thursday and charged with two felony counts of murder, four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight felony counts of cruelty to children. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. A professional ballroom dancer was busted after crashing into a motorcyclist before driving away with his mangled bike underneath her vehicle, according to police. Rebekah Makenzie Tate, 23, was charged for a hit-and-run crash on Sunday that left the cyclist with 'life threatening' injuries in West Melbourne, a coastal town in central Florida. The harpist and pianist was driving her silver SUV east on US 192 when she collided with a 34-year-old man riding a motorcycle through an intersection at Dairy Road, according to police. 'The force of the crash caused the motorcyclists helmet to come off, leaving him in the middle of the roadway with life threatening injuries,' according to the West Melbourne Police Department. Police said Tate, whose Instagram is full of pictures of her dancing and playing the harp, drove away with the man's bike still tangled in the undercarriage of her car. Rebekah Makenzie Tate, 23, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly hitting a motorcyclist with her car and dragging his bike away while fleeing the scene Police say this is Tate's SUV with the motorcycle tangled underneath. She abandoned her car outside a Hyundai dealership and was picked up in a sedan, according to court documents The ballerina then pulled into the parking lot of a Hyundai dealership, still with the motorcycle attached to the front of her vehicle, court records show. She even tried to free the bike from her car at one point, according to a police report. Apparently she gave up, she was then seen talking on her phone. Soon after, she was picked up in a black sedan. It's unclear who picked her up, but her run from the law didn't last long. Tate was arrested Wednesday and booked into Brevard County Jail where she remains behind bars as of now. She was charged with two felony counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and tampering with evidence. Tate pleaded not guilty and will be tried in front of a jury. Judge Kelly Ingram set Tate's cash bonds at $15,000 and $2,500 for each count, respectively. She also has the option to post bail with a surety bond. Tate is pictured playing the harp in a video on her Instagram page A woman claiming to the victim's mother said she has 'ZERO sympathy' for Tate and looks forward to 'seeing her pay for what she did' The man who Tate allegedly struck with her car was not identified in court documents, but a woman claiming to be his mother has spoken out. 'I am the victims mother and I couldnt care less what her circumstances were. She left my son to die in the middle of the road,' Ari Myrback wrote in a comment underneath the West Melbourne Police Department's Facebook post about the case. She also revealed the extent of her son's injuries. 'My son was in the ICU on a ventilator. It will take 6 months to a year, if not longer for him to walk normally again. IF he ever does. 'I have ZERO sympathy for this woman and I look forward to seeing her pay for what she did to my son,' Myrback wrote. DailyMail.com reached out to Myrback for comment. Billy LeBlanc, pictured, happened to be at the scene of the crash because he was out that night delivering DoorDash orders. He rendered aid to the downed motorcyclist LeBlanc said Tate, pictured above in court, should have called 911 'at the bare minimum' Billy LeBlanc happened to be at the scene of the crash because he was out that night delivering DoorDash orders, ClickOrlando reported. He was the first person to rush in and render life-saving aid to the motorcyclist. 'He was laying there motionless face down on the ground. As I got closer I noticed there was a helmet in the road and debris everywhere,' LeBlanc explained. He added that he saw 'no motorcycle' and 'no car,' leading him to believe 'it was obviously a hit and run.' LeBlanc couldn't believe someone left the man there for dead, but luckily he was there to give him CPR until paramedics arrived. 'It's sad man, she was obviously scared,' LeBlanc said, referring to Tate. 'But still, just call 911 at the bare minimum. I'm just glad I was there at the right time and I was able to help him.' A farmer has warned Australia's national food security could be compromised amid an alarming rise in generations-old dairy farms being sold to overseas buyers. The multibillion-dollar company German Munich Re has purchased 12 farms in the Corangamite Shire in Victoria's southwest in the last year. The lush pastoral area is known for being one of the biggest food-generating regions in Australia and for having 'perfect' dairy farming conditions. The farms will be transformed into new blue gum plantations amid projections the demand for timber amid record immigration levels, urbanisation and an increasing population will quadruple by 2050. However, farmers say the influx of plantations threaten the future of rural towns in Victoria's southwest such as Simpson, Timboon and Cobden. Simpson had a population of just 500 people in the 2021 Census. Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin said she had a responsibility to protect the rural towns from the widespread impacts of the 'timber takeover'. The multibillion-dollar company German Munich Re has purchased 12 farms in the Corangamite Shire in Victoria's southwest in the last year 'This land-use change is corrosive,' she told the ABC. 'We've got all this beautiful food being made right here in our backyard. 'But I fear that once we get the trees in here for a minimum of 15 years, I just don't see the agriculture and the food coming back to this region.' Midway, Australia's largest timber processor and exporter based in Geelong, has been snapping up farms in the area. One farmer said he sold his land over safety concerns for his staff operating machinery on muddy slopes and the sheer difficulty of dairy farming. 'The tree [company] bought all around me - my neighbours sold up and I thought, 'Oh well',' he told the ABC on condition of anonymity. 'The tree people are good to deal with, they come and do an inspection, do the numbers on your property, and then tell you what they're willing to pay. 'There's no argy-bargy.' Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin (pictured) said she had a responsibility to protect the rural towns from the widespread impacts of the 'timber takeover' However, other farmers warn the influx of new timber plantations in one of Australia's biggest food-generating areas will threaten future food security. Councillor Jamie Vogels from the Corangamite Shire Council says the blue gum plantations marks the start of a destructive land-use trend. 'They'll plant everything out to trees and that will take about 12 to 15 years of nobody being here, there will be vacant houses sitting around everywhere,' he told the ABC. A Midway spokesperson said the timber plantations would generate up to 260 jobs during the harvests in 12 or 13 years time. 'There has been extensive and ongoing consultation with the local community, including local councils and parliamentarians, regarding the establishment of eucalyptus globulus plantings,' the spokesperson said. It comes after state and federal governments invested a combined $500million in the forestry industry to reduce emissions and boost timber production. A stubborn Perth family is finally set to sell their large parcel of land to developers after holding out for years while an entire suburb was built around them. The property, which sits on a six-acre block on Wattleup Road in the suburb of Hammond Park is up for sale, and expected to attract offers over $3million. Owned by the same family for more than 40 years, the site features a four-bedroom, two-bathroom brick house and a granny flat. However, it is now set to be demolished to make way for dozens of new homes, with property developers eyeing up the land. 'Unlock the potential of this expansive 2.34-hectare development site, strategically located in the heart of Hammond Park,' the listing on Domain reads. 'This prime parcel of land offers unparalleled opportunities for both residential and commercial development, perfectly situated to benefit from the area's growing demand. 'At 2.34 hectares, 466 Wattleup Rd is a prime urban infill or mixed-use residential, retail and commercial development project in a major growth corridor.' Ollie Salimi from Effective Property Solutions told Domain said that the site could be developed into a new residential and retail area. 'We expect a lot of interest in this site as Hammond Park's existing and nearly fully built-out residential land estates are in very high demand from young families, thanks to an array of schools and new public amenities in this now flourishing area.' A stubborn Perth family have finally decided to sell their huge parcel of land to developers - after an entire suburb was built around them The property is home to a four-bedroom, two-bathroom brick house and a granny flat, but it could soon be demolished to make way for many more homes. The property initially covered over four hectares, but part of it was sold for $2million to allow for the extension of Hammond Road in 2022. Census data shows that Hammond Park's population nearly doubled between 2011 and 2016, growing to just under 5,000 residents. According to CoreLogic, median house prices in the area have risen by 80 per cent to $829,811 over the past five years, while unit prices have gone up by 90 per cent at $604,133. While many Australian families have given in to the pressure from developers to sell their properties, one family in Sydney is still resisting and refusing to sell For decades, the intensely-private Zammit family have been the proud owners of a sprawling 20,000sqm property in Quakers Hill, in Sydney's west. The five-acre property slices through a massive block of the new development, abruptly turning through-roads into cul-de-sacs, with homes wedged up hard against the home's boundary fence. However, while all their old neighbours gradually sold up and moved out, the Zammit family has held on and refused to sell, despite reportedly being offered more than $40 million for the site. The Quakers Hill home stands on 1.99 hectares and has a majestic, Windsor Castle-style, 200m-long driveway cutting through the huge lawn to the front door The Zammits are a very private family and declined to discuss the offers theyve received to move out when Daily Mail Australia contacted them. However, the family have admitted the land is unrecognisable from when they moved in 16 years ago. 'It used to be farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages,' mother Diane Zammit, 50, said. 'Every home was unique, and there was so much space - but not any more. It's just not the same.' READ MORE: The big election date secret that Albo let slip Former Labor leader Bill Shorten will not receive a pension when he leaves politics for good but will sign a $1million contract to run the 403rd best university in the world. On Thursday, Mr Shorten emotionally announced he was retiring from politics to take up a position as Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra, starting in February 2025. Mr Shorten was first elected as the MP for the Melbourne electorate of Maribyrnong in 2007, three years after the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme - known as the pension - was closed to new members. The pre-2004 scheme meant that MPs were entitled to a lifetime pension or a lump sum, depending on their length of service, with the minimum pension set at 50 per cent of the parliamentary allowance if they served at least eight years. Each additional year of service gave them an extra 2.5 per cent and those who served more than 18 years were then eligible for a 70 per cent boost, with additional amounts on offer if they served as a minister or officeholder. That means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, first elected in 1996, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, first elected in 2001, will be eligible for hefty pensions - unlike Mr Shorten. But Mr Shorten is unlikely to go hungry. While the finer details of his contract are still under negotiation, Mr Shorten's new gig could be worth three times the PM's $607,500 salary. Bill Shorten is pictured on Thursday, after announcing his retirement from politics. Left to right: His wife Chloe, Mr Shorten, his daughter Clementine, and PM Anthony Albanese Bill Shorten is pictured with students at the University of Canberra in 2014. He now has a job there Mr Shorten's predecessor at UC, Paddy Nixon, enjoyed a $1.8 million package in 2023 - a significant boost from his $1,045,000 package in 2022. A university spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Shorten's salary was still being discussed, but it would be less than Mr Nixon's. 'This matter is still to be determined and finalised by Council,' said a university spokesman. 'His remuneration is being considered in the context of the current higher education settings and the Universitys operating environment. 'The Chancellor and the incoming Vice-Chancellor have agreed the remuneration package will be less than the previous VCs.' Mr Shorten graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989, which means he benefited from the fee-free university scheme spearheaded by former Labor PM Gough Whitlam. He studied law in 1992 and tried unsuccessfully to run for a seat in Parliament, before he was appointed National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union. Mr Shorten was eventually elected to the House of Representatives in 2007. He has no post-graduate qualifications. The new job and salary expectations come amid questions surrounding the salaries of Australian university bosses - who are the highest-paid in the world, according to an analysis by Canadian consultant Alex Usher. According to Mr Usher's data, UC was ranked 421 best university in the world when Mr Nixon was getting his $1,045,000 package in 2022. His salary was the same as that of Dame Louise Richardson, who ran Oxford - the best university in the world. Similarly, Flinders University boss Colin Stirling was paid about $1,345,000 - which was $100,000-plus more than the head of Harvard University, Lawrence Bacow. Bill Shorten will work at the University of Canberra for more than $1million. He is pictured at UC during a visit in 2014 Annual reports of Victorian universities revealed in May that six of Victorias eight vice-chancellors had substantial pay rises in 2023, some worth more than $50,000. The highest executive salary increase was for Monash University, from $1,560,000 to $1,569,999 in 2023, compared with $1,370,000 to $1,379,999 in 2022. That's despite five universities reporting deficits, largely due to losses in international student numbers amid the covid pandemic. As of next year, the Albanese government will axe full-fee paying international students by 30 per cent. The changes were Labor's response to the housing crisis, which has been amplified by a constant influx of international students who increase the demand for accommodation. Education is Australia's second-largest industry and has long-subsidised underfunded university research, along with local student intakes who defer payment under the HECS scheme. Larger institutions, like the University of Sydney, get more money through international students than through government funding. Bill Shorten is pictured with his wife, Chloe. On Thursday, he announced his retirement from politics next year Analysts are concerned that capping full-fee-paying student numbers from overseas will force some universities to shut down entire faculties and limit the number of domestic student they enrol. There are also concerns that international student caps, and therefore less funding, could result in smaller local student intakes. During his retirement speech on Thursday, Mr Shorten said: 'I have experienced some extraordinary political highs in the last 17 years.' 'Let's face it, some extraordinary political lows. 'There is not a single day in the last 17 years that I would hand back. Because every day, I know how lucky I have been to have the privilege to serve the Australian people.' Mr Shorten was appointed to the ministry during Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard's government, before winning the role of opposition leader. As Opposition leader, Mr Shorten led Labor to a narrow loss at the 2016 election but the unexpected defeat in 2019 delivered office to then Liberal leader Scott Morrison who described his surprise victory as a 'miracle'. After this loss, Mr Shorten resigned as ALP leader and now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was elected unopposed to succeed him. Mr Shorten was most recently appointed as the Minister for Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Audio has been released of the moment a domestic violence survivor is mocked by two Queensland Police officers after she called them for help. The Southport woman said she had called Gold Coast police because she believed he ex-partner had breached an order and allegedly broken into her house. 'I had video... security camera footage (of the break-in),' the woman told 7 News. She claimed that when police arrived one of the officers 'stood over me, was quite rude and intimidated me so I asked him if he wouldn't mind just to stand outside of my home'. After taking the report and collecting her evidence the officers left, but called her at 12.47am that night and left a voicemail which said there was not enough evidence to proceed as the ex-partner had denied he'd broken in. The officer then attempts to hang up the phone but the call stays connected and he can be heard joking with a colleague that the woman would be distraught no action would be taken. 'This b**** is going to be like, ''What the f***!'' You are so getting a complaint,' one officer is heard saying, prompting laughter from the other. One officer then said, 'they can't say failed to investigate,' to which the other replied, 'nah it'll be not professional enough or some bulls***'. 'It'll probably be: Even your sergeant told you to get out,' the other said, referencing making the woman feel uncomfortable while they were there. The woman, whose identity is protected, said she felt 'intimidated' by one officer who showed up when she called The woman made a complaint to police and received a response asking to hear the voicemail. She claimed she was later told it wouldn't be followed up as it was just 'office banter'. But the woman argues the experience left her feeling let down by police whom she had called for protection. 'What's the point? It feels like that when you're in trouble your neighbour is more likely to help you than the police.' A Queensland Police spokesperson said: 'Police received a complaint in relation to this incident from the complainant on April 22 via Policelink.' 'The complainant was personally contacted by a senior officer, and an official apology was made by the officer involved. At the time, the complainant advised police she was satisfied with the subsequent police contact and explanations provided. This interaction was officially recorded. 'There was no information provided about whether there would be further disciplinary action for the officers involved.' A Melbourne mother allegedly tried to sell a human toe on the black market after it had been chewed off by a dog. Joanna Kathlyn Kinman, 47, from Lilydale in Melbourne's north east, was charged with offensive conduct involving human remains last month after Victoria Police received a tip-off in February. Police allege Ms Kinman was volunteering at an animal shelter, which cannot be named for legal reasons, when a dog vomited up a single toe and other bone fragments. Ms Kinsman is accused of putting the toe and other remains in a jar with the intention of selling them online, the Herald Sun reported. The severed toe belonged to the dog's owner who had died of natural causes. It is understood the dog gnawed off the owner's toe before being discovered and taken to the shelter. The dog owner also cannot be named for legal reasons. Ms Kinsman reportedly faced Ringwood Magistrates Court on Tuesday. She has not yet indicated if she intends to fight the charges. Offensive conduct with human remains carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail. Joanna Kathlyn Kinman (pictured), 47, from Lilydale in Melbourne's north east, was charged with offensive conduct involving human remains last month after Victoria Police received a tip-off in February Police allege Ms Kinman was volunteering at an animal shelter, which cannot be named for legal reasons, when a dog vomited up a single toe and other bone fragments 'Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a woman after she allegedly stole human remains in the Yarra Ranges area in February 2024,' A spokesperson for Victoria Police said. 'The 47-year-old was arrested on 20 February in relation to the incident. 'The Lilydale woman was charged with offensive conduct involving human remains on 16 August. 'She will appear at Ringwood Magistrates Court on 7 November, 2024.' Two days after her court appearance Ms Kinsman listed a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sale on Facebook. 'Almost new, only used for 18hrs!', she wrote, alongside several photos of the item. Ms Kinsman has listed multiple items for sale on social media in recent months including a fish tank, 'silent guitar' and 20 James Bond collectible cars. Daily Mail Australia approached Ms Kinsman for comment. A stepmother grossly neglected a little girl who died in 'filth and squalor' after months of abandonment. Shannon Leigh White, 47, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after her four-year-old stepdaughter Willow Dunn was found dead at a Cannon Hill home, in Brisbane's east, in 2020. Willow, who had Down syndrome, was last seen as a growing girl, weighing 10kg, at a doctor's appointment in 2018. At the time White had seemed proud to be raising the child but things quickly changed. Willow was isolated from 2019, she rarely left the family home and was likely left alone for short periods. She was not seen in White's social media posts or photos taken of the whole family. Even neighbours on the family home's suburban street were unaware Willow existed. The four-year-old was found dead on May 25, 2020 after police were called by a family member. Shannon Leigh White, 47, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after her four-year-old stepdaughter Willow Dunn was found dead at a Cannon Hill home, in Brisbane's east, in 2020 It is believed she died two days earlier. Her body was emaciated and weighed just 6.5kg, half of the accepted weight for her age. Willow was dirty with long, black nails and missing patches of hair. She had a lice infestation so severe it had colonised her chest and had severe pressure wounds on her back and hip that were open and weeping. Justice Peter Davis said as the little girl's stepmother and significant caregiver White had grossly neglected the child, effectively abandoning her. He did not accept the defence that White was unaware of Willow's deteriorating condition nor that she had been abandoned. During sentencing submissions earlier this week, prosecutor Nathan Crane said White had suggested taking Willow to a doctor or hospital two months before her death but this did not eventuate. 'You were well aware your neglect was significantly impacting Willow's health, that explains the comments you made about wanting to seek help but fear of losing all the children,' Justice Davis said. He said White selfishly chose not to seek help for the little girl which ended in the catastrophic consequence of Willow's death. 'This is a shocking case where you as the mother figure to Willow have preferred your own interests to that of Willow,' Justice Davis said. 'She has died in a state of filth and squalor, infested with parasites, and bearing open sores. 'Even in death, there was no attempt to protect her. 'The offending against Willow is a very bad case of severe neglect over a relatively lengthy period with catastrophic consequences.' The four-year-old was found dead on May 25, 2020 after police were called by a family member. Her body was emaciated and weighed just 6.5kg, half of the accepted weight for her age 'This is a shocking case where you as the mother figure to Willow have preferred your own interests to that of Willow,' Justice Davis said. 'She has died in a state of filth and squalor, infested with parasites, and bearing open sores. 'Even in death, there was no attempt to protect her' Defence barrister Paula Morreau submitted earlier this week White was impaired by her past experience of abuse and her mental conditions. Justice Davis said without these mitigating factors and her attempt at rehabilitation in custody he would have sentenced her to a lengthier term of imprisonment. White was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison on Friday at the Brisbane Supreme Court. She was also convicted of cruelty to a child under 16 concerning a second child. White will be eligible for parole in June 2026. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Labour has insisted it was right to axe the 290million Rwanda deportations scheme, after Germany suggested the EU take over facilities paid for by UK taxpayers to house its own unwanted migrants. No10 branded the scheme introduced by the previous Tory administration an 'expensive gimmick' amid a growing political row over one of Keir Starmer's first decisions as Prime Minister. Last night it was revealed Berlin's migration commissioner Joachim Stamp has proposed deporting those who arrive illegally in the EU via Poland's border with Belarus to Rwanda. He proposes the bloc take advantage of hostels set up using British money, which Rwanda has refused to refund. The German ambassador to the UK, Manuel Berger, this morning clarified that it would not send asylum seekers to east Africa permanently but it was discussing 'processing asylum applications in third countries under international humanitarian law and with support of the United Nations'. It came as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper prepared to chair a summit today aimed at destroying the criminal gangs involved in smuggling people from France in small boats, after the deadliest crossing of the year so far. The Home Secretary will lead the meeting of senior ministers, figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and intelligence services on Friday. It follows the deaths of at least 12 people who attempted to cross the channel on Tuesday, after gangs crammed more than 70 people onto a tiny dinghy and set it on a course for England. But Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick accused Labour of abandoning 'the one credible deterrent' against Channel migrant boats. Mr Jenrick told Sky News: 'Yvette Cooper will meet the National Crime Agency and police chiefs today, and they'll tell her what they told me when I was the minister, which is that although it's important that we do that work, it is not sufficient. You have to have a deterrent.' Berlin's migration commissioner Joachim Stamp has proposed deporting those who arrive illegally in the bloc via Poland's border with Belarus He proposes the bloc take advantage of hostels set up using British money, which Rwanda has refused to refund. The Home Secretary will lead the meeting of senior ministers, figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and intelligence services on Friday (Pictured: An RNLI boat which has rescued people trying to cross the Channel arrives in Dover) In the latest fatal incident a boat was 'ripped open' and sank off the northern French coast of Cap Gris-Nez. Only eight people were wearing a life jacket. Amongst those killed were 10 women, one of whom was pregnant, and six children. Another two people were left in a critical condition in hospital, and 51 people were saved. Tony Smith, the former director general of UK Border Force, also told the BBC Labour should reconsider the Rwanda scheme. 'The key to deterrents is removals and we need to make it clear to migrants in France that are already in a safe country, that actually it won't work, getting into a small boat, you won't get to stay in the UK and that you are likely to be relocated elsewhere,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. 'Rwanda was I think a very bold attempt by the last government that those who are already in safe countries, who are saying they fear persecution back home, won't be sent back home actually, there is an alternative where you can live your life safely and that is Rwanda. The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at almost 22,000 (Pictured: Migrants gather on a beach in France waiting to board a boat) But Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick accused Labour of abandoning 'the one credible deterrent' against Channel migrant boats. Your browser does not support iframes. 'That would send the deterrent across the Channel - that it simply isn't worth paying the money, putting your life at risk, your family's lives at risk to get to the UK because it doesn't follow that when you get into British territorial waters you will be allowed to stay here.' But Border Security Minister Angela Eagle told Times Radio Rwanda did not work. '[It] cost 700million and we only ever managed to get four people to volunteer to go to Rwanda and we ended up with a system where there's 106,000 people in a perma backlog not being dealt with at all,' she said. 'But there was never any much of a percentage likelihood that any of those people would have ended up in Rwanda, and it was set to cost literally billions. It was a scheme that didn't work. It didn't provide the disincentive.' Ahead of the meeting, Ms Cooper said: 'Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs. 'Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week. 'At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice.' Government ministers have previously condemned smugglers for packing increasing numbers of people on small boats and endangering lives. More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year, compared with 12 who are thought to have died or were recorded as missing in 2023, according to the French coastguard. MailOnline calculates the figure to be at least 35, including two people who died on August 11 and a woman who suffocated in an overcrowded boat in July. The Home Secretary will be joined at NCA headquarters in London today by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Representatives from the intelligence community will also be present, who have been helping the NCA penetrate and dismantle the smuggling gangs. The Home Secretary will be joined at NCA headquarters in London today by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service Tuesday's tragic incident comes after French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closer together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes last week Ms Cooper added: 'The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. 'But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners. 'At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.' An analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary which dives into the gangs' capability will be examined at the summit, which will also consider closer collaboration with European agencies such as Europol, and advancing the new Border Security Command. Speaking after this week's tragedy, Ms Cooper said: 'What has happened off the coast at Le Portel is a horrifying and deeply tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the loved ones of all those who have lost their lives, and all those who have been seriously injured,' she added. 'I am in touch with my counterpart in France, Gerald Darmanin, and am being kept updated on the situation. Firefighters handle the bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Channel to England in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France on September 3 Your browser does not support iframes. 'We pay tribute to the French coastguard and emergency services who undoubtedly saved many lives, but sadly could not save everyone. We will await the results of the French investigation into how this particular incident unfolded. 'The gangs behind this appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy dinghies, and sending them out into the Channel even in very poor weather. 'They do not care about anything but the profits they make, and that is why as well as mourning the awful loss of life the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security is so vital and must proceed apace. 'All government services are mobilised to find the missing and take care of the victims.' UK coastguards were not involved in the rescue effort due to the sinking happening so close to France. The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at a provisional total of 21,977. This is 3 percent higher than at this point last year, when the total stood at 21,372, but 20 percent lower than at this stage in 2022, when the total was 27,409. There have been 2,683 arrivals in the past nine days, from August 27 to September 4 inclusive - the highest in any nine-day period so far this year. There were 29,437 arrivals across the whole of 2023, down 36 percent on a record 45,774 in 2022. A cladding company boss has denied responsibility over the Grenfell Tower fire despite being named more than 100 times in the report. The final report found that Claude Wehrle, the former head of the technical sales support team at manufacturer Arconic, had resorted to 'deliberate dishonesty' to sell cladding in Europe. The Frenchman has since tried to distance himself from blame by claiming to 'not [have been] the one making decisions'. However, the report found that Mr Wehrle knew the cladding would burn faster if it was folded into box shapes - a standard form in the industry - following routine testing of the product in the 2000s. Despite this, emails uncovered from 2010, show how he told colleagues to keep this 'VERY CONFIDENTIAL' as otherwise it would not meet European fire standards for tall buildings. The final report found that Claude Wehrle, the former head of the technical sales support team at manufacturer Arconic, had resorted to 'deliberate dishonesty' to sell cladding in Europe Your browser does not support iframes. Before going on that same year to tell a customer that the box shape would be safer. Sir Martin's report said: 'Mr Wehrle's frankness with his own colleagues suggests that they knew as much as he did.' He has even further prompted outrage from survivors of the disaster by refusing to attend the inquiry, citing an obscure French law to justify - a claim Sir Martin said was 'debatable' at best. Arconic also withheld the test results from a British body which issued product safety certificates used in the construction industry. Deborah French, Arconic's UK sales manager who sold the panels for the Grenfell refurbishment project, was found to be 'clearly at fault' for failing to pass on information to Arconic's customers about the danger of the cladding, which she was told about directly. She could not explain this omission to the inquiry. The report said the failures of both Mr Wehrle and Ms French 'reflected a sustained and deliberate strategy by Arconic to continue selling Reynobond 55PE in the UK based on a statement about its fire performance that it knew to be false'. Speaking to the BBC Mr Wehrle said: 'There are people in that company who were better placed than me to make that kind of decision' Yesterday the former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald warned that criminal trials against anyone involved in the tragedy may not begin until 2029 Speaking to the BBC Mr Wehrle said: 'There are people in that company who were better placed than me to make that kind of decision.' He continued that the deaths were 'a tragedy and more than a pity', saying, 'I feel the same way any other human being would, whether bearing no responsibility at all or not.' Responding to the fact his name appears more than a hundred times in the inquiry's final report, Mr Wehrle said: 'I can't say whether it is fair or unfair. That's about justice.' Yesterday the former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald warned that criminal trials against anyone involved in the tragedy may not begin until 2029. Offences being considered include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, and health and safety offences, police have said. 'Unless processes are massively expedited, justice is a very long way away,' said Lord Macdonald. This comes as the Met police have been forced to defend the fact that it will take another 12-18 months for their officers to go through the findings of the report looking for any criminals offences. The Met's deputy assistant commissioner, Stuart Cundy, justified the wait, saying: 'We have one chance to get our investigation right.' The mother of a 14-year-old schoolboy killed in a fatal bus crash outside his school broke down in tears on Friday as she told media the woman responsible 'blew our family apart'. Cameron Millen had been waiting with a group of other students outside Macarthur Anglican School in Cobbitty, Sydney at 3pm on February 15, 2023, when he was fatally struck by a public bus. The bus was being driven by Penina Lopesi, 56, when it mounted the kerb and ploughed into the Year Nine student. The bus driver faced Campbelltown District Court on Friday to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving dangerously and causing Cameron's death in a designated waiting zone. The bus driver was sentenced to at least one year behind bars with a one year non parole period, and disqualified from driving for three years. She will be eligible for parole in September 2025. The court was told she had accelerated out of the bus bay with 31 students on board before the bus mounted the footpath. In the critical 13 seconds that followed, the bus careened across the public area, hit a tree and ran over Cameron before smashing into a steel bollard. Judge David Arnott SC noted an estimated 200 students were in the vicinity at the time of the crash, some of whom 'were put in danger of being seriously injured or killed'. Cameron Millen, 14, was struck and killed by a bus outside his school in Sydney last year Cameron's mother Michelle Millen said the family was 'mortified' by vision shown of the crash CCTV footage from inside the bus showed the 56-year-old driver with her left hand on the steering wheel and the other hand loose at her side as she drove away from the bus stop. Judge Arnott said her 'inattention' meant she failed to 'keep a proper look out for the road ahead' and failed to 'properly steer the bus' around the crucial sweeping turn. 'When the bus mounted the kerb, she panicked and during the next 13 seconds, the only rational conclusion to be drawn is that she mistakenly put her foot on the accelerator instead of the foot brake and for this reason grappled to no avail with the hand brake, resulting in catastrophic consequences,' he determined. During her sentencing hearing, Lopesi cried as she told the court she had tried to pull the handbrake as the bus was swerving over the footpath. 'I pulled it up but it went back down,' Lopesi explained. 'I tried to use the foot brake but I wasn't aware it was the accelerator I was pushing on.' The court heard no brake marks were found at the scene, and an expert had found no mechanical issue to blame for the incident. Bus driver Penina Lopesi (above) was jailed for at least a year over the deadly crash Ms Millen asked why Lopesi was allowed behind the wheel of a bus in her statement at court Lopesi agreed she hadn't sounded the horn to warn students as the bus sped towards them, telling the court she 'panicked'. Surveillance footage of the driver after the impact shows her holding her hand over her mouth before frantically shaking her head back and forth multiple times. The students behind her can be seen panicking as they scramble to get off the bus, with Judge Arnott noting some students tried to break out before the driver opened the doors. The bus driver said she was 'in shock', which was why she hadn't left her seat to help the students inside or outside the bus. The court was told the 55-year-old had been behind the wheel of a bus during another crash two years earlier and she had nine traffic infringements on her record. Judge Arnott described her driving record as 'not good' but said she was a person of 'prior good character' who had been described in glowing terms in character references tendered to the court. He said Lopesi had been 'visibly distressed' during the proceedings and accepted she was 'deeply contrite and remorseful for her actions'. Lopesi cried as she told the court she had tried to pull the handbrake as the bus was swerving Ms Millen said the sentencing 'raised more questions than it provided answers' outside court The judge accepted the bus driver has been diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder. In handing down the sentence before a courtroom packed with Cameron's family and friends, Judge Arnott acknowledged that 'no jail term can return a loved one'. He told the court he had placed 'significant weight' on the touching victim impact statements read out by Cameron's family, who are 'absolutely devastated by his death'. 'Put simply, they are shattered and changed forever,' Judge Arnott said. Outside court, Cameron's mother Michelle Millen said his family were 'mortified' by what they saw in the 'horrific' surveillance videos. 'This sentencing hearing has raised more questions than it provided answers,' she said. 'What remains unexplained is why. There was no mechanical failure, there was no medical episode.' Ms Millen was seen tearful outside the courthouse following the sentencing hearing Ms Millen said her family 'won't stop trying' for answers after her family was 'blown' apart Ms Millen pointed to Lopesi's driving record, which included infringements for driving through red lights and driving with unrestrained minors. 'Given what we have learned, we want to know why she was allowed behind the wheel of a bus with children in her care and we want to know why our youngest son was killed,' she said. 'We won't stop trying to get answers. 'Mrs Lopesi blew our family apart and we will spend the rest of our lives trying to pick up the pieces.' A British woman who died after being swept away into a Majorcan canyon during brutal flooding earlier this week has been named as Sarah Jane Thompson, 26. Police and firefighters will today resume their search for Sarah's missing boyfriend Alexander Johnson, 32, who is feared to have been caught by floodwaters as he tried to save his partner. The couple were caught in a shocking flood amid torrential rain during an excursion in the Tramuntana mountain range in Sa Calobra on the Spanish island Tuesday afternoon. A pair of trousers believed to belong to Alexander was found by search teams yesterday after divers joined the hunt for the missing man in the flooded canyon called the Torrent de Pareis. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, head of the Civil Guard's specialist mountain rescue, remains confident they will find the missing man's body after his team recovered the body of Miss Thompson on Wednesday when it was spotted by a police helicopter. The trousers of a missing British hiker, who is feared to have been swept away by a devastating flood, has been found by Majorcan search teams (Pictured) The grim discovery was made today after divers joined the hunt for the missing 32-year-old, who was swept away by the flood whilst trying to save his girlfriend (Pictured: Search teams wading through water) The head of the Civil Guard's specialist mountain rescue team remains confident they will find the missing man's body after confirming (Pictured: A helicopter searching the canyon) Before the trousers were discovered, a Civil Guard spokesman said yesterday: 'The search operation was resumed first thing with specialist Civil Guard divers joining the operation. 'Air and land resources were employed by the Civil Guard. Several teams of firefighters were also mobilised.' The Civil Guard yesterday released footage showing officers drudging through the water - as well as flying drones -in a bid to find the missing Brit. Relatives of the pair, who were holidaying in Majorca, are currently being assisted by psychologists. According to other hikers who were with the Brits and later rescued by the Civil Guard, the young woman was swept away by a strong surge of water and the man was carried away shortly after whilst trying to save her. An official said: 'The British man and woman were a couple. They were here on holiday and staying locally on the island. They also have family here with them and we are helping as best we can.' Authorities had set up a special operation on Tuesday in anticipation of hikers trying to access the stream, despite several weather warnings being distributed across the island. The mountain rescue team evacuated ten people later that day, including some related to the tragic couple, who were trapped and without warm and protective clothing. Emergency services resumed their search efforts for a missing British tourist, 32, who is believed to have been swept away in a Majorca flood Helicopters were launched in the search efforts as authorities believe the man was carried away in the torrent of water while attempting to save his girlfriend Rescue teams waded through the river water in an attempt to locate the missing British tourist The area where the British hikers disappeared was affected by flash flooding (pictured above) on Tuesday The group, who ventured into the Torrent de Pareis - a river running through the Tramuntana area of northwest Majorca, reportedly showed signs of hypothermia, due to the low temperatures which continued to plummet as they became increasingly drenched by the downpour. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, regarded as one of the most scenic and well-known day walks in Majorca, follows a deep, miles-long canyon starting from the Lluc area, opening at the bay of Sa Calobra. Hikers wishing to start the walk start at a place called Escorca, on the Ma-10 road that connects Pollensa with Soller. Visitors are warned the canyon can be flooded at times and urged to take care. Long sections of the bottom half are impassable on foot during severe flooding and people have drowned trying to swim sections of the canyon. The cliffs defining the gorge are extremely tall and steep with no easy exits anywhere along the way. The group caught in Tuesday's flooding was escorted to safety via helicopter, with one being admitted to a medical facility in Palma and two taken to the Son Amer shelter in Escorca, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports. The two, who were hurried to Son Amer, are said to be 'devastated' by the incident, as they desperately await news regarding their loved ones. Three managed to reach the safety of a mountain hut just after midnight on Wednesday morning, with one of them reportedly being 'slightly hurt'. The search for the missing man was paused for over two hours on Wednesday while emergency services waited for another storm, which barrelled through the area bringing torrential rain and high winds, to clear. It was later resumed, but only on land, as authorities faced difficulties using the helicopter. Police have been trying to establish the man's whereabouts by triangulating his mobile phone. Officials at the scene of the search said the group was 'not equipped' correctly but did not detail how the group was unprepared. Civil Guards are seen in the area where emergency services continue with the search of a British national that went missing in Torrent de Pareis in Mallorca today However, one official previously said: 'We are tired of rescuing tourists from the area who go out in just flip flops.' He added: 'This is not a stroll in the park. It's a very difficult and technical hike and you need the proper equipment and clothing. 'Some of the group we rescued were soaked to the skin and suffering from hypothermia following the bad weather. 'If you are going to do this hike you need to be prepared and most importantly you need to check the weather before going out.' Another told MailOnline: 'There was a larger group of people who set off on the hike and the two people later joined them. 'They arrived by scooter to meet up with their friends and the brother of the missing man has been here at the scene but has now left. 'We found the woman this morning after the helicopter spotted her backpack from the air and we were able to recover her body but the man is still missing. 'The woman was found not far from the trail but the search for the man is proving difficult because of the weather conditions.' Bad weather has hit Majorca for much of this week, with one shocking clip showing the terrifying moment the flood surged through a resort. Rescue teams said the woman's body had been found close to the start of the hiking trail but there were fears the man could have been washed out to sea. A firefighter told MailOnline: 'That is a possibility, but we hope that maybe they are alive somewhere of that alive if they have died the body is trapped by a rock or some other debris.' Balearic airports saw widespread delays on Wednesday, both in departures and arrivals in Palma, Ibiza, and Menorca, with rainfall of between 50 and 90 litres per square mile and wind gusts of between 90 and 120km per hour. Video exclusively obtained by MailOnline shows a frothing surge of water cascading through the seafront Es Port restaurant at the mouth of the Pareis river on September 4 Bad weather has hit Majorca for much of this week It was not clear whether the British man and woman were trying to walk the famous trek through the Torrent de Pareis in the Tramuntana mountain range or were simply strolling near the river bed. The torrent is a riverbed that can be hiked during the dry months but is often affected by flash floods as it collects a large amount of rainwater that falls on the mountain and funnels it down this narrow valley. The heavy rains that hit Mallorca on Tuesday left between 70 and 100 litres of water per square metre in the Serra de Tramuntana area, according to Ultima Hora. Local weather chiefs are predicting a worsening of the weather in Majorca, saying the worst effects of the storms that first hit the island yesterday will be felt between 2pm and 3pm local time with heavy rain and winds of up to 75mph. In Escorsa, where the mountain range is located, the Torrent de Es Raco overflowed, causing emergency teams to rescue a hundred people who had been trapped. A FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the families of a British man and woman who are missing in Majorca and are in contact with the local authorities.' 'I'm definitely on Prince Harry's side,' Sir Ian McKellen said this week. It's not the type of comment that might be expected from the legendary actor, who controversially accepted and was awarded a knighthood by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. But his vehement opinions on the royals don't end there - and after his fall from a London stage just weeks ago, Sir Ian has certainly had time on his hands to consider things while he recuperated at his London home. In an interview with Michael Odell of the Times, he branded Harry as 'not bright enough' to cope with royal life, the late queen as 'rude' and 'quite mad' in her final years, and King Charles as 'damaged'. Since Prince Harry moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle, where they live in Montecito with their two children Archie and Lilibet, Sir Ian, 85, appears to have reflected on life in the public eye. Actor Sir Ian McKellen receives a Companion of Honour medal for services to drama and equality, from Queen Elizabeth II in 2008 Sir Ian added that Prince Philip appeared 'deeply unhappy' and Charles III seems 'clearly damaged' by life in the Royal Family Sir Ian said he is 'on Prince Harry's side' and compared royal life for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to being in a prison But while he still has some semblance of privacy, at home at least, he compared life in the Royal Family to being in a prison. The Duke of Sussex is 'probably not bright enough' to help himself and to have navigated an entire life as a working royal, Sir Ian claimed. He added that Prince Philip appeared 'deeply unhappy' and Charles III seems 'clearly damaged' by his life in the royal family. But it is the late Queen that the Lord of the Rings star met personally on several occasions. He said that while being awarded a Companion of Honour medal in 2008, the Queen told him: 'You've been doing this a long time.' She is then said to have added: 'Does anyone actually still go to the theatre?' - a statement Sir Ian said was 'bl***y rude'. He added her handshake gave the signal to 'go away'. 'Hats off to anyone who manages to stay sane in that world,' Sir Ian concluded. Sir Ian said the Queen was 'bl***y rude' after she asked him in 2008 if 'anyone still goes to the theatre' The now-King Charles and Ian McKellen attend The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts gala dinner in 2008 The actor said Charles (with wife Queen Camilla) is 'clearly damaged' by life in the institution The actor said Prince Philip appeared 'deeply unhappy' with life in the Royal Family Sir Ian said Harry did not have the right friends around him to sustain life as a working royal The Royal Family has been plagued by strife in recent years, with the recent health scares involving Kate's and Charles' cancer diagnoses at the start of the year putting key working royals out of action. Back in 2020, the Sussexes moved to California which would kickstart a long-running feud between Harry and the rest of his family, most notably his brother Prince William. A Netflix show and controversial memoir Spare - which Sir Ian owns a copy of - caused yet more tension after the prince made serious allegations against his brother, including that he once physically attacked him. Harry has returned to the UK several times since retiring as a working royal, including to visit his father after his diagnosis, but has not seen his brother since 2022. Sir Ian had little to say about the Prince and Princess of Wales, although as he is on the side of the Sussexes, it may have been for the best. His comments came after he tripped and fell from the stage during a production of Robert Icke's Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre on June 17. He suffered a chipped his vertebrae and fractured his wrist when he plummeted off stage and on to a member of the audience. Both were taken to hospital. Sir Ian had little to say about the Prince and Princess of Wales, although as he is on the side of the Sussexes, it may have been for the best The actor, 85, was playing John Falstaff in the production at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End on June 17 when he lost his footing in a fight scene and plunged from the stage into the audience In July, Sir Ian took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a health update with his legions of fans Speaking as he appeared at the premiere of his latest work, Sir Ian told how he felt 'guilty' for having to cancel the remaining shows. 'I felt ashamed of myself, I felt I let the audience down and I felt guilty,' the star told Sky News. Sir Ian has told how he prepared himself for death as he fell through the air, before he burst into tears after realising he could not complete his performance. Speaking after the fall, he told Saga Magazine: 'My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet mended. 'I don't go out because I get nervous in case someone bangs into me, and I've got agonising pains in my shoulders to do with my whole frame having been jolted. 'But I was wearing a fat suit for Falstaff and that saved my ribs and other joints. So I've had a lucky escape really.' He added: 'I've relived that fall I don't know how many times. It was horrible.' But his acting career seems far from over - with his newest product, film The Critic, due to come out next week. In it, Sir Ian plays English theatre critic Jimmy Erskine, who is gay. It is set in the 1930s, when homosexuality remained a crime. The actor, who also played Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings series, came out as gay himself in 1988 amid anger at Margaret Thatcher's anti-gay legislation, including section 28. Police are hunting two men and a woman after a British tourist was robbed and sexually assaulted as she left a Madrid club. The trio offered to help the 39-year-old after seeing her 'disorientated and under the effects of alcohol' near the disco in a central Madrid square in the early hours of Thursday morning. But the pretend Good Samaritans, described locally as a Spanish woman and two men of African origin, instead led her to a bench where they stole all her belongings including cash, jewellery and her mobile phone. One of the male thieves then fled the scene along with his female accomplice. But the second man is said to have stayed with his victim briefly and sexually assaulted her on the street bench before also running off when he realised he had been spotted by an onlooker. The trio offered to help the 39-year-old after seeing her 'disorientated and under the effects of alcohol ' near the disco in a central Madrid square in the early hours of Thursday morning The holidaymaker was taken to hospital for medical tests after locals raised the alarm. Police are set to interview the woman later today and sift through footage from CCTV cameras in the area for clues. The ongoing investigation is being led by a specialist women's assistance unit of the National Police called UFAM. There have been no reports so far of any arrests. Putin propagandists call for Britain to be sunk beneath a radioactive tsunami with its Poseidon 'superweapon'. Russian hardline MP Andrei Gurulev sneered 'swim, swim, swim' as he demanded the use of Moscow's unique Poseidon high-speed underwater atomic drone on Britain. Kremlin propaganda TV on Rossiya-1 channel demanded a 'critical threat' from Putin to stop Britain, the US and other Western countries giving permission to Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes on Russian territory. 'There is, of course, a more radical option,' said Lt-Gen Gurulev, a former tank commander and military strategist. 'The people of Britain are there, they also want to live a good and happy life at our expense, right? 'But if there is no Britain, there is no problem.' This comes as the UK agreed to supply Ukraine with another 650 lightweight multi-role missiles worth 162million to help protect the country from Russian drones and bombing. Russian hardline MP Andrei Gurulev sneered 'swim, swim, swim' as he demanded the use of Moscow 's unique Poseidon high-speed underwater atomic drone on Britain 'There is, of course, a more radical option,' said Lt-Gen Gurulev, a former tank commander and military strategist. 'The people of Britain are there, they also want to live a good and happy life at our expense, right? But if there is no Britain, there is no problem.' Russia's Channel 1 shows a CGI mock-up of Britain being 'wiped off the map' with the Poseidon missile Pictured above is the Poseidon underwater drone Russia last week unleashed its largest air attack on Ukraine since the full-scale war began early in 2022. Ukraine has made repeated requests for more air defence support to defend itself from missile and drone attacks. The new supply of missiles was announced as British defence minister John Healey attended the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an ad-hoc coalition of some 50 nations, at a U.S. air base in Germany. The Ministry of Defence said, in keeping with the new government's commitment to speed deliveries of aid to Ukraine, the first batch of missiles announced on Friday were expected to arrive by the end of the year. 'This new commitment will give an important boost to Ukraine's air defences,' Healey said in a statement. The Ministry of Defence said the missiles made by Thales have a range of more than 3.73 miles and can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea, and air. Last Monday, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide in what Kyiv called the war's 'most massive' attack. As Ukraine is receiving another delivery of missiles from the UK, British-loathing Gurulev told viewers across Russia's 11 time zones: 'Clearly, without using our strategic nuclear forces, we have enough non-strategic [tactical] nuclear weapons, which will [be launched] and leave nothing of Britain - a normal pre-emptive strike.' He claimed the US would not respond with strategic missiles because it would be afraid of Russia doing the same. He asked: 'Do you think we'll get a response? From who? Britain is done. Against the United States [we have our] Strategic Missile Forces, our long-range aviation and our navy' And leading Putin propagandist TV host Vladimir Solovyev asked him whether to warn Britain of a nuclear strike should it supply missiles to Ukraine The Belgorod submarine is designed to carry Moscow's super weapon - the nuclear-powered drones named Poseidon - which Russia claims are capable of causing nuclear tsunamis Russia 1 shows a CGI mock-up of the feared Poseidon missile travelling through the ocean And leading Putin propagandist TV host Vladimir Solovyev asked him: 'So you are suggesting that we warn the British that if they supply [long-range missiles to Ukraine] and give the go-ahead to use [them], then we strike?' But Gurulev said Russia needed a 'different' approach - involving the preemptive use of Poseidon. The reservist general and military propagandist said: 'We understand what we're talking about, right? And then somewhere they [Britain] will no longer exist.' Solovyov asked: '[So] there's a tsunami?' Gurulev replied: 'Here we are. Yes, yes, yes. '[High-speed underwater nuclear drone] Poseidon [hits] with a four-way slam - and that's it.' Solovyov suggested: 'But first we'll give three days for the British to leave their island.' Gurulev replied, laughing: 'Swim, swim, swim.' Poseidon - so far not used - is an unmanned nuclear-powered underwater drone with an 'unlimited range'. Putin sees it as part of his new nuclear arsenal and classifies it a 'superweapon'. It is designed to carry strategic nuclear warheads of up to 100 megatons and could unleash catastrophic destruction. It could also be deployed with lesser firepower as a tactical weapon. Some reports say its underwater speed is up to 115mph, with a capability to operate at depths below 3,000ft. It is due to be ready soon but details of tests remain classified. The weapon could be unleashed from Russian submarines such as the Belgorod. It is seen as a weapon without comparison in the world, a hybrid between a nuclear missile and a submarine. The teenager accused of stabbing 15-year-old school girl Elianne Andam at a bus stop in South London can be named and pictured for the first time as he turns 18. Hassan Sentamu is charged with murdering Elianne on Wellesley Road, near the Whitgift Centre, at around 8.30am on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Sentamu was 17 at the time, so could not legally be named. Elianne had met two female friends before she was knifed. It is alleged that Sentamu, wearing a mask and gloves, removed a large knife from his waistband and stabbed Elianne repeatedly. As he left the scene, others attempted to give first aid but she could not be saved and died at 9.21am - before her family, who rushed to the scene, could say goodbye. A special post-mortem examination showed she had suffered multiple stab wounds. Mr Sentamu was arrested in New Addington at 9.45am the same day, the court heard. Elianne was a student at Old Palace of John Whitgift, a private school for girls, around half a mile away from where she was stabbed. 18-year-old Hassan Sentamu (pictured) is charged with murdering Elianne Andam on Wellesley Road, near the Whitgift Centre, at around 8.30am on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Sentamu was 17 at the time, so could not legally be named At his last appearance at the Old Bailey in March this year, Sentamu admitted killing the year 11 pupil, by pleading to manslaughter, but denied her murder. The plea was not accepted by the prosecution and a trial was fixed for this November Elianne (pictured) had met two female friends before she was knifed. It is alleged that Sentamu, wearing a mask and gloves, removed a large knife from his waistband and stabbed Elianne repeatedly Family and friends of Elianne Andam at the scene of the stabbing in Croydon, south London The school was 'deeply shocked' by her death and described her as a 'much-loved and valued friend and pupil'. Elianne's aunty, Marian, said she had dreams of becoming a lawyer and was a keen gymnast. At his last appearance at the Old Bailey in March this year, Sentamu admitted killing the year 11 pupil, by pleading to manslaughter, but denied her murder. The plea was not accepted by the prosecution and a trial was fixed for this November. Sentamu also denied possessing a blade in a public place. At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC called it a 'brutal attack'. Ms Morgan also said at the previous hearing that a friend of Elianne had just ended a relationship with the defendant and they arranged to meet that morning. She said: 'The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate the defendant and (his ex-girlfriend) exchanging possessions. 'The defendant arrived with black gloves and a face mask. In coming to the meeting he had armed himself with a large knife which he was carrying with him.' Ms Morgan said the defendant's ex-girlfriend handed over his belongings but he did not hand hers over. 'Elianne took it upon herself to challenge the defendant and ask for the property,' Ms Morgan said. She then ran past and grabbed the Tesco carrier bag. The school was 'deeply shocked' by her death and described her as a 'much-loved and valued friend and pupil' Elianne's aunty, Marian (pictured), said she had dreams of becoming a lawyer and was a keen gymnast A forensic investigator onboard the bus where the argument is believed to have started Family and friends of Elianne at the scene in Croydon, south London, where the 15-year-old was stabbed to death Privacy screens and a tent outside the Whitgift centre in Croydon while a bus sits beside the pavement nearby After her death, Elianne's family said in a statement: 'We as a family are struggling to comprehend this painful tragedy that has happened to our beautiful daughter and beloved sister Elianne. Our hearts are broken. 'Elianne was a beautiful person inside and out who loved Jesus. She was intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead. It is our request that you keep our cherished daughter Elianne and our family in your thoughts and prayers.' Actor Idris Elba was among those to pay tribute to Elianne and warned that the UK 'needs to enforce tougher punishments' on carrying weapons. Writing alongside a prayer emoji, Elba said in September: 'Sending my condolences to the family of Elianne Andam at this very sad time.' Stormzy was among mourners who gathered for a candlelit vigil to honour the teen girl's life in October. The grime artist was seen looking sombre among the crowds outside the Whitgift shopping centre. Prayers were led by grieving family members before they joined in with a choir to sing Amazing Grace. Stormzy, pictured, joined a grieving mother and hundreds of mourners at a candlelight vigil The coffin of Elianne Andam arrives for her funeral at the New Life Christian Centre, Croydon, in November Her funeral was held a month later with her coffin brought to the service at the New Life Christian Centre in Croydon in a white carriage drawn by four white horses with pink plumes. The pallbearers who accompanied the coffin into the church were dressed in dark suits with white shirts and pink ties. Speaking ahead of the funeral, Ms Andam's aunts Regina Boafo and Ruby Paintsil said it would be a celebration of her life because 'she's a girl that liked to bring joy to people's lives'. Ms Painsil told the BBC her niece wanted to 'defend the voiceless' and said: 'She doesn't like injustice; she likes justice for people. 'Every time she'd get in trouble it was fighting for someone else.' Ms Paintsil said that Ms Andam mother, Dorcas Andam, was trying to be strong and added: 'She is broken a lot ... we have to keep comforting her. She hasn't been herself, every day broken into pieces.' A murder trial is due to begin at the Old Bailey on November 25. The father of alleged Georgia high school shooter Colt Gray detailed the pair's hunting trips and revealed that he taught his son to shoot to 'get him an interest in the outdoors' and 'away from video games' when the pair were interviewed last year over 'online threats' of a school rampage. Colt and his father Colin Gray were interviewed by police last year in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, newly released audio of the FBI interview revealed. Colin told police that he and Colt 'do a lot of shooting' and 'deer hunting', even hailing the day the teen shot his first deer as the 'greatest day ever', according to the interview transcript. He shared that he keeps a photo on his phone of Colt with the animal's blood on his cheeks. Colin, who branded the probe as 'b*****t' and said he was 'in shock' and 'pissed off' after learning of the allegations, argued that Colt 'knows the seriousness of weapons' and when he should or should not use them. He further urged officers to instill in his son that school shootings are 'no joke' and said that he was 'going to be mad as hell if he did' make threats online and that 'all the guns will go away'. Colt, 14, was apprehended on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, just minutes after he killed two students and two teachers with the semi-automatic weapon. Colin, 54, was arrested on charges including murder after it was revealed that he purchased the AR-15-style rifle that Colt used to shoot dead four people on campus as a Christmas present to his son - just months after they received an initial visit from the FBI. The father of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray was arrested on charges including murder after it was revealed that he purchased the AR-15-style rifle the 14-year-old used to shoot dead four people on campus Colt Gray was given the gun he used to allegedly shoot dead four people at his Georgia high school as a Christmas present from his father The teen was apprehended on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, just minutes after he killed two students and two teachers with the semi-automatic weapon (pictured) Colin was interviewed in May 2023 after the Jackson County Sheriff's Office received a tip from the FBI that Colt, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. Colin, during his interview, reiterated that the family valued gun safety and that Colt 'knows how serious it is, trust me'. 'Let me ask you this do you have any weapons in the house?' the officer asked, to which Colin replied: 'I do.' When asked if the weapons were accessible, he said: 'They areI mean there's nothing loaded, but they arewe do a lot of shooting, we do a lot of deer hunting. He shot his first deer this year. 'Like I'm pretty much in shockI'm pissed off to be honest with you. I'm a little taken back by the whole thing, but I can tell you this, I take that very serious and so does he, as a matter of fact.' He added: 'I don't know anything about him saying s**t like that. And I'm going to be mad as hell if he did, and then all the guns will go away and they won't be accessible to him. Colin Gray (pictured left), 54, has been taken into custody by local authorities and charged with two counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children The rental home where the Gray family resides (pictured) was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence 'You know, I'm trying to be honest. I'm trying to teach him about firearms and safety and how to do it all and get him an interest in the outdoors.' Colin also shared how teaching his son to shoot as seemingly made him proud, saying: 'The God honest truth is, the picture on my phone is him with blood on his cheeks when he shoot his first deer. It's just the greatest day ever. 'So sure, he knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do and how to use them and not use them.' He added: 'So it's kind of a little bit of a shock. So whatever y'all are telling him, please instill in him what if this is whatever or wherever some come from is no joke. No, like it's no joke.' Gray has been charged with four felony counts of murder, and will be tried as an adult, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed The father also argued that Colt had been 'going through a lot' after his parents' divorce and recent eviction. '[It's] very difficult for him to go to school and not get picked on,' Colin told police. 'He struggled at first with the separation. I've been taking him to school. He goes to Jefferson Middle school. He's been doing really good.' Colin alleged that he had been called to school several times after other students had been touching Colt and picking on him. He also explained that spoke to his son 'quite a bit' about school shootings because 'I don't want anything to happen to him.' 'I'm telling you right now we talk about it quite a bit. All the school shootings, things that happen,' Colin told officers. 'Yeah, "I hear you getting picked on at school." He is. He's getting picked on at school. And, "is everything okay?" That's why I keep going up there. No. You know, because you just never you never really know. And I don't want anything to happen to him.' Colt also denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'I gotta take you at your word and I hope youre being honest with me,' investigator Daniel Miller, who spoke to the pair, replied. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim Colin, 54, was taken into custody by local authorities Thursday at 6.11pm and charged with two felony counts of murder, four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight felony counts of cruelty to children. His mugshot was released by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office Thursday night. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting. The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. 'These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,' GBI Director Chris Hosey said at an evening news conference. 'His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.' In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life. Involuntary manslaughter means that someone unintentionally causes the death of another person. It's the latest example of prosecutors holding parents responsible for their children's actions in school shootings. Officials confirmed in a press conference that the charges stem from Colin 'knowingly allowing' his son to have access to the firearm used in the shooting Two students view a memorial as the flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) The American and state of Georgia flags fly half-staff after a shooting Wednesday at Apalachee High School, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first convicted in a mass school shooting. They were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison of not securing a firearm at home and acting indifferently to signs of their sons deteriorating mental health before he killed killing four students in 2021 . The arrest came after sources claimed that the father-of-three bought his 14-year-old son the assault rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift in 2023. This was just months after the teenager and his father were interviewed by local law enforcement in connection with online threats about carrying out a school shooting made on the gaming social-media platform Discord, according to investigators. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said Thursday that she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told reporters in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Two students and two teachers were dead inside the school building by the time he laid down his AR-style weapon. Students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspenwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were named as the deceased. When police searched the teen's Georgia home following the bloodbath, they reportedly found clues the teenager was 'obsessed' with mass shootings - specifically the Parkland massacre in 2018, which left 17 people dead. Gray was known to the FBI after several tips came in about him last year. The boy remains in juvenile custody in Georgia, awaiting his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning. He will be charged as an adult, sheriffs said. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene. Sheriff Smith revealed that Wednesday was Gray's first 'real day' at Apalachee High. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by school resource officers at the scene Police tape surrounds the perimeter of Apalachee High School on September 5, 2024 in Winder, Georgia He said: 'He was a brand new student to Barrow County Schools, he had enrolled about two weeks prior. This was his second day at school. He had been before, he left early, on that day and this was his first real full day.' According to law enforcement, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23am, hitting at least 13 people as frantic scenes took over the school. Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure 'chaos.' A makeshift memorial has been created using a wreath and flowers. On Thursday, families and students stopped by the somber scene to pay their respects to the lives lost in the tragedy. A Muslim woman screamed 'Allahu Akbar' inside a church and said she was 'here to kill the God of the Jews' shortly before a Sunday morning service. Pastor Regan King had been preparing for worship at the evangelical Angel Church in Islington, North London, with his Jewish wife Rachel and young children. But the crazed woman entered at about 10am, allegedly shouting Islamic calls to prayer in Arabic before directly addressing and reaching out to the youngsters. Mr King then moved his family to safety before demanding that the woman leave the building, but she was instead said to have became more aggressive. Metropolitan Police officers were then called before the woman began shouting anti-Semitic abuse and screamed: 'I am here to kill the God of the Jews'. The Muslim woman repeatedly shouts 'Allahu Akbar' through the sound system at The Angel Church in Islington, North London, on Sunday before the Metropolitan Police arrived The woman is said to have became more aggressive after she was asked to leave the building Pastor Regan King had been preparing for a morning service at The Angel Church at the time The woman repeatedly shouted through the church's sound system 'Allahu Akbar' before two police cars and a van were said to have arrived ten minutes later. As she was arrested on suspicion of a religiously-aggravated public order offence, the woman allegedly tried to appeal to one of the officers who she believed was a Muslim. She was said to have referred to him as 'brother', spoke in Arabic and repeatedly said to him: 'Remember Allah.' However, the officer told her that he did not speak Arabic and that she should speak in English. The woman is then alleged to have kicked, punched and pushed the officers which saw her also arrested on suspicion of assaulting emergency workers. The officers then put her in leg and feet restraints and carried her to the police van so she could be taken into custody, before she was later released on bail. Pastor Regan King with his wife Rachel, who is Jewish, who was in the church at the time Mr King said his family and congregation were distressed by what happened, but were determined to carry on as normal with increased security. He said: 'My family and I are deeply concerned and shaken by this incident, especially my wife who is Jewish. She is traumatised and now fears going outside. 'Since October 7 especially, as a family and church, we have experienced multiple incidents of antisemitism and anti-Christianity. Yet we are undeterred and will continue to operate as usual albeit with plans for increasing our security.' Mr King has since been visited by a police faith liaison officer for Islington and Camden. And he added: 'As a church we welcomed people of all backgrounds without partiality into our doors to hear and be transformed by the message of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, who brings salvation to all who trust Him. The Angel Church is an independent evangelical church located in Islington, North London 'The darkness of our world would threaten to divide, discourage, and destroy, yet it cannot conquer the light of Christ's truth. While this incident created significant concern and distress, we did what never fails - we prayed. 'Jesus calls us to love our enemies and to bless those who curse and do good to those who hate. This does not mean, however, that we do not desire both justice and mercy in this matter and we pray for our neighbours wellbeing and salvation. 'We remain unintimidated from fulfilling our calling to be Christ's light and show His love in our community. We extend our gratitude to the members of Islington's Metropolitan police who attended and dealt with the situation in a timely way.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at around 10am on Sunday, September 1 to a church in EC1 to reports that a woman was inside the venue making anti-Semitic comments and causing alarm to a number of worshippers present. Pastor Regan Kings Angel Church previously hit the headlines in November 2020 when police stopped it holding a baptism service in breach of national lockdown restrictions (pictured) 'Officers attended and when they attempted to arrest the woman she kicked and punched one of the officers, and pushed a second. 'She was arrested on suspicion of a religiously-aggravated public order offence and assaulting emergency workers, and was taken into custody. She was later released on bail pending further enquiries. ' Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the church, said: 'We are here to support any church leaders, Christians and Jews in communities who are subjected to such attacks and abuse. 'We are encouraged that the police responded swiftly and decisively during this incident, but believe more must be done to protect synagogues and churches across the UK from emboldened radical Islam.' Pastor Regan King eventually held a service outside the Angel Church in November 2020 after after police officers stopped him from holding a baptism service during lockdown Mr Kings church previously hit the headlines in November 2020 when police stopped it holding a baptism service in breach of national lockdown restrictions. About 30 worshippers had gathered before the Met halted the service and allowed 15 people to remain inside the church, while another 15 took part in a socially distanced outdoor service nearby. Police described this at the time as a sensible compromise in the circumstances, although Mr King said that he wanted to hold the baptism in defiance of the rules because he served a greater good. The Angel Church is an independent evangelical church associated with the Grace Baptist Partnership, a Dunstable-based group registered with the Charities Commission. A multimillionaire towel tycoon who ended up in a bitter row with his son over a 2.2million country home has come out on top in a High Court battle. Wealthy businessman Michael Parker, 61, said he transferred the ranch-style mansion to 31-year-old Thomas Parker-Bowyer for inheritance tax purposes as part of a trust agreement. It was done on the clear understanding, he said, that until his death he would retain a 'lifetime interest' in the property. But Mr Parker-Bowyer, claimed his father 'gifted' him the property in 2019 because he was so heavily mortgaged he risked losing the house. He said he had used his own 200,000 savings and a 1.2m mortgage to pay off his father's mortgage, with his father gifting him the remaining equity. Multimillionaire Michael Parker, 61, has won the High Court battle he was locked in with his son - pictured in July Mr Parker and his son Thomas Parker-Bowyer, pictured in March outside the disputed 2.2million mansion The home, named The House, was at the centre of the spat after Mr Parker 'gifted' it to his son Now, after the father and son ended up embroiled in an 'especially acrimonious' row, Mr Parker has won the right to the ranch-style property - known as The House. A judge backed his case that he did not intend to give it away entirely, and that his son holds it on trust for him. The judge, Deputy Master John Linwood, however, did not rule on the spat the father and son were having over 300,000 of luxury furniture - including a 12,000 mini grand piano, 40,000 worth of gym equipment and a Union Jack armchair. Mr Parker claimed his son had put the pricey items 'into skips' of 'flogged them off'. But the judge asked the pair to sort out that part of the row outside of court. When it came to The House, Master Linwood ruled that Mr Parker's transfer was indeed a matter of tax planning and that, as the 'centre of his wealth,' the house was not something he would give away absolutely. Sadly, the row split the family - Mr Parker said. The 61-year-old previously told MailOnline of his youngest son: 'He hasn't just fallen out with me, he's fallen out with the entire family. Mr Parker has now won the battle over The House as a judge ruled he never intended to give it to his son 'entirely' Mr Parker-Bowyer had argued his father 'gifted' the mansion to him as it was so heavily mortgaged he risked losing the house The 31-year-old, pictured with wife Kimberley, was also accused of 'binning and fobbing off' 300,000 of luxury furnishings and 12,000 grand piano 'It's all about money. He's a brat and these are the consequences. There's a line you don't cross and he's gone beyond it. 'I don't know why he's behaving like this. It's not the way he was brought up. It's a totally disgraceful situation that nobody should be proud of. I actually said that to the judge in court last month.' Meanwhile, Mr Parker-Bowyer had said: 'I never wanted any of this but the house is rightfully mine. I have the title deeds and it is registered in my name. My father has no legal right to the house.' Mr Parker was a successful property developer, who also ran a surgical supply business, before joining forces with his then wife Barbara Cooke in a thriving luxury towel business. Through BC Softwear, the company jointly owned with his ex, he supplied luxury towels sourced from Turkey to exclusive hotels. The mansion sat on a s secluded estate surrounded by two acres of grounds, boasting a seven-bed house at the centre of the case. It has eight bathrooms, an enormous bespoke kitchen in American black walnut and Orissa Blue granite, a home cinema, aqua-lift swimming pool with adjustable floor height, gym and bar, as well as separate staff quarters. Mr Parker lived at the disputed mansion until 2019 when he moved into another of his properties nearby, known as Babs Park, after which his former home was transferred to Thomas. He admitted he transferred The House and its surrounding land and buildings to his son, but said that was strictly on condition that he retain a lifetime interest in the property himself. His barrister Gavin McLeod told the judge that the transfer had been made in a bid to minimise inheritance tax and that he planned to leave Babs Park to his older son Eddie, thus treating both sons equally. Mr McLeod said: 'The idea was that legal title would go to his son, but that Mr Parker would have continuing use and occupation of the property.' The barrister added that father and son had since 'fallen out in serious measure' over who is the true owner. Thomas, who once worked alongside his dad before running his own floatation therapy business, insisted that the arrangement was different and that he had simply agreed to buy his dad out of the property as he was so heavily mortgaged he risked foreclosure. His barrister, Piers Digby, said Mr Parker-Bowyer used 200,000 savings and a 1.2m mortgage to pay off his dad's mortgage, with his father gifting him the remaining equity in the property. The court heard Mr Parker had always been generous to his two sons, giving them Tag Heuer watches on their 21st birthdays and Rolex Submariner watches when they turned 25. They also had expensive luxury holidays paid for and enjoyed the use of Jaguar cars through his business, as well as 5,000 gifts at Christmas. In the witness box, Mr Parker told the judge: 'In 2019, Tom had no assets apart from money I gave him. Where did he get his money from? From his dad. That's where he got everything from.' Ruling on the dispute, Master Linwood found that the agreement was that the house would be transferred to Thomas, subject to a life interest for his dad, who could do with it as he pleased. Thomas would have to secure funding in his own name to pay off the mortgage, but his dad would then provide him with the money to make the loan repayments, he said. Master Linwood continued: 'Michael Parker's overall persona from the documents and his oral evidence was that of a man in control of everything, no matter in whose name he had placed assets. 'The property was the centre of his wealth and, whilst he had been very generous to his sons and recognised his possibly limited longevity, it was not something he would transfer absolutely.' He said Mr Parker had made his inheritance tax plans known to several family members and that it involved him transferring the house but retaining control over it for life. 'The reason for the transfer of The House, namely inheritance tax saving, was known to the wider family, as were the conditions in the general sense,' he continued. 'I find that the agreement between Mike and Tom was one by which Mike would continue to retain a beneficial interest for the rest of his life in The House, post the transfer. 'I find it unlikely verging on the impossible that Mike would have handed over The House without such a reservation of his continuing rights.' He made a declaration that The House is held on trust by Thomas for his dad. Mr Parker had also sued for delivery up of, or damages in relation to, property and furnishings he claimed were worth 300,000, including a 12,000 mini grand piano, 40,000 worth of gym equipment and a Union Jack armchair. He claimed his things had been put 'into skips' or 'flogged off' by Thomas since the pair fell out. However, the judge did not hear full evidence on the issue and asked the warring parties to come to an agreement about it without a further hearing. Mr Parker's older son Eddie Parker, 33, was not involved in the row, nor a party to the case. The 45-minute long video shows Mussey outside her home on July 5 New bodycam footage shows mother-of-two Sonya Massey calmly talking to police just hours before she was killed in her Illinois home by a 'bully' white cop who had responded to her 911 call of a suspected intruder. The 45-minute-long video, which was obtained by WICS, shows Massey, 36, outside her home on July 5, just a day before she was fatally shot by former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson, 30. Officers had arrived to speak to Massey after her mother Donna had called 911 over concerns that her daughter was having a mental health episode, telling law enforcement that 'she thinks everybody's after her'. In the bodycam footage she tells cops 'I don't know where they at', referring to her children. 'They're at their dad's house', one of the officers tells Massey. Body camera footage the day before Sonya Massey's death released Sonya Massey, 36, was a loving mother-of-two who had suffered with mental health issues 'They're worried about you too. Everybody just wants you to be ok. That's all it is'. Massey had been concerned about the utilities in her home, telling cops that 'I ain't got no hot water, ain't got no lights. 'I had to throw away all of the food'. At one point in the footage, she also told officers that she had been taking medicine. The Illinois woman died the following day after she was shot in the face below her left eye in the city of Springfield after she had called police to report a prowler. She had a pit of water boiling on the stove when officers arrived, which Grayson asked her to shut off and threatened to shoot her. Bodycam footage shows the young woman ducking and apologizing as the deputy fires three times. Cop Sean Grayson has been charged with the murder of a woman in Springfield, Illinois and is shown in this booking photo on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 Grayson has since been removed from the force and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in Massey's death. The unidentified deputy with Grayson then said he would get his medical kit, but Grayson said, 'She done. You can go get it, but that's a head shot. There's nothing you can do, man.' He later relented while the second deputy held towels to Massey's head to try to stem the bleeding, but by the time Grayson returned with his kit, emergency medical professionals had arrived and when they told Grayson his help wasn't needed, he threw his kit on the floor and said, 'I'm not even gonna waste my med stuff then.' The former deputy, who lost his job over the shooting, pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held in the county jail while he awaits trial. At a press conference, Massey's son, Malachi, told the audience that he could not bring himself to watch the bodycam footage which showed his mother's death 'A good mother. She was very smart and always helped everybody but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, to me,' Malachi spoke lovingly about his mother, pictured above The shooting has sparked more protests against police brutality in the US Autopsy findings released Friday on Massey confirmed that she died from a gunshot wound to the head that she died on July 6 Following the brutal killing of Massey, allegations against Grayson have come to light describing him as a 'bully'. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey's family, denounced the killing by the ex-sheriff's deputy as senseless, unnecessary and excessive. Grayson is 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds. The autopsy lists Massey at 5-foot-4 and 112 pounds. Prosecutors have added that the distance between shooter and victim and a counter between them gave Grayson 'distance and relative cover' from the hot water. Massey's 17-year-old son Malachi Hill Massey and 15-year-old daughter had moved in with their father because their mother had admitted herself to a 30-day inpatient program in St. Louis sometime during the week before her death, but returned home two days later without explanation. Two brothers casually set fire to a home before fleeing, as three residents slept inside. Luke Anthony Brown, 33, and his brother Liam Mitchell Brown, 27, appeared in Shepparton's County Court on Friday as they were jailed by Judge Arushan Pillay for the arson attack. Liam was jailed for three years and six months, while his older brother was sentenced to 18 months. Judge Pillay told the court the two men arrived at a home on Olympic Ave in Shepparton, in Victoria's north, on the morning of July 5, 2020. The brothers had previously turned up but were refused entry because one woman living at the house didn't have keys, the Herald Sun reported. Parts of the attack were captured by a GoPro inside the house, as Liam torched the side of a television as a man lay sleeping metres away. The two brothers fled as the house became engulfed with flames without attempting to rouse the sleeping occupants. 'Less than three minutes later the house was on fire,' Judge Pillay said. Luke Anthony Brown, 33, (left) and his brother Liam Mitchell Brown, 27, (right) have been jailed for setting fire to a house while three people slept inside The three residents were able to escape without injury after waking up to a home full of smoke. Later the same day, Liam was confronted by one of the occupants on social media over the fire, threatening physical violence if she didn't keep quiet. Liam pleaded guilty to arson, threat to inflict serious injury and reckless conduct endangering persons and will be eligible for parole after two years and six months. The court was told he had previously been jailed for arson and was on parole when the offending occurred. Luke, who stood by as the incident unfolded, pleaded guilty to reckless conduct endangering persons and will be eligible for release after serving 12 months of his sentence. A NURSE has been suspended for 18 months after boasting she could 'kill someone' in the UK - and 'still get a job' if she returned to India. Nimmy George was hauled before a tribunal after she made the callous remark and an investigation was opened only to reveal more shocking comments. On 20 June, 2022 after a patient passed away, she flippantly yelled to colleagues: 'It is my observation that the patient in bed five is dead!' Regulators at the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard George, who was attached to the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust also asked if a patient who was drooling while asleep was having a stroke and failed to comfort a dementia sufferer who was afraid. The panel of regulators felt they had no other option but to bar her from working as a nurse for 18 months after hearing what she had done. Stock image of a hospital: Nimmy George is banned from working as a nurse for 18 months They said: 'The panel found that Ms George's actions fell seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a registered nurse and amounted to misconduct. 'Patients were put at risk of harm as a result of Ms George's lack of competence. 'Ms George has not demonstrated any insight, remorse, or remediation.' George began working at the Trust on December 20th 2021 but lost her job there on 2 September, 2022. This new decision bars her from working at another British hospital for 18 months. Concerns about her overall professionalism were raised by her superiors within a month of her starting. Lawyer Aliyah Hussain, for the NMC, said there were a total of 95 'lack of competence' and 'misconduct' charges against George. She added that 'a number of the charges relate to the basic fundamentals of nursing knowledge that are expected of a registered nurse to ensure that they can provide safe and effective care to patients.' Afterwards a spokesperson for the Trust said: 'Our deputy chief nurse reported the nurse in question to the Nursing and Midwifery Council after concerns were raised about her competence to practice. 'She was dismissed after failing to meet required standards during probation, and her employment with NCIC was terminated on September 2, 2022.' Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has allegedly bragged about how excited it made him to tie up, beat and rape an elderly woman.. Convicted paedophile and rapist Brueckner, 47 - who German investigators believe abducted Madeleine, then 3, from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007 - is currently being tried in Germany for a range of unrelated sex crimes. In his current trial, Brueckner is accused of five offences in Algarve between 2000 and 2017, which include three rapes and two cases of exposing himself to children. The Braunschweig regional court where his case is heard was told that Brueckner confessed to two rapes while jailed in 2019, boasting of 'raping an old lady', the Mirror reports. Prosecutor Vanessa Beyse said that Brueckner told fellow prisoner Laurentio C. how 'tying up and beating' the elderly woman 'really excited him'. Brueckner added that he was careful 'not to leave any traces', German tabloid Bild reports. Defendant Christian Brueckner arrives for a session of his trial at court in Braunschweig, northern Germany, on September 5, 2024 Convicted paedophile and rapist Brueckner, 47 - who German investigators believe abducted Madeleine (pictured), then 3, from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007 - is currently being tried in Germany for a range of unrelated sex crimes Hazel Behan, 40, (pictured) who has waived her anonymity, told the court about being raped in her Praia da Rocha apartment in 2004 The offences Brueckner is on trial for include the alleged rape of Irish tour rep Hazel Behan, now 40, in her Praia da Rocha apartment in 2004. He has also been charged with the alleged rape of a teenage girl in his home in the same city and raping an elderly woman in her holiday apartment. Brueckner is also accused of exposing himself to a German girl on a beach in Salema in April 2007 and to an 11-year-old girl in 2017. Brueckner is still in prison for raping American pensioner Diana Menkes, 72, in the Algarve, but his sentence ends early next year. The prosecutor said Brueckner's descriptions of the attacks he allegedly talked about while in prison in 2019 resemble what happened to Menkes and Behan. Brueckner reportedly also told Laurentiu C. - who prosecutors requested to speak in the trial as a new witness - that he stole cash from the handbag of a rape victim in Portugal. While speaking to the court earlier this year, Behan reportedly said how her rapist took money out of her bag. Behan, who waived her anonymity, previously told the court in Braunschweig that she had been raped in June 2004 by a masked man who later whipped her and filmed her in her apartment in Praia da Rocha. The Irish former tour guide, who was reduced to tears as Brueckner's defence team conducted a brutal cross-examination, revealed she was still suffered bleeding as result of the horrific sex attack. The defence team asked whether her rapist had used lubricant when he attacked her, leaving members of the public gallery horrified. Brueckner's lawyers also claimed DNA evidence proved that she had had sex with her then boyfriend Jason Coates directly after the brutal rape. Defendant Christian B (L) is seen next to his lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher (C) and Atilla Aykac as he arrives for a session of his trial at court in Braunschweig, northern Germany, on September 5, 2024 She said: 'I had sex before the incident because we were a couple and I had sex afterwards because we were a couple and had a child but I did not have sex immediately afterwards.' Behan contacted police after recognising a picture of Brueckner and an appeal for information and when asked why she was sure it was him gave her harrowing answer. She said: 'When you spend time in this situation and there is nothing else you can see on this human, it is the only thing which you can remember, they bored into my skull and I will never forget it.' Behan, from Mullingar, Ireland, added that his eyes were completely illuminated against the black mask and skin-tight clothing he wore as he raped her. She added: 'They were just so blue everything so dark that he had one, so they just worked like lights, they were so bright, and I just know them.' Brueckner's trial is due to end in October. Just over four months after his baptism, Russell Brand has led prayers as he joined Tucker Carlson on a US tour and asked God to bring 'unity' to America through the Presidential election. The British comedian and thinker was once a supporter of British hard-left socialist Jeremy Corbyn - now he is an avowed Trump supporter who on stage in Phoenix asked God to shine a light on 'dark forces' operating the 'deep state'. Mr Brand's prayer as he closed the $100-a-head show at a packed out arena in Arizona came after he was baptised in the River Thames near his home outside London in late April. Right-wing star Tucker Carlson asked him to help kick off his live tour on Wednesday night in the battleground state of Arizona. But he barely mentioned Donald Trump and instead concentrated on his faith in discussion with the Briton. Introducing him to fans, Tucker said Russell was one of the people he 'most admires' and at the end of the show bowed his head as Mr Brand knelt and gave a communal prayer without notes. 'I pray in your name that the forthcoming election be an opportunity for unity for America and Americans', the comedian said. He went on to pray for God to guide and forgive the 'dark and demonic forces that appear to operate at the level of the state, the deep state and the corporate and global world', asking that they 'experience your light lord'. Russell Brand leads prayers at Tucker Carlson's live tour in Arizona this week Russell Brand spotted out in Windsor earlier this week Tucker and Russell did a simultaneous 'amen' to cheers from the crowd He went on: 'Thank you for the glory of consciousness itself.. thank you for the many leader.. and hat we may have eternal life. Not through merit or anything we have individually achieved because surely we are all fallen'. Tucker and Russell then did a simultaneous 'amen' to cheers from the crowd. Earlier they had spoken about their faith and the state of the world, which Russell said was in a 'weird' place. He then made the crowd and Tucker laugh by saying: 'Thank you so much for having me, a foreigner, in your country. Obviously, it was quite easy to get in, no passport, just traipsed in past the border. Trafficked a few kids over'. The former sex and drug addict has said that he has turned to Jesus and learned that 'by doing really, really good things, you can get redeemed'. He announced in May that he has become a Christian, and was baptised in the Thames. Since turning to God the star, dropped from the recent Despicable Me movie, has also been backed by investors behind the Catholic prayer and meditation app, Hallow, which he says he uses 'every day'. In a recent video he said that the more he prayers the more 'coincidences' there are in his life. 'God is working me into the shape that he needs me to be', he said. 'Not that Ive entirely changed as a person. Of course, I havent, but Ive taken on a lot of new concepts, and it changes you to accept that its not like youre in a game show, and by doing really, really good things, you can get redeemed'. Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan. Disgraced comedian Brand was fully immersed in the River Thames this spring. Brand's spiritual rebirth has been mirrored by an upturn in his earthly fortunes. Thames Valley Police has closed its investigation into allegations by a woman that he stalked and harassed her between 2018 and 2022. Brand is understood to remain the subject of a parallel inquiry by the Metropolitan Police over various allegations of sexual offences. He has been accused by four women of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse alleged to have been committed during a seven-year period from 2006 to 2013 when he was at the height of his fame and working for the BBC and Channel 4 as well as acting in Hollywood films. Tucker Carlson attends the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee Russell Brand announced in April that he has become a Christian, and was baptised weeks later Reaction to news of Brand's baptism was mixed Brand has strenuously denied the allegations, insisting his relationships were 'always consensual'. Brand said he got baptised as he saw it as 'an opportunity to leave the past behind' and 'leave behind the sins'. He previously said he was a Buddhist, and hours after his baptism he posted online a video in which he discussed predicting the future with tarot cards. In March, Brand said he'd visited Anglican and Catholic churches and was considering Orthodox ones. He has made repeated references to Catholicism in his online missives and recently used a rosary to pray. He says he has used a Catholic prayer app, Hallow, and watched the videos of a YouTube Catholic priest, Father Mike Schmitz. A Michigan bride and groom have been charged after a groomsman was 'intentionally struck' by the new husband following a wedding day argument, police have said. James Douglas Shirah, 22 and 21-year-old bride Savanah Nicole Collier were celebrating their wedding day on the evening of August 30 when the Flint Police Department responded to a 'pedestrian injury crash' on East Hamilton Avenue. At the scene, officers found 29-year-old groomsman Terry Lewis Taylor suffering from severe wounds. According to police, the man had attended the young couple's wedding as a groomsman but was 'involved in an argument', which resulted in him being 'intentionally struck by a large SUV'. The vehicle was going fast and was being 'driven by the groom' police have said. Groomsman Terry Lewis Taylor died on August 30 after being allegedly struck by the groom following an argument with the newlyweds The groom, James Douglas Shirah, 22, stands accused of one count of murder in the second degree, according to Genesee County court records The bride, Savanah Nicole Collier, 21, has been charged with one count of accessory to a felony The man was rushed to the nearby Hurley Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. Shirah and Collier were arrested earlier this week. The groom has been charged with one count of murder in the second degree, while his wife has been charged with one count of accessory, according to court records. However, police have not elaborated on their theory about the bride's alleged culpability in the incident. Taylor leaves behind his own bride-to-be, who is pregnant, as well as their three young children. A GoFundMe was started by his fiance to cover the cost of his funeral. The fundraiser says: 'My fiance was murdered on August 30th 2024. He was only 29 years old. He leaves behind three children and I am currently pregnant. 'We (myself and his family) are trying to give him the burial that he wanted and deserves. 'He was an amazing person, so many people love him. This was completely unexpected and a lot of lives are effected by this loss. If anyone could donate anything helps even if it's only a dollar or two.' According to his obituary, Taylor enjoyed fishing, music and spending time with his family and friends. An Australian man who died at Bali's airport has been identified. Joseph Fisher, 53, from Darwin, fell unconscious in the international arrivals area of the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar just before midday on Wednesday. Airport police spokesperson Nyoman Darsana said the man suddenly fainted in front of the Telkomsel booth in the arrivals area. 'The aviation security immediately called the airport's medical team from the airport's health quarantine agency after the incident,' he said. 'Several minutes later, two medical teams from the agency arrived. They tried to save the victim by giving CPR.' Mr Fisher was rushed to Bali's BIMC Hospital but was unable to be saved. His cause of death is not yet known. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing assistance to Mr Fisher's family. 'We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time,' a spokesperson said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' As many as 75,000 travellers go through Bali's airport every day. Spanish police have confirmed that the British couple hiking in a Majorcan canyon were swept away to their deaths when a flash flood hit their group. Alexander Johnson's body was found in the Torrent de Pareis in the Tramuntana mountain range in Sa Calobra on the Spanish island this morning. 'Police found the lifeless body of the young British man who disappeared last Tuesday while hiking in the Torrent de Pareis with a group of friends and his partner,' said the Guardia Civil police force in a statement. A police helicopter spotted the 32-year-old's body 'half-submerged in an area where branches and rocks had accumulated' today and officers on the ground were dispatched to recover it, the police added. This confirms previous reports that Mr Johnson and his girlfriend, Sarah Jane Thompson, 26, were swept away by a flash flood that hit the Torrent de Pareis. Mr Johnson is feared to have been caught by the water as he tried to save his partner, whose body was found on Wednesday morning in the flooded canyon. The trousers of missing British hiker Alexander Johnson, who is feared to have been swept away by a devastating flood, has been found by Majorcan search teams (pictured) yesterday The grim discovery was made yesterday after divers joined the hunt for the missing 32-year-old, who was swept away by the flood whilst trying to save his girlfriend (Pictured: Search teams wading through water) The head of the Civil Guard's specialist mountain rescue team remained confident yesterday that they would find Mr Johnson's body (Pictured: A helicopter searching the canyon) A pair of trousers believed to belong to Mr Johnson was found by search teams yesterday after divers joined the hunt for the missing man in the flooded canyon called the Torrent de Pareis. Before the trousers were discovered, a Civil Guard spokesman said yesterday: 'The search operation was resumed first thing with specialist Civil Guard divers joining the operation. 'Air and land resources were employed by the Civil Guard. Several teams of firefighters were also mobilised.' The Civil Guard yesterday released footage showing officers drudging through the water - as well as flying drones - in a bid to find the missing Brit. Relatives of the pair, who were holidaying in Majorca, are currently being assisted by psychologists. According to other hikers who were with the Brits and later rescued by the Civil Guard, the young woman was swept away by a strong surge of water and the man was carried away shortly after whilst trying to save her. An official said: 'The British man and woman were a couple. They were here on holiday and staying locally on the island. They also have family here with them and we are helping as best we can.' Authorities had set up a special operation on Tuesday in anticipation of hikers trying to access the stream, despite several weather warnings being distributed across the island. The mountain rescue team evacuated ten people later that day, including some related to the tragic couple, who were trapped and without warm and protective clothing. Emergency services resumed their search efforts for missing British tourist Mr Johnson, 32, on September 5 Helicopters were launched (pictured above on September 5) in the search efforts as authorities believe the man was carried away in the torrent of water while attempting to save his girlfriend Rescue teams waded through the river water in an attempt to locate the missing British tourist yesterday The area where the British hikers disappeared was affected by flash flooding (pictured above) on Tuesday The group, who ventured into the Torrent de Pareis - a river running through the Tramuntana area of northwest Majorca, reportedly showed signs of hypothermia, due to the low temperatures which continued to plummet as they became increasingly drenched by the downpour. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, regarded as one of the most scenic and well-known day walks in Majorca, follows a deep, miles-long canyon starting from the Lluc area, opening at the bay of Sa Calobra. Hikers wishing to start the walk start at a place called Escorca, on the Ma-10 road that connects Pollensa with Soller. Visitors are warned the canyon can be flooded at times and urged to take care. Long sections of the bottom half are impassable on foot during severe flooding and people have drowned trying to swim sections of the canyon. The cliffs defining the gorge are extremely tall and steep with no easy exits anywhere along the way. The group caught in Tuesday's flooding was escorted to safety via helicopter, with one being admitted to a medical facility in Palma and two taken to the Son Amer shelter in Escorca, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports. The two, who were hurried to Son Amer, are said to be 'devastated' by the incident, as they desperately await news regarding their loved ones. Three managed to reach the safety of a mountain hut just after midnight on Wednesday morning, with one of them reportedly being 'slightly hurt'. The search for Mr Johnson was paused for over two hours on Wednesday while emergency services waited for another storm, which barrelled through the area bringing torrential rain and high winds, to clear. It was later resumed, but only on land, as authorities faced difficulties using the helicopter. Police previously tried to establish the man's whereabouts by triangulating his mobile phone. Officials at the scene of the search said the group was 'not equipped' correctly but, mentioning the hikers not wearing warm clothes. Civil Guards are seen in the area where emergency services continue with the search of a British national that went missing in Torrent de Pareis in Mallorca yesterday One official previously said: 'We are tired of rescuing tourists from the area who go out in just flip flops.' He added: 'This is not a stroll in the park. It's a very difficult and technical hike and you need the proper equipment and clothing. 'Some of the group we rescued were soaked to the skin and suffering from hypothermia following the bad weather. 'If you are going to do this hike you need to be prepared and most importantly you need to check the weather before going out.' Another told MailOnline: 'There was a larger group of people who set off on the hike and the two people later joined them. 'They arrived by scooter to meet up with their friends and the brother of the missing man has been here at the scene but has now left. 'We found the woman this morning after the helicopter spotted her backpack from the air and we were able to recover her body but the man is still missing. 'The woman was found not far from the trail but the search for the man is proving difficult because of the weather conditions.' Bad weather has hit Majorca for much of this week, with one shocking clip showing the terrifying moment the flood surged through a resort. Rescue teams said the woman's body had been found close to the start of the hiking trail but there were fears the man could have been washed out to sea. A firefighter told MailOnline: 'That is a possibility, but we hope that maybe they are alive somewhere of that alive if they have died the body is trapped by a rock or some other debris.' Video exclusively obtained by MailOnline shows a frothing surge of water cascading through the seafront Es Port restaurant at the mouth of the Pareis river on September 4 Bad weather has hit Majorca for much of this week Balearic airports saw widespread delays on Wednesday, both in departures and arrivals in Palma, Ibiza, and Menorca, with rainfall of between 50 and 90 litres per square mile and wind gusts of between 90 and 120km per hour. The Torrent de Pareis is a riverbed that can be hiked during the dry months but is often affected by flash floods as it collects a large amount of rainwater that falls on the mountain and funnels it down this narrow valley. The heavy rains that hit Mallorca on Tuesday left between 70 and 100 litres of water per square metre in the Serra de Tramuntana area, according to Ultima Hora. In Escorsa, where the mountain range is located, the Torrent de Es Raco overflowed, causing emergency teams to rescue a hundred people who had been trapped. MailOnline has contacted the FCDO for comment. The prison population has reached a new record high today as under-pressure ministers refused to rule out sending British lags to Estonia to ease overcrowding. Official figures showed there were 88,521 people behind bars on Friday, 171 more than the previous record set at the end of last week. The prison population has now risen by 1,025 people over the past four weeks and now stands at its highest level since weekly population data was first published in 2011. The sharp rise is likely to have been driven by the number of people remanded in custody or given jail sentences following the recent disorder across parts of the country. The latest figures come just days before the Government's temporary early release scheme is due to come into effect on September 10. The Government is also reported to be investigating the possibility of sending some inmates to prisons in Estonia to increase capacity in the short term. According to reports in The Daily Telegraph, Ms Mahmood is expected to meet her Estonian counterpart Liisa Pakosta next week to discuss the leasing of cells. Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle did not deny the reports, saying: 'The last government closed loads of prison places and didn't replace any of them, so I think that colleagues in the MoJ will be considering anything that they can to alleviate the problem. Britain's Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood (Pictured) and Pakosta were anticipated to talk about the prison room renting behind the scenes of a Council of Europe event British prisoners could be sent to Estonian prisons in a new bid to prevent overcrowding in penitentiaries across the country (Pictured: HMP Wandsworth) The Eastern European country has confirmed it would offer up prison rooms for rent to other states, with many of its prisons half empty due to its low crime rate The Eastern European country has confirmed it would offer up prison rooms for rent to other states, as many of its prisons half empty due to its low crime rate. The Ministry of Justice is said to be investigating 'all viable options' to free up spaces in UK prisons which were 'on the point of collapse'. Government sources have said the scheme was 'on the table' due to the rising overcrowding crisis plaguing institutions, with men's prisons in England and Wales nearly running out of rooms last August. 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. Estonia's Minister of Justice Liisa Pakosta previously said the scheme could be worth 25 million and suggested that Britain and Sweden are already in talks to ship prisoners to the Baltic nation. The plan could also deliver a well-needed cash injection to the Baltic country, and help in bolstering its finances. Pakosta 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.' Britain's Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood and Pakosta were anticipated to talk about the prison room renting scheme behind the scenes of a Council of Europe event in Lithuania on Thursday, according to the Telegraph. Ms Pakosta told the publication: 'The UK and Estonia have a history of successful international co-operation, and such a partnership would create further opportunities to benefit and learn from each other.' 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 stood at 88,234, and nearly 1,000 more than at the beginning of the month when there were 87,362 imprisoned. It comes as Germany revealed it wants the EU to send migrants to Rwanda and use facilities originally set up to take those arriving in the UK by boat before Labour scrapped the plan Berlin's migration commissioner Joachim Stamp has proposed deporting those who arrive illegally in the bloc via Poland's border with Belarus. Estonia's minister of justice Liisa Pakosta yesterday said they have cells available to rent out to its Nato allies Germany's special representative for migration agreements, said the EU could utilize existing asylum facilities in Rwanda, which were initially intended for arrivals from Britain. One of Sir Keir Starmer's first acts after winning the election in July was to cancel the scheme before it had even started, after the Tory government had already spent 290million Shipping criminals to Estonia, which has a population of 1.3 million, was first suggested by ex-Conservative justice secretary Alex Chalk last year during a conference. However, the proposal received backlash from Labour at the time, with the Prison Reform Trust branding the idea as 'half-baked'. But the current Labour Government are reportedly eyeing up the idea, despite cautions from officials about its costly price tag. Since taking office, Labour 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 renting prison spaces is not a new concept, with Norway and Belgium previously paying for cell spaces in the Netherlands. However officials since decided against renting prison spaces in other states including the Netherlands, which forks out 100,000 per prisoner. The average cost per inmate is much lower in Estonia and Eastern Europe, with the estimated cost believed to stand between 10,000 and 20,000. 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 cost of a housing a prisoner in England in Wales stands at almost 50,000, with the price tag of constructing a jail sitting at 600,000 per inmate. According to the Telegraph, government officials believe any negotiation talks would cause the cost to increase two fold. The scheme would also incur more costs for flights and sending UK prison staff to other countries. Additional questions have also been raised, querying if taxpayers would be responsible for paying for offenders' families to visit them abroad. A source told the Telegraph, who was involved outlining plans under the previous Conservative government said: 'It was very expensive potentially prohibitively so.' A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The new Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons on the point of collapse. 'We will continue to investigate all viable options to increase the number of places in the prisons estate so we can keep locking up dangerous criminals and protect the public.' The daughter of the depraved husband who drugged his wife and let men rape her has declared him one of the worst sexual predators of the last two decades as she revealed the abuse he inflicted upon her. Dominique Pelicot, 71, bowed his head and cried in the dock in Avignon as his 45-year-old child told how she believed he had drugged her too, after police showed her photos of her lying unconscious on a bed in her mothers underwear. In between pauses to catch her breath, Caroline Peyronnet told the court: I stand here as the child and daughter of the main accused and as a victim of an unbearable atrocity. At 8.25pm on 2nd November 2020, my family changed. Before that we were a united family. I loved my father. I knew him as a caring, considerate man who was affectionate father without any hint of an inappropriate look or unwelcomed touch. What hit as a like a cataclysm. Caroline Peyronnet, 45, told the Avignon court today how she believed her father had drugged her too, after police showed her photos of her lying unconscious on a bed in her mothers underwear Gisele Pelicot, 72, told the court in Avignon how she wanted to 'disappear' when police revealed the dark truth to her after arresting her husband in late 2020. Pictured: Gisele Pelicot (R), accompanied by her son David (C) and Florian (L) as they leave the criminal court in Avignon, France, September 5 Dominique Pelicot is accused of recruiting men online to assault his wife repeatedly over a decade until his arrest in 2020 Gisele Pelicot's daughter Caroline Peyronnet enters the court room to give evidence against her dad Dominque Pelicot. Pictured: Artist drawing from inside the court of Caroline in the dock Then my mother called me to say that there was a problem with my father. I imagine that he is intensive care, that he is dying. But she tells me that my father has been drugging her for years so that strangers can rape her in her won bed. She says she has seen photos of what happened to her and that the police want to show her video's of what happened. I totally lost my foundations. Fortunately my husband [Pierre] was there and my six year old son too. We took him away so that he did not hear his mothers screams. My mother was alone in the house where she had been defiled by so many strangers. We know she is in danger that night and I did not close my eyes that night, neither could my brothers. In the morning I took my son to school but I cannot tell him that he will never see the grandfather that he loves so much again. When we get to my mother, we find her destroyed. The police investigator tells us he doesnt know how many men are involved 30 or 50. My older brother David is stoic. My little brother Florian collapses. Going back to that house after what we had heard was torture. The place where my son had loved to spend holidays with his grandpa. Impossible. Then the police call me and tell me he has something to show me. He tells me to sit down and he says he has two photos to show me. Caroline continued: The first photo is of a woman who is apparently sleeping lying on her side with the light on. We can see her backside. The second photo, the same position, same panties, same staging. I still dont recognise myself and then the policeman says tome; but its definitely you with that brown spot on your cheek. I discover that my father photographed me without my knowledge. I understood immediately that it was me in those photos. I do not sleep like that. So I strongly believe that he drugged me. Turning her head to ceiling in despair Mrs Peyronnet told the court: I am not trying to undermine my father [but] justice must be done. What do you do when your father is one of the worst sexual predators of the last 20 years but there is no evidence that he drugged me? Judge Roger Arata replied: Madame I cannot answer that question, but this trial must come to conclusion, and everyone must have answers. The sons of Gisele Pelicot, Florian, right, David, left, and her daughter Caroline, centre, arrive in the Avignon court house, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 The son of Gisele Pelicot, Florian (L) and her daughter Caroline Darian (R) leave the criminal court in Avignon, France, 05 September 2024 The rapist's two daughter-in-laws Celine Fontelle and Aurore Lemaire akso claim that Pelicot took photos of them without their knowledge. Celine Fontelle told the court: There are photos of me naked in the bathroom. My father-in-law created a montage of photos of me. Caroline's book entitled 'And I Stopped Calling You Papa' - published in 2022 under the pen name Caroline Darian - provides skin-crawling details of her father's depravity and has already been quoted by the judge during the trial. Mr Pelicot's daughter explains across 176 pages the ways in which her father cruelly manipulated, abused and destroyed the physical and mental health of his wife Gisele before his dark deeds were eventually discovered in November 2020. She writes how her father 'dressed Maman like a low-rent prostitute' and forbade many of the men he invited to the family home from wearing a condom as they abused her unconscious mother - including one who even tested positive for HIV. And she explained how she was confronted with the reality that she too had been drugged by her own dad, dressed in underwear and left in the foetal position as he snapped away with a camera. Caroline fled the courtroom in tears on Tuesday after those images were discussed amid the trial. Though some of the names were changed when the book was published, Caroline gives a horrendous account of how her father drugged her mother with powerful tranquillisers. Darian's book, released in 2022 roughly a year and a half after her father's crimes were revealed, charts the destruction of the Pelicot family when Gisele's health was inexplicably falling apart Writing about one incident in the summer of 2018, Caroline recalls how her brother went to visit their parents for an evening meal, only to see his mother practically falling asleep at the dinner table. 'Only a few minutes after sitting down Maman was swaying in her chair as though she was drunk,' Caroline quotes him as saying. 'Suddenly her whole body was drained of energy, like a rag doll.' 'It happens. It's better if I take her to bed,' his father was reported as saying, feigning the role of a concerned husband acting in his wife's best interests. 'In reality the cocktail of drugs, poured into her glass of rose, was beginning to take effect,' Caroline said. It comes after the wife of the twisted pervert, Gisele Pelicot, 72, told a judge she was on the brink of taking her own life after learning she had been defiled by dozens of strangers when her husband drugged her and left her unconscious. She told the court how she wanted to 'disappear' when police revealed the dark truth to her after arresting her husband in late 2020. The depraved man was initially arrested for taking pictures up the skirts of female shoppers in a supermarket. But when police confiscated his computer they uncovered more than 20,000 images and videos of strangers abusing his snoring wife in a campaign of twisted abuse that lasted almost a decade. 'I only wanted one thing and that was to disappear. I told myself: ''I am going to get in my car with my dog and end it all'',' Madame Pelicot told the court yesterday, going on to recount how her adult children were terrified she was going to kill herself before they could reach her. Gisele Pelicot is pictured above as she left the court in Avignon, France, on September 5 Madame Pelicot is determined that the public knows that she played no part in her husband's warped sexual fantasies that he played out at their picturesque chalet home in the Provence village of Mazan (pictured) Mr Pelicot's daughter Caroline has already provided in skin-crawling detail an extensive account of her father's heinousness 'When I told my sons about this, I don't think they really understood, they were withdrawn... I think they were in a state of shock. They said: ''Don't say such silly things''. '[That] evening, the children rang all the time saying ''don't disappear''... they were worried I might die.' Mr Pelicot broke down in tears in the dock yesterday as he listened to his wife, wearing an orange dress, a white blouse and a gold necklace, detail how they fell in love and started their married life together before her world 'collapsed' when the extent of his depravity was discovered. She went on to admit that she had a short affair 14 years after marrying Mr Pelicot in 1973 but insisted they patched things up and shared a strong union, until police informed her of her husband's deeds in 2020. 'We had everything, we had a great life. I don't understand how this could have happened,' the 72-year-old told Judge Roger Arata. 'We were not rich but we were happy.' Despite Madame Pelicot's belief she was in a loving relationship, from 2011 until 2020 her husband orchestrated a campaign of abuse, drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her for his camera. Judge Arata later asked Madame Pelicot if she suffered any problems after the decade of abuse, to which she replied that she was tested for HIV, adding: 'I was diagnosed with four sexually transmitted diseases at the Versailles medical forensic unit.' She did not contract HIV, despite being raped several times by a man who tested positive for the virus without a condom. The judge also asked Madame Pelicot whether her husband had any 'sexual desires' that she didn't want to participate in. 'Once we went to a nightclub with another couple where there was a 'swingers' room'. But I didn't want to get involved in that so we did not go into that room and we just stayed in the main nightclub,' the mother-of-three replied. Another judge asked Madame Pelicot whether she and her husband ever discussed filming their sexual intercourse. A court drawing shows Madame Pelicot taking the stand, facing her husband and the 50 others accused of raping her Gisele Pelicot, 72, arrives at court in Avignon, France, on the morning of September 4 She said: 'I never agreed to Monsieur Pelicot filming us having sex. No the only time we talked about something like this was at the swingers' room at the nightclub. I understood that he would have wanted to do it. But for me it was impossible.' The judge told Madame Pelicot that Mr Pelicot has acknowledged his crimes, and asked her; 'What do you feel about this?' She replied: 'Feelings of disgust. We had everything, we had a great life. I don't understand how this could have happened.' Madame Pelicot, who has three children and seven grandchildren, bravely waived her right to anonymity to make public details of the horrific betrayal her partner of 50 years had forced her to endure over ten years. Mr Pelicot and 14 of his co-accused have admitted their part in France's worst rape case. But another 35 men from all walks of life deny that they forced themselves on Madame Pelicot while she was unconscious, claiming that she in some way consented. Madame Pelicot's lawyer asked her in court: 'Some of the defendants admit the facts, others contest all the facts, and others confirm they were present but deny it was rape. 'You caught four sexually transmitted diseases and were exposed to HIV six times. What have you got to say to people who claim you consented to all this?' The brave mother-of-three replied: 'All I have to say is, it's an insult to my intelligence. These individuals were totally aware of what state I was in. I never knowingly took part in any of these things. 'How can you even try and make people think that a woman would knowingly take part in all this?' The shocking case is set to continue until December 20. President Joe Biden will provide an additional $250 million in military aid for Ukraine as Kyiv faces advancing Russian forces in the east and devastating strikes by Moscow. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday said: 'I'm pleased to say that President (Joe) Biden will announce today an additional $250 million security assistance package for Ukraine. It will surge in more capabilities to meet Ukraine's evolving requirements'. The announcement comes at a perilous time for Ukrainian forces, who are advancing into Russia's Kursk region, despite Russia's threats to plough through the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. It also comes days after Ukraine suffered one of its darkest days after two ballistic missiles killed at least 51 people and injured 219 in the Poltava region. The missiles hit a military training centre and a nearby hospital in a central region of Ukraine with Zelensky vowing 'Russian scum will pay for this' following the devastating attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, September today, as the U.S. announces that it will provide an additional $250 million in military aid for Ukraine The aid package announcement comes as Ukraine faces advancing Russian forces. Image shows firefighters extinguishing fire in trucks at a site where warehouse facilities were hit during a Russian drone strike today Emergency workers search for survivors under the rubble after a Russian bombing in the town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on September 5 It appeared to be one of the deadliest carried out by Russian forces since the war began more than 900 days ago on February 24, 2022. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently slammed Western allies for taking too long to make key decisions on military support. The Ukrainian leader also said he was pushing partners to get more involved in the conflict Ukraine to use Western weapons against the enemy. The call to accelerate aid and push so-called 'red lines' of engagement in the conflict reflect the growing pressure Ukrainian forces are under along more than 1,000 km of front lines in the northeast, east and south of the country. That's not to say Zelensky has not expressed gratitude over the $61 billion aid package that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April following months of delays. Biden and Democratic lawmakers in Congress announced a $61 million aid package in April after pushing for a major new weapons package for Ukraine for months The long-awaited military and economic assistance from Biden in April was warmly welcomed by the Ukrainian president, who said that the package would 'save thousands and thousands of lives'. The U.S. has been the chief military backer of Ukraine in its war against Russia, but Congress has not approved large-scale funding for its ally for nearly a year an a half, mainly because of cross-aisle bickering. Biden and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have been pushing for a major new weapons package for Ukraine for months. But Republicans, influenced by the party's presidential candidate Donald Trump, have been reluctant to provide funding to Kyiv for the drawn-out conflict. Hamas cruel plan for Israeli hostages has reportedly been revealed in a secret document found on the computer of the terror group's leader. The document, from Hamas' military intelligence service, dating back to spring 2024 was found on a computer said to belong to Yahya Sinwar, 61, who was appointed as the leader of Hamas after the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh. Sinwar is said to have personally approved the content of the document, which included its negotiating strategy with Israel over a potential peace deal - but also horrifying plans for 'torturing' hostages and their families. 'Continue to exert psychological pressure on the families of the prisoners, both now and during the first phase [of the ceasefire], so that public pressure on the enemy government increases,' the document, seen by German outlet Bild, allegedly read. This is part of Hamas' strategy to 'increase' pressure on Israel and 'improve' its negotiating position for a potential hostage release and ceasefire deal. The document, from Hamas' military intelligence service, dates back to spring 2024 was found on a computer said to belong to Yahya Sinwar (pictured), 61, who was appointed as the leader of Hamas after the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh Demonstrators take part in a protest to show support for the hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 4, 2024 A demonstrator lifts a placard as another waves a national flag during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive since the October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, in front of the Israeli Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv on September 4, 2024 The document also reportedly stated that Hamas was indifferent to both a quick end of the war as well as the suffering of civilians in Gaza, which were not mentioned in the document at all. For the negotiations with Israel, the terror group outlined that the 'capacity of our armed forces' had to be maintained after 'exhausting' the Israeli political and military apparatus, according to Bild. But the terror group also reportedly admitted that their military capacity 'has been weakened' since the start of the war. Over the course of the war, Hamas released several videos of hostages held by the group in Gaza being forced to beg for their release and criticise the Israeli government. In a video taken before he was killed and circulated by Hamas yesterday, American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, speaks under duress, saying he survived in Gaza with no medical care and little food or water, criticizing the Israel government for bombarding Gaza rather than agreeing to a deal, and calling on US President Biden to end the war. He addresses his family, prominent faces in the fight to free the captives, directly: 'I know you're doing everything you can and you're out in the streets trying to bring me home now. 'I need you to stay strong for me, keep on fighting and hopefully I believe I will be home soon.' A poster of killed US-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin is lifted during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of hostages held captive since the October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, in front of the Israeli Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv on September 5, 2024 Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, its top official in Gaza who masterminded the October 7 attacks in Israel, as its new leader on August 6 Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parents, Rachel and Jonathan, said that they want a Hamas propaganda video of him to serve as a 'wake-up call to the world' to free the remaining hostages Similar videos, condemned by Israel as psychological warfare, were released by Hamas throughout the week after six hostage bodies were recovered from a Gaza tunnel. The Israeli military says they were killed by their Hamas captors as Israeli soldiers drew near. Hamas has threatened to kill other hostages if Israel tries to rescue them. There are around 70 hostages in Gaza who have not yet been confirmed dead by the Israeli government, out of roughly 100. The newly-discovered document revealed that in its strategy on the negotiations, Hamas said that it would allow the Red Cross to visit some hostages during the negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire. The terror group would reportedly also convey messages from the hostages to their relatives during a ceasefire, with the goal of making the hostages' families even more desperate to free their loved ones, to the point of turning against their own government. Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parents, Rachel and Jonathan, said that they want a Hamas propaganda video of him to serve as a 'wake-up call to the world' to free the remaining hostages. 'No other family should go through what our family [and the families of the other recently executed hostages] have endured,' they added. While the discovery of a mass grave containing 303 bodies including children and babies in Oldham is shocking, it was sadly part of common practice until the 1990s. Stillborn babies were often taken from their parents before they had even held or looked at them, and then buried in unmarked mass graves at cemeteries. Various mass graves for stillborn babies have been found across the UK over the past 20 years in the Wirral, Huddersfield, Lancashire, Devon and Middlesbrough. Among those helping bereaved families is Paula Jackson, a woman from Guildford who has now identified the final resting places of nearly 3,500 stillborn babies. She set up the charity 'Brief Lives Remembered' in 2004 after helping a friend in Australia find the grave of his twin sister who was stillborn in Aldershot in 1960. Yvonne Maher, of Plumstead, South London, is pictured in 2020 at the grave of her stillborn son who died more than 40 years ago. She revealed she had always 'felt like I slung him away' Her tireless work led to a group of MPs recognising the trauma suffered by mothers - and in 2020 it was agreed they should be told where their babies' remains are. Nigel Farage says he found it difficult to talk to niece after baby loss Nigel Farage has revealed he found it difficult to speak to his niece after her baby was stillborn, because he was worried he would say 'something that was wrong'. The Reform UK leader said on Wednesday that the subject is often a 'taboo' for many families and communities, adding it is 'something that is very, very difficult to talk about'. During a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Farage said he had 'never discussed' baby loss with his niece, despite being close to her, because he felt 'too awkward'. Following this, Labour MP Sharon Hodgson said 'no-one knows what to say to you when you've lost a baby', adding that she believes she made those around her 'feel very uncomfortable' after the 'traumatic' stillbirth of her daughter Lucy. And DUP MP Jim Shannon broke down during the session as he recounted the story of a constituent in her 80s had asked him to help find the grave of her son who was stillborn 50 years earlier. Advertisement Among the women she has helped is Yvonne Maher, of Plumstead, South London, who previously told the Daily Mail that she was 'beside myself' when Ms Jackson told her she had found her son 40 years after he was stillborn, and had always 'felt like I slung him away'. Ms Maher added: 'I wish I could turn back the clock. If it were now you'd have to fight me to take him away, I wouldn't let you have him.' Until recent decades, it was normal for stillborn babies to be taken away from parents without any further detail of where they were buried. The theory behind this was that any connection between parents and a stillborn baby would prolong grief. Bereaved parents were instead told by medical staff that their child was buried alongside a 'nice person' that same day - although babies were often instead interred in mass graves in cemeteries. Now, parents of stillborn babies can choose to be as involved in decisions about their infant as they wish, with regulations since 2016 ensuring wishes for cremation are respected. The baby loss charity Sands works to help anyone affected by the death of a baby, with 13 families a day in Britain losing their child before, during or shortly after birth. Jen Coates, its director of bereavement support, told MailOnline today: 'The discovery of the mass grave in Oldham is absolutely heartbreaking and especially so for anyone who thinks that their baby may be buried there. 'Sands is here to offer emotional support to anyone in Oldham and across the UK who has been affected by this upsetting news. We are thinking of all bereaved parents and families and their babies at this very sad time.' She added: 'We know that parents never forget their babies. We are often contacted by bereaved parents whose baby died many years ago and who now want to find out what happened to their baby's body. 'Although Sands cannot trace babies' graves we can offer advice and support to anyone who is trying to find out where their baby or the baby of a family member may be buried. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with Sands.' Yvonne Maher (left) with Paula Jackson (right), a woman from Guildford who has helped identify the final resting places of nearly 3,500 stillborn babies - including Ms Maher's son Meanwhile a team at Bournemouth University is currently working on mapping mass graves around the world, as well as producing guidance on doing so which was published just last week. In May, the case of bereaved mother Gina Jacobs was raised in Parliament after she found the grave of her baby son at Landican cemetery in Birkenhead, 53 years after he was stillborn. The 79-year-old had spent half a century not knowing the whereabouts of his body, but finally tracked him down in 2022 after watching a series about the issue on local BBC television, and decided to name him Robert. Great-great-grandmother Ms Jacobs has since helped other bereaved mothers to find more than 60 babies at her local cemetery, and received the Wirral Award in recognition of her work. Speaking about what mothers used to be told by medical staff, Ms Jacobs told BBC News: 'The mums were told to go home and get on with it. I mean, one lady was told 'plenty more where those came from'.' The case of bereaved mother Gina Jacobs (above) was raised in Parliament after she found the grave of her baby son at Landican cemetery in Birkenhead, 53 years after he was stillborn Ms Jacobs has been calling for an official apology and her local Labour MP at the time, Margaret Greenwood, took the issue to Parliament. Tips on how to trace a baby's grave Paula Jackson from the charity 'Brief Lives - Remembered' recommends asking at the nearest council-run cemetery to where the baby died, as that is where most were taken. Make sure you have the right details, such as the date, as many people misremember. If you have no luck, try asking at local churches and undertakers, some of whom keep records going back years. The hospital where the baby was born may also be able to help. Ms Jackson's charity has temporarily closed its waiting list so it can catch up on request for searches. Advertisement It was raised at Prime Minister's Questions - and while Rishi Sunak stopped short of issuing an apology, he said that 'one of the most incredible things about doing his job was meeting people like Gina'. In Oldham, the mass unmarked resting place was discovered at Royton Cemetery and contains the remains of 145 stillborn infants, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults. A local resident made the discovery while searching for the grave of her twin brothers who died shortly after they were born in 1962. Her parents could never say goodbye to their sons before they were taken away from them. Local councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes said the 12ft by 12ft plot might not be the only mass grave in the cemetery, claiming there could be more in different sections. The adults discovered in the grave are likely to be 'pauper's burials' for people whose families could not pay for a proper burial. Ms Hurley and Ms Hughes released a statement on the 'heartbreaking' discovery, saying: 'It's a stark injustice that parents were denied the fundamental right to bury their babies, a right that should be inherent and unquestionable. This situation should stir our collective sense of fairness and empathy. 'We cannot change what has happened, but we can ensure that the babies born sleeping are named, recognised, and never forgotten.' A mass unmarked grave has been discovered at Royton Cemetery in Oldham (pictured) and contains the remains of 145 stillborn infants, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults A council meeting on September 11 will discuss plans to erect a memorial to the buried children, reported The Oldham Times. Records and documents will also be digitalised for families to easily access them. Oldham Council's leader Arooj Shah said: 'We understand this news will be upsetting for a lot of people and our thoughts are with them. 'As a matter of urgency we will consider the suggestion being made and what may be appropriate to recognise those buried in Royton by providing a suitable memorial. 'Our staff are here to support any families who think they may be affected. This is not a newly discovered grave. Sadly, the burying of people, including babies and children, in unmarked graves happened in graveyards all around the country years ago. 'Thankfully, things have changed and improved over the years. The Government now pay for the funerals of stillborn babies and anyone up to the age of 18 if necessary. Public graves are no longer used. The 12ft by 12ft plot might not be the only mass grave at Royton Cemetery in Oldham (above) 'Today, when a request is made for burial in a public grave, the arrangements are usually made by the relevant hospital via a funeral director. Often the hospital chaplaincy organises the burial or cremation of the individual. 'The council cemeteries staff also works with the funeral director and carry out the expressed wishes. The hospital and ourselves keep records of the burial, which can be located by families whenever they want. 'Alternatively, the family can make their own arrangements for burial in an individual grave plot via a funeral director and would install their own memorial.' An Amish woman who was left brain damaged as a six-year-old after a gunman opened fire on her one-room Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania has died 18 years later. Rosanna S. King, 23, was severely injured when Charles Carl Roberts IV shot 10 girls at the West Nickel Mines Amish School in October 2006, killing five. She died at her home in the farming community of Paradise on Tuesday, Furman Home for Funerals confirmed. Her funeral will be held today. Roberts, a 32-year-old milk truck driver, barricaded himself inside the schoolhouse and let boys and several adults go as he tied up 10 girls and shot them before committing taking his own life as police closed in. King, who belonged to an Old Order Amish Church community, was 6 years old at the time and had been considered the most severely injured survivor of the attack. Rosanna S. King, 23, (not pictured) was severely injured when Charles Carl Roberts IV shot at the West Nickel Mines Amish School in October 2006. A group of women are pictured talking to officials at a police line at the intersection of Mine Road and White Oak Road in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania two days after the shooting Amish men are seen in front of the schoolhouse where a gunman shot several students and himself in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania on Monday, Oct. 2, 2006 King had been shot in the head and the attack left her unable to talk and needing a tube to be fed. She was dependent on others for personal care and mobility. A year afterward, her family said in a statement she was able to recognize family members, smiled a lot and had limited physical movement. Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-year-old milk truck driver, barricaded himself inside the schoolhouse and let boys and several adults go as he tied up 10 girls and shot them before committing taking his own life as police closed in They said in 2007 that 'the hardest part has been to see her suffer.' She will be buried in the Bart Cemetery, according to her obituary. Roberts' mother, Terri Roberts, regularly visited Rosanna King, inspired by the forgiveness the Amish community expressed to her and her family after the attack. In a 2013 interview, Rosanna's father, Christ King, said there were times when he asked himself if he had really forgiven the shooter. 'We have a lot of work to do to live up to what we are bragged up to be,' Christ King said back then. 'Everyone was talking about this forgiveness thing, and I felt that was putting a lot of weight on our shoulders to live up to that.' Roberts indicated in suicide notes left behind and during a last call with his wife that he had been tormented by unsubstantiated memories of having molested a couple of young relatives and by the death of his newborn daughter in 1997. The schoolhouse was torn down 10 days after the killings and a new one was constructed nearby. A group of Amish men wait at a roadblock near the West Nickel Mines Amish School, in which a gunman killed five girls and injured five others, in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 2, 2006 The schoolhouse, pictured two days after the shooting, was torn down 10 days after the killings and a new one was constructed nearby The Amish prioritize their deep Christian faith and family life, eschewing many modern conveniences. They wear traditional clothing and use horses and buggies for much of their transportation. They often speak a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch. King died the same week a 14-year-old Georgia student was charged with using an assault-style rifle to kill two students and two teachers at his high school about an hour outside of Atlanta. There have been more than 600 mass killings in the United States since 2006. This is the hilarious moment a huge Asian carp slapped three young children in the face and sent one of the startled youngsters flying after it leapt into their family's boat. Emily Carter, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and her husband Brandon took their daughter and two sons out on their new John boat on Sunday, just two hours after purchasing it. They were on the water for only a few minutes when a large carp flew through the air, whacking their pre-school aged son Henry in the face and onto the floor of the boat near his father, WBKR Radio reported. Their daughter Reece, a second grader, and youngest son Thomas were also flapped by the fish, causing them to hop into Emily's lap. The mother-of-three, whose video of the incident has gone viral after amassing more than 35 million views on TikTok, joked that the 'kids are LOVING the new boat!' Fish on! Emily Carter, of Owensboro, Kentucky , and her husband Brandon took their children on on their brand new John boat on Sunday. Just a few minutes after getting out on the water, a large carp leapt into the boat and whacked preschooler Henry in the face (pictured) Catch of the day! The kamikaze carp whacks Henry (right) in the face while his older sister Reece (left) cries It then scraped across Thomas' head, before smacking Reece in the head Reece, (left) a second grader, and the couple's youngest son Thomas (center) were also flapped by the fish. Henry (right) flopped onto the floor of the boat near his father after the carp smacked him in the face The Carter family had just gone out on a pond in West Davis county when the hilarious incident unfolded on Sunday. 'We were on water for maybe a minute and Brandon cranks the engine and fish started to fly everywhere, Emily told the radio station. She explained that Reece, who is visibly upset at the start of the video, was 'crying in the beginning because one [of the fish] had splashed her and it scared her'. Emily says the fish had settled down a bit so she decided to pull out her phone to take a 'candid video of the kids being sweet'. 'Thomas was really into it,' she recalled, noting how he was trying to calm his sister down before 'everything broke loose.' Reece, who is seen visibly upset in the video, was scared by the fish. Thomas, pointing at the water, was 'really into it at first', his mother Emily claimed This is the moment the fish whacked Henry in the face The fish knocked Henry completely backwards, leaving his feet waving in the air Henry, who is 'still processing the trauma', does not want to go on the John boat again, Emily revealed. He is pictured crying, next to his sister, during the incident A large carp flew into the boat, knocking Henry completely backwards with his feet waving in the air. It then scraped across Thomas' head, before smacking Reece in the head. 'Then it hit the side of the boat and it hit me and then there was blood everywhere,' Emily added. Henry, who is 'still processing the trauma', does not want to go on the John boat again, she said. Emily, who says her children loved the water and fishing before the incident, claimed they are lucky that no one was hurt or fell into the water. She added that the situation serves as a reminder to 'always wear a life jacket'. A young school boy who has been missing for almost a week has returned home safely. Peter Antonov, 14, who attends King's College School in Wimbledon, finished classes on Monday before returning home and going out with friends that evening. He went to Wandsworth Common on Monday and was last seen at approximately 8.30pm boarding the 319 bus which goes from Streatham to Chelsea, passing through Wandsworth. Scotland Yard confirmed the Year 10 student has returned home safely. Detectives would like to thank members of the public for all the assistance they have received. His family are said to be relieved after the youngster's safe return. Peter, 14, went missing on Monday, when he went out with friends after school King's College School in Wimbledon, where Peter is a pupil, is one of the best private schools in London King's College School is one of London's best-performing private schools where fees cost up to 9,300 a term. The Australian government has upgraded its warnings for travel for Lebanon, urging people to leave immediately while commercial flights are still available. The official warning about Lebanon has been 'do not travel' since October, but on Friday the Australian government warned that a flight out could soon no longer be an option. 'Australians in Lebanon should leave immediately while commercial flights remain available,' the updated advice reads. 'The security situation could deteriorate rapidly throughout Lebanon with little or no notice.' Airlines have meanwhile been cancelling flights. 'You should take the first available flight and not wait for a preferred route,' the advice continued. 'Beirut airport could close, and you may be unable to leave for an extended period. 'If you choose not to leave while commercial flights are operating, be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period.' The Australian government has upgraded its warnings for travel to Lebanon urging people to leave immediately while commercial flights are still available. Picture: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Smoke is seen rising in the southern Lebanese Marjayoun plain after being hit by Israeli shelling The increasingly dangerous situation is because of air strikes, missiles and rockets. In July, Israel struck buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing a Hezbollah commander, a woman and two children. Tensions were simmering between Lebanon and the military of neighbouring Israel until August 25. On that day Israel launched what it said was a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, using 100 jets to hit thousands of Hezbollah launch sites. At least 15 Lebanese towns were hit in the widest Israeli attack on Hezbollah since October 8, Al Jazeera reported. Hezbollah fired 340 rockets back at Israel later that morning. 'Terrorist attacks could occur anytime and anywhere, including in Beirut,' the Australian government advises. 'If you're an Australian citizen or permanent resident in Lebanon, you can register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's crisis registration portal.' The father of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray sobbed and rocked back and forth during his first appearance at Barrow County Superior Court on Friday. Colin Gray's hearing took place right after his 14-year-old son Colt learned that, as a minor, he won't face the death penalty for killing four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, outside Atlanta, on Wednesday. The teen appeared in person in shackles, dressed in a green t-shirt and grey sweat pants. He kept his head down, with his hair covering his face, and spoke softly only to Judge Currie Mingledorff, replying yes sir when asked to confirm his name. Meanwhile his father, Colin Gray, 54, cried as he appeared shortly after his son in the same courtroom, charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two of second degree murder and eight of cruelty to children. Colin Gray shuffled in wearing a prison-issued striped shirt and tracksuit, in shackles like his son. He stated his name in a croaky voice, confirming his age, and that he was able to read and write. Georgia school shooter Colt Gray made his first court appearance on Friday Colin Gray, 54, appeared shortly after his son in the same courtroom, charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two of second degree murder and eight of cruelty to children He told the court he completed education up until 11th Grade GED, nodding along to proceedings as they took place. The distraught father began rocking after Judge Mingledorff told him the maximum sentences that he could receive, and is expected to appear in court on December 4. Victims' family members stared at him throughout the hearing while he kept his head down and avoided eye contact with anyone but the judge. Dozens of emotional family members packed the courtroom for both Grays first appearances, with some visibly crying before the hearing even began. Some wore sunglasses to cover their faces, and were supported by detectives in the court room. Family members for both father and son did not appear to be supporting them in the courtroom. Judge Mingledorff advised the elder Gray that he could face up to 30 years in prison for each felony murder count, 10 years for each involuntary manslaughter charges and cruelty to children the maximum totaling 180 years. Gray was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers, killing four. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights His father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, is accused of buying his 14-year-old son Colt the AR-15-style rifle the boy used and was arrested Thursday on several counts of second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children Colt Gray's attorney did not request bond for the teenager. The teen looked down at his feet as he entered the court, staring straight at the judge as he spoke during the short 8-minute hearing. Judge Mingledorff brought Gray back in to correct a statement he made, telling him: I wanted to make it clear to you that the penalty does not include death. It includes life without the possibility of parole or with the possibility of parole. A 2005 Supreme Court decision forbids the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. The teens father was charged Thursday in connection with the shooting, including with counts of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. 'His charges are directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,' Hosey said. Colin Gray told police this week he purchased the weapon used in the killings as Christmas present for his son last December, according to authorities. Marcee, 43, has a record across four Georgia counties and includes drug use, domestic violence and property damage, as well as civil claims of fraud Colt Gray was arrested on Wednesday minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers, killing four. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights. Public records show that Gray's mother, Marcee Gray, has a criminal record dating back to 2007 and spent time in jail as recently as this past April and was banned from contacting father Colin without a third party intermediary. Marcee, 43, has a record across four Georgia counties and includes drug use, domestic violence and property damage, as well as civil claims of fraud. The family home was raided on Wednesday afternoon, with FBI investigators seizing firearms and evidence. Neighbors saw Colin return to the family home on Wednesday evening, though it is unclear if he handed himself into authorities. A neighbor told DailyMail.com that they were 'terrified' following the new charges, adding that the family had 'kept themselves to themselves' and not integrated with the community in their two years at the property. The teen denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when authorities interviewed him last year about a menacing post on social media, according to a sheriffs report obtained Thursday. Conflicting evidence on the posts origin left investigators unable to arrest anyone, the report said. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray, then 13, 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said 'he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,' according to the investigator's report. The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: 'I promise I would never say something where ...' with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible. The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The Discord account had a user name written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy, officers said. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' the father, Colin Gray, said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office. The sheriff's investigators closed the case after being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns, according to police reports released by the sheriff's office on Thursday. The boy reportedly had an obsession with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. A far-Right thug who stole a police baton and helped set fire to a hotel filled with asylum seekers during a riot in Rotherham has been given the longest prison sentence yet. Thomas Birley, 27, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life after he stoked a fire in a bin by an entranceway to the Holiday Inn Express on August 4. It came amid a wave of riots across the country after the fatal stabbing of three young girls in a knife attack in Southport on July 29. The actions of Birley - who previously posted on social media 'I can't be racist because my wife has two black eyes' - and his fellow rioters caused those inside the hotel to fear for their lives, and staff were so afraid they barricaded themselves inside a panic room, the court heard. The self-described 'God's gift to decorating' has previous convictions including criminal damage, attacking emergency workers and racially aggravated harassment. Birley, who had also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Jeremy Richardson, who said Birley's actions were 'suffused with racism from beginning to end'. Thomas Birley (pictured), 27, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life after he stoked a fire in a bin by an entranceway to the Holiday Inn Express near Rotherham on August 4 Birley, pictured with the red face covering, threatened officers with a police baton in 'grotesque' violence that left staff at the Rotherham hotel fearing for their lives, the court heard Windows are smashed as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham - Birley is circled Birley, who used the n-word in rants online, was seen throwing missiles and helping set fire to the hotel with 200 people trapped inside The self-described 'God's gift to decorating' and Barnsley fan was at the forefront of all of the worst incidences of violence, the court heard Birley helped to smash windows and block the hotel's fire exits, leaving staff fearing for their lives Judge Richardson said his case was 'unquestionably' one of the most serious of the dozens he has dealt with in the past month in relation to the rioting outside the Holiday Inn. Sheffield Crown Court heard how the painter and decorator of Swinton, Rotherham, was involved in many of the worst incidents, including adding wood to the fire in the large industrial bin which had been pushed against an exit and helping place a further bin on top of the one ablaze. Birley was also filmed throwing missiles at the police, squaring up to officers while brandishing a police baton and throwing a large bin which crashed into a line of officers with riot shields. The defendant became the first person to be sentenced for arson with intent to endanger life following the 12 hours of violence in Manvers which left 64 police officers, three horses and a dog injured. Judge Richardson heard how 22 staff in the hotel barricaded themselves into its panic room with freezers and 'thought they were going to burn to death'. Addressing Bailey, the judge continued: 'I have now watched much recorded CCTV and recorded footage of events. 'It is clear as clear could be, you and many like you were intent on spreading a hateful message of violence and racism. 'You were well to the fore in all of this. The disorder was grotesque.' Body worn video from officers showed Birley throw a bin and rocks at officers before deliberately blocking an entrance to the hotel, which was previously set alight, with a sheet of wood and a large bin. Judge Richardson said all those in the hotel were 'in peril of being killed or seriously injured' and told Bailey: 'You intended to endanger the lives of them all.' He also said Birley had been encouraged to join the disorder 'by malicious and ignorant posts' on social media. 'You were a leading participant in ignorant, racist attempts at mob rule,' the judge said. He said he needed to pass a lengthy sentence due to Birley's ongoing dangerousness, which included an extended five-year licence period. A pre-sentence report showed Birley held views which 'raised alarm' with a probation officer, the judge said, including hints of a 'white supremacist mindset'. Birley was seen squaring up to police officers and throwing missiles towards them Birley was seen jumping on top of the bins as the rioters set the hotel on fire He was seen stoking a fire in a bin pushed up against the hotel's fire exit before placing another bin on top The August 4 riots saw clashes with police and video emerged of some protesters appearing to threaten to slit hotel residents' throats A thug picks up a bin before throwing it towards police officers amid the violence Birley's social media shows a litany of sexist and racist posts in which he used racial slurs and joked about being in prison. In December, he wrote on Facebook: 'I can't be racist - my wife has two black eyes.' And before sentencing last night, he posted an Oasis quote: 'Don't look back in anger.' Older posts from his previous appearances at court show he called police officers 'piggy b******s' and told them to 'f*** off'. Birley has been sentenced to an extended sentence of 14 years, with nine years in prison for arson with intent to endanger life, two years and eight months for violent disorder and 12 months for possession of an offensive weapon. He will serve a five-year extended licence period. The hotel was targeted by Birley and around 400 others during days of rioting involving violence, arson and looting as well as racist attacks, which followed the killings of three young girls in the northern town of Southport on July 29. There were more than 200 asylum seekers in the building and the judge heard how automated fire alarms told them to leave but they were trapped inside. The Southport attack was initially blamed on an Islamist migrant, false claims based on online misinformation. An 18-year-old, Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff and has Christian parents, has been charged with three counts of murder as well multiple charges of attempted murder. A protest in Southport the day after the killings turned violent and riots spread across the country in unrest not seen in Britain since 2011, when the fatal shooting of a black man by police triggered several days of street violence. Police and prosecutors have responded rapidly, with roughly 1,300 people having been arrested and around 200 jailed one for as long as six years for violent disorder. Others have been charged for inciting racial or religious hatred online. Elsewhere today four teenagers were sentenced at Truro Crown Court for disorder that erupted in Plymouth in the days after the attack. Judge Richardson said Birley's case was 'unquestionably' one of the most serious of the dozens he has dealt with in the past month in relation to the rioting outside the Holiday Inn (Birley not pictured) Police faced hours of disruption after far-Right yobs attacked the hotel and threw missiles at officers At least 64 officers were injured in the violence outside the Rotherham hotel as 200 people were trapped inside the building Birley (second left) was caught on camera moving a bin to block the entrance of the hotel while it was alight So far, a total of 26 people have been charged in connection with the unrest which gripped the city on the evening of Monday 5 August. Yesterday, Thursday 5 September, a 16-year-old girl and three 17-year-old boys, appeared at Truro Crown Court after having been convicted of violent disorder. All four, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were given referral orders which impose strict conditions on each individual. They were also ordered to pay court costs. Chief Inspector Tom Cunningham said: 'We continue to pursue those who were involved in the violent disorder that night and hold them to account. 'Last month, the city saw dozens of people intent on violence which has had an understandable effect on our community and continues to cause concern, particularly among our diverse communities. 'Our neighbourhood officers, including those within the Devon & Cornwall Police Diverse Community Team, have been working closely with groups to ensure that anyone who has concerns knows where to seek support and anyone who has been a victim of hate crime has the confidence to come forward. 'There are many ways to report incidents, including third party reporting; by visiting a local hate crime reporting centre where a specialist or representative from your protected characteristic community can help you through the reporting process and offer support. The below link outlines where you can find these centres. Birley wore a face covering that appeared to be made out of a plastic bag but kept removing it to shout at police officers Bodycam footage showed the moment Birley identified himself to police officers before being placed under arrest 'There are also many charities, groups, and organisations which can offer support, advice, and ways to report the incident without having to talk directly to the police.' A man was also jailed for more than two years for his role in violent disorder in Southport on 30 July. Connor Ashley Piggott, 25 years, of Landsdown Road, Chester appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 5 September, after pleading guilty to violent disorder. He was sentenced to two years, four months in prison. Detective Chief Inspector Tony Roberts said: 'The despicable actions of those involved that day left more than 50 officers injured and Piggott was seen on video repeatedly throwing bricks toward police officers. 'Like many others, he wore a balaclava in a bid to hide his identity. But thanks to officers who trawled many hours of CCTV and social media footage, his efforts were in vain. 'Piggott was positively identified as one of those launching objects towards officers who had been dispatched to the area to protect the public. 'He will now spend a significant amount of time in prison and I hope he spends that time reflecting on his actions that day. 'To date, we have arrested 96, charged 60 and sentenced 43 people, and there will be many more to come. 'We continue to identify more people who attended the disorder in Merseyside and we will not stop until we've put everyone we possibly can before the courts.' The Mormon mom who set the internet alight when she revealed she and her husband were swingers has shared salacious new details about the affair. Taylor Frankie Paul's marriage broke down in 2022 after she developed feelings and embarked on an affair with one of her swinging partners - who was also married to one of her friends. At the time, Paul's star was on the rise as part of a group of 'MomTok' influencers on TikTok. She and other glamorous Mormon moms often appeared in each other's videos, creating dances and participating in viral trends with one another. Now, she's set to appear in a new Hulu documentary: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - and tell all about the scandal that she says 'broke the internet.' The Mormon mom who set the internet alight when she revealed she and her husband were swingers has shared salacious new details about the affair Now, she's set to appear in a new Hulu documentary: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives 'MomTok was involved, and then I guess the public kind of thought everyone was swingers in MomTok,' she told Fox News. 'People were dissecting.' And speaking on the Viall Files, Paul said there was never a specific conversation which led to the swinging. Instead, it started during a night of drinking in which her husband and another suggested she and a woman 'make out... it's hot.' 'I'd done that in my younger years, it wasn't a big deal to me... we threw another party and it was like, take off your clothes and we'll do lingerie pictures together. 'It just escalated.' Paul recalls the two couples would 'have intercourse in the same bed... the girls kissing and the husbands touching the other wives.' At this point, it was just she, her husband and another couple, but over time it expanded to include a third couple. 'I don't know how you know but you can kind of gauge who is in.' Paul said her then-husband was the first person to pull the pin, because he became concerned about one of the women falling pregnant and not knowing who the father was. 'My husband is like, maybe we should stop doing this with our best friends and maybe we could do this with strangers... I wasn't on board.' Paul recalls the two couples would 'have intercourse in the same bed... the girls kissing and the husbands touching the other wives' In spite of the saga - and the retribution from Latter Day Saints who say there are 'gross misrepresentations' of the faith - Paul insists she has every right to still identify as Mormon. 'I go to church, and my son is going to be blessed here soon. Its really nobodys place to tell me that I cant go to church because I sin. Its something between the church and me,' she said. Paul revealed in a 2022 livestream video that she and her then-husband, Tate, had agreed to have multiple partners as part of a 'soft swinging' group with other married Mormon couples, implicating some of the women who often featured in her videos. Paul and her husband had an agreement they 'wouldn't go all the way' with other partners, but she broke that agreement with one of the other husbands who she had developed feelings for, ultimately ending her marriage. Several of those women were adamant they weren't involved and issued public statements, while others stayed silent and refused to comment at all. Several of the key players in the MomTok era (pictured, MomTok influencers during the peak, before the affair was exposed) have since claimed they were asked to appear on the Hulu show, but turned it down Several of the key players in the MomTok era have since claimed they were asked to appear on the Hulu show, but turned it down. The friendship between several of the women and Paul disintegrated, and one of the women, Miranda McWhorter, said she didn't want to appear on the show in an effort to avoid having to interact with Paul. 'Yes we said we would consider it if she wasn't on the show, and we did. We knew we weren't going to find out in the foreseeable future, and we still made the decision, for our families and ourselves, because it didn't feel like the right fit,' she said. At the time, it was unclear whether Paul could appear on the show as she was facing charges of aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child and child abuse. She took a plea deal for the aggravated assault, and the other charges were dismissed with prejudice. McWhorter shared a text exchange between herself, Camille Munday and their manager, who asked: 'Final thoughts on Momtok show is that we're passing, right?' Munday responded instantly saying: 'For me, yes I'm passing.' In spite of the saga - and the retribution from Latter Day Saints who say there are 'gross misrepresentations' of the faith - Paul insists she has every right to still identify as Mormon McWhorter said she 'wished she could have made a decision' after she knew whether or not Paul would be appearing on the show, but acknowledged it's 'probably not good for me' either way. She added it was no surprise to anybody that she and Paul 'weren't good at the time' the show began casting. Since then, she said Paul's decision to rehash details of the saga was no more than an attempt to promote the show. 'Swinging fiasco? That's tea. This is called PR,' she said. Jessi Ngatikaura, who will appear on the show, admitted it was 'hard to navigate' being online in the aftermath of the scandal. 'Everyone just all of a sudden throwing accusations at you because of misconceptions,' she said. 'There were a lot of people who didn't want anything to do with Taylor or MomTok anymore.' The father, stepmother and uncle accused of murdering ten-year-old Sara Sharif in their Surrey home today appeared in court - and their trial date has now been set. Urfan Sharif, 42, along with his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are accused of killing the youngster, whose body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year. The trio, who flew to Pakistan the day before Sara's body was found with 'multiple and extensive injuries', were arrested on September 13 at Gatwick airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai. They deny murdering Sara, on or about 8 August 2023, and causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023. Batool today appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Bronzefield, while Sharif and Malik appeared together from HMP Belmarsh. The body of 10-year-old Sara Shariff (pictured) was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 last year Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, (pictured) appeared in court today charged with her murder Mr Sharif's partner Beinash Batool (right), 29, and brother, Faisal Malik (left), 28, are also accused of killing the youngster Their trial had been fixed for 1 October but it will now begin on 7 October when a jury will be selected. The prosecutor will then open the case to the jury on October 14. The trial will be heard by High Court judge Mr Justice Cavanagh and is estimated to last up to seven weeks. Prosecutors previously told the Old Bailey that Sara was found to have 'a constellation of healed and healing injuries', while a post-mortem revealed she had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' over a 'sustained and extended' period of time. A post-mortem revealed Sara (pictured) had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' over a 'sustained and extended' period of time The day before her body was discovered, the three defendants had left the UK for Pakistan with five children. They returned to the UK on September 13 and were arrested on landing at Gatwick Airport. Prosecutor Giles Bedloe earlier said: 'These defendants have been charged with the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif as well as the offence of allowing her death. 'In the upstairs bedroom on a set of bunk beds attending officers pulled back the blanket and found the body of a young girl. 'She was fully clothed on the centre of the bed lying face up. 'Sara sustained a number of injuries - a healed fracture to one of her clavicles, multiple rib fractures, multiple bruising to the torso and limbs and the presence of haemorrhage on her brain. 'There were multiple healing fractures on different parts of body suggesting multiple events of violence over a period of time which must have culminated in her death.' Sara's mother, Olga Sharif, had visited the 550,000 red-brick home in the village of Horsell five days after her daughter's death to lay flowers in her memory. The young girl was previously a pupil at St Mary's Church of England primary school in Byfleet. A 24-year-old recent college graduate found dead in the Arizona desert was allegedly killed by his best friend just days after celebrating his birthday. Alijah Bradley's body was discovered east of Gila Bend on August 19, a week after he mysteriously vanished. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 23-year-old Samuel Bush - described as Bradley's best friend - was arrested in connection to the murder. The body of Bradley was discovered in horrific condition in the middle of a remote area of desert. Alijah Bradley, a 24-year-old college graduate found dead in the Arizona desert, was allegedly murdered by his own best friend just one day after celebrating his birthday The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 23-year-old Samuel Bush - described as Bradley's best friend - was arrested in connection to the murder The body of Bradley was discovered in heinous conditions in the middle of a remote desert area 'I was told his cause of death was getting shot in the back and that they found him without his head,' a relative of the victim told AZFamily. 'And something so cruel and so graphic, like it's almost crazy to think that somebody is capable of doing that.' Bush was arrested a day after the discovery, initially only for growing and distributing marijuana and mushrooms from his apartment. It wasn't until Wednesday that he was hit with the more serious charges of second-degree murder and concealing body parts in connection with Bradley's death. The suspect is being held on a $1.5 million cash-only bond - an amount rarely seen for second-degree murder cases. Bradley's family was shocked to discover the suspect's identity, as the motive behind this gruesome act remains a mystery. 'We honestly don't know. He was Sam's best friend. He was Sam's only friend,' the relative said. The victim's family is reeling from the loss of the young man they describe as a 'bright light in everyone's life.' The family shared that Bradley always called his mother every morning, except on the day he went missing. Bradley had a promising future ahead of him, having graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University and working as an engineer. The motive behind this gruesome act remains a mystery 'Just how accomplished he was and how successful he was going to be or could have been,' the relative said. As the investigation continues, the family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses and support during this devastating time. The page describes Bradley as a 'bright and beloved soul' with a 'free spirit and wild soul.' Vice President Kamala Harris no longer wants to ban plastic straws, according to her campaign. Axios reports Harris latest evolution of her previous political views, noting that a anonymous campaign aide confirmed she no longer supported the idea. Harris first endorsed banning plastic straws during her failed presidential campaign during a climate change town hall with CNN in September 2019. I think we should, yes, Harris said when asked if she supported the idea. She laughed and added that it was difficult to drink out of a paper straw, suggesting the replacement needed more innovation. We gotta kind of perfect that one a little bit more, she added. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has walked back some of her more left-wing policy proposals At the time, the Trump campaign pointedly featured Harris proposal as the latest attempt by the left to restrict American freedom and began selling Trump branded plastic straws. Making Straws Great Again, wrote then Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. Liberal paper straws dont work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today, Trumps website read at the time. Harris position on banning plastic straws continues to haunt her as she launches her own presidential campaign in 2024. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign stop at the Throwback Brewery, in North Hampton, N.H. A McDonald's cup and plastic straw before several major cities and municipalities banned them US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two Fox News hosts recent resurfaced Harris position on straws as an example of her instinctual left-wing response to common issues. I love my plastic straw, I hate those paper straws, Fox News host Sean Hannity said recently. Fox News anchor Steve Doocy also called it a major liability to her campaign. In July, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio slammed Harris' position during a campaign rally for Trump in his state. 'I saw a clip the other day were she wants to ban plastic straws,' he said. 'Those paper straws suck. We dont want paper straws in America.' Harris' decision to walk back her controversial position on straws is the latest effort by the campaign to make her seem more practical on a host of issues she supported as she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Economic Club of New York Campaign aids have also walked back Harris' views on mandating electric cars, gun buybacks, Medicare-for-all, banning fracking, and whether or not to build a wall on the Southern border. Trump commented on Harris' policy shifts on Thursday, accusing her of copying his campaign. Were going to send her a MAGA hat, sometime in the next week. Were having a special one made,' he said. A mum-of-three who fled her home on fire screaming for help in front of her shocked neighbours has died in hospital. Shipli Begum, 48, ran out onto the pavement outside her house around lunchtime on August 28 calling for help. One of her neighbours on Newham Way, East Ham, Imran Syed, 46, was about to eat when he heard her begging for help. He rushed outside by which time Ms Begum had returned indoors and was lying on the floor with her husband Mohammed Ahad pouring water over her. Shipli Begum died in hospital from her burns after police and paramedics were called to her home A police cordon outside of Ms Begum's house where she was found on fire last month After seeing smoke Mr Syed said he entered the house where 'She was completely burned, she was not moving or anything,' he said. Mr Syed then took their children outside, and firefighters arrived around one minute later. Another neighbour, Mohammed Ali, heard Ms Begum screaming, then looked outside to see Mr Ahad shouting his wife's name and trying to cover her with a fire blanket. He believes she ran outside for around 20 seconds to stop the rest of the terraced house catching alight. After her husband covered her with the blanket, Mr Ali says she was able to walk back in with him. 'Her clothes got burned off,' Mr Ali said, adding: 'It was very traumatising... The first couple of days was very traumatising.' Neighbours said the family had just moved to London from Walsall, near Birmingham, around three months ago. Maureen French, 83, said Ms Begum was 'a very nice lady' as she described her 'shock' at the incident. 'I do not know much, except she was very nice.' A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Ms Begum was taken to hospital where she sadly died later the same day. Her family are aware and are being supported by specially trained officers. 'The investigation is being led by the North East Command Unit, with initial support from Specialist Crime. 'A 55-year-old man - who was known to the deceased - who was arrested at the scene in connection with the death remains on police bail while officers complete their enquiries. 'No one else is sought and the Coroner has been informed.' An inquest into Mrs Begum's death will be opened at East London Coroner's Court on Thursday, September 12. Donald Trump appeared at a federal appeals court in New York on Friday as his lawyers fought to overturn the verdict in the $5million lawsuit that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist E. Jean Carroll. The former president's motorcade was seen pulling up to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan where attorneys presented oral arguments before a panel of three judges all of whom were appointed to the bench by Democratic presidents. Dressed in his trademark navy suit and bright red tie, Trump entered the courtroom and walked straight past Carroll, who was sitting in the front row of the public gallery. It marks the presidential candidate's first time in court since his assassination attempt in July, and security was tight, with attendees required to go through metal detectors upon arrival. All phones and other electronics were banned from the courtroom. Donald Trump appeared in court in New York on Friday as his lawyers fought to overturn the verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll In his two-minute rebuttal, Trump's attorney John Sauer called the case 'a textbook example of implausible allegations' and a 'quintessential "he said, she said" case' The Republican nominee is contesting the May 2023 verdict stemming from his alleged mid-1990s encounter with Carroll, who claimed Trump sexually assaulted her at Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room and later defamed her when he publicly denied her allegations. His attorneys claim the trial court erred by allowing in certain evidence such as the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump can be heard boasting about grabbing women's genitals, as well as testimony from other women who have accused him of sexual misconduct decades ago. In his two-minute rebuttal, Trump's attorney John Sauer called the case 'a textbook example of implausible allegations being propped up by highly inflammatory, inadmissible' evidence. He also reiterated Trump's claims from his testimony that the presidential candidate has never 'even met' Carroll. Addressing the panel, Sauer called the lawsuit a 'quintessential "he said, she said" case' that was lacking in 'physical evidence', 'eyewitnesses', and police records. Circuit Judge Denny Chin interrupted Sauer's argument, noting it's 'very hard to overturn a jury verdict based on evidentiary rulings' and asked him why the verdict should be thrown out. Sauer questioned US District Judge Lewis Kaplan's decision to allow the Access Hollywood tape and testimony from Jessica Leeds, who accused Trump of groping her on a plane in the late 1970s, to be heard as evidence. Carroll, who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Trump at a department store dressing room in the 1990s, was also present at the hearing on Friday The former president's motorcade was seen pulling up to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Friday morning Protesters holding up placards reading 'guilty', 'rapist' and 'felon', gathered outside the Manhattan federal appeals court on Friday ahead of the hearing He argued that the statute that would deem Trump's alleged conduct a crime wasn't enacted until 15 years later. But Judge Chin asked if Trump 'put his hands up her skirt', wouldn't that count? Sauer reiterated that Leeds's evidence should have been excluded. Judge Chin pressed Sauer further about the Access Hollywood tape and said that it was a 'confession about a modus operandi'. Responding to Sauer's arguments before the panel, Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan stood by the evidence presented at the trial. She insisted that Leeds's testimony was admissible under a law that was in effect in 1979, and therefore the incident would have been considered a crime as the trial judge, Lewis Kaplan, concluded. The lawyer also argued that Trump has a 'pattern' of attacking women that begins with 'pleasantly chatting' them up before suddenly 'pouncing' on them and subsequently trashing the women when he is accused. She added that Trump had refused to testify or even attend the trial despite being given the opportunity. A jury found that Trump was liable for sexually assaulting Carroll, a journalist, in the mid-1990s. Jurors awarded the former Elle magazine advice columnist $2.02million and $2.98million for her sexual assault and defamation claims respectively, in a May 2023 judgment. Trump's attorney presented oral arguments before a three-judge panel consisting of circuit judges Denny Chin, Susan Carney, and Myrna Perez all of whom were appointed to the bench by Democratic presidents Carroll departed court flanked by her attorney Roberta Kaplan, who said she stood by the evidence presented at the trial The writer, who was wore dark blazer and suit with a navy blue hair ribbon, did not talk with reporters after arguments ended Trump was separately found liable for defaming Carroll in a second trial that took place in January this year where a jury ordered him to pay her $83.3million for having defamed her and damaging her reputation in June 2019 after she first accused him of rape. In both denials, Trump said he didn't know Carroll, that she was 'not my type,' and that she made up her story to promote her memoir. In their appeal, filed in November, Trump's lawyers claimed he couldn't get a fair trial in New York. The former president claimed that Judge Kaplan 'erred' in rulings during the May 2023 trial that 'violated President Trump's rights'. The filing stated: 'The improper verdict in this case is a gross miscarriage of justice, backed by political operatives long opposed to President Trump and his politics, based on false and unsupported claims' In other legal filings, Trump's lawyers claimed the attack on Carroll 'never occurred'. He accused her of making up the claims because of her 'significant political bias against him' and 'turned her allegations against (Trump) into a lifestyle and sought to monetize her allegations as much as possible'. Rather than being harmed by the claims, Carroll's standing has improved due to her media interviews, Trump's lawyers claimed. The Republican presidential candidate spoke to the media during a press conference at Trump Tower after the court hearing Trump took the stand during the second civil trial where E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her decades ago, at Manhattan Federal Court in January Carroll's cases are separate from multiple criminal cases against the former US president. Trump is due to be sentenced on September 18 at a state court in New York for falsifying business records relating to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts earlier this year after a blockbuster trial. He is also facing a $450million fine after losing a civil fraud case brought by New York state prosecutors, and two possible criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta over election interference. Neither of the trials are expected to take place before the election. A third criminal case in Florida related to mishandling classified documents was recently thrown out by a judge. Her decision is being appealed by prosecutors. Trump denies all the allegations. A van driver has been jailed for 10 years after he was found guilty of smuggling seven 'desperate' migrants in a hidden compartment. Anas Al Mustafa, 43, was convicted after six men and one woman crammed into a concealed space 'the width of a human chest' in the van and were discovered screaming for help when they began to suffocate. They were travelling on board the Seven Sisters passenger ferry between Dieppe, in France, and Newhaven, East Sussex, on February 16. They had no water and only a small vent for air and during the journey they began to suffocate and become severely dehydrated. As the ship neared the British coast, crew on board heard desperate screams for help and banging on the side of a van which was located on the ferry vehicle deck. Anas Al Mustafa, 43, has been jailed for 10 years after he was found guilty of smuggling seven 'desperate' migrants in a hidden compartment Pictures show the tiny compartment, which was two metres wide, 194cm tall and 37cm in narrow width, which the migrants were forced to stand in The migrants climbed into the compartment through this hole at the back of the van One crew member grabbed an axe and began to break down the fake partition and eventually freed the seven Vietnamese stowaways. As the migrants spilled out of the enclosed space it was clear they were in a dreadful condition. One man had suffered a possible heart attack, one woman had an acute kidney injury and another man went to hospital in a coma and suffered a stroke. Al Mustafa was brought down from his cabin and was observed standing nearby scrolling through his phone as the migrants were treated. Last month Al Mustafa, a father-of-two from Swansea, was convicted of assisting unlawful migration by trafficking the seven people. He was jailed for a minimum of 10 years at Lewes Crown Court on Friday after being told he had risked the lives of 'desperate people' in order to make 5,000. Judge Christine Laing KC said the sentence for people smuggling had been increased over the years from seven years to one of life in an attempt to deter offenders. 'The maximum sentence for this offence has been increased over the years and is now one of life imprisonment, no doubt to reflect the seriousness of this type of offending where there has been a huge increase in the number of cases in recent years,' he said. 'Desperate people are prepared to risk their lives to come in to the United Kingdom, often with tragic consequences. They are effectively exploited by those who can profit from this trade, and who pay little attention to their safety. 'On your own admission, you committed this offence for financial gain, taking a huge and obvious risk with the lives of people wholly unknown to you.' This is a picture of the back of the van looking in. The damage you see was caused by rescuers breaking down the wall with an axe Prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC told the jury the hidden compartment was two metres wide, 194cm tall and 37cm in narrow width, which forced the migrants to stand, and they could not move to any meaningful degree. They were not provided with water, the prosecutor added. Mr Corsellis said: 'The heat created by seven people in such a small space and the lack of sufficient air/oxygen had created a highly dangerous situation. 'It was no doubt this mortal emergency that forced the migrants to call for help in desperation.' Two of the migrants had lost consciousness by the time they were rescued at around 9.20am, and all of the group were taken to hospital and treated, jurors were told. An Australian nurse and passenger on the ferry, Sari Gehle, responded to a call to assist the crew during the incident and described the female casualty as 'terrified', gripping her arm tightly repeatedly saying: 'Vietnam, Vietnam', so she understood the group were from there. She recalled other male casualties being on the floor, with one vomiting, and another with a cut across his left shoulder. All of them were given oxygen masks. The discovery at the East Sussex port sparked a major emergency services response, with ambulances, police and Border Force in attendance. During the trial, Al Mustafa, of Swansea, denied knowing they were in the vehicle and told jurors he was 'shocked' and 'completely numb' at the discovery. The court previously heard how Al Mustafa, a father-of-two had moved to the UK from Syria between 2010 and 2011. He said he was introduced to a man called Badr last time he was in Syria who said he needed him to do a job for him driving a van. Al Mustafa said he was paid 500 on a previous occasion to drive the van to get an MoT in Liverpool, but for the February job he was being paid 5,000 to drive the van to the UK. Al Mustafa said he was paid 5,000 to drive the van (pictured) to the UK Jurors heard that Al Mustafa told police he did not know there were people in the van. Al Mustafa told the court he flew to Amsterdam for a holiday and met Badr at the airport who suggested he drive the same van he previously drove for the MoT to take it back to the garage as there was a fault with the gearbox. Commenting after the verdict, Lauren Doshi, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'The defendant in this case attempted to conceal his involvement in smuggling people into this country. 'A lot of effort had been put into adapting a van to hide people within the back of it in dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions. 'All of this was designed to avoid the checks and border controls that we have to prevent unlawful immigration. He put the lives of those that he sought to smuggle into the UK at risk.' An American activist has been killed during an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot in the head just days after arriving in the region as a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement. Israel has confirmed its forces opened fire on a group while 'responding to violent activity'. It remains unconfirmed by officials if Eygi was struck by an Israel Defense Forces' bullet, or if there were any other gunmen present. Eyewitnesses who were also part of the protest say only IDF had weapons. 'We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Egzi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones,' A White House National Security Council spokesman said. 'We have reached out to the Government of Israel to ask for more information and request an investigation into the incident.' American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, has been killed during a protest in the West Bank 'Today, during Israeli security forces activity adjacent to the area of Beita, the forces responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them,' an IDF spokesman said. 'The IDF is looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area. The details of the incident and the circumstances in which she was hit are under review.' Eygi was clinging to life as she was rushed to Rafida Hospital in Nablus, but stopped breathing on the way and succumbed to her injuries. The Turkish-American citizen was a volunteer with the Faz3a campaign which works with Palestinian farmers demonstrating against Israeli settlements. She arrived this week and had been attending a protest against Jewish settlement expansion in the Palestinian town of Beita, located 13 kilometers southeast of Nablus. Paramedic Fayez Abdul Jabbar said the Israeli army fired two live bullets; one hit a foreign activist and the other hit an unidentified person whose injury is less severe. Eygi, from Seattle, was a psychology graduate of the University of Washington with a minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures Jonathan Pollak, an anti-Israeli activist who was also there, described how he tried to stem the bleeding from Eygi's head. 'I put my hand on the back of her head to try and stop the bleeding,' he told the New York Times. 'She had a very weak pulse.' Fellow ISM volunteer going by the name Mariam Dag said the incident occurred amid a 'peaceful demonstration'. 'The situation escalated when the Israeli army began to fire tear gas and live ammunition, forcing us to retreat. We were standing on the road, about 200 meters from the soldiers, with a sniper clearly visible on the roof. Our fellow volunteer was standing a bit further back, near an olive tree with some other activists. Despite this, the army intentionally shot her in the head.' Cemal Birden, Eygi's uncle, added that he had warned Eygi against travelling to the region. 'My niece was such a pure, such a good kid,' he said. Just last month, a US activist was shot in the leg by Israeli forces as they attempted to suppress a protest in Beita. In October last year, Israeli soldiers shot and killed 17-year-old Palestinian Karam Dweikat in Beita during protests. Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas condemned the latest death in a statement to Reuters. 'This is her life, a foreign citizen holding American nationality during peaceful popular protests,' Daghlas said. 'All legal measures will be submitted to the International Criminal Court,' he added in a statement. 'The bullets do not distinguish between a Palestinian, a child, a woman, or any nationality.' 'Now her life is lost, she is an American citizen holding American nationality, which means Israel is crossing all lines,' the governor continued. 'We appeal to President Biden to stop all support to the occupying state because the occupying state is working hard to bomb hospitals and kill children and kill foreigners, including American nationals.' The Turkish-American citizen was a volunteer with the Faz3a campaign which works with Palestinian farmers demonstrating against Israeli settlements. Pictured: Demonstrators sit before Israeli border guards during a previous protest vigil Eygi, from Seattle, was a psychology graduate of the University of Washington with a minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. Her Linkedin states she was working as an undergraduate peer mentor at the university. She born in Antalya, Turkey in 1998, but went to West Seattle High School according to her Facebook page. The Turkish government issued a statement on Friday accusing Netanyahu's government of 'murder'. 'Israel is trying to intimidate all those who come to the aid of the Palestinian people and who fight peacefully against the genocide,' the statement read. 'This policy of violence will not work. The Israeli authorities who commit crimes against humanity and those who unconditionally support them will be held accountable before international courts.' Eran Maoz, 23, who was at the protest, refuted the IDF's version of events, and claimed to have seen snipers setting up on a rooftop in Beita. The IDF said its forced opened fire during the protest after a 'violent' instigator began throwing rocks. It has not confirmed its soldiers were responsible for Eygi's death 'There was no lead up to the firing of live ammunition, the army started firing bullets from the first moment. 'At one point the army took control of a residential home in Beita and went to the roof. This was very far from the people who were shot at, these people posed no threat to the soldiers.' Maoz says a child was also shot. Palestine's government's official news agency WAFA also reports that Bana Amjad Bakr, a 13-year-old girl was shot in her bedroom near Nablus, allegedly by Israeli forces. Israel is yet to confirm or deny the reports. 'I was something like 100 meters from her, but my initial focus was on a child who'd been hit by fragments of a bullet after it had hit the ground near us. 'I started screaming for the ambulance to come. I looked back and I saw he wasn't the only person who was shot, but also this lady. She was shot in the head, lying there, not responding or moving. 'Her head was covered in blood. The hands of the people who were helping her were covered in blood.' US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the BBC the bureau is 'urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more'. Eygi had only travelled to the region days before and was a volunteer with Faz3a, a campaign supporting Palestinian farmers against Israel's expansion 'We are aware of the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Eygi, today in the West Bank,' the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, told the New York Times. 'We offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.' Protesters from the rally who have been demonstrating against Israel called for an international investigation. Mohammed Khatib, a leading member of Faz3a, said they were calling for an international investigation into Eygi's death. 'There should be punishment for these soldiers who directly targeted and shot Aysenur,' he said. ISM and Faz3a are working together on a campaign called Defend Palestine to provide civil protection from Israeli violence. 'Today they killed one of our volunteers. It's a continuous policy of the Israelis to terrify all the people who are coming to help the Palestinians, to isolate the Palestinians from their supporters and to implement their policy of land transfer and the building of further settlements,' said Khatib. 'Today, like others. Aysenur gave her life for the Palestinian people. We as Palestinians are very emotional and very thankful to her and her family, who we send our deep condolences to. 'We hope this situation will end and the occupation will end, and justice will prevail for Aysenur and all the others who were killed by these criminals from the Israeli side.' It comes after Israeli forces appeared to have withdrawn from three refugee camps in Jenin in the occupied West Bank by Friday morning. Pictured: Mourners at the funeral of eight Palestinians died during the attacks Residents of Beita recently resumed weekly Friday demonstrations against Israel's settlements on Palestinian land, including an outpost at Evyatar which the Isareli government recently announced it would legalize. While protests died down in the wake of October 7, they reignited in early July resulting in clashes. On Friday the protest began around noon with dozens of residents and some international activists gathering for a communal prayer. It comes after Israeli forces appeared to have withdrawn from three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank by Friday morning, after a more than weeklong military operation that left dozens dead and a trail of destruction. Elizabeth Wielga checked out of hotel on August 30 Concerns are being held for an Australian tourist who has been missing in New Zealand for more than a week. Elizabeth Wielga, 67, checked out of her hotel in the Tongariro national park area, on the North Island, on August 30. She was due to fly out of Auckland the same day but has yet to contact her family or make it to her next destination. 'Her family and police are concerned for her welfare and want to establish that she's safe,' local police said in a statement. Australian Elizabeth Wielga, 67, has been reported missing while on holiday in New Zealand 'Ms Wielga does not have a phone or computer. It's possible she doesn't realise police are trying to locate her.' Police have received information that Ms Wielga may have travelled to Wellington on the South Island. 'Information suggests she may be intending to travel to Picton,' police said. 'We encourage anyone who has seen Ms Wielga, or who has information that might help us locate her to get in touch.' More than 22,000 migrants have now crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, according to new official Government figures. These included 51 people in one dinghy embarking on the treacherous voyage today despite torrential rain and choppy waters - and the boat tragedy earlier this week which killed 12 people. A total of 22,028 asylum seekers have now arrived via Channel crossings in 2024, with 976 people intercepted already this month alone. It also takes the tally arriving in the UK on small boats since Labour won the July 4 general election to 8,454. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was today taking part in a summit on how to tackle the Channel crossings emergency which she described as 'this dangerous situation'. UK Border Force officials are seen at Dover in Kent a group of people thought to be migrants - as it was revealed more than 22,000 people hade made small boat crossings this year Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured) was among those attending a summit on small boat crossings at the National Crime Agency headquarters in London today The meeting comes after 12 people died when a small boat split apart in the Channel on Tuesday - emergency service workers are seen here in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France Six children and a pregnant woman were among the victims who died when the dinghy they were in ripped in two on Tuesday morning. Investigators have revealed that the Abeille Normandie the Normandy Bee rescue vessel took 15 people off the stricken boat soon after Mayday calls were put out. A manslaughter investigation has since been opened, as judicial police try to find the people smugglers who provided their faulty vessel. The traffickers are believed to have charged those on board the equivalent of 1,000-a-head for a place on the boat which was just 26ft long. France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that most of the people on board were from Eritrea in east Africa. He also blamed the UK for the tragedy, saying: 'These people want to go to Great Britain, and it is not the tens of millions of euros that we negotiate each year with our British friends and who only pay a third of what we spend, that will put an end to illegal departures. Rather than France continuing to pour millions into trying to secure its border with Britain, Mr Darmanin said he wanted to 're-establish a traditional migration relationship with our friend and neighbour, the United Kingdom'. He said the best way to do this was 'through a migration treaty between Great Britain and the European Union'. Your browser does not support iframes. Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel get on an inflatable dinghy as the French police and gendarmes officers patrol on the beach in Wimereux, France, on Wednesday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was also attending today's summit at the NCA along with Cabinet members and law enforcement agency officers Migrants are seen walking in the water to board a smuggler's boat on the beach of Gravelines, near Dunkirk in northern France, on April 26 this year According to the French coastguard, there were at least 19 deaths in the Channel in this year before Tuesday's tragedy. But the International Organisation for Migration estimates 226 people including 35 children are either missing or have died since January. Ms Cooper has insisted Channel crossings in July and August were lower than last year. But the International Organisation for Migration estimates 226 people including 35 children are either missing or have died since January. She was speaking ahead of a conference involving the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as well as law enforcement officials on the small boats issue. She told broadcasters: 'We have this dangerous situation - the criminal gangs are undermining border security and putting lives at risk. 'In the first half of the year, the number of crossings that we inherited from the previous government were at a record high for spring crossings. 'The numbers for July and August have been lower than in previous years, but we have also seen lives being lost and we still see these criminal gangs operating along the north French coast. Your browser does not support iframes. Firefighters in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern Franccarry an injured migrant on a stretcher after the sinking of a migrant boat attempting to cross the English Channel on Tuesday France's Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin, who has criticised Britain's approach, is seen speaking to first responders in Boulogne-sur-Mer on Tuesday this week 'Those gangs should not be able to get away with it and that's why we are determined to go after them.' She declined to say where asylum seekers would be housed now the Government has abandoned plans to use RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire as accommodation. Asked where they would live, she said: 'We have seen this really shameful increase in the asylum backlog under the Conservatives that we inherited. 'We also saw much lower returns, way lower returns, than under the last Labour government. 'So, the action that we have immediately taken is to significantly increase the number of returns since the general election and we are also working now to close the backlog so that we can end these very costly asylum hotels.' She described the Scampton option as 'incredibly costly for this single site that was also strongly opposed in the local community as well'. A Home Office spokesperson said in response to the latest figures on migrant arrivals: '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.' The spokesperson added that this would be ;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'. Your browser does not support iframes. A boat thought to be packed with migrants is seen in the sea near the Wimereux beach in France on Wednesday this week The small boat was spotted making the journey just a day after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel Firefighters handle the bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Channel to England in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France on Tuesday this week The total number to arrive in small boats last year was 29,437 in 601 boats, following a record 45,755 in 2022 compared to 28,526 the previous year. Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly has called on the Government to bring back the Tories Rwanda deportation scheme, which was aimed at convincing migrants they would not be allowed to remain in the UK. The Conservative leadership contender said earlier this week: This is tragic and it cannot continue. It is not enough to talk about "smashing the gangs" when the real-life consequences are so serious. 'Labour must re-establish the deterrent to stop vulnerable people being exploited and secure our border. Tony Smith, a former Director General of Border Force, said a deterrent - either in the form of a returns agreement or third-party scheme such as Rwanda - was necessary to put people off trying to cross and so break the gangs business model. He told the Mail: Unless it is demonstrated that they wont be allowed to stay, people will think they might as well take the risk.' Earlier on Friday, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick accused Sir Keir and Ms Cooper of having 'surrendered to the smuggling gangs' after scrapping the Conservatives' Rwanda policy. Mr Jenrick topped the Tory MPs' poll in the first round of their leadership contest yesterday, with 28 votes - followed by Kemi Badenoch's 22, Mr Cleverly's 21, Tom Tugendhat's 17, Mel Stride's 16 and now-eliminated Dame Priti Patel's 14. Mr Jenrick said: 'Yvette Cooper will meet the National Crime Agency and police chiefs today, and they'll tell her what they told me when I was the minister, which is that although it's important that we do that work, it is not sufficient. You have to have a deterrent.' A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard the RNLI Lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel on Tuesday Conservative leadership contender and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick today criticised the Labour government's approach to small boat crossings Another candidate to be new Tory leader is former Home Secretary James Cleverly, who has called for Sir Keir Starmer's administration to reintroduce the Rwanda flights scheme Senior ministers including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer also attended today's small boats summit at the NCA headquarters in London. They were joined by representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the intelligence community. An analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary which dives into the gangs' capability was expected to be examined at the summit. It was also considering closer collaboration with European agencies such as Europol and advancing the new Border Security Command. Three people have miraculously survived after an out-of-control helicopter plunged into a reservoir during a firefighting exercise in Mexico. Terrifying video filmed by a shocked onlooker shows the aerial firefighting team lowering the helicopter's bucket to the lake below. As the bucket fills with water, the pilot appears to encounter a technical problem and the helicopter veers off-screen for a moment. The chopper is then seen plunging from the sky and crashing side-on into the reservoir at La Boquilla Dam in Chihuahua yesterday afternoon. The cameraperson gasps as the helicopter ends up on its side in the water. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, although preliminary reports suggest the chopper suddenly lost engine power. Terrifying video filmed by a shocked onlooker shows the aerial firefighting team lowering the helicopter's bucket to the lake below in the Chihuahua dam area around 1.55pm yesterday The chopper then plunged from the sky and crashed side-on into the reservoir at La Boquilla Dam in Chihuahua yesterday afternoon The helicopter ended up on its side in the water. All three crew members involved miraculously survived the crash Officials deployed a large scale operation near the Chihuahua dam area around 1.55pm yesterday after receiving reports of a helicopter crash. Police, firefighters and medics rushed to the scene after the aircraft, which specialized in collecting water to fight fires, landed in the water. The search team used another chopper and a drone to help find the survivors during the rescue operation, as reported by NeedToKnow. The state government said in a statement: 'Following the crash of a helicopter at Chihuahua Dam, Civil Protection teams and Municipal Police officers acted immediately to rescue the crew.' The three crew members were rescued from the reservoir and taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. They were taking part in aerial firefighting exercises when the Bell 206 helicopter, owned by a private company, plunged into the water. The crew members involved in the crash have not yet been named. When Kamala Harris took over the top of the Democratic presidential ticket from President Biden, Democrats saw enthusiasm skyrocket and polls with Donald Trump leading tightened, but there was another element in play: voter registrations surged. While voter registrations tend to increase as Election Day nears, the boost after the shakeup was significant as a massive number of young people, especially young women and women of color registering jumped dramatically. Tom Bonier, a senior adviser to political data firm TargetSmart, has been digging into the numbers as more states release voter registration data for the week following Biden's exit from the race. He found voter registrations that week compared to the same time period in 2020 were up nearly 192 percent nationally among young black women and up 183 percent among young hispanic women. Voter registrations surged nearly 200 percent among young black and Hispanic women in the week after Kamala Harris took over the top of the Democratic presidential ticket on July 21 compared to that time in 2020 Bonier said the surge in registrations among certain voting blocs in a short period is less significant in terms of their ability to impact the outcome of the election alone, but it can be indicative of overall turnout increases. 'To me what's more significant is that historically when we've seen these types of anomalies or surges in registrations among any given group, that's then followed by that group more broadly turning out in more elevated rates,' Bonier told DailyMail.com. Bonier said he would not be surprised based on the new registration data that young voters, women and women of color who appear much more engaged and likely to support Harris will turn out at a much higher rate than they did in 2020 and that could make all the difference on the margins. It comes as the presidential race looks extremely tight with just sixty days to go. The Real Clear Politics average has Harris up by less than two points nationally. But the race is expected to be decided in just over a handful of battleground states, and in those, the latest polling signals it will all come down to turnout and perhaps by just a few thousand votes. 'Just small changes in turnout can be decisive in these battleground states,' Bonier said. Voter registrations data has been released for every battleground state from the week after Harris took over the ticket except for Arizona. There has been a significant surge in registrations among young people and women of color from 2020. It could be indicative of higher turnout among such groups which tend to vote for Democrats in the November election New voter registration data has now been released from every battleground state except Arizona for the week after Harris took the top of the ticket. Pennsylvania is the latest swing state to release voter registration data from the week after Biden exited the race. Democrats saw a 47 percent increase in registration over the same time period in 2020. Republicans saw a 21 percent increase. Bonier noted that overwhelmingly younger voters are registering as unaffiliated but voting heavily Democrat, so even with the reflected boost, it could be an underrepresentation. Voters under the age of 30 in the Keystone state increased by sixty percent that week from 2020. Among black voters, the registrations increased 110 percent from four years ago, and registrations were up 262 percent among young black women and 179 percent among black women overall. Among young Hispanic women, voter registrations in the state were up 145 percent. Pennsylvania is one of the biggest battlegrounds of the 2024 election season and other swing states have seen a similar trend after the shakeup at the top of the Democratic ticket In another battleground North Carolina where Democrats are looking to flip the state from red to blue come November, the trends have been similar. Democrats in the week after Harris took over out-registered Republicans, which had not been the case recently in the state. The week of July 21, Democrats registrations were up 31 percent from 2020 while GOP registrations were up that week just 5 percent, and that does not include the unaffiliated voters. Among black voters, registrations was up 124 percent, among Latinos registrations were up 101 percent. Among black women, they were up 130 percent while young black women registering to vote was up 231 percent. It is a trend that has played out among all the battleground state that have released data so far. There's been a surge in voter registrations among young voters, women of color and especially young women of color. It comes as earlier this week, Vote.org announced has registered more than one million voters in the 2024 election cycle to date including a record breaking number of younger voters. The organization said it saw a surge in registrations after the shakeup at the top of the ticket with more than 376,000 after Biden exited the race on July 21. The vast majority of those new voters were under 35. Overall, among the one million voters registered this cycle, 79 percent have been under the age of 35. 18 year olds made up 34 percent of registrations in 2024 compared to just eight percent in 2020. Vote.org announced it has registered one million voters this cycle including a record number of young people With that, it comes as no surprise that both campaigns have been going after the youth vote. Vote.org said it has a historically strong conversation rate with 81 percent of its registrations heading to the ballot box. Among its one million new voter registrations, 17 percent were from voters who live in the swing states likely to decide the election. The Rwanda deportation scheme is a gimmick which did nothing to cut migrant Channel crossings, No10 insisted today amid a furious row over German plans for facilities paid for by UK taxpayers. Labour has insisted it was right to axe the programme scheme, after Berlin suggested the EU take over facilities already built to process its own unwanted arrivals. Last night it was revealed the German migration commissioner Joachim Stamp has proposed sending those who arrive illegally via Poland's border with Belarus to East Africa. He proposes the bloc take advantage of hostels set up using British money, which Rwanda has refused to refund. The German ambassador to the UK, Manuel Berger, this morning clarified that it would not send asylum seekers to east Africa permanently but it was discussing 'processing asylum applications in third countries under international humanitarian law and with support of the United Nations'. The revelation sparked uproar among Tories who said the scheme should have been continued despite hundreds of millions of pounds paid out with little to show for it. A No10 spokeswoman today told reporters: 'The cost of sending four volunteers was 700million, so we are very clear that this is a gimmick which saw increases in crossing in the first months of this year.' It came as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper chaired a summit today aimed at destroying the criminal gangs involved in smuggling people from France in small boats, after the deadliest crossing of the year so far. The Home Secretary gathered senior ministers and figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and intelligence services on Friday. Before the meeting she said: 'In the first half of the year, the number of crossings that we inherited from the previous government were at a record high for spring crossings. 'The numbers for July and August have been lower than in previous years, but we have also seen lives being lost and we still see these criminal gangs operating along the north French coast. 'Those gangs should not be able to get away with it and that's why we are determined to go after them.' No10 branded the scheme introduced by the previous Tory administration an 'expensive gimmick' amid a growing political row over one of Keir Starmer 's first decisions as Prime Minister. Berlin's migration commissioner Joachim Stamp has proposed deporting those who arrive illegally in the bloc via Poland's border with Belarus He proposes the bloc take advantage of hostels set up using British money, which Rwanda has refused to refund. The Home Secretary will lead the meeting of senior ministers, figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and intelligence services on Friday (Pictured: An RNLI boat which has rescued people trying to cross the Channel arrives in Dover) It follows the deaths of at least 12 people who attempted to cross the channel on Tuesday, after gangs crammed more than 70 people onto a tiny dinghy and set it on a course for England. But Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick accused Labour of abandoning 'the one credible deterrent' against Channel migrant boats. Mr Jenrick told Sky News: 'Yvette Cooper will meet the National Crime Agency and police chiefs today, and they'll tell her what they told me when I was the minister, which is that although it's important that we do that work, it is not sufficient. You have to have a deterrent.' In the latest fatal incident a boat was 'ripped open' and sank off the northern French coast of Cap Gris-Nez. Only eight people were wearing a life jacket. Amongst those killed were 10 women, one of whom was pregnant, and six children. Another two people were left in a critical condition in hospital, and 51 people were saved. Tony Smith, the former director general of UK Border Force, also told the BBC Labour should reconsider the Rwanda scheme. 'The key to deterrents is removals and we need to make it clear to migrants in France that are already in a safe country, that actually it won't work, getting into a small boat, you won't get to stay in the UK and that you are likely to be relocated elsewhere,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. 'Rwanda was I think a very bold attempt by the last government that those who are already in safe countries, who are saying they fear persecution back home, won't be sent back home actually, there is an alternative where you can live your life safely and that is Rwanda. The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at almost 22,000 (Pictured: Migrants gather on a beach in France waiting to board a boat) But Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick accused Labour of abandoning 'the one credible deterrent' against Channel migrant boats. Your browser does not support iframes. 'That would send the deterrent across the Channel - that it simply isn't worth paying the money, putting your life at risk, your family's lives at risk to get to the UK because it doesn't follow that when you get into British territorial waters you will be allowed to stay here.' But Border Security Minister Angela Eagle told Times Radio Rwanda did not work. '[It] cost 700million and we only ever managed to get four people to volunteer to go to Rwanda and we ended up with a system where there's 106,000 people in a perma backlog not being dealt with at all,' she said. 'But there was never any much of a percentage likelihood that any of those people would have ended up in Rwanda, and it was set to cost literally billions. It was a scheme that didn't work. It didn't provide the disincentive.' Ahead of the meeting, Ms Cooper said: 'Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs. 'Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week. 'At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice.' Government ministers have previously condemned smugglers for packing increasing numbers of people on small boats and endangering lives. More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year, compared with 12 who are thought to have died or were recorded as missing in 2023, according to the French coastguard. MailOnline calculates the figure to be at least 35, including two people who died on August 11 and a woman who suffocated in an overcrowded boat in July. The Home Secretary will be joined at NCA headquarters in London today by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Representatives from the intelligence community will also be present, who have been helping the NCA penetrate and dismantle the smuggling gangs. The Home Secretary will be joined at NCA headquarters in London today by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service Tuesday's tragic incident comes after French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closer together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes last week Ms Cooper added: 'The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. 'But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners. 'At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.' An analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary which dives into the gangs' capability will be examined at the summit, which will also consider closer collaboration with European agencies such as Europol, and advancing the new Border Security Command. Speaking after this week's tragedy, Ms Cooper said: 'What has happened off the coast at Le Portel is a horrifying and deeply tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the loved ones of all those who have lost their lives, and all those who have been seriously injured,' she added. 'I am in touch with my counterpart in France, Gerald Darmanin, and am being kept updated on the situation. Firefighters handle the bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Channel to England in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France on September 3 Your browser does not support iframes. 'We pay tribute to the French coastguard and emergency services who undoubtedly saved many lives, but sadly could not save everyone. We will await the results of the French investigation into how this particular incident unfolded. 'The gangs behind this appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy dinghies, and sending them out into the Channel even in very poor weather. 'They do not care about anything but the profits they make, and that is why as well as mourning the awful loss of life the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security is so vital and must proceed apace. 'All government services are mobilised to find the missing and take care of the victims.' UK coastguards were not involved in the rescue effort due to the sinking happening so close to France. The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at a provisional total of 21,977. This is 3 percent higher than at this point last year, when the total stood at 21,372, but 20 percent lower than at this stage in 2022, when the total was 27,409. There have been 2,683 arrivals in the past nine days, from August 27 to September 4 inclusive - the highest in any nine-day period so far this year. There were 29,437 arrivals across the whole of 2023, down 36 percent on a record 45,774 in 2022. CNN news anchor Dana Bash was ambushed by a pro-Palestine protester who called her a 'killer' and said she was 'complicit in genocide.' Bash, who is Jewish, appeared at a bookstore in Washington DC this week to promote her new book, America's Deadliest Election. She was interrupted by a protester who appeared to be in the front row, who repeatedly shouted: 'you belong behind bars.' This protester covered her face with a mask while repeatedly branding Bash - who descends from Holocaust survivors - a 'liar' and a 'killer.' 'There are over 10,000 political prisoners in Israeli death camps. They are concentration camps for Palestinians,' the hysterical protester shouted. 'You are complicit in all of those deaths.' Its not a war, its never been a war. Its ethnic cleansing, its genocide CNN's Dana Bash has been interrupted multiple times by pro-Palestine protesters who accused her of being complicit in the Israeli genocide in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/LHzC4wOgIw WAFA News Agency - English (@WAFANewsEnglish) September 6, 2024 Jewish CNN news anchor Dana Bash was ambushed by an aggressive pro-Palestine protester who called her a 'killer' and said she was 'complicit in genocide' This protester covered her face with a mask while repeatedly branding Bash - who descends from Holocaust survivors - a 'liar' and a 'killer' The crowd was largely silent during the exchange, and Bash herself was motionless as the incident unfolded, remaining in her seat with her arms in her lap. She issued a withering takedown of the protester as security arrived to escort her out of the building. The unidentified woman had said: 'This liar gets on national TV and she spreads lies every single time. She is killing people.' Then, directly to Bash, she said: 'Look me in the eye. Look me in the eye.' Without missing a beat, witnesses in the room said Bash responded: 'You don't deserve to look me in the eyes. 'Take your mask off.' She issued a withering takedown of the protester as security arrived to escort her out of the building Pro-Palestine protests have gripped America - and much of the western world - since the crisis escalated Bash's grandmother Teri Weinman and her family were Hungarian Jews who escaped to the US in 1941. Weinman's parents and sister were all murdered at Auschwitz. As the woman was escorted out of the building, she began repeatedly chanting 'Bloody Bash.' 'It's not a war. It's never been a war. It's ethnic cleansing. It's genocide. There are children getting bombed, bombed, bomb, bomb, bomb.' The conflict between Israel and Palestine reached new levels on October 7 following Hamas' attack on Nova festival, which left 1,139 dead and 251 more taken hostage. In the aftermath, Israel launched a ground invasion in Gaza and on the West Bank which is still ongoing today. The Gaza Health Ministry reports the death toll of Palestinians since October 7 totals more than 40,000 people. Within moments of the first protester being removed from the building, a second woman, also wearing a face mask which concealed her identity, jumped to her feet Students protested on the first day of school this year at Columbia University Within moments of the first protester being removed from the building, a second woman, also wearing a face mask which concealed her identity, jumped to her feet. 'You call yourself a good journalist?' she asked. 'Report the truth.' The woman said she had friends and family in Palestine who have been impacted by the conflict, and told bystanders they would 'all do the same' for their own loved ones. New York Judge Juan Merchan on Friday delayed Donald Trump's sentencing in the Stormy Daniels case until weeks after the November elections, in just the latest dramatic turn for the former president. The decision sets sentencing for November 26th, when Americans will have voted and the results of the election should be known. It had been scheduled for September 18th, which would have fallen just two months before Election Day. Trump's team had asked for a delay, while prosecutors had left the matter up to the judge's discretion something Merchan took as an indication prosecutors backed the move. The judge, who Trump repeatedly attacked during his trial and again on Friday, had told the parties he will make his decision on timing Friday. Trump faces up to four years in prison, although experts predict the first-time offender might not get any jail time when sentencing finally comes. In a letter explaining his order, Judge Merchan spelled out the reason to delay as a measure to avoid 'any appearance - however unwarranted - that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.' Judge Juan Merchan ruled in Trump's favor and delayed sentencing hours after the former president blasted a 'witch hunt' against him He said adjourning 'should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision ... to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party' or candidate. That came after the judge noted that it is the defense who filed numerous motions to try to derail the case, and that Supreme Court rendered its 'historic and intervening decision' on presidential immunity just 10 days before an earlier sentencing date. Those moves had the combined effect of pushing back the decision to the height of the political season, with Trump engaged in a close race against Vice President Kamala Harris while campaigning on the legal moves against him. Merchan noted the time and effort spent by the jury on the case, and the 'complexities' of a sentencing hearing, which should be 'entirely focused' on the verdict and weighing aggravating factors 'free from distraction or distortion.' Trump's lawyers tried to have the case removed out of Merchan's Manhattan courtroom and into federal court. They said Merchan shouldn't sentence Trump while that matter is being litigated, and have alleged that fall sentencing amounts to 'election interference.' Merchan gave a hint of how he took these arguments in his letter. He pointed to the defendant's 'litany of perceived and unsubstantiated grievances from previous filings that do not merit this Court's attention.' The decision in Trump's favor came just hours after Trump once again attacked the judge, who he has accused of having a conflict in the case. 'That case is a disgrace should have never been allowed. I did nothing wrong,' Trump said, in a prolonged press statement at Trump Tower where he also attacked New York Judge Arthur Engoron and female accusers who testified in the in the E. Jean Carroll case. Trump once again accused the Justice Department of steering the case, which was decided a Manhattan jury. 'It's very corrupt in New York. It's a very corrupt place.' Trump declared victory in remarks Friday afternoon in North Carolina. 'The witch hunt against me has been postponed because everyone realizes that there was no case because I did nothing wrong,' he said. 'It's a witch hunt. It's an attack by my political opponents in Washington, D.C.' Merchan's decision puts sentencing after Americans have gone to the polls, but before electors meet in their state houses December 17th during a period in 2020 when Trump was challenging the election results. DA Alvin Bragg's office had said the judge should decide, but said in a filing that Trump's complaints about the timing of the case 'are a function of his own strategic and dilatory litigation tactics.' Judge Juan Merchan says he will issue a decision on whether to delay sentencing scheduled for Sept. 18th in his Stormy Daniels case. He cited the desire to avoid 'any appearance - however unwarranted - that the case was proceeding in a way to impact the presidential election Trump railed against the Stormy Daniels case online and at Trump Tower and accused VP Kamala Harris and the U.S. Justice Department of being behind it The arguments over sentencing follow Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the $130,000 Stormy Daniels 'hush' payments In a separate case, Trump and E. Jean Carroll each attended an Appeals Court hearing in Trump's effort to appeal a $5 million jury verdict Your browser does not support iframes. The high-stakes decision comes as Trump, who issued a combative press statement Friday, attended court in a separate case where his las lawyers are appealing a $5 million judgement against him in E. Jean Carrolls defamation case. Merchan had already postponed sentencing from an initial July 11 date amid the legal battle over whether Trump enjoys immunity from prosecution for official acts. Some of the evidence in the Stormy Daniels case show Trump signing checks for the final part of the porn star's hush payments from the Oval Office. Trump's move to appear in the Carroll appeal case came a day after he decided not to show up in a court hearing in Washington, D.C. about the status of his January 6 case. In that case, he had lawyer John Lauro communicate his 'not guilty' plea related to his election overturn effort. Trump gloated about the decision on his Truth Social site, claiming the DA had 'no case' although he has been convicted. 'The Manhattan D.A. Witch Hunt has been postponed because everyone realizes that there was NO CASE, I DID NOTHING WRONG! It is a political attack against me by Comrade Kamala Harris and other Radical Left Opponents for purposes of Election Interference, and is a case that should have never been brought,' Trump wrote. 'Nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America IT IS STRICTLY THIRD WORLD, BANANA REPUBLIC STUFF, he wrote, rattling off legal academics, lawyers, and TV personalities who back him. 'I greatly appreciate the words if necessary being utilized in the Decision, because there should be no if necessary - This case should be rightfully terminated, as we prepare for the Most Important Election in the History of our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' In the Stormy Daniels hush money case, Trump's team has tried to delay sentencing on two occasions. He was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payoffs to the porn star. Trump has repeatedly attacked the case, and on Thursday evening accused election rival Kamala Harris of engineering it. (Trump previously accused President Joe Biden of being behind his prosecution). 'This is what various Legal Scholars and Experts, Brilliant Lawyers, and Highly Respected Journalists think of the Manhattan D.A. Hoax, where the Democrats, headed up by Comrade Kamala Harris, working directly with the DOJ (which theyre not supposed to be!), want to put a Former President of the United States, and the Leading Candidate for President, in PRISON. This is unheard of, there has never been anything like it in our Country, and they are doing it in a blatant and illegal attempt to win an Election that, based on their results, should be unwinnable, but I cant talk about it because Judge Merchan has put an UnConstitutional Gag Order on me. Somehow it will ALL work out - I dont know how, I dont know why, I dont know when, but it always does!' Although Merchan could give Trump a sentence of as many as four years, legal experts have said a sentence of probation or community service is more likely. Horror turbulence has left seven people injured and others covered in food after serving trolleys and luggage were sent flying during a nightmare flight from Istanbul. Two crew members and five passengers were injured during the turbulence on the Turkish Airlines flight to Taipei on September 5. Two of the 214 passengers were taken to hospital for further treatment. The remaining injured passengers and crew members declined to be sent to the hospital and followed other passengers through customs. A shocking video from inside the plane shows the food from trolleys scattered everywhere along with passengers' belongings after the plane was hit by turbulence. The woman shooting the footage can be seen trying to get the debris out of her hair and take stock of her surroundings. Two crew members and five passengers were injured during the turbulence on the Turkish Airlines flight to Taipei on September 5. Two of the 214 passengers were taken to hospital (one pictured above) for further treatment A shocking video from inside the plane shows the food from trolleys scattered everywhere along with passengers' belongings after the plane was hit by turbulence The woman shooting the footage can be seen trying to get the debris out of her hair and take stock of her surroundings Footage shows the mess inside the cabin after the turbulence, with plates and personal items lying on the floor Two crew members and five passengers were injured during the turbulence on the Turkish Airlines flight to Taipei on September 5 (file image of a Turkish Airlines flight) The Boeing 777-300 left Istanbul airport for Taipei at 4.59pm and carried 17 crew members and 214 passengers on board. The Boeing encountered turbulence during the flight and landed at Taoyuan International Airport at 6.01pm. Taoyuan Airport received a notification at 4.59pm that flight TK24 from Istanbul to Taipei, scheduled to land at 5.55pm, encountered turbulence and required airport rescue support. The airport company's fire brigade was immediately dispatched. According to official reports: 'Multiple ambulances and emergency medical personnel were on standby at the scene. 'The duty officer Official commanded the airport company's initial response team and, at the same time, notified the Chinese Inspection and Quarantine (CIQS) customs clearance unit to prepare passenger customs clearance matters. 'After the aircraft landed, Lianxin personnel immediately conducted injury examination and first aid operations. 'The aircraft remained on the ground for about four hours before departing on schedule for its return flight.' This comes after extreme turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore left one person dead and others injured after plummeting for a number of minutes before making an emergency landing in Thailand. The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left the UK's Heathrow airport on May 20 with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board. A passenger died and 30 others were injured on a flight from London to Singapore this afternoon forcing an emergency landing in Thailand. Pictured: The plane and ambulances are seen on the tarmac at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on May 20 A person is seen being carried away from the aircraft on a stretcher on May 20 in Bangkok The flight SQ321 experienced severe turbulence while flying close to Myanmar airspace in a region currently being battered by extreme tropical thunderstorms. After around 11 hours of flying time from take off in London, the aircraft sharply dropped from an altitude of around 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet within just five minutes as it finished traversing the Andaman Sea and neared Thailand. Terrified passengers have described how they had little warning to put their seatbelts on before the aircraft suddenly dropped. Those not wearing seatbelts were 'launched into the ceiling,' one said, their heads slamming into the overhead luggage containers. An archery hunter who was savagely attacked by a grizzly bear before he shot the enraged animal dead has survived the surprise attack. The man and his friend were hunting elk near Henrys Lake in Island Park, Idaho, located approximately 15 miles west of Yellowstone National Park, on Sunday when they were attacked by an adult male grizzly bear. One of the hunters was 'knocked down and bitten by the bear' during the encounter, according to the Idaho Fish and Game. Officials said the pair were able to reach their sidearms and fire at the animal, 'deterring the attack and killing the bear'. They then called 911 and the injured elk hunter was helicoptered to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. His current condition is unknown. An elk hunter who was savagely attacked by a grizzly bear in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest on Sunday before shooting it dead has survived the surprise attack (stock photo) The man and his friend were hunting elk near Henrys Lake in Island Park, Idaho - located approximately 15 miles west of Yellowstone National Park - on Sunday when they were attacked by an adult male grizzly bear. One of the hunters was 'knocked down and bitten by the bear' during the encounter The duo were hunting in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near the Divide Creek Road Sunday when the bear attacked from a 'very close distance'. Fish and Game, along with the Fremont County Sheriff's Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service teams, responded to the scene. After a thorough investigation, conservation officers determined that the hunters acted in self-defense when they shot the grizzly. The species is protected under state and federal law. 'I am extremely grateful that both of these individuals survived this encounter,' Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Matt Pieron said in a press release Monday. 'I have had the opportunity to speak with the injured hunter and his family and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma these two hunters experienced.' The duo were hunting in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near the Divide Creek Road Sunday when the bear attacked from a 'very close distance'. After a thorough investigation, conservation officers determined that the hunters acted in self-defense when they shot the grizzly bear, a federally protected species (File photo of Caribou Targhee National Forest) Federal law states it is illegal to kill a grizzly bear unless one is doing so in a situation of self-defense, according to US Fish and Wildlife. 'Grizzly bears in the 48 contiguous states are currently protected as a threatened species. It is illegal to harm, harass or kill these bears, except in cases of self-defense or the defense of others,' an US official told ABC News. 'Grizzly bear conservation is complex and only made possible through a variety of partnerships with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, state wildlife agencies, Native American Tribes, federal agencies, universities and other organizations.' A Carnival Cruise trip descended into chaos before it even left the port, as furious passengers demand a refund when they were told that their dream vacation required a last-minute itinerary change. Video footage captured the moment passengers chanted, 'Give us our money!' after finding out their Caribbean cruise was changed to a Bahamas trip due to engine trouble. The Carnival Vista voyage, which costs nearly $800, was set to embark on an eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise leaving from Port Canaveral, Florida on August 10. Passengers who had anticipated stops in Aruba, Curacao, and Turks and Caicos were instead told they'd be visiting Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. The announcement came as some guests were still in the process of boarding, the New York Post reported, leading to testy exchanges as passengers demanded refunds and pleaded to get off the ship. A Carnival Cruise voyage descended into chaos before it even left the port, as furious passengers demanded a refund when they were told that their dream vacation had a last-minute itinerary change Passengers who had eagerly anticipated stops in Aruba, Curacao, and Turks and Caicos were told they'd instead be visiting Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas 'We apologize for this unanticipated disruption to your vacation plans and are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the cruise we had planned,' Carnival said in a statement to Inside Edition, noting that its engineers were working on an issue affecting the ship's cruising speed. In video that circulated on social media, frustrated passengers can be heard shouting at ship staff as officials break the news. Ashley Ball, who was on the cruise with her mother and sister, told Inside Edition: 'They knew about the problem prior to us getting onto the ship. 'They just didn't say that until we were already on the ship, and, you know, went through customs and the lines and securities and all that.' Carnival offered passengers an onboard voucher and future cruise credit to accept the revised route, or a full refund if they decided to disembark. The announcement came as some guests were still in the process of boarding, leading to scenes of chaos as passengers demanded refunds and pleaded to disembark. Earlier this week, it was announced that a woman who was raped after being forced into a closet on a Caribbean cruise has been awarded an extra $2million after Carnival appealed a $10 million verdict in her favor. The woman, from Washington D.C. will now get more than $12 million for her ordeal at the hands of a Carnival employee. Her attacker, Fredy Anggara, has never been arrested for the assault, which took place on December 2, 2018. A Venezuelan gang took over an apartment Complex in Colorado more than a year ago, according to a Denver law firm's report. The Tren de Aragua, a criminal group from Venezuela, has had a 'stranglehold' on the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora since late 2023, the law firm Perkins Coie claimed in a letter to Aurora officials. The firm found that the gang has engaged in assaults, threats of murder, extortion and even child prostitution, as reported by CBS News Colorado. The law firm was hired by the lender for Whispering Pines Apartments, 1357 Helena Street, to investigate the reported takeover and claims the gang has been extorting 'rents' from people they moved into vacant units. The vacant units have reportedly been used to host 'parties' where the gang provides 'drug and child prostitution,' according to the apartments' manager, who added that 'minors are a good source of money.' The Aurora Police Department has denied claims that the complex has been overrun by gangsters. Footage from a resident in the Aurora complex appeared to show armed men knocking on an apartment door, intensifying fears the Tren de Aragua gang was in control of the complex The Tren de Aragua, a criminal group from Venezuela, has had a 'stranglehold' on the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora since late 2023, the law firm Perkins Coie claimed in a letter to Aurora officials However, the report, issued in August, says that 'Tren de Aragua has threatened to kill (and, in certain instances, has apparently actively attempted to kill) members of Whispering Pines management.' In November, 2023, a consultant for the complex's management company was so allegedly severely beaten and stomped by gang members that he had to go to the hospital. The gang's activities reported escalated this year, with a housekeeper claiming in April 2024 that a two individuals 'went into an apartment, came out with large firearms, and were coming to kill [the property manager].' The property manager said the two individuals were gang members and arrested as they were coming to kill him.' The manager also claimed 'gang members allegedly stabbed a Whispering Pines resident for refusing to pay "rent" to the gang.' He told the law firm that in June the gangsters offered to help him if he paid them 50 percent of the funds collected in rents. A housekeeper reported that a gang member told her: 'This is our business plan... If he [property manager] doesn't like it, we'll fill him with bullets.' Four alleged Tren de Aragua members have been arrested in Aurora in connection to an attempted murder in July Former US attorney T. Markus Funk wrote: 'The evidence we have reviewed indicates that gang members are engaging in flagrant trespass violations, assaults and battery, human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors, unlawful firearms possession, extortion, and other criminal activities, often targeting vulnerable Venezuelan and other immigrant populations.' The Whispering Pines Apartments has 54 apartments with rents ranging from $1450 to $2000 per month. Four alleged Tren de Aragua members have been arrested in Aurora in connection to an attempted murder in July. ICE officials told Fox News all four are undocumented immigrants who were detained and released after crossing the Texas border. However, Aurora police has claimed the gang has not taken over any buildings, and city officials indicate the buildings, along with two other apartment complexes, were run down because of neglect by the property manager, CBZ Management. In a visit to the apartments where the armed men were filmed, interim Aurora police chief Heather Morris said gang members had not taken over and werent collecting rent Aurora police are seen at the complex. They say that claims that the building has being taken by a gang are false In a visit to the apartments where the armed men were filmed, interim Aurora police chief Heather Morris said gang members had not taken over and werent collecting rent. The remarks came after Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said that 'criminal elements' had taken over some unspecified buildings and were extorting residents. Aurora Police agent Matthew Longshore reiterated Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that the agency has confirmed residents are not paying rent to gang members, but they found apartment managers are no longer sending representatives to the complex. The City of Aurora is already taking legal action against Zev Baumgarten with CBZ for 'years of neglecting properties and numerous code violations' after another building he managed in Aurora was shut down as uninhabitable. Its residents were evicted in mid-August. Trials for Baumgarten that had been scheduled for August and September have been delayed for at least six months. Among the nearly 1 million Venezuelan migrants who entered the U.S. in recent years were suspected gang members tied to police shootings, human trafficking and other crimes yet theres no evidence that the gang has set up an organizational structure in the U.S., Jeremy McDermott, the Colombia-based co-director of InSight Crime, told the AP this summer. He published a recent report on Tren de Araguas expansion. Many of the immigrants from Venezuela and other Latin American countries who live in the Aurora complex say there are no gangs there, and they are being unfairly painted as criminals. They pinned blame on New York-based CBZ Management for refusing to take care of bedbugs, rodents and constant water leaks despite monthly rent costing $1,200 or more. Residents fear they could be evicted, but the city said Wednesday there were no immediate plans to pursue that option. 'The only criminal here is the owner of the building,' Moises Didenot, who is from Venezuela, said Tuesday through a translator at a news conference in a dusty courtyard at the complex. He showed reporters some mice he recently caught on sticky traps in the basement apartment he shares with his wife and 11-year-old daughter. Only two of the burners on their stove work, their ceiling fan is missing a blade and as soon as they clean their bathtub, mold quickly creeps back, he said. New footage shows suspected school shooter Colt Gray with blood on his face and posing with a deadly AR-15 rifle a year before he opened fire, with his dad branding it the greatest day ever DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The 14-year-old is accused of killing two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School in Winder, outside Atlanta, on Wednesday. His father, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged in relation to the killings after admitting to authorities that he bought the weapon used in the attack for his son. Now DailyMail.com can reveal that Colt had been on hunting trips with his father for at least 18 months before the teen opened fire in the school hallways. Shocking footage shows Colt posing with a 450 Bushmaster AR-15 semi-automatic rifle he used to kill a deer, with his father later telling the local authorities it was just the greatest day ever. New footage shows suspected school shooter Colt Gray with blood on his face and posing with a deadly AR-15 rifle a year before he opened fire, with his dad branding it the greatest day ever DailyMail.com can reveal The 14-year-old is accused of killing two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School in Winder, outside Atlanta, on Wednesday Colin bragged that his son was a hell of a shot after he killed the deer on January 8, 2023, and appeared thrilled to be teaching him to hunt. The teenager can be seen with blood on his cheeks, wearing hunting gear in a wooded area of Georgia, smiling at the camera while clutching the weapon. His father then insists he poses with the rifle and the deer, telling the camera: Ill follow you sir. Holy crap look at that brother. Go ahead and lay your rifle down on it, barrel up so you dont get mud in the barrel, gun down like we had for the picture. Remember its still loaded. Beautiful, lean down there and hold that head up let me see what you got this morning. On your first ever deer hunt big old giant three pointer amazing look at that son what a hell of a shot. Yes sir. Colin even bragged to authorities about the trip during an interview with the pair after the FBI received a tip which accusing the then 13-year-old of posting threats to open fire at a school in May 2023. He told officers that they do a lot of deer hunting, before proudly saying: He shot his first deer this year. Im trying to teach him about firearms and safety, the father-of-three added. And how to do it all and get him in interested in the outdoors. The picture on my phone you see him with blood on his cheeks from shooting his first deer. It was just the greatest day ever. Colt's father, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged in relation to the killings after admitting to authorities that he bought the weapon used in the attack for his son. The pair had been on hunting trips with his father for at least 18 months before the teen opened fire in the school hallways. Shocking footage shows Colt posing with a 450 Bushmaster AR-15 semi-automatic rifle he used to kill a deer, with his father later telling the FBI it was just the greatest day ever The father-of-three also admitted that they talk about school shootings a lot during the interview, claiming it was something that concerned him. You just never really know, he told investigators. I dont want anything to happen to him. He told cops his son wasnt a loner, and was being picked on at school, with his peers saying he was gay, according to a report from Jefferson County Sherriffs Department. The report also details that Colt told his father Im a good boy Daddy, I would never do it and said, I dont want to be caught up in any of that. His father said it was very difficult for him to go to school and not get picked on, and that he had been trying to get him onto a school team. It went from one thing to another, Colin said. He was talking to the couple of friends he had, and it was like oh look Colt's gay, he's dating that guy. Just ridiculed him day after day after day. Colin even bragged to authorities about the trip when they interviewed the pair in relation to an FBI tip which accused the then 13-year-old was posting threats to open fire at a school in May 2023. He told officers that they do a lot of deer hunting, before proudly saying: He shot his first deer this year Im trying to teach him about firearms and safety, the father-of-three added. And how to do it all and get him in interested in the outdoors. The picture on my phone you see him with blood on his cheeks from shooting his first deer. It was just the greatest day ever. The teenager reportedly believed that he would make a great detective, because of his cyber skills. Colt was introduced to weapons by his father, who claims he took him hunting out of fear he could be caught up in a school shooting and unable to defend himself. I introduced him to bow hunting, then it was a pellet gun, then it was a 22,' he said. Gun safety was in all of this because I worry about him and school, and you never know what would ever happen. Conflicting evidence on the posts origin left investigators unable to arrest anyone, the report said. His father, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged in relation to the killings after admitting to authorities that he bought the weapon used in the attack for his son Gray was arrested on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, minutes after authorities say he opened fire on students and teachers, killing four. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time. 'We did not drop the ball at all on this,' Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. 'We did all we could do with what we had at the time.' The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Gray 'had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.' He reportedly made the threat on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report. The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. The father-of-three also admitted that they talk about school shootings a lot during the interview, claiming it was something that concerned him (Pictured: home of Colin and Colt Gray) The account had a username written in Russian, and the translation of the letters spelled out the name Lanza, referencing Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy. Gray denied he was the author of the threats, telling police he'd shut down his Discord after being repeatedly hacked. He expressed concerns that someone would make those accusations about him. 'He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,' Colin told authorities. The boy reportedly was obsessed with other infamous school shooters such as Parkland, Florida killer Nikolas Cruz. Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting. Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting Investigators wrote that no arrests were made because of 'inconsistent information' on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York. Authorities closed the case being unable to substantiate that either Gray was connected to the Discord account, and did not find grounds to seek the needed court order to confiscate the family's guns. Father and son both appeared at Barrow County Superior Court on Friday, in shackles and handcuffed at the front of their body. Colt reportedly told police 'I did it' when read his Miranda rights after his arrest on Wednesday. The teen, dressed in a green t-shirt and grey sweatpants, kept his head down, with his hair covering his face, and spoke softly only to Judge Currie Mingledorff, replying yes sir when asked to confirm his name. Judge Mingledorff brought Gray back in to correct a statement he made, telling him: I wanted to make it clear to you that the penalty does not include death. It includes life without the possibility of parole or with the possibility of parole. A 2005 Supreme Court decision forbids the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. Meanwhile his father, Colin, cried as he appeared shortly after his son in the same courtroom, rocking back and forth. Colin Gray shuffled in wearing a prison-issued striped shirt and tracksuit, in shackles like his son. He stated his name in a croaky voice, confirming his age, and that he was able to read and write. Judge Mingledorff advised the elder Gray that he could face up to 30 years in prison for each felony murder count, 10 years for each involuntary manslaughter charges and cruelty to children the maximum totaling 180 years. A chaotic street brawl erupted outside a school in Chile, leading a student to hit his own mother with a family car before plowing into the father of a student the driver had been fighting with earlier at the school. The wild melee was sparked by an earlier fight between the two students on Thursday inside the school in Puente Alto, outside Santiago. After their parents were summoned to the school, all hell broke loose - with witnesses capturing the scene on video. Multiple clips showed several people squaring off in the street, with the mother at one point seen pouncing on the father of the student her son had been fighting earlier that day. Authorities said she stabbed the man. Video footage of the melee showed a woman attacking the father of a student her son had fought at school in Puente Alto, Chile on Thursday. The incident left five adults and two minors under arrest A video clip shows a student driving into the father of a rival classmate before getting out of the vehicle and kicking him during a wild brawl outside a school in Punto Alto, Chile In the clips, she can be seen striking the man several times with her right hand. After the two separate following the tussle, a white SUV driven by the womans son speeds into her, sending her flying to the ground. The driver then accelerates into the father of his rival classmate as several people continue brawling in the street. Another clip shows the student driving into the father a second time before getting out of the vehicle and kicking him. Still image from a video showed a SUV driven by a boy about to plow into his mother before he hit the father a student he had been in a fight with at a school in Puente Alto, Chile on Thursday A mother was seen lying on the ground moments after her son ran into her with an SUV Five adults and two students were arrested, with all seven scheduled to appear before a judge on charges that include attempted homicide. 'Upon leaving the school, both families began to argue and attack each other, resulting in two people being stabbed, and two people being run over by a relative of one of the students, while at the same time causing various blows, threats and damage to both families,' said Juan Cheuquiante, who is leading the investigation out of the Metropolitan South Regional Prosecutor's Office. 'The detainees will be charged with attempted homicide, injuries of varying severity, as well as damage and threats.' The driver then struck the father of a classmate he had fought at their school A car dashcam captured the moment a parent was run over by a SUV driven by a boy who had fought his son at their school Punto Alto Mayor German Codina told Chilevision Television that he was concerned with the behavior exhibited by the parents and students. 'There was apparently already violent behavior here some time ago, which was reported by the educational establishment, and I am concerned that no concrete measures have been taken,' Codina said. Police patrol has been increased at the school in the morning and afternoon. Extraordinary vision shows stranded Texans - including a toddler - clinging onto trees as fast-moving floodwaters beneath them wash away their cars. Concho Valley first responders worked to rescue five people - three men, one woman and a three-year-old child - after their red truck got stuck in rising waters on September 3. The group were spotted clinging to the partially submerged tree as heavy rain poured down, prompting swift action from authorities. Pictured: One rescuer handing a toddler over to colleagues to take to safety Pictured: One man is seen shirtless and stuck in the tree with rescuers beneath him. The red truck is also visible, filled with floodwater A spokesperson for Tom Green County Sheriff's Office described the event as a 'scary incident... that could have had a very different result.' 'Thankfully, everyone is okay.' Authorities received a call stating a man, woman and child were trapped in the flood. Upon arrival, they saw the red truck lodged into a tree, and five people in total clinging on for their lives. Rescuers had to enter the fast-moving water to reach the group, and ran into trouble when one of the group began panicking. Debris and huge branches were spotted in the murky waters as the exhausting rescue mission got underway. Concho Valley first responders worked to rescue five people - three men, one woman and a three-year-old child - after their red truck got stuck in rising waters on September 3 The group were spotted clinging to the partially submerged tree as heavy rain poured down, prompting swift action from authorities Rescuers attached a yellow line from one side of the floodwaters to the other, using that to safely get across to the tree. A lifejacket was attached to the toddler, who appeared to be a little girl, as the rescuer carried her to safety with the help of the bright yellow safety line. All five people were taken to safety, and three first responders who were in the water were also offered assistance by the remainder of the crew 'Rescues had already occurred by the time the drone began recording, but overall, there is some quality footage to show what was faced today,' the spokesman said. 'The water went quickly from the top of the screen where it was toe to ankle level, to waist deep where you see yellow rain coats, ending at full depth where only a complete rope rescue was possible between the last tree line and the tree area where the truck came to rest and the subjects were stranded.' All five people were taken to safety, and three first responders who were in the water were also offered assistance by the remainder of the crew. For the past seven years, the family of Paula Leeson have fought to prove she was murdered by her husband, a serial liar and convicted fraudster who they dubbed the devil incarnate. And today a High Court judge ruled the Walter Mitty conman had unlawfully killed her - in an attempt to pocket her 4.4million from insurance policies. As the only daughter of Willy Leeson, who founded a multi-million pound civil engineering business in Manchester after leaving his native Ireland in the 1960s, she was known for her financial prudence and simple tastes. Responsible for handling invoices at the family firm which she and her brother Neville stood to inherit her modest pleasures were a weekly visit to the hairdresser with her mother Betty then a trip to the shops. But her life was to be transformed when she was introduced to a stocky New Zealand-born self-proclaimed property developer going by the name Donald McPherson via a client of her familys firm. 'Serial liar' Donald McPherson, 50, unlawfully killed his wife, a judge today ruled Heiress Paula Leeson died in 2017 and was found in a swimming pool in Denmark Paula died in a swimming pool at a remote holiday chalet in Denmark (pictured) in 2017 Despite the fact that his 47-year-old wife 'hated' swimming and preferred city breaks, in 2017 McPherson booked them a property with an indoor pool (pictured) in a remote part of Denmark, Manchester Crown Court heard After a whirlwind romance, they married at Peckforton Castle a stately pile set in rolling Cheshire countryside in 2014 in what a court would later hear was a grand affair with no expense was spared. While a besotted Ms Leesons family were out in force after swallowing their suspicions about him, no relatives of McPherson attended the ceremony. This he variously put down to being an orphan or growing up in a foster home just some of his many lies. The couple bought a three-bedroom detached house in the comfortable Manchester suburb of Sale - later worth 650,000 just around the corner from her parents house, a gated 1million property. However his lavish lifestyle soon began to arouse suspicion falsely claiming to be doing up his properties while paying in cash for flying lessons, and running up thousands of pounds in debts. Unbeknown to his wife, he had taken out insurance policies worth 3.2million on her life in addition to trust funds worth 800,000 and joint money and property worth 506,000 from which he also stood to benefit. Despite the fact that his 47-year-old wife hated swimming and preferred city breaks, in 2017 McPherson by now 65,000 in debt booked them a property with an indoor pool in a remote part of Denmark. Before leaving for the trip, Ms Leeson who was in robust health - told her family she wasnt even planning on buying a swimming costume. But on the day they were due to fly home, McPherson called an ambulance, saying he had found his wifes lifeless, fully-clothed, body in the 4ft deep water. Paula's elderly father Willy Leeson outside Manchester Civil Justice Centre today Brother Neville, who long campaigned for justice for Paula, was seen today, too Neville (left) and Willy (right) were inside with Paula's son Ben when the judgement was given Paula's brother and dad, pictured in 2021, have been fighting for years to prove her death wasn't an accident A paramedic called to the scene in Nrre Nebel on June 6, 2017, was surprised to see McPhersons very bad efforts at resuscitating her, Manchester Crown Court was told. After breaking the devastating news to her horrified family in an unemotional phone call, McPherson checked into a hotel, where he began transferring around 20,000 out of a joint account operated by his wife. He finished the evening by tucking into a steak dinner, a murder trial would later hear, also joining online support group Widowed and Young which the jury heard he later referred to as like a Tinder for widows. Willy Leeson was convinced that his daughter had been murdered by her shady husband as soon as he heard the tragic news, saying: Hes killed her, hes killed her, hes killed her. After her body was returned to England, her brother Neville viewed the body along with Mr McPherson and said he was shocked to see a big black mark on her head. He asked the mortuary assistant if it could have come from the post mortem She said no, you dont bruise when youve died. He was also able to examine her phone after successfully guessing the passcode and discovered that photographs and messages from the trip had mysteriously been deleted. A pathologist in Denmark concluded she had drowned accidentally despite 13 injuries being found on her body including bruises and grazes to her head, arms and legs. As a result the case was closed by the Danish authorities. But Greater Manchester Police began their own investigation and McPherson was charged with his wifes murder. However halfway through a trial at Manchester Crown Court in March 2021, in a rare legal move, Mr Justice Goose directed jurors to find him not guilty. He explained that he had no choice because the prosecution had been unable to disprove his claim that her death had been an accident but in a sensational intervention, the judge made it plain that it was clearly more likely that the serial liar had killed her. In court, Willy Leeson could not contain his anger. Looking across to the dock he shouted: Shame on you Don! Then, directing his fury at the judge, Miss Leesons brother Neville shouted: God Almighty. You are making a big mistake. For his part, after being cleared, McPherson insisted his wifes death had been a tragic accident and said it saddens me, deeply that he was suspected of involvement. Following the dramatic outcome, a Daily Mail investigation made a string of discoveries about the past of the man Paula Leeson knew as Donald McPherson but who was born Alexander Lamb. Unbeknown to the jury in his murder trial, he had adopted the name under which he was to marry after being jailed over a 12million bank fraud in Germany in 2006. At that stage he was calling himself Donald Somers. In addition, his previous wife Ira Kulppi died along with their four-year-old daughter during a mysterious fire while he was behind bars. On July 24, 2006, police found the bodies of Miss Kulppi and her daughter, with investigators concluding that the 35-year-old mother deliberately started a fire. This was all kept secret from Ms Leeson and her family. Neville Leeson later told the Mail people should be given a legal right to know if a new partner has a serious criminal past under a previous identity. If we had known his identity and his past, Paula would have run a mile, he said. She would still be alive now. He said the family had been destroyed a second time when the judge stopped the trial. The court has heard McPherson being described as a 'Walter Mitty', 'who had changed his name multiple times, had 32 convictions spanning 15 years in three countries, and whose previous wife and their child died in a house fire. After moving into an apartment in Manchester, McPherson later returned to New Zealand before moving to the South Pacific where he is said to be sailing around and leading a nomadic lifestyle. Meanwhile the Leeson family turned to the civil courts in a bid to prevent McPherson from cashing in on Paulas death. At the High Court in London they last year successfully challenged a coroners ruling that a forthcoming inquest should only focus on the time the couple spent in Denmark. Senior judges ruled it was an impermissibly narrow approach and that the scope should be extended. The Leeson family hope that the hearing for which a date has yet to be fixed will conclude that Ms Leeson was unlawfully killed after examining his deceit in taking out life insurance policies worth millions. They also took a separate High Court claim asking a judge to rule that she had been unlawfully killed by her husband. In April, Lesley Anderson, KC, for the family, told a judge in Manchester that Mr McPherson was a morally corrupt individual who had planned to kill Ms Leeson almost from the minute he met her. Far from being the property developer he posed as, Mr McPherson was 65,000 in debt yet he managed to maintain monthly repayments on the life insurance policies totalling almost 500-a-month in the run-up to his wifes death. This deterioration of his finances plus the assiduous amassing of insurance policies not to mention allegedly forging her will to benefit him - provided a compelling motive for the unlawful killing of Paula by him, Ms Anderson argued. By 2017 he was running out of options to fund his extravagant lifestyle without Paulas largesse, she said. McPherson did not attend court and was not legally represented after failing in an attempt to have the claim struck out. In his statement to the trial, her son Ben, 36, said he didnt think his mother owned a swimming costume and didnt like getting wet. He said he was surprised when he learnt she and McPherson had booked a holiday to a remote part of Denmark as she preferred city breaks. Ben who along with his mother worked for the family firm said McPhersons behaviour when he returned to England was strange, recalling that he wasnt crying and seemed neutral. On visiting their marital home to collect some of his mothers possessions, he noticed a list of insurance policies on a worktop. In his own statement, Ms Leesons brother Neville said that on learning of her death, their father Willy, 81, began shouting: Hes killed her. Asked by Mr Justice Richard Smith why he had brought the case, Willy Leeson said: So he just doesnt benefit from my daughters death - a financial benefit. Giving evidence, Neville Leeson, 49, recalled how after his sisters death he correctly guessed the passcode to her mobile phone. He found all the photographs she had taken in Denmark had been moved to the deleted folder the day after her death. I thought this was very strange, he said. The only person who had Paulas phone was Mr McPherson. I couldnt understand why would he delete Paulas last photos he had before she died. After not getting any answers from the Danish authorities he contacted police in Manchester about his suspicions. A cleaner who visited the house shortly after her death found opened packet of Viagra and empty champagne bottles. She also noticed bedding stuffed behind the headboard of the spare bed - Karen Mairs said she suspected this had been done to stop it banging against the wall. She was was very shocked by this and suspected that Donald had been sleeping with someone. Her suspicions were heightened when McPherson accidentally sent her husband a photograph at 2am showing a fancy champagne bucket with a nice looking bottle of champagne in it, she said in her evidence. Born Alexander Lang, McPherson changed his name multiple times and amassed 32 convictions spanning 15 years in three countries, the trial heard. Concluding her argument, Ms Anderson said: This was planned almost from the minute he met Paula.' And today, following hearings earlier this year, Mr Justice Richard Smith on Friday ruled McPherson had killed his wife. Giving his ruling he said: 'Don deliberately and unlawfully killed Paula by compressing her neck in an arm lock rendering her unconscious and causing her body to enter the pool to ensure her drowning and death. 'Don's motive for unlawfully killing Paula Leeson is clear: money.' The Royal Navy aviator who died after a military helicopter ditched in the English Channel during a night flying exercise has been pictured for the first time. Lt Rhodri Leyshon was aboard a Merlin Mk4 which plunged into the water on Wednesday evening after it suffered a 'double engine failure'. The helicopter, which had a crew of three, was conducting mission rehearsals with the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth when the tragic incident occurred. Lt Leyshon's family today paid tribute to a 'talented' and 'passionate' man who was 'immeasurably loved'. They said in a statement: 'Rhod was so immeasurably loved by his parents, siblings, partner, friends and family and he was devoted to them. Our lives will never be the same without him. Lt Rhodri Leyshon was aboard a Merlin Mk4 which plunged into the water on Wednesday evening The incident involved a Merlin Mk4 helicopter that ditched into the sea while conducting night flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth near Dorset (file image) 'We are all so very proud of the talented, passionate, strong and loyal man he was. We will always have him in our hearts. Our wonderful boy.' The Royal Navy has also paid to Lt Leyshon who was commissioned in 2014 and undertook flying training, specialising as a Commando Aviator. Colonel Mark Johnson, Commanding Officer of Commando Helicopter Force at Yeovilton, said: 'It's immensely sad that we lost one of our family. 'Lt Leyshon was a consummate professional and a shining light with a bright future. 'He epitomised our team spirit and his loss leaves a huge hole in all our hearts.' Air Vice-Marshal Alastair Smith, Commander of Joint Aviation Command, added: 'I flew with Lt Leyshon just a few days ago and personally attest to both his professionalism as a pilot and his warmth as a character. 'He will be sorely missed by the Squadron, the Commando Helicopter Force and the wider Joint Aviation Command.' All three crew members were on board the helicopter when it made a deliberate emergency landing on Wednesday night. Lt Leyshon's colleagues were rescued from the choppy waters and were taken to hospital as a precaution. Preliminary inquiries into the accident have suggested the helicopter suffered a loss of power. The helicopter was carrying out a training mission with HMS Queen Elizabeth when it ditched into the sea. Pictured is the aircraft carrier arriving at its home in Portsmouth The Merlin Mk4 is powered by three jet engines generating a combined 6,500 horsepower and a top speed of 160 knots. It also has three separate hydraulic systems and three separate fuel lines. The duplication of these capabilities, known to naval aviators as 'redundancies', is intended to ensure that should an engine or a hydraulic system fail, another can compensate. But on this exceptionally rare occasion, it seems at least two, possibly three engines, suffered an irretrievable loss of power. The Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and senior Royal Navy officers paid tribute to the serviceman that died before his name was released. Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of a member of the Royal Navy'. John Healey MP, who was visiting the Royal Navy in Portsmouth on Thursday morning said: 'This is very sad news, that everyone connected with our armed forces dreads. 'All my thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues today. I've been able to share my condolences with Navy personnel and I am here with the First Sea Lord (1SL). 'A full investigation has already started and that will be one of his first priorities. It will be for the investigation [to find out what happened]. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tweeted he was 'deeply saddened' by the horror incident Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, added that he was 'intensely saddened by the tragic loss of one of our Royal Navy personnel' 'Today, is a day to mourn the loss of a valued member of naval personnel and to think about his family, his friends and his colleagues. The wider naval service also feels his loss.' Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, added that he was 'intensely saddened by the tragic loss of one of our Royal Navy personnel'. The Merlin Mk4 has an exceptional safety record, according to navy sources. The helicopter is 75ft long and weighs almost 16 tonnes. It is designed to move up to 24 personnel and equipment across sea and land. The helicopter is also used in evacuation situations and for humanitarian missions. Importantly, it is equipped with floatation aids, known as 'flop bags', which are released from the helicopter if it ditches in water. These are supposed to keep the Merlin afloat. The functionality of these aids will form part of the accident investigation. The helicopter ditched rather than crashed, which means that it made a deliberate emergency landing. No other helicopters were involved. GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik renewed her push for the judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush-money trial to recuse himself from the case. The New York Republican wrote in a letter sent Friday to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct that 'new information has come to light that merits a fresh look into Justice Merchan's conflict.' Her letter was a follow-up to one she sent in May in which she called for an investigation into Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump's trial in New York state court, to 'determine whether the required random selection process was in fact followed.' The fresh complaint alleges that Merchan should recuse himself from the case as his daughter, Lauren Merchan, is the president of a company that Kamala Harris's presidential campaign has paid and thus stands to benefit from the trial. GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has filed a complaint against Justice Juan Merchan (left), the judge overseeing Donald Trump 's hush-money trial. Stefanik (right) has called for an investigation into Merchan's daughter's affiliation with the Harris campaign Your browser does not support iframes. 'Today I filed a new judicial ethics complaint with the New York State Commission because new evidence on Kamala Harris most recent FEC filing shows she hired and paid Acting Justice Juan Merchans adult daughters company,' Stefanik wrote on X announcing the maneuver. 'This is a clear violation of the New York State Judicial Code of Conduct which dictates that a judge must recuse from a case where a relative up to and including the sixth degree has a financial interest in the outcome of the case.' That code, the Republican writes in her letter, 'dictates that a judge must recuse from a case where a relative up to and including the sixth degree has a financial interest in the outcome of the case.' She specifically highlights how new Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings indicate that Lauren Merchan's company, Authentic Campaigns Inc., received $468 from Harris's campaign for web hosting services. The payment was made just days after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. 'This indicates that one of the very first things that Harris did upon taking over the Biden campaign infrastructure is to hire this firm, Authentic,' Stefanik wrote. 'Ms. Merchan is related to Justice Merchan in the first degree. Authentic has a newly active financial relationship with Vice President Harriss campaign. President Trumps sentencing, an event which will garner worldwide media coverage, is imminent.' Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 29, 2024 in New York City overseen by Judge Juan Merchan Justice Juan Merchan presides as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass presents closing arguments during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 But the payment was not made public until recently, Stefanik notes. 'As the FEC reports filing did not occur until August 20, nearly a month after the Harris campaign and Authentic had begun doing business, no one in the public, including the Commission, could have known of the relationship.' 'This is merely the beginning of a new contract with a new campaign, regardless of the amount reimbursed.' 'Sure, theres an immediate benefit, but this is a play at a potential larger benefit for Authentic and Merchan down the road,' she argued. 'Given this revelation of a brand-new conflict of interest for Judge Merchan, I respectfully request that the Commission engage in a fresh inquiry concerning Justice Merchans conflict and take any appropriate action resulting from it.' A payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels from the Trump campaign is at the center of the case against the former president Trump was found guilty of all 34 charges related to falsifying business documents in the case and could face prison time. His sentencing is expected to occur on September 18. The profile of the late ITV News journalist Gary Burgess has been used by fraudsters to promote an online cryptocurrency scam, as his widower slammed the criminals for their 'violating' action. Burgess' headshot and fabricated quotes have been used in an advert encouraging people to invest money in the scheme, which promises large returns. The journalist, who lived in Jersey, was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1999, but despite undergoing treatment the illness eventually spread to his chest and lungs. He passed away on New Year's Day in 2022, aged 46. Now two years on, Burgess' face appears on an advert with a fake positive review claiming that he made more than 8,7000 on a crypto trading platform. The profile of the late ITV News journalist Gary Burgess has been used by fraudsters to promote an online cryptocurrency scam, two years after his death from cancer Burgess' face appears on an advert with a fake positive review claiming that he made more than 8,7000 on a crypto trading platform Burgess told fans that he had six to twelve months left to live in November 2020 and documented his cancer journey on his blog after receiving the terminal diagnosis The advert claims he says: 'I've only used it for a couple of weeks and I've already made more money from it than I do busting my butt off at work for months!' Cryptocurrency is a digital form of currency that is not controlled by a central authority, such as a bank or government, and remains largely unregulated. Burgess' widower, Alan, was distressed that the late journalist's profile had been used in this way. He told ITV News: 'It's horrible, it feels violating, I'm just angry. 'The fact that someone would do this, knowing or not the fact that Gary has died, to used the image in this way and take advantage of the goodwill Gary had from the people of Jersey is infuriating.' The profile of Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq, head of Jersey's Judiciary, was also fraudulently used in the scam campaign. Matt Palmer, director of Jersey's Cyber Security Centre warned that scammers will use well-known or distinguished personalities in this way to convince people their scheme is above board. He said: 'These things are happening all the time, we have an increasing number of these types of frauds and they're becoming more sophisticated.' Burgess, who over his career also wrote a column for the Jersey Evening Post and hosted the local radio station Channel 103, died peacefully in his sleep on January 1, 2022 at a hospice in Jersey. Burgess' widower, Alan, was distressed that the late journalist's profile had been used in this way and described it as 'violating' The advert was promoting investment in cryptocurrency, a digital form of currency that is not controlled by a central authority, such as a bank or government, and which remains largely unregulated Doctors had found tumours on his lungs and told him they were inoperable. Burgess told fans that he had six to twelve months left to live in November 2020 and documented his cancer journey on his blog after receiving the terminal diagnosis. HOW CAN YOU AVOID BEING A VICTIM OF CRYPTOJACKING? MailOnline spoke to cybersecurity and cryptojacking expert Raj Samani, Chief Scientist at McAfee Fellow for some tips to help consumers protect themselves. Think before you click. If a website, an app, or pop-up looks suspicious, it could contain malware or link to malware that installs a cryptominer. Stick with reputable sites and apps and be extra cautious with how you interact with pop-ups. Double check emails. One way illicit crypto miners get to your PC is through malicious links sent in legitimate-looking emails. Be aware of this scam (and many others) and think before you click on any links sent via email. Update, update, update! A lot of malware takes advantage of systems that may not have the latest security patches, therefore be sure to keep all your system software up-to-date when alerted to do so. This includes the use of security software that will be able to identify many of the attempted infections targeting your system. Remain vigilant. Some of the symptoms of cryptojacking will be the consumption of resources on your systems. Obvious signs include a system using a lot of processing power which makes it run considerably slower than normal. This could be a sign your system has been infected with a miner. Security software. Whilst we discuss updating your security software, you may also want to consider installing anti-cryptomining software. For example a browser extension to prevent cryptomining attacks, these are free and relatively simply to use. Advertisement In a final message released by ITV following the news of his death, Burgess praised his 'soul mate' Alan and said he had 'great sadness' at the prospect of leaving his friends and family behind. He said: 'I've had the best life. I've had the luckiest life. I met my soul mate and the love of my life who went on to become my husband. 'I got to work with some of the most amazing people in newsrooms and studios doing the job I absolutely adore. 'And I've been able to share my own relatively short time on this planet surrounded by friends and loved ones who have enriched my life in ways they may never truly understand. 'My greatest sadness is the prospect of leaving all of that and all of them behind. 'The thought of doing that to Alan is unfathomable to process, but I also know the very people who've shown me love and support will now wrap up those feelings around him in the coming days. 'It's time for me to hand over my microphone and keyboard for others to do the talking about me, so let my final words simply be 'thank you'. 'Every person in my life has, in their own way, helped me live my best life. That'll do.' A bar worker has revealed the real reason why Shia LaBeouf squared up to a group of men outside a pub in Edinburgh. A man, believed to be the Hollywood actor, was heard shouting 'let's go, I'm right here, m**********r,' near the OX184 bar last weekend. Footage shows the bearded man, throwing off his cap before raising his fists, with two other men jumping in to hold him back. Dressed in a black padded jacket and jeans he walks up and down the street while shouting at an unknown male. Now, however, a bar worker at Stramash, where the incident took place, has claimed the A-lister was not in the wrong. A shocking video has emerged of Shia LaBeouf as he prepares to fight a group of men outside a pub in Edinburgh The Hollywood actor, 38, was heard shouting 'lets go, I'm right here, m**********r,' outside the the OX184 bar last weekend Shia has been arrested six times, with the latest taking place in 2017 where he was detained for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness The source told The Sun: 'The guy who was involved in it has been in touch. I told him to contact the police - one of the guys who got involved with him outside. 'He messaged on Facebook asking if he could get CCTV. We could only share it with the police. 'I watched the CCTV, he looked like he was having a great time. He was dancing about. 'To be honest the other four guys were antagonising him. They knew who he was and they were poking at him. 'The other guys were definitely antagonising him, trying to goad him into some sort of reaction.' Shia is currently in Scotland while his wife Mia Goth films for the upcoming Frankenstein film, the couple have been spotted in both Edinburgh and Glasgow over the past week. Last week's incident in Edinburgh follows a string of controversies that have continued to cast a shadow over the troubled actor for the last few years. In 2011 he was also filmed being punched to the ground by a shirtless man outside the Cinema Public House in Vancouver, before getting up and staggering away. Shia LaBeouf is seen ahead of his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in November 2019 Shia LaBeouf and his current partner Mia Goth are seen in Hollywood on August 30, 2014 in Los Angeles. The pair separated in 2018 before getting back together in 2020 Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth out and about in Los Angeles, California, in 2014 Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth attend the Fury film premier at the 58th BFI London Film Festival in 2014 In 2014, he was arrested after disturbing a performance of the musical Cabaret on Broadway in New York. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct violation and received outpatient care for alcohol addiction. Shia was also arrested for a drunken scuffle in New York City in 2017. He was arrested again in the same year for disorderly conduct in Savannah, Georgia when he became aggressive towards a police officer he had asked for a cigarette. In another incident in 2020, Shia was reportedly charged with battery and theft after getting into a verbal argument with a man in Los Angeles. In that same year, the Transformers star was accused of sexual battery, assault, and emotional distress by his former girlfriend FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, who filed a lawsuit against him. Among the allegations, she accused him of violently attacking and strangling her, knowingly infecting her with an STD, and physical and verbal violence. A suspended Labour councillor has pleaded not guilty to encouraging violence during an address to a crowd at an anti-facist protest last month. Ricky Jones, who sits on Dartford Borough Council in Kent, is accused of telling a crowd on August 7 that far-right rioters should have their throats cut out. The 57-year-old appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday via videolink where he spoke to confirm his identity and enter a not guilty plea. Hossein Zahir KC, for the defence, told the court that while Jones admits to the words, he denies knowing the offence of violent disorder would be committed or could play any part in inciting violence. Judge Oscar Del Fabbro set a trial date for January 20, 2025 and it is estimated to last five days. Jones remains in custody at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Ricky Jones, pictured at the protest, has been charged after allegedly telling a crowd 'we need to cut the throats' of 'disgusting nasty fascists' Jones was arrested and appeared in court charged with encouraging violence The charges arose over a video in which he allegedly said: 'They are disgusting nasty fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.' He was arrested by the Metropolitan Police at an address in South East London just a day after the anti-fascist protest in Walthamstow Central. Jones was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He allegedly accused members of the far-right of putting National Front stickers with razor blades hidden behind them on trains. The politican, who is an organiser for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union, has been suspended by the Labour Party. A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. The councillor has been suspended from the party.' A TSSA spokesperson said: 'TSSA remains steadfast in supporting communities that peacefully stand against fascist aggression. We unequivocally do not condone any threats or acts of violence, as these actions are contrary to our values.' It is understood Jones was administratively suspended from the party, and the whip has been removed, which means he can no longer be called a Labour councillor. He allegedly made the comments at an anti-racism demonstration in Walthamstow which saw thousands of people flood the streets after suggestions the far-right could rally in the area. Jones, who sits on Dartford Borough Council, has since been suspended by the Labour Party following his alleged comments Jones is thought to have attended a large-scale anti-racism protest in Walthamstow (pictured) The rally saw chants of 'Whose streets? Our Streets!' with the attendance in northeast London. They had gone onto the streets after it was included in a list of around 100 places that were under threat of being targeted by far-right protesters. Counter-protesters turned out in their thousands in several UK cities- outnumbering 'anti-immigration' protesters when they bothered to turn up - in order to send the clear message that Britain does not welcome hate. The demos came as scores of arrests and dozens of convictions were sealed in rapid time, following more than a week of unrest after three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29. Several rallies of hundreds-strong anti-racist activists assembled across London last month. Former President Jimmy Carter is approaching his 100th birthday next month, but even as the ailing Democrat has been in hospice care for 18 months, he is paying attention to politics and the 2024 election. The 99-year-old's son James Earl 'Chip' Carter III was interviewed by The Washington Post where he shared how his father has been spending some of his time, including watching all of the speeches of the Democratic National Convention last month. Carter was not in attendance for the convention in Chicago, but he was the oldest Democratic delegate. And his family recorded all of the speeches for him. 'He thought Michelle Obama was the best, and he thought Kamala was great, too,' Carter's 74-year-old son Chip said. Former President Jimmy Carter turns 100-years-old on October 1. His family told The Washington Post more than reaching the birthday, he cares about voting for Kamala Harris The former president was not the only one to praise the former First Lady's speech last month. Her blistering takedown of former President Donald Trump on the second night of the convention was one of the most talked about addresses of the entire event. Carter turns 100 years old on October 1. While his health slipped further after the death of his wife Rosalynn in November, his family said with his birthday approaching, the 99-year-old is talking more, asking about the campaign season and 'delighting' in Kamala Harris' momentum. According to his son Chip, the ex-president's main focus is actually no making it to his birthday, even as there are a series of events planned, but another monumental event. The younger Carter revealed to The Washington Post his father's response when told some people believe he's trying to stay alive to reach the milestone birthday. 'He said he didnt care about that. Its just a birthday. He said he cared about voting for Kamala Harris,' he said. Kamala Harris campaigning in New Hampshire on September 4, 2024. According to his family, former President Jimmy Carter is delighting in her momentum in the presidential race Carter thought former First Lady Michelle Obama's convention speech was the best. She gave a stunning rebuke of former President Donald Trump when she took the stage on Night Two on August 20, 2024 The Carter family said the 39th president can't wait to cast his mail-ballot for the vice president. 'He does not believe Donald Trump should be president again,' Chip Carter said. Georgia is one of the biggest battlegrounds of the 2024 election season. The Real Clear Politics average has Harris up over rival Donald Trump by 0.1 percent. President Biden won the state by less than 12,000 votes in 2020. Carter also shared with The Washington Post his dad's response to Biden deciding he would not seek a second term this summer. According to Chip, the former president turned to him while watching the 81-year-old announce he would not run for reelection and said softly 'that's sad.' Biden and Carter will have another thing in common besides both being Democratic presidents: each will only have served one term as commander in chief. Labour has been accused of totally misleading the public after it emerged that unspoilt green belt land could be flattened to meet its ambitious housebuilding targets. The government announced in July - almost immediately after coming to power - that it plans to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years. Ministers admitted some land in the official green belt land would have to be built on, but said this would only be so-called grey belt areas. This is plots that were previously built on with uses such as petrol stations and car parks. However an analysis of the proposed national planning policy framework (NPPF) shows that councils will have to free up other land if they do not have enough unused brownfield and grey belt sites. Pictured: Views across across fields in Dorchester, which campaigners fear could change dramatically du to a controversial 4,000 home development Fields behind Elsberg Drive in Bishopsworth, Bristol, where there are plans to build new homes The 15 chapter, 30,000 word consultation NPPF lays out a tiered sequence of land release that all councils will have to follow in order to meet local targets for new homes. It says that councils should allow housebuilding on previously-developed brownfield sites first, then grey belt areas, and finally to higher performing green belt sites where these can be made sustainable. The consultation does not set out what is sustainable beyond ruling out national parks and sites of special scientific interest, and saying that construction should not fundamentally undermine the function of the green belt across the area. Campaigners say the vague definition means councils in many areas, especially around London, would feel pressure to build on pristine green belt land. Once brownfield and grey belt areas are exhausted, councils may be left with no choice but to identify unspoilt farmland to meet the targets. Campaigners say the consultation document would effectively remove protection from the green belt land, and could unleash urban sprawl and large-scale development. This would undermine the fundamental purpose of the green belt to stop towns and cities merging into each other and preserving the countryside. Richard Knox-Johnston, the chair of the London Green Belt Council, which represents dozens of local authorities and environmental groups, told the Guardian ministers had been totally misleading in their portrayal of the plans. He said: If we were really just talking about car parks and petrol stations it would face little or no opposition. But the planned devastation will cause widespread protest, even among Labour MPs who now represent most of the countrys green belt constituencies. A map illustrating the green belts scattered throughout England Green belt development has been approved off Springfield Road in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield Pictured: Residents in this slice of West Midlands, have blasted a new 6,000-home development just yards from their doorstep Lizzie Bundred Woodward, the planning policy manager for the CPRE countryside charity, said there was a risk of legal challenges that could slow down housebuilding. She said: While it would be difficult to argue that one small development undermined an entire green belt, the cumulative effect of releasing green belt sites to accommodate multiple developments is another question altogether. Officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) argue that the concerns are overplayed. They say local councils will not want to use land integral to a local green belt - and will face the publics wrath if they do so. An MHCLG spokesperson said: We do not recognise these claims. Our changes will make the outdated green belt rules fit for this century and councils, who know their communities best, will decide what is appropriate for development. Developers will be expected to meet affordability targets and if they cant, they must provide strong evidence outlining why. The consultation remains open, and we will consider all responses. The number of violent attacks on staff and between inmates at a women's jail housing some of Britain's notorious female prisoners has surged. A report has revealed a 77 per cent year-on-year rise in attacks at HMP Low Newton. The jail in County Durham is currently believed to house serial killer Joanna Dennehy, now 42, who murdered three men in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 2013. Previous inmates have included Cromwell Street murderer Rose West, killer nurse Lucy Letby and Anne Darwin, the wife of John Darwin, who was an accomplice to him faking his own death by paddling out to sea in a canoe for a life insurance scam. Another recent Low Newton prisoner was the cruel mother of Baby P, Tracey Connelly, 42, who was given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of five years in 2009 after covering up her 17-month-old son's barbaric injuries at the hands of her partner and his brother. The jail in County Durham is currently believed to house serial killer Joanna Dennehy, now 42, who murdered three men in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 2013 HMP Low Newton, which is located in the village of Brasside near Durham Former nurse Lucy Letby who was found guilty of the murder of babies at the hospital she worked at Connelly was freed on licence in 2022 but has just been recalled to prison for breaching the terms of her release. The increase in violence at Low Newton was revealed by the report of an independent monitoring board, covering March 2023 to the end of February this year. It said: 'Total acts of violence during the reporting period were 129: this is an increase of 77% over the previous year. 'Of the three main elements contributing to the total acts of violence by far the biggest rise in violence is attributed to assaults on staff which have increased by 86% when compared to the previous year. 'There are four months in particular during 2023 where the number of violent incidents on staff far exceeded the other eight months of the year. 'This is attributed to repeat offenders and accounts for 25 violent attacks. The incidents on prisoner-on-prisoner violence have increased by nine and the number of fights has risen by eight.' In an explanation for increasing attacks, the report added: 'During this reporting period HMP Low Newton have received into custody some very challenging individuals with poor mental health and those with severe mental health needs. 'This is one of the main contributors in the rise of assaults on staff. Staff have been subjected to some very violent prisoners whereby the need for use of force has been administered in protection of themselves and preventing prisoners self-harming.' The increase in violence at Low Newton (pictured) was revealed by the report of an independent monitoring board, covering March 2023 to the end of February this year Another recent Low Newton prisoner was the cruel mother of Baby P, Tracey Connelly, 42, The board said its members have reviewed incidents where force was used by officers and that 'it is the Board's view that the use of force was proportional to prevent acts of violence'. Overall incidents involving use of force increased to 280 over the 12 months from 176 the previous year, due to assaults and fights, and to prevent self-harm. The report found the prison, which houses 298 inmates, is taking action aimed at reducing the violence which has included 'recruitment and retention of listeners (prisoners who are trained by the Samaritans to provide peer support)'. Training is being improved to provide better support for 'neurodiverse' prisoners with mental health needs. Overall, the report found Low Newton which had a change of governor in January - was a 'reasonably safe environment'. But it added that coping with the 'significant number of prisoners with mental health problems' has continued to be a challenge, with the mental health support team 'not always' being fully-staffed and 'to some extent firefighting rather than being able to implement longer-term treatments'. It added: 'Throughout the year, prisoners have reported delays in accessing healthcare; despite some attempted improvements, the delays continue.' A student shot one of his classmates at their Maryland high school Friday, forcing the schools evacuation just two days after a gunman killed four people at a Georgia high school. The shooting occurred inside a bathroom at Joppatowne High School, about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore, around 12:36pm, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. The gunman, 16, shot the victim, 15, after a fight broke out on the shooters first day back at school. The victim was immediately attended to by school nurses before being airlifted to a hospital in serious condition. The incident prompted a massive emergency response and evacuation of the school. A student shot one of his classmates at their Maryland high school Friday, forcing the schools evacuation just two days after a gunman killed four people at a Georgia high school The shooting occurred inside a bathroom at Joppatowne High School, about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore, around 12:36pm, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said The gunman, 16, shot the victim, 15, after a fight broke out on the shooters first day back at school The gunman reportedly fled the school, sparking fears of an active shooter situation, before getting apprehended within minutes at a nearby apartment complex, authorities said. There was a rapid response of school staff and law enforcement, on scene with more than 100 officers arriving within 15 minutes. The Harford County Sheriff's Office warned people to avoid the area but emphasizing that it was an 'isolated incident.' It's unclear at this time what led to the fight. The investigation is ongoing. There was a rapid response of school staff and law enforcement, on scene with more than 100 officers arriving within 15 minutes The Harford County Sheriff's Office warned people to avoid the area but emphasizing that it was an 'isolated incident' Gahler said the victim was in critical condition at the hospital. He is believed to be the only one shot. Gahler said the suspect was reportedly 'known to law enforcement' but it's unclear at this time in what capacity. The shooting comes just days after Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student, went on a bloody shooting spree, killing four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Armed with an assault-style rifle, the teen turned the gun on students in a hallway at the school when classmates refused to open the door for him. Two 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo as well as teachers Christina Irmie, 53, and Richard Aspinall, 39, were killed. At least nine others were injured. Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure 'chaos.' Google has 'abused' its dominant position in the online advertising sector to favour its own services, the UK's competition watchdog said in a provisional ruling yesterday. The tech giant's practices could harm thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned. It paves the way for the CMA to issue hefty fines or order the Silicon Valley firm to make changes to resolve the issue. The announcement comes as a major blow to Google's owner Alphabet just days before a similar legal case begins in the US. CMA interim executive director of enforcement Juliette Enser said: 'We've provisionally found that Google is using its market power to hinder competition when it comes to the ads people see on websites. Google has 'abused' its dominant position in the online advertising sector to favour its own services, the UK's competition watchdog said in a provisional ruling yesterday (stock photo) 'Many businesses are able to keep their digital content free or cheaper by using online advertising to generate revenue. 'Adverts on these websites and apps reach millions of people across the UK - assisting the buying and selling of goods and services. 'That's why it's so important that publishers and advertisers - who enable this free content - can benefit from effective competition and get a fair deal when buying or selling digital advertising space.' Part of Google's business facilitates the buying and selling of digital advertising space. Its services include platforms where advertisers can buy online advertising space, technology that automates the sale of advertising space, and servers to manage advert space for publishers. In its provisional findings, the CMA said most publishers and advertisers use these services when placing digital adverts on websites. The regulator is concerned that Google has actively used its dominance in the sector to give preference to its own business. Responding to the provisional findings, Google's vice president of global ads Dan Taylor said: 'Our advertising technology tools help websites and apps fund their content and enable businesses of all sizes to effectively reach new customers. Google's practices could harm thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned 'Google remains committed to creating value for our publisher and advertiser partners in this highly competitive sector. 'The core of this case rests on flawed interpretations of the ad tech sector. We disagree with the CMAs view and we will respond accordingly.' The CMA said it had issued a statement of objections to Google on the issue. It will now consider representations from the tech giant before reaching a final decision. If the firm is found to have broken competition law, the regulator could impose fines of up to 10 per cent of global turnover and issue legally binding directions to Google. Meanwhile, a legal case into Google's alleged anticompetitive behaviour will begin in the US on Monday. It follows a major win for America's Justice Department after a judge found that Google illegally monopolised online search in a separate case last month. The BBCs Children in Need charity has axed funding for a controversial gay and transgender rights group for teenagers which is bankrolled by the SNP Government. LGBT Youth Scotland is at the centre of a row over a coming out guide for pupils which was co-authored by a convicted paedophile while its former boss was exposed as a paedophile who sexually assaulted a baby boy. Children in Need revealed it had stopped funding the charity, which received 1.4million of funding last year from a variety of sources including the SNP Government, after a thorough review. The move has piled pressure on public bodies to sever their links with the gay rights group - which has been criticised for brainwashing children with a major LGBT drive in schools. It comes as the Mail publishes a damning investigation of LGBT Youth Scotland, whose former chief executive James Rennie - previously an SNP Government adviser - was jailed for horrific child sex assaults after he was unmasked as a member of one of Britains worst-ever paedophile rings. LGBT Youth Scotland's coming out guide for pupils was co-authored by a convicted paedophile Andrew Easton Last night Scottish Tory MSP Meghan Gallacher said: Children in Needs decision to cut funding should be a wake-up call to LGBT Youth Scotland to get its house in order. If one of the UKs most prominent charities is unwilling to support this controversial organisation, wider conversations should be had on how Police Scotland and the Scottish Government can justify continuing to do so. LGBT Youth Scotland was plunged into fresh controversy earlier this week when it emerged paedophile Andrew Easton, 39, had co-written a guide on coming out as transgender for children as young as 13. Easton was snared by cybercrime officers over internet chats with someone he believed to be a vulnerable 13-year-old he called baby boy. Children in Need supports disadvantaged children and young people in the UK and has raised more than 1billion since 1980. A spokesman for the charity told the Mail that it had axed funding after Eastons conviction. She said that initially it had immediately suspended [its] grant and conducted a thorough review in response to the concern, and had then permanently withdrawn the grant. The spokesman said: All of our grant applications are subject to rigorous assessment on the basis of need, the ability of the organisation to deliver its promises, and the difference that they will make to the lives of children and young people. As a responsible funder, we monitor every grant we make to ensure that this money is being spent effectively. The decision to withdraw the funding was not taken lightly. The group has been criticised for brainwashing children with a major LGBT drive in schools She added: The final decision in no way reflects negatively on the difference the work of LGBT Youth Scotland has made to young people. The nature of our concerns are such that the reputational risk to the charity and the young people that we support was considered too great to continue the relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland. Easton, who was convicted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month, contributed to an early version of the coming out guidance. Schools, local authorities, the Care Inspectorate, and government-run health and social care authorities have been given an updated version. But LGBT Youth Scotland admits the original guide, co-written by Easton, may still be in use. Easton of Kennethmont, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, distributed 32 video files featuring children aged between four and eight years old, to other paedophiles. He was handed a Community Payback Order with supervision for three years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for three years. LGBT Youth Scotland declined to comment on Children in Need axing its funding. It said Easton had never been at any point an employee or volunteer with the charity, adding: We condemn anyone that exploits or harms young people. Earlier this year, the Mail revealed that pupils were being encouraged to sign LGBT rainbow flags. LGBT Youth Scotland said it was promoting the idea to help raise awareness of LGBT identities, with children also asked to celebrate the rainbow through the way they dress, and by decorating their schools. Children In Need said it axed funding for LGBT Youth Scotland after Eastons conviction But Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education said: Brainwashing such as this has no place in the classroom. Earlier this month, senior officers were criticised for signing up for a workplace diversity scheme run by LGBT Youth Scotland. Remarkably, Police Scotland is continuing to work with the charity - which has been signed up to train its call-handling staff despite withdrawing from a separate diversity scheme run by Stonewall, another gay rights organisation, which has been criticised for its stance on trans issues. Staff at Police Scotlands service centres will undergo training as part of the programme run by LGBT Youth Scotland. Asked if it would reconsider funding in light of Children in Needs decision, a Police Scotland spokesman said: We are working towards creating an inclusive and fair working environment, free from discrimination, which responds to the needs of a diverse and multi-generational workforce while ensuring we deliver for our communities. We continue to work with LGBT Youth Scotland, as well as other agencies and partners, to keep equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Coming Out Guide, published in 2010, is not a Scottish Government publication and we understand it is no longer distributed. 'It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on individual criminal cases.' Prince George will not be expected to serve in the military before becoming King, breaking centuries of tradition, the Mail on Sunday reported last year. One young royal is, though, keen to sign up. I can disclose that Alexander Ogilvy, who's been described as 'the hottest British royal you've never heard of', joins the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst this weekend. Alex, 27, is a grandson of Princess Alexandra, first cousin and bridesmaid of Queen Elizabeth. His sister, Flora Vesterberg, has spoken of her pride that he's joined the Forces. 'We're full of admiration for you,' she writes online. 'Forever thoughtful and inspiring.' Alexander Ogilvy attends the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 in Windsor He has a double major in Computer Science and Economics from the Ivy League Brown University in the USA, where he went out with Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo (pictured together in 2017). Her mother, Kerry, is the daughter of assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Prince Harry and Prince William at the younger brother's passing out ceremony at Sandhurst Alexander is the grandson of the Queens cousin, Princess Alexandra of Kent Alexander Ogilvy can be seen in the back row for the lying in State of the late Queen Alexander with his sister Flora and parents James and Julia Ogilvy in 2004 Alex has been romantically linked to 'It Girl' Isabella Charlotta Poppius (pictured on the catwalk during London Fashion Week in September 2022) Head boy at the 43,500-per-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Alex was an academic high-flyer who achieved A*s and As in his exams. He has a double major in Computer Science and Economics from the Ivy League Brown University in the USA, where he went out with Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo. Her mother, Kerry, is the daughter of assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy. They have since split up and Alex has been romantically linked to 'It Girl' Isabella Charlotta Poppius. Until now, Alex worked in New York at tech firm Prove, which helps businesses enable customers to prove their identity. Once, when asked by an interviewer which three words best described him he jokingly answered: 'Fraudulent, insecure, man.' He later said one of his favourite hobbies outside work was 'practicing a British accent'. Casey Anthony has embarked on a new relationship with a married father-of-two. The 38-year-old, once dubbed the most hated woman in America, is reportedly so smitten she was willing to uproot her life in Florida and follow her new man to Tennessee. Tyson Ray Rhodes was named by The Post as the man who has captured Anthony's heart. Rhodes, 48, is reportedly still married to his wife of 20 years, although has allegedly told her that he intends to file for divorce. Casey Anthony has embarked on a new relationship with a married father-of-two Rhodes, 48, is reportedly still married to his wife of 20 years (pictured together), although has allegedly told her that he intends to file for divorce The publication reports he and his wife moved to Tennessee together at the beginning of 2024. But by late January, Rhodes was reportedly spotted at a local bar with Anthony. 'They were holding hands and kissing, and he even touched her butt,' a witness told the publication. 'She got up to order a drink, and they noticed that people were staring. He said to her, ''Bring that innocent ass over here.'' He didn't care.' It is understood Anthony and Rhodes connected through a gym in south Florida where they both trained. There was a group chat thread with other gym members, and over time the pair hit it off and began messaging one-on-one. The precise timeline of their relationship remains unclear, but the duo now appear to train togethre at a gym in Tennessee. Rhodes' wife has set her relationship status on Facebook to 'it's complicated' amid the ongoing saga. DailyMail.com has reached out to her for comment. Anthony first gained widespread public notoriety in 2008, following the disappearance of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony, then 21, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police alleged she killed her daughter to party with friends and her boyfriend. She was ultimately acquitted Anthony reportedly has no qualms about her new romance, nor the fact that Rhodes is still married. The publication quoted a friend of Anthony, who said: 'She doesn't care if he's married or not. 'Thats his business. All she knows is that he makes her feel good, and she likes that. She was willing to follow him to Tennessee; she sees a future with him.' When pushed on the matter, she reportedly said: 'Shut up, Im living the life I want.' Anthony first gained widespread public notoriety in 2008, following the disappearance of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. During the course of the investigation, it was alleged that Caylee had been missing a month before Anthony's mother Cindy filed a missing person report. Caylee's remains were found in a wooded area near the family home six months after she vanished. Anthony, then 21, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police alleged she killed her daughter to party with friends and her boyfriend. She was ultimately acquitted, and has led a life largely out of the spotlight ever since. Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a missing mother-of-three, almost a year after she vanished. Khasha Smith, 35, was last known to be alive and well in October, but was not reported missing by her family until January. Police had been treating her disappearance as a missing persons case, but yesterday revealed they now believe she is dead. Yesterday, officers arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with her death while the hunt for her body continues. It is the first arrest in the case, which has seen police search areas around her Edinburgh home in the hunt for clues as to her fate. Khasha Smith has not been seen since last October but was not reported missing until January Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson said Ms Smiths family have been left devastated by the latest development. Mr Williamson, of the Major Investigation Team, said: Our thoughts are very much with Khashas family at this extremely difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers. They are understandably devastated and it is vital we get answers for them. Extensive inquires remain ongoing to trace Khasha and I would again encourage anyone with any information regarding her disappearance to contact police, as a matter of urgency. Earlier in the year officers carried out a fingertip searches of woodland, metal containers and a culvert near her flat in Calder Grove. And on Wednesday specialist police officers were again searching woodland close to her home near the Union Canal in the west of the city. Detectives at the search said while they had to consider the possibility she may have come to harm, it was still being treated as a missing persons case. Yesterdays development police believe she is dead following extensive inquires comes more than ten months after she was last seen alive and well on a FaceTime call on October 10. On January 5 this year, she was reported missing by family months after she was last contacted. Then, two days later, officers launched an appeal for information and later that month Police Scotlands major investigation team took over the probe. In March this year, her daughter Calley and mother Nicola Neil appealed for anyone with information to come forward, five months on from the last sighting. Calley, 18, said: We miss her so much. We want nothing more than my mum to walk through the door and to be able to give her a massive hug. Police conducted a search in an area off Calder Road in Edinburgh earlier this week It feels like Im living the worst dream I could ever imagine. And Ms Neil described her daughter as a brilliant mum to her three children who was loved by all our very close family. The distraught mother said: We are all sick with worry. Khasha is my friend as well as my daughter and we are living a nightmare.. When Ms Smiths birthday passed in March this year, family and friends gathered outside her flat and left cards, flowers and missing posters on the railings. Up until the disappearance last year, police said, she had never gone missing before. Mr Williamson, who this week urged those who knew where she was to show some humanity and contact police, yesterday said: Any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital, so please get in touch. Police Scotland said anyone with information should contact them on 101, quoting incident 3915 of January 5. Mexican authorities are frantically searching for a massive tiger after it escaped from a zoo in the northern border city of Reynosa. The missing feline broke out of its cage at the Quinta La Fauna zoo on Wednesday around 8:30am, Mexico's Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection said. Staff at the zoo alerted local, state and federal authorities and posted messages on social medial to warn the public and ask for their assistance in locating the wild cat. Mexican authorities also alerted their counterparts in the Texas border city of Hidalgo, as the zoo is located near the Rio Grande River, which is also a main crossing point for migrants seeking to reach the U.S. border. Tigers are housed at the Quinta La Fauna zoo the Mexican northern border town of Reynosa, where a tiger escaped from its cage Wednesday morning. Authorities in Mexico have warned their counterparts in Hidalgo, Texas The Quinta La Fauna zoo remained closed as of Friday Hidalgo County Sheriff's Lt. Enrique Longoria told KVEO that 'we advised our deputies to remain vigilant.' The tiger is three years old and weighs approximately 440 pounds. The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection said that it had received reports from residents who had spotted the tiger and provided locations, but it remains on the loose. 'It should be noted that there are areas of dense vegetation in the surrounding area, which makes it difficult to capture the tiger,' the agency said. A tiger rests at the Quinta La Fauna zoo in the northern Mexico border town of Reynosa Aaron De La Cruz, who oversees the agency's regional office in Reynosa, told local news outlets that the tiger took off running after it was noticed by witnesses. Right now the animal has not had any intention of attacking anyone, but it is still a large animal that is scared,' he said. De La Cruz added that the zoo normally works with the agency to take in animals that need special care and that this was the first time that any had fled the site. 'We are taking all necessary precautions to capture the tiger without endangering the population,' he said. The Quinta La Fauna zoo remained closed to visitors as of Friday. A woman who helped discover a mass grave containing hundreds of dead babies - including her twin brothers - has revealed that the cemetery is one she walks through 'all the time.' The unmarked resting place was discovered in Royton Cemetery, in Oldham, and contains over 300 bodies including the remains of 145 stillborn infants, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults. Sarah, whose name has been changed to protect her anonymity, had been attempting to find the burial site of her twin brother's who died in 1962 when her search led her to uncover they had been buried in a cemetery minutes away from her home. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Sarah tragically revealed that her mother was buried in the same cemetery without knowing her twins were buried nearby. She said: I live near the cemetery and I use to walk through it with my mother all the time and we had no idea they were buried there. The unmarked resting place was discovered in Royton Cemetery (pictured) and contains the remains of 145 stillborn infants, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults The unmarked grave where 2020 bodies were buried including Sarah's, whose name has been changed for anonymities, twin brothers. Speaking to MailOnline, Sarah tragically revealed that her mother was buried in the same cemetery without knowing her twins were buried nearby 'I get upset speaking about it because my mother died and is buried in the same cemetery but she never knew they were there. For years Sarah had been attempting to find out what had happened to her brothers and described how the lack of any formal records led her to go on a 'merry-go-round' speaking to different officials from organisations including Oldham Council. Sarah said: 'I started doing ancestry and I found that my two brothers were not on any records so I contacted the local council to find out why? I went on a merry-go-round speaking to the council and the coroners.' Eventually, after hearing about Gina Jacob's story - a mother from The Wirral who found her child buried in a Birkenhead cemetery 53 years after he was stillborn - she reached out to Ms Jacobs for help. Ms Jacobs helped the grieving sister find the records which were not available online and instead were kept in a large leather bound book. 'The message about the grave was very matter of fact and said they were buried in this grave,' Sarah said. The entrance to Royton Cemetery. Sarah had been attempting to find the burial site of her twin brother's who died in 1962 when her search led her to uncover they had been buried in a cemetery minutes away from her home 'I asked "Is it just them in the grave" and they replied: "there are 300 others".' she added. Sarah said: 'I was elated to have found my brothers but I had no idea how emotional I would get and I burst into tears. 'And to discover its like a landfill for babies we had to ask were there any others and they said yes in the same cemetery.' Since the story broke, families who believe their loved ones might have been buried there have seen leaving floral tributes at the unmarked grave. Sarah has confirmed that Ms Jacobs has been in touch with other families in the area. It was common practise before the 1980s for stillborn babies use to be taken away from parents without any further detail of where they were buried. Bereaved parents were instead told by medical staff that their child was buried alongside a 'nice person' that same day. However, babies were often instead interred in mass graves. Over the past 20 years, the mass graves of babies have been found across the UK. Now, Working alongside local councillors who helped her find the grave and with Ms Jacobs Sarah is hoping to raise awareness about the impact of the former practise. She said: Its a real social issue that affects people across the country. Parents like mine would have their kids taken away from them with no mental health support or respect for the baby. My brothers were only a year older and I have one younger brother but I saw growing up how the grief affected my parents without any support.' Eventually, after hearing about Gina Jacob's (pictured) story - a mother from The Wirral who found her child buried in a Birkenhead cemetery 53 years after he was stillborn - she reached out to Ms Jacobs for help The woman added: 'We accept that this happened and now what we would like is for a proper memorial to be placed on the site and for transparency from Oldham Council to tell families who is buried where. 'This will hopefully give closure to the families.' Oldham Council confirmed that: 'As a matter of urgency we will consider the suggestion being made and what may be appropriate to recognise those buried in Royton by providing a suitable memorial.' Sarah has also voiced her support for a nationwide inquiry into the former practise. She said: We also want to understand the process. We know they were taken and we know where they are now but we want to know what was the burial like did they have their last rites read All we know with my brothers from records is that the grave was reopened to bury the boys together. And we want to know the reason why they did this in the past. Local councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes released a statement regarding the 'heartbreaking' discovery. The statement said: 'It's a stark injustice that parents were denied the fundamental right to bury their babies, a right that should be inherent and unquestionable. This situation should stir our collective sense of fairness and empathy. 'We cannot change what has happened, but we can ensure that the babies born sleeping are named, recognised, and never forgotten.' The Oldham Times, reported that a council meeting on Wednesday September 11 will discuss plans to erect a memorial to the buried children. Records and documents will also be digitalised for families to easily access them. Royton Cemetery. Local councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes said: 'It's a stark injustice that parents were denied the fundamental right to bury their babies, a right that should be inherent and unquestionable. This situation should stir our collective sense of fairness and empathy' In a statement Arooj Shah, the leader of Oldham Council, told MailOnline: 'We understand this news will be upsetting for a lot of people and our thoughts are with them. 'As a matter of urgency we will consider the suggestion being made and what may be appropriate to recognise those buried in Royton by providing a suitable memorial. 'Our staff are here to support any families who think they may be affected. 'This is not a newly discovered grave. 'Sadly, the burying of people, including babies and children, in unmarked graves happened in graveyards all around the country years ago. 'Thankfully, things have changed and improved over the years. The Government now pay for the funerals of stillborn babies and anyone up to the age of 18 if necessary. Public graves are no longer used. 'Today, when a request is made for burial in a public grave, the arrangements are usually made by the relevant hospital via a funeral director. Often the hospital chaplaincy organises the burial or cremation of the individual. 'The council cemeteries staff also works with the funeral director and carry out the expressed wishes. The hospital and ourselves keep records of the burial, which can be located by families whenever they want. 'Alternatively, the family can make their own arrangements for burial in an individual grave plot via a funeral director and would install their own memorial.' The 'utterly dire' state of the Royal Navy fleet can be revealed today, with not one of its six attack submarines at sea. Only nine out of 25 warships and attack as opposed to nuclear submarines are active or deployed. The rest of the fleet has racked up a staggering 30 years of missed days at sea as vessels are either broken down, being modified or undergoing trials. The shocking figures, confirmed by Navy sources, emerged as fears intensify over the future of the Armed Forces. Despite the threat posed by Russia, instability in the Middle East and the rise of China, the new Government is making defence cuts. Only nine out of 25 warships and attack as opposed to nuclear submarines are active or deployed, according to shocking figures confirmed by Royal Navy sources Almost two-thirds of the fleet has racked up a staggering 30 years of missed days at sea as vessels are either broken down, being modified or undergoing trials As the Mail revealed as part of its Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, training budgets are being slashed so a 400 million pay rise for troops can come from existing budgets. Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said last night: 'This situation is utterly dire we haven't got enough ships to protect our aircraft carriers and we haven't got any attack submarines to protect our nuclear deterrent.' It is understood that shortages of engineers and dry-dock facilities are exacerbating the situation. The worst offenders in the naval fleet are assault ship HMS Bulwark and destroyer HMS Daring which have both been inactive for more than seven years. The submarine HMS Ambush has apparently been idle for 765 days since taking part in Nato exercises in the Arctic in 2022. Most alarmingly, the shortage of attack submarines has apparently led to US submarines being called on to protect the UK's 'bomber' submarines. The four 'bombers', at least one of which has to be at sea, carry this country's nuclear deterrent. Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said described the situation as 'utterly dire'. Pictured: Astute Class submarine HMS Artful No details can be revealed about this quartet Vanguard, Vengeance, Victorious and Vigilant because of their top security classification. While previously the Vanguard-class submarines may have spent three months at sea at a time, recently this has been extended to six months. In September last year, one returned to port after 195 days with its hull covered in barnacles. Assault ship HMS Bulwark, one of the worst offenders in the Royal Navy fleet, has been inactive for more than seven years The submarine HMS Ambush has apparently been idle for 765 days since taking part in Nato exercises in the Arctic in 2022 Rear Admiral Perry added: 'The world is too big for us to rely on the Americans: the US has other roles. 'There is a basic lack of honesty here. The Navy will say it is fulfilling its obligations when it isn't. 'We're supposed to be a maritime nation, and Europe's leading maritime nation. 'Most of the ships and submarines are ridiculously old. They're still in service because we're taking too long to build replacements. 'The Chinese navy are producing ships in as little as a year and a-half, we are taking closer to seven years.' In recent weeks, the Mail has revealed how training budgets have been reduced, overseas exercises are being scaled back and units have been told to expend less ammunition. Defence Secretary John Healey said his department would 'do its bit' to meet Treasury-imposed savings targets. Desperate officials even told the Chelsea Pensioners to expect their annual 13 million 'grant in aid' to be axed a move which could have caused the closure of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. The hospital confirmed discussions had taken place with the Ministry of Defence over funding, but the move was reversed. Following the launch of this newspaper's campaign, the then Tory government set out a timetable for defence spending to hit 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030. Labour has refused to match that commitment. The MoD is also facing a 16.9 billion 'black hole' in its spending plans over the next decade, according to the National Audit Office. Most alarmingly, the shortage of attack submarines has apparently led to US submarines being called on to protect the UK's 'bomber' submarines, which includes HMS Vigilant (pictured) The open-source data about the Navy's active vessels first appeared on the 'Britsky' defence account on X. The Navy said: 'These tables are not derived from any official source. All Royal Navy ships rotate through planned operating cycles. 'We continue to meet our operational requirements.' A new Labour grandee was yesterday put in charge of talks over the future of the UK-owned Chagos Islands. Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Tony Blair in No 10, was appointed as Sir Keir Starmer's Special Envoy for negotiations with Mauritius 'on the exercise of sovereignty' over the British Indian Ocean Territory. But his role was condemned by a top Tory, who warned the islands must not be surrendered to an ally of China. Mr Powell's experience in sensitive discussions, including the Northern Ireland peace deal, has been called on by the new Government because the archipelago is home to a strategically important Anglo-American military base and because Mauritius has bilateral relations with Beijing. Mr Powell will hold discussions with senior figures in Mauritius and the US as well as advising UK ministers on how to conclude a 'robust agreement', according to the Foreign Office. Jonathan Powell (pictured in 2010) served as Blair's Chief of Staff between 2001 and 2007 The Chagos Islands are a strategically important site for the UK (pictured: Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands in the archipelago in the Indian Ocean) Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 'Negotiations with Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago are critical to the UK's security. 'We are determined to protect the long-term, secure and effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia. 'Jonathan Powell's experience working with governments of all colours in the most sensitive negotiations makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy.' But last night Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick blasted the Government over the renewed talks. Mr Jenrick said: 'After just eight weeks, it is already clear that Keir Starmer and David Lammy won't put our national interest first. 'The Chagos Islands are sovereign territory and an essential strategic asset. 'Surrendering them to an ally of our adversaries would be an act of self-harm and gift to our enemies.' The talks began in 2022 but were halted after 12 rounds by the Conservatives late last year shortly after ex-PM Boris Johnson condemned the 'utterly spineless' handover. The islands have been British territory since 1814. In 1966, Britain agreed to let the US build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest atoll. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled the UK's occupation of the islands was unlawful, putting pressure on London to agree a handover. A council was forced to apologise for asking parents moving their child to a state school to provide evidence that they longer afford private school fees. Buckinghamshire Council had reportedly asked parents to prove their financial situation in order for their children to be considered for a state school place because schools 'are full'. All children in England between the ages of five and 16 are entitled to state schooling. While local authorities can ask for additional information from parents, the Government's school admissions code states that they must not ask for information regarding a family's financial status. Other protected information includes criminal convictions, language ability, disabilities or medical conditions. Buckinghamshire Council was forced to apologise for asking parents moving their child to a state school to provide evidence that they longer afford private school fees (stock photo) Buckinghamshire Council (pictured) had reportedly asked parents to prove their financial situation in order for their children to be considered for a state school place because schools 'are full A letter, seen by The Telegraph, said: 'Unfortunately we cannot offer any places at your preferred school/s as they are full. 'In this circumstance, we would normally advocate that [the child] should remain at their current school. 'However, if you can provide evidence that you can no longer finance the independent school fees, please advise and we can make a local authority non-preference allocation.' According to Buckinghamshire Council's website, schools in Aylesbury and High Wycombe are currently oversubscribed, due to a 'large number of applications'. A spokesman for Buckinghamshire council said they 'apologise for the choice of language'. It comes as concern grows regarding a planned VAT rise on private school fees from January 2025. Critics fear that state schools will be swamped with applications by parents unable to afford the private fees. The Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts that 40,000 private school children may withdraw their places because of the VAT rise. Last week, a number of schools announced they will raise fees in January, with some choosing to pass the burden onto parents. Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, criticised the 'financial attack' on parents sending their children to private school Pictured: Damian Hinds, the shadow education secretary Anita Crammer, the council's cabinet member for education and children's services said that the letter was not formal policy. She said state schools in Buckinghamshire had seen a sharp increase in applications from those studying at private schools. Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, told The Telegraph: 'The financial attack on parents sending their children to independent schools from the Labour Government is going to force thousands of children out of the private sector and overcrowd the state system. 'It is the Government who need to come up with the funds to ensure the state sector is able to cope with this influx of pupils.' Damian Hinds, the shadow education secretary said: 'Thousands of pupils will be priced out of independent schools and with the state sector not having the capacity to absorb them, and no plan from the Labour Government to mitigate this, it will be parents, teachers and pupils that will ultimately pay the price.' 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. 'There has been an approximately 75 percent increase in private sector fees since 2000 and the number of children in independent schools has remained steady, so we do not expect ending tax breaks for private schools to have a significant impact on the state sector.' Sir Keir Starmer has insisted his Government was 'making progress' in stopping the boats despite a week in which 12 migrants died trying to cross the Channel and more than 1,000 reached Britain. The Prime Minister said he was 'convinced' Labour can succeed in 'taking down the gangs' behind the people-smuggling trade, as he attended a summit with law enforcement agencies and security services on the issue. He said he was working closely with the leaders of Germany and France, but was not interested in a Europe-wide returns deal for failed asylum seekers. And he dismissed calls to resurrect the Rwanda deportation scheme, despite German migration commissioner Joachim Stamp suggesting his country could use British-paid facilities in the African country to house migrants while their asylum applications are processed. Shadow home secretary James Cleverly said: 'Even 12 tragic deaths cannot wake Labour up to the need for an actual plan to put a stop to the small boats crossing the Channel.' Sir Keir Starmer has insisted his Government was 'making progress' in stopping the boats despite a week in which 12 migrants died trying to cross the Channel and more than 1,000 reached Britain According to the Home Office , 1,384 migrants in 26 boats crossed the Channel between last Friday and today A group of people thought to be migrants were brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard the RNLI Lifeboat following the tragic incident in the Channel on Tuesday Emergency services were deployed to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais after a migrant boat capsized on Tuesday According to the Home Office, 1,384 migrants in 26 boats crossed the Channel between last Friday and today, while a dozen people including six children died on Tuesday when their dinghy capsized. Visiting the National Crime Agency with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday, Sir Keir was asked how he could claim there is encouraging progress given the latest figures. He told the BBC: 'We've already managed to return over 3,000 people who are not entitled to be here. 'That includes the single biggest dedicated flight that we've ever had. 'So we are making progress. I acknowledge more needs to be done. 'We've got to take down the gangs running this vile trade of putting people into boats in the first place. 'That's why I'm here today at the National Crime Agency with an operational summit to absolutely drive forward our work there. 'I'm determined that we're going to reclaim control of our borders, something the last government lost control of.' A dozen people including six children died on Tuesday when their dinghy capsized. Pictured: Firefighters handle the bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Channel Your browser does not support iframes. Pressed on the numbers, he said: 'We did inherit a broken system... that's why numbers are currently so high.' Asked if it had been a mistake to abandon the Rwanda scheme, Sir Keir insisted: 'No, it was a gimmick.' And asked if he needed to secure new international agreements, the Prime Minister replied: 'I've been resetting internationally, particularly with our European partners. 'I was in Germany and France last week, where I had discussions with them about how we can cooperate more on this issue. 'So we're bearing down on all angles here... we're beginning to make some real progress.' However, asked if he would agree a general policy with the EU that could mean Britain accepts more refugees, Sir Keir said: 'No, we're not engaged in that exercise. I am absolutely focused on stopping people arriving in the first place.' His comments came after border security minister Angela Eagle admitted that a new gang would likely 'spring up' as soon as one is brought to justice. A devastated father said farewell to his wife and three daughters who were killed by a Putin missile strike at a tearful funeral. Utter devastation overcame Lviv today as mourners bade farewell to four members of a family killed by a missile strike on civilians. Only Yaroslav Bazylevych remained alive - his wife Evgeniya, 43, and three daughters Yaryna, 21, Darya, 18 and Emilia, seven, all perished in their own home. During the heartbreaking funeral service, the broken husband and father stood close to the open coffins of a family torn apart by a deadly strike. The tragic mother and daughters were later buried following today's funeral at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lviv. Yaroslav Bazylevych reacts next to the body of one of his daughters during a funeral ceremony in Lviv krainians attend a funeral of members of the Bazylevych family who were killed on 4 September in a Russian strike People attend a funeral ceremony for Yevhenia Bazylevych and her three daughters, killed during the Russian missile attack Relatives and friends console Yaroslav Bazylevych (L), the only survivor of his family who died in a missile airstrike The funeral ceremony at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv, western Ukraine, on September 6 Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine since Kyiv launched an unprecedented cross-border offensive into Russia's Kursk region last month Utter devastation overcame Lviv today as mourners bade farewell to four members of a family killed by a missile strike on civilians Relatives, friends, soldiers, public figures and ordinary residents of Lviv came to say farewell. Many of them brought sunflowers - a symbol of Ukraine. The Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi in all eight were buried today as a result of the Russian missile strike on Wednesday. 'Today is a difficult day,' he said. 'There are eight funerals in Lviv at once. Russia killed all these people. 'Two soldiers were killed by the Russians at the front. Six civilians from Lviv were killed by the Russians with a rocket in the centre of Lviv. 'A mother and three daughters were killed - this is the Bazylevych family. We are all today with father Yaroslav.' Yaryna Bazylevych worked as a programme manager in the Lviv - Youth Capital of Europe 2025 office. Her sister Darya, 18, was a university student. The youngest Emilia, seven, was a girl scout. Deeply distressing footage taken at the scene of their destroyed house revealed the corpse of nine-year-old daughter Emilia sprawled next to a wall, her blonde hair poking out from underneath the debris. At least 40 people were injured in the indiscriminate Russian attack, according to Sadovyi, with the death toll expected to rise sharply. The attack on Lviv comes just one day after Ukraine suffered one of the most devastating single attacks of the entire war when two Russian missiles scored a direct hit on a military academy and a nearby hospital in the city of Poltava. The devastated father-of-three staggered away from the ruin of his home with blood running down his face and tears in his eyes A drone view shows a residential building heavily damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024 Among the survivors was blood-drenched Yaroslav Bazylevych, whose wife Evgeniya and three daughters, Yarina, Darina and Emilia, were tragically killed in a strike on their house A view shows a burning residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024 At least 51 people were killed and close to 300 injured in the punishing explosions that tore into the heart of the Poltava Military Institute of Communication's main building, causing several stories to collapse. Some 15 people are still believed to be trapped under the debris, with time running out to save them. In the wake of the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to 'hold the Russian scum accountable' and yet again implored Kyiv's US and European partners to help with air defences and allow long-range strikes into Russia. In his nightly video address delivered later than usual yesterday amid the fallout of the attacks in Poltava, Zelensky spoke about rescue efforts and warned that the death toll could increase as rescuers comb through the debris of the military institute. 'It is known that there are people under the rubble of the destroyed building,' he said. 'Everything is being done to save as many lives as possible.' Ukrainian officials have not yet specified how many of the victims were civilians or from the armed forces, but the attack was a major blow to Kyiv as it tries to bolster its ranks to hold off a more powerful enemy. Fears have been raised that Labour is plotting to rush through new workers' rights without a debate or vote in Parliament. Under the biggest reform of employment rights in a generation, staff will be able to demand flexible hours from their first day in a new job and win the 'right to switch off' outside office hours. The plans have alarmed business leaders and prompted predictions of a flood of tribunal cases brought by employees refused permission to work a four-day week. Last night The Times reported that under the plans, employees could even sue bosses for making them work more than the permitted 48 hours in a week. But despite the concerns, some elements of the so-called Plan to Make Work Pay could be railroaded through without MPs and peers having their say. Fears have been raised that Labour is plotting to rush through new workers' rights without a debate in Parliament Under the biggest reform of employment rights in a generation, staff will be able to demand flexible hours from their first day in a new job MPs winter bill warning Cutting the winter fuel allowance for pensioners will lead to excess deaths for those in fuel poverty, a Labour rebel has warned. York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the governments decision to means test pensioners and limit the Winter Fuel Payment to those claiming pension credit could raise the risk of stroke, heart attacks, pneumonia and hypothermia for former recipients and urged the Chancellor to reflect hard on the change. The Department for Work and Pensions says it has received 38,500 new claims for Pension Credit since Labours fuel payment policy was announced. Advertisement Ministers have pledged to introduce an Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of taking power to cover some of the measures but also said others will be introduced via secondary legislation and guidance - which do not require Commons debates or votes. Business minister in the Lords Baroness Jones of Whitchurch admitted in a recent reply to a written question: 'Work is already under way to identify and deliver measures through non-legislative and secondary legislative routes.' It comes after the Government tried to force through cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment without a vote, while railways re-nationalisation is being fast-tracked. Last night, Tory business spokesman Kevin Hollinrake said: 'None of the ministers making these changes has ever run a business, they are completely clueless about the real world that private enterprise operates in. 'Trying to push through massive changes like these without proper checks and balances is a huge risk.' A Government spokesman said: 'The Employment Rights Bill, which will be introduced within 100 days, will be a vital step in the delivery of the 'make work pay' plan.' The wifi at No 10 must be really bad. Despite a public spat with Elon Musk on his X social media platform, Sir Keir Starmer appears to have buried the hatchet between him and the tech tycoon as he took delivery of a Starlink internet system yesterday. Starlink, owned by Mr Musk's SpaceX rocket company, allows people anywhere in the world to connect to the internet via a system of 6,350 satellites. It has proved especially useful to Ukrainian forces fighting the Russians, although in recent months they have complained of a poor connection. Musk and Sir Keir fell out after dozens of thugs were arrested for spreading conspiracy theories and racist comments on X, following the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport at the end of July. Sir Keir Starmer appears to have buried the hatchet between himself and Elon Musk Starlink, owned by Mr Musk's SpaceX rocket company, allows people anywhere in the world to connect to the internet via a system of 6,350 satellites The wifi at No 10 Downing Street must be really bad if Mr Musk has decided to set up Starlink Sir Keir blamed social media companies such as X for the riots escalating, saying: 'Let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them: violent disorder was clearly whipped up online.' But Musk retaliated arguing: 'If incompatible cultures are brought together without assimilation, conflict is inevitable.' The millionaire donor at the centre of Sir Keir Starmer's cronyism scandal has been accused of 'wrecking lives' by those who lost their life savings to one of his companies. Labour peer Waheed Alli unexpectedly placed his Delhi-based online fashion retailer Koovs dubbed the 'Asos of India' into administration in December 2019 but bought it back at a reduced price the same day, leaving small shareholders penniless. Many accused him of withholding vital information that led to the loss of their pensions and savings and are calling for him to be stripped of his peerage. It comes after Lord Alli was handed an all-access security pass for Downing Street after donating 500,000 to Labour, including 20,000 to Sir Keir for new clothes and spectacles. Andrew Philpott, 59, from Barnsley, lost his entire 200,000 pension and savings pot when Koovs collapsed. Waheed Alli, the millionaire donor at the centre of Sir Keir Starmer's cronyism scandal, has been accused of 'wrecking lives' by those who lost their life savings to one of his companies Labour peer Waheed Alli unexpectedly placed his Delhi-based online fashion retailer Koovs dubbed the 'Asos of India ' into administration in December 2019 but bought it back at a reduced price the same day, leaving small shareholders penniless It was reported this week that Lord Alli was handed an all-access security pass for Downing Street after donating 500,000 to Labour, including 20,000 to Sir Keir Like several other small investors, the father-of-two worked as a warehouse engineer for online fashion giant Asos, where Lord Alli had been chairman. Mr Philpott said: 'I was excited to see him repeat the success of Asos in India. I believed in the man, but in an instant he caused me to lose everything. 'I'm sure that everything he did was technically legal, but it was morally wrong. He's a crook in my eyes. It destroyed my life. 'The money I lost would be peanuts to Alli, but it was my life and future. 'If he had any decency he would compensate small investors like me, and should certainly be stripped of his peerage.' Fellow Asos engineer Iain Wright, 61, of Doncaster, invested 60,000 of his pension fund into Koovs. He said: 'I wasn't the least bit surprised to see he's involved in this donations scandal.' Lord Alli did not respond to a request for comment. It was bad enough that prominent Labour donor Lord Alli was given an access-all-areas pass to Downing Street and was allowed to throw a jolly party there for friends and fellow fundraisers. Now we discover the TV magnate has also been making recommendations for key public appointments which are meant to be filled by an open and transparent process. Lord Alli is said to have been working with senior party officials since early this year to compile a list of placemen and women to fill high-profile roles due to come vacant in the life of this Parliament. Straight out of the Tony Blair playbook, this strategy is to ensure that institutions and quangos the BBC, independent watchdogs, NHS etc are stuffed with Labour sympathisers. In an Orwellian twist, it is said to have been codenamed Operation Integrity. In opposition, Sir Keir pledged a total crackdown on cronyism. In government, he is doing the exact opposite Lord Alli is said to have been working with senior party officials since early this year to compile a list of placemen and women to fill high-profile roles So how did this man achieve so much influence? No one elected him. He has no mandate, no expertise in filling such important positions. His only qualification appears to be having given at least 500,000 to the party and provided Sir Keir with a range of snappy suits and new spectacles to help his image during the election campaign. In opposition, Sir Keir pledged a total crackdown on cronyism. In government, he is doing the exact opposite. This is just the latest example of jobs for the boys (and girls). A string of other donors, activists and aides having been given plum public roles, including several in the supposedly neutral civil service. As ever, Sir Keir rejects accusations of cronyism, saying: We want the best people in the best posts. Yes, but only if they support the Labour Party. Dont cave on Chagos When it comes to faraway places, the Chagos archipelago is in a league of its own. Marooned in the vastness of the Indian Ocean this sprinkling of coral atolls sits 1,000 miles south of the Indian sub-continent and covers just 23 square miles. But remote as these tiny islands are, they are at the centre of a bitter and complex post-colonial feud, in which its feared Britain is about to hoist the white flag to the horror of the US and delight of China. For administrative convenience, the islands were placed under the banner of Mauritius during the colonial era, even though it is 1,300 miles away. Since 1967 the largest, Diego Garcia, has been the site of a key UK/US military complex. It was used as an allied air base during the Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and remains of huge importance. At independence in 1968, Britain retained the islands, paying Mauritius 3million compensation and helped the resident population of around 1,000 Chagossians to resettle elsewhere, including Britain. An undated file photo shows Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base Mauritius supported by the UN now wants the archipelago back, claiming to represent the interests of the displaced residents as well as its own. Negotiations have so far stalled but the sudden appointment of Tony Blairs former right-hand man Jonathan Powell as a special envoy to the talks has led many to fear a capitulation is in the offing. With China expanding relentlessly and investing heavily in Mauritius, the Americans are naturally horrified at the prospect of losing the base and their foothold in the region. To sell our closest ally down the river would be a huge and dangerous mistake. Misplaced colonial guilt cannot be allowed to trump Britains strategic interests. China outlines blueprint for international lunar research station Xinhua) 21:21, September 05, 2024 HEFEI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Through global cooperation, China is set to construct an international lunar research station (ILRS) with a network linking the moon's south pole, equator and far side by 2050, according to a key engineer in the country's space industry. The blueprint for an expandable, maintainable system capable of long-term robotic operations with short-term human participation on the moon was revealed by Wu Yanhua, chief designer of the major Chinese deep space exploration project, in a speech at the second International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Tunxi of Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province. The ILRS, a scientific experimental facility consisting of sections on the lunar surface, in lunar orbit and on Earth, is projected to be built in two phases: a basic model to be built by 2035 in the lunar south pole region, and an extended model to be built by about 2050. Per the blueprint, the extended model will be a comprehensive lunar station network that utilizes the lunar orbit station as its central hub and the south pole station as its primary base, and it will include exploration nodes on the lunar equator and the far side of the moon, according to Wu. The extended model will be capable of laying a foundation for manned landings on Mars in the future, Wu said. China is currently planning to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. In his speech, Wu mapped out the composition of the planned ILRS, which will be powered by solar, radioisotope and nuclear generators. It will also include lunar-Earth and high-speed lunar surface communication networks, as well as lunar vehicles like a hopper, an unmanned long-range vehicle, and pressurized and unpressurized manned rovers. Wu noted that orbital and lunar-surface refueling stations, a launch vehicle, an orbiter, a landing-and-ascent vehicle, and a return capsule are in development to ensure Earth-moon transportation. At the conference, Wu invited nations around the world to participate in the program across different tiers, which include concept study, equipment, system and mission levels. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) A Melbourne cafe owner has shared the simple reason why customers are usually charged a premium price for coffees made using non-dairy milk like almond or soy. Dan Dick, who runs four coffee venues in Melbourne, took to TikTok to explain that in addition to the cost difference of alternatives milks - 'almost double what dairy milk costs' - there is also another hidden expense which many customers don't realise. 'It's the complication to the workflow of having six different milks, especially with takeaway coffees which are at the core of my business, it slows down service,' the Born and Raised Coffee founder said. He explained that instead of being able to steam a large jug of dairy milk and pour a run of orders, the milk for each drink has to be steamed separately. 'I was on shift this morning and made about 12 drinks consecutively that couldn't be grouped because they were all different milks. Slows things painfully,' he said. The experienced barista who has worked in other hospitality venues before going out on his own, said he was considering offering one milk alternative free of a surcharge in the hope non-dairy drinkers would predominantly choose that option. 'If you were an almond milk drinker, would you drink soy or oat if there was no surcharge or, taking that a step further, if my prices went up but black coffee was kept cheaper, would you as a milk drinker be inclined to switch to black coffee?' 'This could help control my bottom line and affect my workflow in a way that's conducive to getting coffees out faster.' Non-dairy milk alternatives cost a premium price when ordering coffee at a cafe with one business owner explaining they're not only more costly but they 'disrupt workflow' Many coffee drinkers weighed in with their take on the dairy dilemma. 'I do like the idea of having one milk alternative the same as normal milk price,' one said. 'I think if you're going to have a surcharge on some alt milks it may as well be on them all, often people have a certain one because of allergies to others and won't switch for cheaper,' added another. 'The consumer needs to be aware of the cost if they want to buy a premium product,' said a third. 'I drink oat milk usually. I would switch to soy if it had no surcharge, but I wouldn't switch to almond, because almond is pretty watery.' a fourth said. One said as an alternative milk drinker they were 'looking at buying a proper coffee machine for the first time' as they couldn't 'justify $7 a day'. Another commenter suggested that if they did this they could still buy their coffee beans from their local cafe and support small business. Takeaway coffee appears to be one of the few luxuries Aussies refuse to give up, even as financial pressures have bitten harder over the past few years. Coffee sales have remained stable despite the economic downturn. Though many of us became upset when prices began to rise last year, they've since largely settled in the range between $4.00 and $5.50 for a basic drink. But this could soon have to change. By international standards, Australian coffee prices are low. Dan Dick from Born and Raised Coffee in Melbourne said making coffees with different milk requires a barista to steam a separate jug for each order rather than making them in batches A recent Uni of SA survey of Australian capital cities found the average price of a small takeaway flat white at specialty venues is A$4.78. But in some international capitals, it's almost double this, even after adjusting for local purchasing power parity. In London, a small flat white costs about A$6.96. Singapore, A$8.42. In Athens, as much as A$9.95. The most recent data from IBISWorld show that while Australian cafe net profits have recovered from a drop in 2020, at 7.6 per cent, they remain much lower than the Australian business profit margin average of 13.3 per cent. Just looking at the cost of raw inputs of a takeaway coffee - the milk, beans, a cup and a lid - it might make the margin seem lucrative, but this doesn't paint the whole picture. According to Pablo and Rusty Coffee Roasters in Adelaide, the milk and coffee beans make up about 24 per cent of the cost of a coffee. The cup, the lid and maintenance of barista equipment is about 10 per cent. Building rent, running costs and GST is another 32 per cent and the remaining 34 per cent is staff wages. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Shortlisted for our University of the Year title, Warwick turns out graduates who are among the most sought-after; the university sits sixth in this year's High Fliers ranking of universities targeted by the largest number of leading graduate employers, ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge. The university celebrates its 60th anniversary next year with applications running at record levels - 58% higher than a decade ago - and admissions are at a level beaten only during the pandemic years of inflated grades. The university recruits nationally and globally, and it is one of the institutions that mops up students who miss out on Oxbridge. The spacious campus university sits not in Warwick, but on the outskirts of Coventry. Academic, sporting, social and residential facilities are all close to hand. The Warwick Arts Centre, which has five spaces for theatre and music, three cinemas and a gallery, is one of the biggest outside London. Sporting facilities are excellent, too, and Warwick is a serious player in inter-university competitions. Academic strength spans the arts, humanities and languages, as well as the social sciences, science and engineering. The recent triple gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework for overall rating, student experience and student outcomes speaks to that broad-based brilliance. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills About one in five students at Warwick gets some form of financial support from the university, with the main award, the Warwick bursary, expected to benefit 900 first-years in the upcoming academic year. The award is paid to students from homes where the income is 35,000 per year or below and is restricted to children educated at state schools and further education colleges (or those on a full fees means-tested bursary at an independent school). The biggest awards of 2,000 per year go to students from homes with an income of up to 16,000, falling to 1,500 per year (16,001 to 25,000) and 1,000 per year (25,001 to 35,000). Unusually, the awards are paid during work placement and study abroad years and can be topped up with an extra 1,000 per year for students who are care leavers, mature, estranged, in receipt of Disability Students' Allowance, or in receipt of the special support element of the maintenance loan or one of several other government grants as part of their student support package. Warwick's discretionary hardship awards for those in need range in value from 100 to 4,000. The university has around 7,500 beds on campus, with the cheapest also being the most central. Rooms in the Rootes residence come in at 4,305 for a 35-week contract. The most expensive ensuite rooms in Bluebell cost 9,800 for 40 weeks. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Warwick has mitigated the negative impact of Brexit on international academic collaboration by strengthening its ties with universities across Europe. This helps it provide new opportunities for overseas study for its students. Warwick is one of the 10 members of the Eutopia alliance of European universities, which offers researchers, students and staff the chance to collaborate and work abroad. The university also opened a new European base in Venice last year, which overlooks the Grand Canal. Undergraduate students of history, history of art and liberal arts can take modules in Venice. The past year has seen the university develop capabilities even further afield, with the opening of the Marsh Observatory helping it train the astronomers of tomorrow. The observatory has a 40cm telescope and digital imager to allow students to observe solar system objects, stars and galaxies. New degrees for 2025 include a BSc in economics and management and a BSc in international management with foundation year. Warwick is also planning to add to its degree apprenticeship offering, which is already one of the largest in the Russell Group, with around 1,300 learners already enrolled across programmes in applied professional engineering, civil and infrastructure engineering, computer science and technology solutions, digital and technology solutions, digital healthcare science, electro-mechanical engineering and social work. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support A contextual offer scheme reduces standard offers for courses by up to two A-level grades (subject to a minimum of BBB) and four International Baccalaureate points to eligible applicants educated in the state sector. All undergraduate courses are included in the programme apart from those with foundation years. There is a wide range of eligibility, which includes living in a postcode among the 20% most deprived or from which fewest advance to higher education, or attending an under-performing school or one with a higher than average proportion of students in receipt of free school meals. One of the country's most extensive outreach programmes helps Warwick attract a diverse student population. The Warwick Scholars access programme works with post-16 students in the Midlands, offering those accepted on to it a five-year support programme, from application and enrolment through to employment and further study. These students also receive an offer two to four grades below the standard ask, and considerable financial help during their studies. Student safety on campus is taken seriously, with all students required to confirm before the start of each year that they have completed the Warwick Values Programme on Moodle, which covers sexual misconduct, bullying, discrimination, harassment, racism and the supply or use of illegal substances. A community safety team, residential community teams, wellbeing and student support services and personal tutors offer a network of mental health and wellbeing assistance. Mental health mentoring is available, and the Togetherall app and student-run Nightline service provide out-of-hours cover. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Formed in the 1960s, the University of Kent borrowed its collegiate structure from an older generation of universities. Students join one of eight colleges, the majority named after people who pushed back the boundaries of knowledge - Sir Charles Darwin, Alan Turing, Lord Rutherford to name three. The colleges form the social heart of the student experience, breaking down this mid-sized university of around 15,000 undergraduates into bite-sized chunks. Seven of the colleges are on the university's original campus, a green 300-acre site in the historic city of Canterbury, with the eighth, Medway College, on Kent's Medway campus, shared with Canterbury Christ Church and Greenwich universities, which takes in the historic Royal Naval dockyards in Chatham. Applications are down by nearly a third from their peak in 2016, but the university achieves admirable diversity on campus. Black students made up almost one quarter of the undergraduate intake last year, with more than 40% overall drawn from ethnic minorities. Partnerships with local schools and colleges help maintain high numbers of students drawn from under-represented groups. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills The Kent Financial Support Package targets students from homes with an income of less than 30,000. They must also meet one of several further criteria, which include living in a postcode among those with the smallest numbers progressing to university; living in one of the 40% of postcodes with the highest levels of deprivation; being in receipt of Disabled Students' Allowance; or being a mature student. Those who qualify get 1,000 for each year of study. There are music and sport scholarships, with the latter being worth between 300 and 5,000 a year to support access to facilities, preparation and participation in sport. The Ros and Andrew Holden STEM scholarship pays all tuition fees (worth 27,750) and provides maintenance support of more than 2,300 a year to one student from the county of Kent taking a science, technology, engineering or maths degree who can demonstrate financial need. There are more than 6,000 rooms in university accommodation available, with self-catering prices beginning at 5,034 for 39 weeks in the largest and newest college, Park Wood. Catered accommodation is offered, too, with Eliot and Rutherford colleges pricing rooms from 5,905 for a 37-week contract. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? A new strategic plan, Kent 2030, will see significant changes to the full portfolio of Kent degrees over the next six years. 'We need to introduce greater flexibility for our students to be able to fit study around other activity like work or caring responsibilities, and we need to build in better links with industry in our courses to enhance our students' employability prospects,' the university told us. The latter should help improve the proportion of graduates getting high-skilled jobs, which is the university's second-worst performing metric in our ranking this year, beaten to bottom place by former students feeling their careers are not on track, when questioned 15 months after graduating. For the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year the university is looking to introduce a three-term year for undergraduate courses, with simpler module choices and assessment spread throughout the year. It wants future assessments to be more relevant to the tasks students will face in their careers, and it is considering the introduction of block timetabling to concentrate teaching on particular days and make it easier to fit studying around other commitments. The university wants to grow in key areas such as computing, law and biosciences, while preserving the strength and breadth of its course portfolio in areas such as English, history and the arts. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Kent's admissions policies reflect its new marketing handle: 'We stand for ambition'. Outreach policies seek to raise aspirations and attainment, helping students from non-traditional backgrounds to apply for university. Kent works directly with more than 50 non-selective secondary schools and three further education college groups across Kent and Medway. Contextual offers generally cut two grades from the standard admissions requirements; they're offered in all subjects, but the qualifying criteria vary. Around one in eight students last September came to Kent via a contextual offer. In addition to financial aid, Kent helps those from disadvantaged backgrounds with the transition to university and offers a tailored programme of academic advice, skills development sessions and enhanced career preparation support. Mental health and wellbeing support features a daily drop-in service for students in crisis and a team of advisers, counsellors, mentors and specialist staff. There is dedicated assistance available for students with autism and other neurodiversity conditions. Kent is one of the proactive minority of universities that requires all students to complete an Expect Respect module before joining. This covers sexual consent, being an active bystander and racial, sexual and social tolerance. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview The university recruits more than half of its intake of UK students from within its home patch in the North West. Many are drawn from groups under-represented in higher education. Just under a third of last year's intake were mature returners to education, and Chester has one of the highest proportions of students who are the first in their immediate family to attend university. Sophisticated support structures - acknowledged by good scores in this area in the National Student Survey and coming second in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice University of the Year award - keep students in the fold. Progression and degree completion rates are at much higher levels than are the norm with such a diverse intake. The university is largely based in the attractive walled city of Chester, but it has outposts in Birkenhead and Warrington, as well as its land-based centre Reaseheath, near Nantwich. Employers help with the design of courses, which all have a focus on digital skills and use continuous assessment to gauge student achievement. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Bursaries are now paid only to carers, those who have spent time in care, estranged students and members of the gypsy, Roma, traveller, showman and boater community. However, the university is unusual in paying between 10 and 30 towards travel expenses for everyone who attends a Chester applicant day. It also offers a travel bursary of up to 100 to anyone attending a university outreach event who is in receipt of free school meals, pupil premium, or benefits for low income or disability, as well as those who have been in care, are carers or are estranged. A student support fund is available for those who get into financial difficulty while studying, too. The cheapest university-owned accommodation comes in at 4,420 for a 40-week contract, rising to a maximum of 6,680. Chester is one of a small number of universities to offer catered accommodation, which costs between 7,391 and 7,581 for 38 weeks full-board. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Chester, founded in 1839, was the UK's first teacher training college, and this month it moves its school of education back to its Exton Park site in Chester, into the fully refurbished Molloy Hall. The new facilities will include laboratories, an art and design space and preparation rooms for training the next generation of teachers. There will be direct access from the school to the Seaborne library next door, which has undergone its own refurbishment to equip it with the latest digital technology, as well as private and collaborative study spaces, social zones, seminar rooms and media suites. The Sumner House student accommodation block has also been upgraded to provide 125 ensuite rooms and communal social areas. Teaching has been reorganised into three faculties this year: arts, humanities and social sciences; health, medicine and society; and science, business and enterprise. The university hopes this will drive the development of degrees and modules with student employability at their core. New courses taking their first students this month include criminology and sociology in combination with a second subject, as well as acting, drama, fashion design, film and media, media and TV production, music production and popular music performance, which are all offered with foundation years. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Chester has one of the highest proportions of first-generation students (those whose parents did not go to university) of any institution and its admissions policies ensure that it will continue to attract students from under-represented groups. Although it does make contextual offers with at least one A-level grade (or equivalent) below the standard entry requirement, the university told us: 'We consider a wide range of factors to identify merit, rather than academic attainment alone.' Having attracted students from this wider range of backgrounds, Chester then deploys a 'whole student lifestyle approach' which provides enhanced support throughout students' time at Chester and beyond. Wellbeing and mental health advisers run workshops and sessions, while student support networks help people from certain groups connect with others. A student assistance programme (SAP) also offers immediate advice round the clock, every day of the year, and has a language line that allows students to talk via an interpreter in their own tongue. Students are encouraged to undertake bystander intervention training as part of a wider range of initiatives to create a safe campus environment. Although in-person teaching has returned across all courses following the Covid pandemic, the university is now among a minority where lecture capture is not routinely available to allow students to listen back to content in their own time. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview The University of West London (UWL) markets itself as The Career University, lest anyone be in any doubt as to the umbilical connection here between studying and getting a job afterwards. Developments such as the new school of medicine and biosciences seek to provide students with hands-on experience tackling the needs of local communities, while students studying for their Airline Transport Pilot Licence as part of their degrees have access to the university's Boeing 737 flight simulator. UWL's connections to the nearby Heathrow airport and British Airways are typical of its business links which give students access to more than 1,000 part-time, internship, graduate and volunteering opportunities. The university monitors all placements to ensure that they are of the highest quality, too. In addition to its focus on graduate jobs and making a difference in local communities, UWL has a third key mission which saw it recognised last year as our University of the Year for Social Inclusion. Few can match the diversity on campus here, with 68% from black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups; more than 60% from homes where they are the first to go to university; and around half being mature returners to education. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Such is the diversity of the student body at UWL, the university targets support at the many rather than the most disadvantaged few. The UWL Aspire bursary provides free books to the value of 100 in the first year to most undergraduates and pre-registration students. The money can be spent in the online UWL Aspire student shop. In subsequent years, students get a further 100 each year to help keep down the cost of studying. Students from homes with an annual income of less than 25,000 qualify for a bursary of 1,000 per year, worth up to 3,000 over the course of their degree. Care-experienced and estranged students receive a 500 annual bursary plus, from this year, a 2,000 contribution towards the cost of accommodation in their first year. The university has more than 800 rooms supplied by private providers, with prices ranging from 11,000 for a 44-week tenancy to more than 20,000 for a studio apartment on a 51-week contract. The university also offers more than 70 philanthropic prizes worth between 150 and 10,000 and 42 donor-backed awards worth between 250 and 5,000. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Who's better, who's best? UWL has taken the name of the compilation album from The Who to heart in its mission to create the best student facilities. And from next month the Townshend Studio will provide a permanent home for several music synthesisers gifted to UWL by alumnus and The Who's lead guitarist, Pete Townshend. The studio will be used for teaching and research, as well as hosting cultural events and 'open house' days when the local community will be invited in. A BA in creative music production is also being introduced from next September. An interdisciplinary school of medicine and biosciences has also opened this year, with a focus on improving the health of the communities in which UWL operates, reducing inequalities, and areas including dementia care and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve diagnostics and treatment, in particular for cancer and heart conditions. The new Digital Futures Lab, meanwhile, will allow students to acquire the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven workplace. Equipped with the latest dual-screen computers, graphics processing units and virtual-reality headsets, the lab complements existing digital facilities and studios for film and television, motion capture, radio, and sound and recording. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support 'Inclusion is in our institutional DNA,' UWL told us. Achieving the levels of diversity seen on campus is no accident, but it is not the product of a contextual admissions policy that reduces the standard offer by a set amount. The university says it welcomes applications from those who can meet entry criteria through experience rather than academic qualifications, and reductions in the Ucas tariff point requirements vary significantly. The university engages in substantial local outreach with schools and colleges and is working to improve continuation and degree-completion levels for its commendably diverse student body. With 38% of academic staff and 22% of the professoriate drawn from black and ethnic minorities, UWL takes the same approach to staff appointments as it does to student recruitment. All students have a personal tutor. UWL has recently increased the number of mental health and disability advisers it employs and is working with NHS trusts on two projects that have won funding from the Office for Students. Mind the Gaps, which examines ways of providing additional support to students who are the first in their immediate family to go to university; and People Like Us, which is looking at how racial and cultural stressors influence the wellbeing of black and minority ethnic students, potentially impact large numbers of UWL's student population. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview The oldest university in Wales is also the one to have undergone the most significant transformation in the past 15 years. The University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD) began life in 1822 as St David's College in Lampeter; only Oxford and Cambridge have a longer history among Welsh and English universities. It now comprises campuses in Lampeter, Carmarthen and Swansea (the former Swansea Metropolitan University until 2013) and has also expanded its footprint to cover London (opened in 2012), Cardiff (2015) and Birmingham (2018). However, UWTSD's heart remains in south-west Wales, where each of the campuses has a distinct course bias and atmosphere. The historic and beautiful Lampeter campus offers a broad sweep of humanities courses; Swansea is home to most of the science, technology and engineering degrees, with strength also in art and design; and Carmarthen acts as a base for creative arts programmes together with business, sport and education. The small outposts in London (for undergraduate degrees in health and social care, business management, applied computing, and leadership and management skills for the workplace), Birmingham (principally education, health and social care, applied computing and business management) and Cardiff (principally education, law, policing and performing arts) complete the picture. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills A support package that benefits around one in seven students reflects the diverse intake; more than half the undergraduates are mature returners to education aged over 21 when their courses begin, and a similar proportion are from homes where parents did not go to university. Many are Welsh speakers. So, the university offers an annual bursary of up to 500 for student parents and a bursary of up to 900 a year for students learning in the Welsh language. Annual bursaries of 1,000 are available for care leavers, estranged students and those with caring responsibilities, and bursaries of up to 250 a year are open to transgender and non-binary students. The Reaching Wider bursary is the most common form of financial aid and is worth up to 100 to students recruited from postcodes that are among the 40% most deprived areas in Wales. A Digital Connectivity bursary offers up to 100 towards the cost of broadband or a maximum of 300 towards the cost of a device and connectivity combined. University-owned accommodation at Lampeter and Carmarthen is among the cheapest in the UK, with prices ranging from 3,863 for 38 weeks at Lampeter to 5,147 for the most expensive rooms on a 37-week contract at Carmarthen. Rooms at Carmarthen begin at 3,959. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? UWTSD's Innovation Matrix building opens in time for the new academic year. Based in Swansea's SA1 Innovation Quarter, the development is focused on digital innovation and will connect businesses with the university through collaborations between academia and industry, as well as offering many industry-specific opportunities for students. This should help boost the relatively low proportion of UWTSD students who currently gain high-skilled jobs upon graduating. More generally, academic and social facilities have been upgraded, with a focus on enhancing green spaces, modernising teaching rooms, creating informal learning areas, and improving workstations and library accessibility. Student halls in Lampeter and Carmarthen have also been upgraded following significant investment. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Applicants living in a postcode classified as being among the 40% with the lowest rates of progression to university, those who are the first in their immediate family to go into higher education, and care leavers all qualify for contextual offers at UWTSD. Contextual offers are made for all courses, except those where they are not possible due to the requirements of professional bodies, and typically come in at eight Ucas tariff points or one A-level grade below the standard offer. With more than half the students enrolled classified as mature returners to education, UWTSD's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedures are particularly relevant for those seeking to have experiential learning from working life evaluated and awarded credit. Wellbeing and mental health support is provided to all students, often accessed in the first instance through the Student Hwb or the Wellbeing Service directly. The services offered cover counselling, wellbeing advice, study adjustments, referrals to other student services teams, or support to access NHS or other external services. A Student Assistance Programme operates 24 hours a day. All staff complete mandatory e-learning modules that provide training on how to respond to students showing signs of mental distress. The university and students' union offer training and compulsory guidance on sexual consent, and racial, sexual and social tolerance. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Roehampton is moving heavily into the provision of online degrees for those who do not want to study on its attractive parkland campus in south-west London. For now, the nine courses on offer are all postgraduate business degrees, but the university will introduce undergraduate options with 100% online studying. The move comes as the number of mature and international students on campus grows. Direct admissions (which are drawn largely mature and overseas applicants) are up 46% since 2016, while admissions via Ucas (largely school-leavers) have dropped to their lowest point in the past decade, 43% down over the same period. Once part of the University of Surrey, it is 20 years since Roehampton became a university in its own right. It is organised into four colleges, Digby Stuart, Froebel, Southlands and Whitelands, which were founded as teacher training colleges in the 19th century, and teacher training is still a central pillar here. However, the introduction of 30 new undergraduate, foundation or top-up degrees this month significantly adds to Roehampton's portfolio. Roehampton also has a sizeable population of nursing and healthcare students. The colleges create bite-size communities and help Roehampton provide a far more personal university experience than is available elsewhere in the capital. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills The most academically able get a 3,000 Academic Excellence scholarship for achieving AAA at A-level (or equivalent), which is paid at a rate of 1,000 per year. A 2,000 scholarship, also paid over three years, is given to students who gained AAB at A-level (or equivalent). The Roehampton Foundation scholarship is paid to all students beginning (four-year) courses with a foundation year, bar those studying Theology, Mission and Practice, and is worth 500 per year (2,000 over the course of the degree). Esports scholarships and Women in Esports scholarships are worth 2,000 per year for those who can demonstrate aptitude in esports (electronic sports). Roehampton has also increased its hardship funds in response to the cost-of-living crisis and made further practical changes to keep students' costs down, which include adjusting timetables to reduce the number of days they need to travel to campus. The university's residential accommodation, which starts at just 5,421 for a 39-week contract in Bede House, lives up to its promise to 'offer affordable accommodation in London'. Even the most expensive rooms in Elm Grove Hall and Chadwick Hall cost just 9,009 over 39 weeks. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Roehampton is branching out into a new area of academic activity with the opening of its Sustainable Engineering and Technology Education Centre (Setec). The first degrees, taking students from this month, cover civil engineering, architectural technology, and construction management. More courses will be added over time as the university builds up a presence in this academic space. Several computer gaming degrees (in games art, games design, and computer games programming) also begin this month as part of a comprehensive overhaul of Roehampton's course portfolio, in a bid to reverse the falling number of enrolments. New joint honours courses have also been introduced including both an LLB and BA in law and politics; BAs in English and journalism, education and youth studies, and politics, international relations and history; and a BSc in computing and business. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Roehampton has an excellent record for social inclusion. Contextual offers can be up to 16 Ucas tariff points (or two A-level grades) below the standard ask on all courses except for teacher training and nursing. Among those eligible for contextual offers are applicants who have received free school meals at any point in the previous six years, those from postcodes sending the fewest into higher education or who have attended schools with below average attainment, and those with disabilities or who have been in care. Mental health and wellbeing support is provided by a team of student wellbeing officers, counsellors and specialist mental health advisers. Mental health and resilience are key components of pre-arrival and induction programmes. All students have an academic tutor and the university's student support service, Nest, offers academic and non-academic support 24 hours a day online, as well as at various locations on campus. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Small is beautiful at Queen Margaret University (QMU). Located on a modern campus opened just 17 years ago, QMU is the best of both worlds, sitting just six minutes by train from the centre of Edinburgh, while offering students green, coastal surroundings with a great sense of space. QMU is home to around 4,000 undergraduates (and 2,500 postgraduates) following a range of career-focused degrees. Work placements are a common feature of courses, and the university prides itself on producing career-ready graduates. There is a strong provision of healthcare and teaching courses, with recent campus developments such as the newly opened outdoor learning hub adding considerably to the facilities for the latter. QMU serves a socially diverse student community where around half are the first in their immediate family to attend university. Its contextual admissions scheme typically reduces offers by two grades compared to the standard ask. The university's reputation for friendliness was reinforced by its recent nomination by students for four prizes at the Global Student Living Awards, covering best university housing, best student wellbeing, best moving-in experience and best student community in the UK and Ireland. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Students recruited outwith Scotland from the rest of the UK (RUK) stand a good chance of qualifying for financial support. In 2022-23, there were just 116 undergraduate RUK students across years one to four, with 63 of them (54%) in receipt of a QMU bursary. This is worth up to 2,000 per year. The maximum sum is paid to students from homes where the annual income is no more than 20,000, with the sum dropping in stages to 1,500 (from 20,001 to 25,000 annual income), 1,000 (25,001 to 35,000) and 500 (35,001 to 42,600). No fourth-year tuition fees are charged to RUK students, bringing the cost of a degree here in line with those south of the border. The university distributed more than 265,000 of hardship funds last year. QMU's Thank Goodness It's Thursday initiative offers students a free hot meal, weekend meal packs, takeaway hot food leftovers and social activities on campus in a warm environment. There are 800 places available in university residential accommodation on campus. More than 60% of those rooms are available for the cheapest price - 5,282 for a 38-week contract with the most expensive costing 6,460, considerably less than in most other universities. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? QMU's new outdoor learning hub and discovery trail was opened in March, putting the university at the forefront of providing training in the use of outdoor learning for the next generation of teachers. Outdoor learning is part of the curriculum in courses such as primary teacher training, as giving children access to the natural world at that age is an increasingly important element of school life. The hub will equip current and future teachers, community educators and volunteer leaders with the knowledge and skills to confidently use outdoor spaces to enhance children's learning experiences. Work began this year on the Edinburgh innovation hub, which is being constructed on land adjoining QMU's Musselburgh campus. It is hoped the hub will lead to work placements and job opportunities for students, but its primary purpose will be to offer flexible laboratory, office, meeting and conference spaces for rent by fast-growing small and medium-sized enterprises. By placing innovative, technology-driven companies next to the university, it will create opportunities for sharing knowledge. It should also drive more industry-relevant research on campus, promote an entrepreneurial culture among staff and students, and increase the commercial vibrancy of the university district. However, the university is discontinuing its small graduate apprenticeship programme. Admissions, teaching and student support Typical contextual offers come in at two Higher grades (or equivalent) below QMU's standard offer for a given course. The university says the 'overarching aim' of its widening participation team is to make the university a sector leader in making higher education accessible to under-represented groups. To this end, it welcomed more than 1,000 targeted school pupils on to campus in 2023-24 and involved 5,500 S4 to S6 pupils in its outreach work in schools. QMU has embraced digital learning, although the precise mix between in-person and online course delivery varies between programmes. In general, among non-science subjects, all teaching in the first and second years will be delivered on campus, but in the third and fourth year, up to a quarter can be delivered online. Mental health and wellbeing support is dispensed in several ways, with personal academic tutors directing students towards help should they need it. All academic staff have a personal tutor role and are given training on how to support students and the issues they might face. Short-term counselling is provided to students in need, with up to six sessions available at a time, and those in crisis are contacted within 24 hours of flagging their problem. QMU's counselling and wellbeing service provides group work around resilience, compassion and anxiety, as well as awareness sessions around self-harm, eating disorders, stress management, drugs and alcohol. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview The social demographic of Oxford is changing after a concerted effort to open up the university to a wider range of students. In 2023, 68% of the UK undergraduate intake were educated in state schools, 21.2% came from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, 7.6% had qualified for free school meals and more than a quarter were black, Asian or from other minority ethnicities. Oxford's determination to diversify its intake has not led to any compromises in its desire to recruit only the brightest, however. Most of the 23,000 or so who apply each year will go on to achieve at least AAA at A-level, but the university prides itself on the fitness of its admissions process (featuring examinations and interviews) to identify the students that will truly fly here. Academic life revolves around weekly tutorials, which take place individually or in small groups in college. There are 32 undergraduate colleges spanning the ancient and modern, big and small, traditional and relaxed, and not all subjects are available in each. Expressing no college preference in your application is also an option. But be quick. A deadline of October 15 is just another way in which Oxford sets itself apart from the crowd. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Around one in four students receive a bursary from the university each year. The most lucrative are Crankstart scholarships, funded by the billionaire financier, Sir Michael Moritz, and his wife, Harriet Heyman. The index-linked scholarships are worth 5,970 this year to students from homes with an annual income of up to 7,500, and 5,150 for those from homes with an income of between 7,500 and 32,500. Crankstart scholars who have been in care qualify for an additional 3,500 per year and all of them (as well as Oxford bursary recipients) are eligible for an Oxford Travel Supplement worth 220 per year if they live more than 80 miles from Oxford. This rises to 550 if they live more than 150 miles from Oxford. For students who do not take up a Crankstart scholarship, the Oxford bursary also provides generous support. Worth 4,120 this year to students from homes with an annual income of up to 25,000, it drops to 3,610 (for between 25,001 and 32,500 income), 3,090 (between 32,501 and 37,500 income), 2.060 (between 37,501 and 42,875 income) and 1,030 (between 42,876 and 50,000 income). There are numerous other awards that can also ease financial pressures. Students live in college for at least two years of undergraduate study, and prices vary considerably. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Students enrolling next September will be the first to work in the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. The development, which is in the latter stages of construction, was made possible by the university's largest-ever donation - 185m from American billionaire Stephen A. Schwarzman. It will incorporate a Institute for Ethics in AI, as well as libraries, a concert hall, a performance space and teaching and research facilities. Oxford's new Life and Mind Building is also due to be completed by next year, housing the experimental psychology and biology departments. A new Global Health Building is due to open in 2026, which will house the university's centre for tropical medicine and global health and elements of the population health department. The university continues to dominate global university rankings. It has topped the world rankings produced by Times Higher Education for the past eight years, and when it was displaced by Imperial College London this year from the top of the QS World University Rankings, it caused a ripple through Oxford's quads. The latest results under the Teaching Excellence Framework returned a triple gold award last year, covering an overall rating, student experience and student outcomes - an achievement that was beyond most Russell Group universities. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Last year saw the introduction of the Astrophoria foundation year for state school students with significant academic potential who have experienced personal disadvantage or disruption to their education. It sees up to 50 students enrol on a supportive and challenging one-year course, which allows them to move on to a full undergraduate degree at Oxford without having to reapply, providing they complete the foundation year to the required standard. Tuition and accommodation are provided for free and a non-repayable bursary covers living costs. It is one of the most innovative approaches to widening access to the university. Further support with the transition to university is provided to around 200 offer holders from disadvantaged backgrounds through the Opportunity Oxford bridging programme, which consists of an online course in the summer before A-level results are published and then a two-week residential ahead of term starting for those whose places are confirmed, to give an insight into what life as an Oxford student is like. The tutorial system at Oxford, with its emphasis on small group or individual teaching, provides levels of personal and academic support that surpasses that of most universities. Students are well known to staff and the collegiate structure of the university only adds to students' sense of community and belonging, offering social, sporting and cultural opportunities at college level to complement those available at university level. For students with mental health and wellbeing issues, the university counselling service offers one-to-one counselling, therapeutic group sessions and workshops. Oxford boasts the oldest and largest peer-support programme in the country, with around 360 trained and regularly supervised peer supporters in post in colleges and departments each year. Just under 2,000 staff have undergone training in how to respond to students in psychological distress. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview London Met has enjoyed some excellent scores in the National Student Survey (NSS) in recent years after sustained investment in the student experience. The university has reinvented itself and now looks optimistically to the future, launching a new school of the built environment last year to supply graduates to one of the capital's key industries. The establishment of a new adult nursing degree also greatly expands its healthcare offering. London Met reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the capital city it serves, boasting one of the most diverse student bodies of any UK university. But the outcomes of the recent Teaching Excellence Framework were a mixed bag. Gold for student experience confirmed recent successes in the NSS, but a bronze for student outcomes was less good, with the university rated silver overall. Students are split between six academic schools - computing and digital media; human sciences; social sciences and professions; business and law; the built environment; and art, architecture and design. The latter is situated on the Aldgate campus, but the Holloway Road campus is far larger. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills The profile of student financial support here reflects the very different student body compared with most universities. Many have children, for instance, so means-tested childcare grants covering up to 85% of childcare costs - capped at 189 per week for one child or 324 for two - help the many parents who study here. And a Parents' Learning Allowance is an extra grant to help pay for books, course materials and travel for those with children. An Adult Dependants' Grant provides support to eligible students with an adult who depends on them financially; the dependant's own annual income must be less than 3,796. Bursary payments - so often the biggest form of financial support elsewhere - totalled just 60,000 last year, made up of 40 care leaver bursaries worth 1,500 per year of study. The total spend on hardship awards in the 2023-24 academic year was 399,000. There is no university-owned residential accommodation, so students are at the mercy of London's extortionate private rental market or private operators of student halls. However, with 70% of London Met's students drawn from the capital itself, most students live at home. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? A 10-year 150m campus investment programme was announced in 2022. A significant slab of that sum will be spent on the digital transformation of London Met's campuses to allow teaching, learning and research to take place in the highest-quality digital environments. The new school of the built environment opened to undergraduates last September, and sees the university collaborating with businesses, practitioners and professional bodies within the construction and property sectors. London is the epicentre for these key areas of the economy, and graduates will be prepared for careers in construction project management, building surveying and real estate. Two new BScs in architectural technology and real estate admit their first students this month. The establishment of a new adult nursing degree has also significantly expanded London Met's healthcare offer, with the hope of having an intake of at least 400 nursing trainees by 2028. A new skills and simulation suite was completed in summer 2023 for the school of human sciences. It contains clinical consultation rooms, a six-bed general ward, a paediatric ward, an intensive care unit and facilities that replicate care in community settings. An immersive-learning virtual reality room can create most other medical scenarios. A new BSc in physiotherapy begins this month. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support London Met achieves levels of diversity and inclusion in its intake that are well beyond the reach of most other universities. It achieves this without a formal contextual offer system, but with standard offers that are among the most attainable in the country. Mitigating circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, are considered if they can be shown to have adversely impacted an applicant's education, and all applications are assessed on an individual basis. Given its recruitment demographics, London Met's outreach activities target adult learners as well as under-represented and disadvantaged schoolchildren aged nine to 19. Outreach through schemes such as Partners in Education, a support package for selected sixth forms and further education colleges in Greater London, helps prepare children personally and academically for university through visit days, school competitions and conferences. Students' mental health and welfare are supported with easy-to-access help through online, telephone and face-to-face provision. A Small Steps, Big Difference campaign runs permanently to encourage students to take charge of their wellbeing and mental health, and the Centre for Equity and Inclusion sits at the heart of the university's drive to create a healthy environment. Students are encouraged to stay active with an extensive programme of fitness and wellbeing classes and gym facilities, which are free to all students and staff. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Soas markets itself as 'the world's university' owing to a unique perspective on higher education - a perspective that is much in demand presently, judging by the buoyant application figures and record recruitment last year. Everything here is viewed through the prism of Africa, Asia and the Middle East - strategically, economically and politically important, and hugely populous, parts of the world. It drills down in great detail into subjects that struggle to get a look in elsewhere. Where else would it be possible to spend a year abroad studying Swahili, Turkish, Hebrew, Persian, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Indonesian or Vietnamese as part of a broader BA in languages and cultures? The titles of many of its degree programmes are similar to those offered elsewhere in the University of London and across the UK, but the content is not. Law has options in Islamic law and law and society in south Asia, as well as unique options such as oceans and outer space law, and topical ones such as asylum and immigration law. The course portfolio appeals to a diverse, cosmopolitan student population, with around three-quarters drawn from ethnic minorities and a similar number recruited from within the capital. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills A limited number of 1,500-per-year Soas bursaries are paid to students from homes with an annual income of 25,000 or less. The award has a ceiling of 4,500 over the course of a degree and recipients must be resident in England. If there are more eligible students than there are awards, priority will be given to care leavers, those living in the 20% of postcodes with the lowest rates of participation in university, students from homes with the lowest income, first-generation students and refugees. In the past academic year there were 979 students across all years in receipt of this award, at a cost to the university of 1.46m. Nearly 60,700 was paid out in hardship awards. The 1,170 residential spaces are spread across London; some are close to the university's Bloomsbury headquarters, others in more far-flung parts of the capital such as Wembley Park and Wood Green. Applicants should be aware of some of the distances involved. Prices in self-catered rooms range from 7,080 to 15,867 per year for a 40 or 41-week tenancy respectively. Catered places in halls cost between 7,865 and 15,383 for a 40-week contract. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? There is an ongoing project to make facilities more inclusive and accessible for students across the university's Bloomsbury campus, with a particular focus on improving access for disabled students. A baby feeding and changing suite has been provided, along with a Changing Places toilet for those in need of enhanced levels of assistance. The Denys Lasdun-designed Soas library is undergoing a facelift with the addition of new facilities to support collaborative study and research. The brutalist-style landmark - one of just five National Research Libraries in the UK and a global resource - contains more than 1.5m books or items in 400 languages, all of them focused on Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Soas encapsulates better than any other university in this guide the value of the post-pandemic return to majority in-person teaching of courses. 'As we continue to make sense of hybrid ways of working, it is clear that the magic of university education really comes alive when we show up in person... when we are on campus, we see that the people we bump into, the questions we can pose, and the conversations we have after lectures are an integral part of the education.' It is no surprise, therefore, that the university values and promotes its community ethos. Students are expected to attend lectures in person, with lecture capture used solely to help students review a topic, revise or catch up if they have had to miss a teaching session. One in ten entrants last September received a contextual offer, which are mostly one A-level grade below the standard offer. For students meeting multiple qualification criteria, a drop of two grades will be considered. Among the eligibility criteria considered are the proportion of children in an applicant's school getting free school meals; school GCSE performance; whether the applicant is the first in their immediate family to go to university; any experience of being in care; and low levels of progression to university or high levels of deprivation in the applicant's home postcode. All students are assigned an academic adviser in their department through whom they can access help with mental health and wellbeing, while support officers within the Student Advice & Wellbeing Centre are an alternative first point of contact. Campus safety measures include compulsory sexual consent and active bystander workshops during the welcome period. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Goldsmiths finds itself in the eye of the storm that is blowing through higher education as universities struggle to balance the books. Applications and admissions last September hit their lowest point in the past decade, starkly illustrating the problems that the university is facing. Proposed compulsory redundancies were averted in August only when 67 staff agreed to leave voluntarily following a cash squeeze prompted by falling student numbers and the long-term freeze of UK tuition fees. Unions and students alike are disturbed by the university's Transformation Programme, drawn up in response to what Professor Frances Corner, Goldsmiths' warden, describes as a 'really serious' financial position. All of which threatens to overshadow Goldsmiths' reputation as a home of creatives and free-thinkers, drawn to its trendy New Cross campus by its standing in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Mary Quant, Steve McQueen, Lucian Freud, Edward Enninful and Damien Hirst are among a host of illustrious creative alumni. The college offers a full suite of courses in the creative and performing arts, as well as degrees that embrace economics, politics, law, computing, artificial intelligence and management. Two-thirds of the domestic intake come from the capital and a third of the undergraduate population are international students. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Equity Awards are worth 3,000 a year for up to 26 black, mixed race, Asian, Arab or traveller students from homes with less than 35,000 annual income, and there are other priority criteria that will be taken into consideration. The full programme of support packages for 2024 had yet to be confirmed at the time of going to press but is likely to still include bursaries of 1,000 per year for all students who have been in care as a child or who are estranged from their parents. Up to five students from Lewisham - the London borough in which Goldsmiths is located - from homes with an income of less than 35,000 get full tuition-fee waivers of 27,750, based on their application form answers. The New Cross Fire bursaries, meanwhile, are worth 4,500 paid over three years and are open to Lewisham residents from minority ethnic backgrounds with household incomes of less than 35,000. The bursaries, paid by Lewisham council, commemorate the 14 young people who died at a party in a suspected racially motivated arson attack in the borough in 1981. Goldsmiths has nearly 1,400 residential places, more than 90% of which go to first years. The cheapest rooms this year cost 7,392 for a 42-week contract. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? This is a time of flux for Goldsmiths. When we asked the university to outline new developments that will impact the student experience in time for September 2025 admissions, it outlined its Transformation Programme. Those two words hold the key to what might be the most far-reaching changes to student life at any university. 'A key part of our plan has been to review our academic offer to make sure it is relevant to a changing world and the needs of students. We are also moving to a new academic structure,' it told us. The precise form this takes was still being determined over the summer. Programmes and modules with small numbers of students are under threat 'to create space for the development of new programmes in key growth areas', the university says on its website. Some current students will see changes to their courses, and there will be impacts for students applying to Goldsmiths for admission in September 2025, too. Prospective applicants should check the university's website carefully when the new application season opens. This year marks the 120th anniversary of Goldsmiths joining the University of London. The party has fallen a little flat. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Goldsmiths does not make contextual offers - at least not until applicants' results are known. The university feels this provides a level playing field for all applicants. 'Our policy is to make all conditional undergraduate offers based on the advertised entry requirements, and then to consider lower achieved grades individually once results are provided in the summer,' the university told us. Its holistic approach to admissions takes account of not just grades, but also portfolios where relevant; personal statements; and other educational or personal information disclosed on Ucas forms. The system works: Goldsmiths achieves a greater level of diversity on campus - 45% of students are the first in their immediate family to go to university, 57% are from ethnic minorities and 21% are mature returners to education - than most other members of the University of London federation. Goldsmiths works hard to ensure that students from under-represented groups go on to achieve well once they join the university, too. The Equity Awards (see Paying the bills, above), provide a broader programme of development opportunities, as well as financial aid, to help close the awarding gap (the proportions achieving high-class degrees) between ethnic minority and white students. All students have a personal tutor who is often the first point of contact for those in need of mental health or wellbeing support. A wellbeing team, mental health advisers and counsellors are available, with students able to access up to six sessions of various therapies, including (appropriately enough for an institution with a distinguished art pedigree) art therapy. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview This small university offering land-based (agriculture) courses certainly packs a punch, with alumni from Harper Adams filling 25% of the graduate positions within the UK food and farming industry. It aims to spread its excellence wider over the next two years, breaking out from its countryside home to teach at two new centres in Telford and Newport. The first-year completion rate is among the highest in the UK and the university is one of a small minority to achieve triple gold - covering an overall rating, student experience and student outcomes - in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework assessments. However, it has endured a tough year in the National Student Survey in which it has previously done very well, with scores for student experience putting it in the bottom 10 nationally. Scores for student support remain buoyant. The university farm contains dairy, beef and pig units, two flocks of sheep, poultry facilities and hectares of arable and grassland given over to research projects, which currently include work on breeding low-methane sheep and a hands-free farm given over to autonomous technologies and machinery. All courses come with a placement year, which keeps students focused on the ultimate prize of a career in this highly specialised and critically important area of the economy. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Around 120 undergraduates received scholarships in 2022-23, mostly provided by philanthropic or industry-based sponsors. Typical of this type of award are the business and engineering scholarships sponsored by JCB, the West Midlands-based construction and farming equipment business. Both scholarships offer employment with JCB in their work placement year and 4,500 of support in the academic year preceding it. For students in financial difficulty, the university has an access to learning fund for help with living and course-related costs such as travel, accommodation, books and childcare. Most awards do not have to be paid back. Hundreds of acres of farmland provide students with more opportunities to earn as they learn than can be found on most other campuses, and many students top up their student loan income in this way. Harper Adams is unusual in offering both self-catered and catered accommodation - perhaps a reflection of its countryside location, where takeaway shops are thin on the ground. Twin rooms with catering start at 4,915 for a 40-week contract, rising to 7,581 in an ensuite single room. Self-catered undergraduate accommodation costs 5,712 for an ensuite single room. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? Harper Adams is expanding out from its Edgmond base for the first time in 125 years with two new learning bases opening this year and next. First to go live will be a hub of digital learning due to open this month in The Quad, within Station Quarter in Telford. The partnership with Telford and Wrekin Council and Telford College will offer degrees and foundation degrees in applied data science, and robotics, automation and mechatronic engineering, with digital business management offered as a foundation degree only. An Institute of Animal Health and Welfare facility within the Ni.PARK agri-tech and science park is due to open in late 2025. This will have the latest laboratory facilities for animal pathology, alongside space for teaching, business engagement and professional development. While a 2.9m research project on breeding low-methane sheep for a lower carbon future is ongoing, a practical demonstration of the impact that climate change is already having can be seen in the planting of Harper Adams's first vineyard. The mix of vine varieties can cope with the evolving British climate, and act as a platform from which to expand the teaching of viticulture. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Harper Adams works hard to open up its courses, and by extension the agriculture industry, to those traditionally under-represented on the land. The introduction of the Access to Ag4All scheme this year will help students gain the relevant experience and practical skills needed to help them succeed in the industry. The requirement for applicants to agriculture courses to have had ten weeks of practical work experience will be removed. Those without that experience will be offered a grounding in land-based skills instead, in a bid to open up courses to more applicants from a non-farming background. Contextual offers are made to applicants who have been in care or who live in the most disadvantaged areas. Some of the changes to teaching and learning forced upon institutions by the pandemic have been preserved at Harper Adams, having been seen to be beneficial to students. This includes the move from closed-book to open-book examinations as the default assessment method, as it was found to close some of the attainment gaps for students with learning differences. Harper Adams is one of a very small number of universities that require students to attend mandatory sessions on wellbeing and mental health to support the transition to university. These share information on services available, including counselling and occupational therapy. The university subscribes to a 24/7 student assistance programme that makes counselling available to students at any time of the day. All students are expected to attend induction sessions on sexual consent and healthy relationships, drugs and alcohol (including county lines), respect and being an active bystander. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview The scrapping of state school admissions targets at Cambridge, announced earlier this year, is not a sign that the university no longer cares about fairness in its entry processes. Instead, it is evidence of the success of its policies over the past decade, which have gone a long way to eradicating the dominance of private schools, with 72.9% state school admissions in 2022. Based on the words of new vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, regional disparities in admissions may be addressed next. Last September, 52.5% of undergraduates came from London and the South East, while 1.8% came from the North East and 5% from Yorkshire. Application numbers are stable, with around six applications for each place. The minimum A-level offers range from A*A*A to A*AA, in contrast to Oxford, which puts more store by its admissions tests and makes many offers at 'just' AAA. There are 29 undergraduate colleges to choose from, and it pays to visit before applying to see where you might best fit in. Not all are chocolate-box pretty, and not all are bang in the middle of the city centre. Applications close on October 15. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills Cambridge goes to great lengths to ensure students are not put off from applying on financial grounds. There were more than 3,700 awards paid to undergraduates in 2022-23, demonstrating that Cambridge is no longer the bastion of privilege it once was. The maximum bursary of 3,500 a year is given to students from homes with an income of up to 25,000. This tapers to 2,130 when the income hits 40,000, and 1,210 at 50,000. The lowest payment of 100 is made at 62,215. Enhanced bursaries which add up to an extra 2,100 per year for those with the lowest household incomes are paid to estranged students, care leavers and medical and veterinary students in their clinical training years. As well as the awards paid centrally, which cost the university more than 11m, there are prizes paid for by donors, colleges and departments. Accommodation prices vary between colleges, so it pays to do your research. Students often live in college for the duration of their degree, and prices without food can start at close to 4,500 for 30 weeks. The university estimates that students should budget 10,950 for living costs for the upcoming academic year. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? When you have been in existence for more than 800 years, there is not a lot that is new. Cambridge has finely honed what works and is not about to change its modus operandi now. There are no new degrees being introduced next year, and there probably won't be the year after that, either. You won't find degrees here in international tourism management, but you can study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic... That's not to say that the courses put you in an academic straitjacket. Natural sciences, for instance, can be configured in so many combinations that it would be almost impossible not to find one to suit most scientists' tastes. What's new at Cambridge is the almost daily developments in research that push back the frontiers of knowledge. As a prospective student it is worth taking a look at the university's news section on its website to gain an impression of the breadth and depth of its academic brilliance. If you're inspired rather than intimidated, it is probably worth applying. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Under its student mental health and wellbeing plan implemented two years ago, the university invested heavily in counselling services and reducing waiting times. It still takes three working days on average to get an appointment, but there is additional support available via student nurses and wellbeing advisers in all colleges. An academic system built around supervisions and tutorials also gives students more direct contact with tutors than is on offer at most other universities. Students meet weekly with their tutors in small groups to discuss set work, and this gives them an opportunity to discuss progress or express concerns. All student-facing staff, including the college linchpins - the porters - are given basic training to help identify students who are struggling. Although the profile of the intake at Cambridge is changing, the admissions procedures remain broadly the same. All candidates are interviewed and there are often subject-specific admissions tests. Offers typically involve at least one A* at A-level, and often two. The university considers contextual data covering the socio-economic characteristics of an applicant's postcode, their school's attainment record and their eligibility for free school meals. For those who aren't expecting a string of top grades, there is the innovative foundation year in arts, humanities and social sciences, which is open to applicants predicted to get 120 Ucas tariff points, equivalent to BBB at A-level. Launched in 2021, this offers free tuition and a scholarship to cover living costs for a year for up to 50 students who meet one of a very long list of eligibility criteria. These include having schooling which has been severely disrupted; coming from a home with an income of up to 25,000; and attending a school with below average attainment. Students who satisfactorily complete their foundation year can then progress to one of 18 degree courses at Cambridge. The university has worked with social mobility organisations in a bid to diversify its intake, but there is still a long way to go - it has the second-lowest proportion of first-generation students of any university. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview Students like Bishop Grosseteste. They consistently put the institution close to the top of the annual National Student Survey as they have done this year. The university also finished top of the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice awards for both student support and accommodation. It is one of the smallest universities in the country, with just 540 students admitted via Ucas last year, which possibly explains the high levels of satisfaction. Students are not simply a number here. However, applications for admission in September 2023 tumbled by 22% compared with the 2022 admissions cycle to their lowest level in the past decade. The proposed name change to Lincoln Bishop University, which has been submitted to the Office for Students for approval, could help stem the decline in applications simply by putting the university's location in its title. Bishop Grosseteste, or Bishop G, as it is affectionately known, started life in 1862 as a small Anglican teacher training college for women. There are now 43 degree choices (many with foundation year options) in addition to 10 teacher training programmes. Bishop G has enjoyed full university status since 2012. The campus mixes Victorian and modern architecture, with teaching, library and social facilities cheek by jowl. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills More than one third of students get some form of financial support from the university, a reflection of the social and economic diversity of Bishop G's intake. Well over half the intake are the first in their immediate family to go to university. Bursaries are paid to students from homes where household income is 30,000 or less - a higher ceiling than the typical 25,000 threshold. Within this group, the most commonly awarded bursary of 800 for each year of degree study (or 600 for a foundation year) goes to mature students aged over 21 when they begin their course. Students whose home is in a postcode among the 20% sending fewest people into higher education also get an 800 annual bursary, while carers, estranged students and students with children get a 1,000 annual bursary. Care leavers get 3,600 a year in financial support. This resulted in the payment of 279 bursaries in 2023-24. Student rooms are competitively priced and about to become much more plentiful (see What's New? below). Prices in the older accommodation blocks are by far the cheapest, with Constance Stewart Hall, which has shared bathroom facilities, costing 5,658 for a 46-week tenancy. Wickham Hall has 126 ensuite rooms at 6,762 for 46 weeks, while prices in the new student village begin at 8,453 for 46 weeks. Longer 50-week contracts are available for all rooms. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? From this month, Bishop G is more than doubling its stock of residential accommodation, which rises from around 200 rooms to more than 500. The new 293-room student village is situated just opposite the campus on Riseholme Road. The development is a mixture of eight-bedroom houses and apartments with a communal kitchen shared between six or nine. There is a small cinema room on site, and rooms range in size from 14 square metres up to 24 square metre studios. The latter cost 204.75 per week on a 46 or 50-week contract (9,418.50 to 10,237.50 per year respectively), while the cheapest rooms cost 183.75 per week (8,452.50 to 9,187.50). The addition of so many rooms should mean that the university can accommodate more than just first-years in university-owned rooms. Students enrolling next September might join a university with a different name to the one they applied to. In April 2024, the university applied to the Office for Students to change its name to Lincoln Bishop University, thereby consigning the most striking name in British higher education to history if the change is approved. Bishop Robert Grosseteste was Bishop of Lincoln in the 13th century and his name has been attached to the university and its immediate predecessor institutions since 1962. Next September will also see the addition of a BA in criminology with foundation year added to Bishop G's tight portfolio of degree programmes. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support Bishop G is expanding its contextual offers admission scheme for the 2025 application cycle, which is likely to diversify its student intake still further. An expanded list of eligibility criteria will include living in a postcode among the 40% sending fewest into higher education, being a care leaver, having attended Bishop G's Next Steps programme for Year 12 schoolchildren from disadvantaged backgrounds, or having a physical, mental or social disability (with Asperger's and autism included in the latter). Carers, refugees, travellers, students from military families and those estranged from their families will also qualify for an offer reduced by 16 Ucas tariff points, equivalent to two A-level grades, for students meeting one of the eligibility criteria, or a 32-point reduction (four A-level grades) for those who meet two or more. The university has recently piloted an Enhanced Service for Students - such as those admitted via contextual offers - who are prioritised under its Access and Participation Plan. Faculty engagement officers work closely with academic staff to monitor student attendance and engagement to identify students in danger of dropping out at an early stage and offer them extra support. The university has recruited two part-time twilight mental health advisers to provide support to students out of hours and all staff are given basic training in mental health awareness. 'As a small university, staff across all departments (both academic and professional support) take proactive steps to ensure students are aware of services or make referrals to support services on their behalf,' the university told us. There are mental health awareness-raising events, a wellbeing toolkit and pop-up events to support students and signpost the help available. Advertisement Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Overview A merger between Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the former Writtle University College, on the outskirts of Chelmsford, Essex, was completed earlier this year. ARU Writtle, as it is now known, is renowned for its agriculture, horticulture, animal and environmental courses but had been operating in deficit. Following the opening of ARU Peterborough in 2022, ARU now has a truly regional footprint. Headquarters are on the main campus in Chelmsford and there is a further campus in Cambridge, which traces its origins back to the Cambridge School of Art, opened by patron John Ruskin in 1858. It recruits more than 60% of its students from within East Anglia (a region with few universities), who sign up to courses with key work skills embedded into the curriculum. It is the largest provider of nursing, midwifery and health and social care courses in England. The university will hope that the 21% tumble in applications for September 2023 - and a corresponding 11% drop in admissions - was just a blip given the recent expansion. Your browser does not support iframes. Paying the bills The ARU bursary is smaller than most, worth just 300 a year for students from homes with a household income of up to 25,000, and 200 for those at 25,001 to 42,875. Targeted help is more generous, such as a one-off payment of 400 to help students from homes with a household income of up to 25,000 purchase a laptop. Just over 140,000 worth of hardship payments were made in the 2023-24 academic year, too. Merit scholarships, which do not need to be applied for, offer 1,000 off tuition fees in the first year for those achieving BBB or above at A-level or equivalent. Overall, around one in six students received university financial support last year. Accommodation price increases have been pegged at 3.5% for the new academic year, putting the cost of the cheapest twin non-ensuite rooms at the Cambridge campus up to 4,805 for 40 weeks. ARU Writtle brings catered accommodation to ARU for the first time, with prices ranging from 4,955 to 6,914 per year for 30 weeks of catered and seven weeks of non-catered accommodation. Your browser does not support iframes. What's new? The merger that formed ARU Writtle, which is home to some 700 students, has significantly broadened ARU's course portfolio, and a new BSc in conservation and community engagement will be added from this month. A separate Writtle College has been created to preserve Writtle's capacity in the further education sector for 16 to 18-year-olds. ARU is investing 10m in upgrading the Writtle campus and extending its education and research opportunities over the next five years. Other new degrees taking their first students this month include a BEd in primary education with qualified teacher status, which is being offered in Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough. Chelmsford also sees new degrees in biomedical engineering, supply chain management and computer games design, while Peterborough launches a degree in biomedical sciences, and Cambridge adds a BSc in biology to its roster. Three new degree apprenticeships - midwife, enhanced clinical practitioner for paediatric audiologists, and learning and skills teacher - join the existing 30 apprenticeships. In 2023-24, there were 3,000 students on apprenticeship programmes. Your browser does not support iframes. Admissions, teaching and student support 'We have more than 31,000 students, mostly from under-represented groups,' the university told us. More than half of the students are the first in their immediate family to go to university. The university makes both contextual unconditional offers and conditional ones, which are two grades lower than the standard offer, to students who meet one of the criteria. These include living in a postcode among the 40% with the lowest levels of participation in higher education, receiving free school meals, having a parent in the Armed Forces or going to a school with a Progress 8 score of average or below. ARU's widening access to medicine policy reduces the required grades from AAA to ABB. Around one in five students gain a place with a contextual offer. ARU came top in the UK for health and wellbeing in a ranking published by Times Higher Education in 2022. The university trains students to work as peer wellbeing mentors, who run campaigns and activities. ARU's counselling and wellbeing service has also produced a series of mental health podcasts with students. More than 95% of teaching is delivered face-to-face, with some supporting sessions taught online. The university also offers approximately 40 distance learning courses, which are mostly delivered entirely online. A dedicated distance learning support team works with these students to help them engage with other online learners as well as their academic team. Summer in the UK might have been cold and rainy. But globally, this summer was the hottest on record, according to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (CS3). The average global temperature across June, July, and August was 0.69C above average - surpassing the previous record set last year. 'During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record,' said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S. 'This string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record.' Summer in the UK might have been cold and rainy. But globally, this summer was the hottest on record, according to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (CS3) The average global temperature across June, July, and August was 0.69C above average - surpassing the previous record set last year. Pictured: Valencia on 11 August CS3 regularly publishes data on the global climate, based on billions of measurements taken from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the word. Its latest data shows that August 2024 was the joint-warmest August globally, together with August 2023. The average global temperature was 16.82C, which is 0.71C above the 1991-2020 average for August. Looking at summer as a whole (June - August), the average temperature was the highest on record at 0.69C above the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the previous record from JuneAugust 2023 (0.66C). Overall, this means 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record. 'The year-to-date (JanuaryAugust 2024) global-average temperature anomaly is 0.70C above the 1991-2020 average, which is the highest on record for this period and 0.23C warmer than the same period in 2023,' CS3 explained. Looking at summer as a whole (June - August), the average temperature was the highest on record at 0.69C above the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the previous record from JuneAugust 2023 (0.66C) Several countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia have faced record heat this year. Pictured: Oroville, California on July 2 'The average anomaly for the remaining months of this year would need to drop by at least 0.30C for 2024 not to be warmer than 2023. 'This has never happened in the entire ERA5 dataset, making it increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record.' Several countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia have faced record heat this year. Writing for The Conversation, Proefssor Mathew Barlow and Professor Jeffrey Basara, climate scientists from UMass Lowell, highlighted just a few of the devastating cases we've seen this year. 'In Mexico and Central America, weeks of persistent heat starting in spring 2024 combined with prolonged drought led to severe water shortages and dozens of deaths,' they wrote. Overall, this means 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, according to the researchers from Copernicus Climate Change Service 'Extreme heat turned into tragedy in Saudi Arabia, as over 1,000 people on the Hajj, a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, collapsed and died. Temperatures reached 125 F (51.8 C) at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on June 17. 'Hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, were overwhelmed amid weeks of high heat, frequent power outages, and water shortages in some areas. 'Neighboring India faced temperatures around 120 F (48.9 C) for several days in April and May that affected millions of people, many of them without air conditioning. 'Japan issued heatstroke alerts in Tokyo and more than half of its prefectures as temperatures rose to record highs in early July. 'Large parts of Europe were suffering through a long-running heat wave as the 2024 Summer Olympics prepared to open in Paris in late July.' According to Ms Burgess, climate change is partly to blame for this record heat - and things are only set to get worse. 'The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,' she warned. The Bible details how Jesus brought a man back from the dead using the sound of his voice, but ancient artwork may show that Christ used a little bit of magic. A fourth-century painting of the story discovered in Rome shows Jesus holding what some archaeologists claimed is a magician's wand. Other paintings dating around the same time also depicts Christ holding a wand-like object while performing famous miracles like multiplying loaves of bread and healing the sick. Ancient paintings of Jesus holding what appears to be a wand has led some researchers to believe early Christians thought of him as a magician. This image was painted in the fourth century, although the exact date is unknown, and was found at the Via Anapo catacomb in Rome However, some researchers have suggested that these masterpieces actually depict Jesus holding a staff, which was likely portrayed as a way to connect him to the prophet Moses who was more well known at the time. Regardless, historians believe early Christians saw their Lord and Savior as a magician. According to the Bible, Jesus performed miracles through the power of God and his ability to heal people and bring them back from the dead while also producing food and drink elevated him above Roman gods in the eyes of Christians. The fantastical feats may have caused some people to turn to the superstitious belief that Jesus was a magician to explain his actions. 'I mean, here's this group that gets together in the morning and drinks wine and says it's blood and eats bread and says it's flesh,' Lee Jefferson, the chair of the religion program at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky told Live Science in 2020. 'You can probably understand why people thought it was superstitious.' The belief that Jesus was a magician may have translated into paintings dating back to the early third century that depict Christ holding a wand, experts explained. One of the earliest records of wands being used was in the 9th Century BC when people who practiced the ancient religion Zoroastrianism used wand-like objects made from small rods or sticks during sacred rituals. One of the most referenced artworks was a fourth-century AD painting found in the Via Anapo catacomb in Rome, showing Jesus multiplying seven loaves of bread. In one painting, Jesus holds a wand over the cadaver of Lazarus before he performs the miracle of raising him from the dead. This image was painted in the fourth century, although the exact date is unknown, and was found at the Catacomb of Via Latina in Rome A carving is displayed on the door of the Santa Sabina Church in Rome showing Jesus using a wand to raise Lazarus from the dead and turning water into wine. The carving was created on a wooden door in 432 AD which is displayed in the Santa Sabina Church in Rome In the painting which was discovered in 1578, he appears to be waving a wand over the bread, pointing it down toward the objects. Another fourth-century painting was found in the Via Latina catacomb showing Jesus holding a thin wand in front of a shrine that contained the cadaver of Lazarus. This is one of the most popular scenes depicted in early Christian funerary art, according to Biblical Archaeology. In John 11:4, the story says that Lazarus became sick and died, but when his sister Mary called on Jesus to come heal his friend, he told his disciples: 'This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.' Jesus chose not to heal Lazarus but to let him die so he could later raise him from the grave and the miracle would force his disciples to believe he was the son of God. A similar carving was also displayed on a wooden door on the Santa Sabina Church in Rome that depicts 18 scenes from the Old and New Testament. The door was created in 432 AD, showing Jesus using a long object to perform miracles, including raising Lazarus from the dead and turning water into wine. Despite the images, evidence suggests that most of Jesus' followers didn't perceive his actions as magic, but rather as miracles performed through God. 'You would not want your demigod to be called a magician because it makes them seem less powerful,' Jefferson told Live Science. Christian figures, like the third-century scholar Origen, who was the head of a Christian university in Alexandria, defended Jesus against the philosopher Celsus' who was a vocal critic of Christianity and spread accusations that he was a magician. Origen 'spilled a lot of ink talking about how Jesus' wondrous deeds weren't magic because they were aimed at things like moral reformation and salvation instead of the sorts of parlor trickery displayed by marketplace sorcerers,' Dr Shaily Patel, a professor of early Christianity at Virginia Tech told the Daily Beast. It is likely, however, that the artwork doesn't portray a wand at all but is a staff recognizant of other notable figures, according to experts. Moses was one such person portrayed for using a staff to part the Red Sea and later used it to provide drinking water to Israelites during their escape from Egypt. At the time, people would have been familiar with Moses but wouldn't necessarily have known who Jesus was, experts have explained. To combat this, paintings may have been created of him performing miracles with a type of staff to connect him to the prophet. 'He's kind of like a new Moses,' Jefferson told Live Science. A staff was recognized as a symbol of power, similar to how a scroll would have been associated with someone wise or well-read. 'They see that person holding the object and they can understand,' Felicity Harley-McGowan, an art historian at Yale Divinity School told the outlet. 'The staff is a sign of [Jesus'] authority.' The origin of Stonehenge's iconic standing stones has baffled archaeologists for hundreds of years. Last month, the plot thickened as scientists made a bombshell discovery that the stone circle's altar stone could be traced back to Scotland, rather than Wales. Now, the mystery has deepened once again as a new study finds that this bluestone slab did not originate from Orkney as most experts had assumed. 'The mystery of where the stone came from is becoming clearer and clearer as we begin to rule out specific areas in north-east Scotland,' said Professor Richard Bevins from Aberystwyth University, the lead author of the new study. 'This research is radically changing our thinking about the origins of the Altar Stone. It's thrilling to know that our chemical analysis and dating work is slowly unlocking this great mystery.' The origin of Stonehenge's iconic standing stones has baffled archaeologists for hundreds of years Last month, the plot thickened as scientists made a bombshell discovery that the stone circle's altar stone (pictured beneath two large sarsen stones) could be traced back to Scotland, rather than Wales Scientists have long known that Stonehenge's smaller 'bluestones' were transported to the Salisbury Plane from the Preseli Hills in Wales, around 240km (150 miles) away. However, one of the circle's bluestones - the Altar Stone - has always stood out as unique. Professor Bevins explained: 'The Altar Stone is anomalous in many ways to both the bluestones and the sarsens at Stonehenge. 'Whilst, at six tonnes, it is nowhere near the size of the sarsens, it is substantially larger than the bluestones, with which it has previously been classed.' Previous researchers had assumed this strange stone had come from the same area as the other bluestones, but recent analysis of the age and chemistry of the altar stone revealed that it could not have come from Wales. Rather, experts found a remarkable similarity with the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. The team said they could conclude with 95 per cent accuracy that the stone came from this area which encompasses parts of Inverness, Thurso, Orkney and parts of Shetland. A previous bombshell study had concluded with 95 per cent certainty that the enormous blue stone slab had been carried from the Orcadian Basin to the Salisbury plane During analysis in the lab (pictured), a previous study found a remarkable similarity with the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. Researchers had therefore thought that Orkney itself would be the most probable origin However, a new study involving some of the original researchers has now found that the stone did not originate from the most likely location - Orkney. After the discovery of the Scottish connection, most researchers assumed that the stone would likely originate from this archipelago. This is because of well-documented communication between the cultures of the Salisbury Plane and the Orkney Islands in 3,000 BC - the date of Stonehenge's earliest construction. Professor Bevins told MailOnline: 'Orkney was a major cultural centre in Neolithic times, as indicated by its profusion of monuments and buildings dating from that time. The researchers analysed samples taken from Orkney's largest stone circle Ring of Brodgar (pictured) and others to see if it would be a match for the Stonehenge altar stone Mineral analysis of the Orkney stones (pictured) reveals that the type of Old Red Sandstone in this area does not match that found in the altar stone 'There was clearly long-distance communication between these Neolithic communities. In addition, the geology of Orkney was right for a possible match to the Altar Stone. So Orkney seemed a logical place to investigate.' The researchers analysed the chemical and mineralogical composition of the stones in Orkney's two biggest stone circles: the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. They also used portable X-ray devices to analyse field samples of rock deposits across a number of Orkney's islands. Contrary to what they had assumed, their analysis revealed that the Stonehenge altar stone and those on Orkney had strikingly different makeups. Researchers had previously suggested Orkney (pictured) as this area has several advanced neolithic structures such as the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, and the Stones of Steness (shown on map) The stone (circled in red) is still likely to have come from the area that encompasses parts of Inverness, Thurso, Orkney and parts of Shetland Researchers are now left searching for the origins of the altar stone once left. But by ruling out Orkney so quickly, they can now focus their efforts elsewhere. Professor Bevins said: 'As an academic, I have been fascinated by Stonehenge for decades. I and my other colleagues in the team will continue to work to pin down where exactly in the north-east of Scotland the Altar Stone came from.' And, although disproving the Orkney theory may be a setback, Professor Bevins told MailOnline he remains positive the stone will be found. 'I am optimistic that the source of the Altar Stone will be found. However, the Orcadian Basin covers a large area in north-east Scotland so it might take some time to locate the source,' he added. 'But we have some clues in terms of the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Altar Stone so we are not going in blind.' From Patrick Bateman in American Psycho to The Joker in The Dark Knight, psychopaths have been a staple feature of blockbuster hits through the years. While most of these on-screen psychopaths are male, studies have shown that female psychopaths are more common than we think. Now, a study has revealed one key sign that a woman you know might be a psychopath. Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo say that women who use minimal makeup are more likely to have this dark personality trait. 'These findings underscore the nuanced relationship between makeup usage and personality,' the researchers wrote in their study. While most of these on-screen psychopaths are male, studies have shown that female psychopaths are more common than we think. Pictured: Jodie Comer as Villanelle in Killing Eve Earlier this year, a study revealed that female psychopaths are more common than we think, because studies have 'long failed to identify them.' Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Clive Boddy, an experts at Anglia Ruskin University, explained that the signs of psychopathy in women are different to men. 'Psychopaths are driven by a need to have power over and control other people via whatever resources they have available to them,' he told MailOnline. 'For male psychopaths this may veer towards physical domination through violence, bullying and threats. 'For female psychopaths this may veer towards manipulation through seduction, relational aggression, and spreading rumours and lies about people aimed at gaining personal advantage and preferment over those people.' Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo say that women who use minimal makeup are more likely to have this dark personality trait (stock image) The 7 key signs of psychopathy in women Expressing violence verbally Emotional aggression Spreading lies/rumours Deceit Flirtation Seduction Manipulation Advertisement In their new study, the researchers set out to understand whether the use of makeup is linked to psychopathy. The team enlisted 1,410 women who completed surveys to measure their levels of the 'Big Five' personality traits Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism as well as the 'Dark Triad' traits Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy. The women also reported their makeup habits, and their makeup usage across different social scenarios, including at home, during exercise, on a first date, and in a meeting. Somewhat unsurprisingly, women who regularly wore lots of makeup scored more highly for narcissism. These women also changed their makeup use significantly across different social settings wearing more in situations where were trying to make a good impression, such as first dates or meetings. Women who wore lots of makeup also scored more highly for extraversion, although extraverts did not change their makeup use across different settings as much as narcissists. Meanwhile, women who scored highly for psychopathy were less likely to wear makeup across different settings. 'These findings contribute to the interplay between personality traits and makeup usage, considering interindividual differences and intraindividual variation in understanding cosmetic behaviors among women,' the researchers added in their study, published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour. Current scientific evidence suggests that male psychopaths outnumber females by around six to one. But Dr Boddy thinks the real ratio of male to female psychopathy is about 1.2 to one up to five times higher than previously suggested. 'Because of a lack of studies of female psychopaths not enough is known about them,' he said. Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft will finally begin its journey home today after three months spent docked to the International Space Station (ISS). But experts have raised concerns over a small chance that Starliner could malfunction again, and potentially send it careening into the ISS. 'There is an extremely small probability that if all of the thrusters fail, the Starliner could impact the ISS,' former US military Space System Commander Rudy Ridolfi told DailyMail.com. 'This will be like NASCAR for NASA, some watch just for the crash,' Ridolfi added. Starliner's technical issues - including thruster failures - have lefts its crew stranded on the ISS for the last three months. Starliner will attempt to autonomously undock from the ISS today. Experts say there's a small chance that thruster issues could cause it to crash into the space station. NASA officials decided it was too risky to bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore home on the faulty spacecraft. They will remain on the ISS until next year, which is why Starliner will return to Earth unmanned today. Shortly after 6pm ET today, Starliner will autonomously undock from the ISS and then begin a six-hour flight back to Earth. The spacecraft launched June 5, carrying Williams and Wilmore to the ISS. By the time the spacecraft reached the ISS, five of its 28 reaction control system thrusters had failed. As a result, Starliner's first attempt to dock to the space station was waived off. But ultimately, the spacecraft successfully docked and Williams and Wilmore safely boarded the ISS. As for whether these propulsion issues have been resolved, 'I would say no,' Harvard University astronomer and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told DailyMail.com. Although NASA and Boeing have identified overheating as a likely source of the issues, 'they still don't really fully understand why the thrusters are behaving the way they are, and so that means that they can't say for sure that they're not going to act up again,' he said. 'Having said that, I fully expect tonight to go fine,' he continued. But in a highly unlikely worst-case-scenario, thruster issues during the undocking could cause Starliner to collide with the ISS. If one of the thrusters fails to stop firing when directed, for example, 'it could push the Starliner into a collision with some other part of the space station,' he said. 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. Crashes like this have happened before. In 1997, a Russian space station was damaged when a cargo spacecraft missed its docking port and smashed into one of the station's modules. The collision punched a hole in the space station 'and the astronauts had to rush to close the hatches to that module before all the air ran out of the whole space station,' McDowell said. 'That was a very, very scary thing. So that's the thing you want to avoid,' he added. Additionally, if more than a certain number of the thrusters fail, there's a chance that Starliner might be stuck drifting toward the ISS and ultimately crash, McDowell previously told Business Insider. 'That could happen, but it would have to be very specific ones that fail,' Ridolfi wrote in a statement sent to DailyMail.com. 'There are five 'sets' of thrusters and if they can still rotate the spacecraft, sets of thrusters can take over for ones that are out,' he continued. If thruster failures do send Starliner on a collision-course with the ISS, a crash won't happen right away, Ridolfi said. That's because although the two objects will be close to each other, they will be in slightly different orbits, he explained. 'US Space Forces (USSF) will conduct what is called 'conjunction analysis' to show when the two objects could collide,' he said, adding that it could become an issue about every 90 minutes as each object completes an orbit. But the ISS also has its own thrusters that it can use to avoid a collision, which it does several times a year, Ridolfi said. Although, 'it's a pain to move the ISS mainly because its a pig and moves very slowly,' he added. The ISS is equipped with its own thrusters that it can use to maneuver away from a collision, and does so several times a year. Plus, mission control will be 'watching like a hawk, so the minute that any one of the thrusters starts to misbehave, they're going to shut it down and take over with a backup thruster,' McDowell said. But even if Starliner manages to successfully undock from the ISS, it won't be out of the woods quite yet. After the undocking, the spacecraft will have to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. 'At that point, you've really got to have the thrusters working right, because they're steering the ship as it's firing its main engines, and it's important that the main engines fire in the right direction,' McDowell said. 'The worst case scenario there is that you lose the thruster system completely, for example, and you can't steer the spacecraft while it's making the de-orbit burn,' he added. In that case, the Starliner capsule would re-enter at the wrong angle and speed, either causing it to burn up or remain temporarily stranded in orbit before re-entering uncontrolledly some time later, he explained. The issue with an uncontrolled de-orbit burn is that Starliner has heat shielding to help it survive re-entry. Therefore, 'you could imagine chunks of this thing surviving to the surface,' McDowell said. Starliner's thruster issues likely played a role in NASA's decision not to bring astronauts Sunita Williams (front left) and Barry Wilmore (front right) home on the spacecraft. 'And if you were very unlucky, that could happen over somewhere populated. And you could have a repeat of the incident we had earlier this year when some poor guy had pieces of spacecraft go through the roof of his house,' he continued. But this scenario is highly unlikely. McDowell thinks it's more probable that thruster issues could cause Starliner to burn up over the Pacific Ocean instead of landing in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico as intended. In the event that Starliner's thrusters misfire during re-entry, there's little that mission control can do to resolve the issue, McDowell said. If problems arise right from the start, mission control could shut everything down, keep Starliner in orbit for another day and try again tomorrow, he explained. 'But once you're well into the burn, if things go start going wrong there, you're already on a trajectory where you're going to hit the atmosphere in some form anyway. So you've just got to hope that everything stays right,' he said. The risks associated with possible thruster mishaps both during Starliner's undocking and its re-entry likely played into NASA's decision not to bring Williams and Wilmore home on the spacecraft. The space agency announced their decision at an August 24 press conference. Instead, Williams and Wilmore will remain on the ISS until at least February 2025, when SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft will shepherd them back to Earth. At another press conference on Wednesday, NASA officials stated that they have been working to mitigate any risk to the ISS during Starliner's undocking, and that tests of the spacecraft's thrusters showed that they were working well. Fans of The Great British Bake Off do not have long to wait for the new series which will welcome the next batch of aspiring bakers. A fun new trailer for the hotly-anticipated next instalment launched on Channel 4 on Friday ahead of the show thought to be returning on Tuesday September 24. In the first look clip as the trailer viewers are invited into an animated world which reflects the warmth and inspiration that The Great British Bake Off brings to its army of fans. Representing the sweet relief Bake Off season brings, hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond - in animated form as a cowboy boot wearing butterfly and leopard print clad Queen Bee, respectively - fly audiences from a stormy, angry sky into a bright and colourful joyful world of baked goods. Animated Alison and Noel fly towards the iconic Bake Off tent, passing jammy dodger flowers, chocolate log trees, iconic showstopping bakes from past series, all set against an idyllic backdrop of beautiful matte-paintings. Fans of The Great British Bake Off do not have long to wait for the new series which will welcome the next batch of aspiring bakers. A fun new trailer for the hotly-anticipated next instalment launched on Channel 4 on Friday ahead of the show thought to be returning on Tuesday September 24 The trail features a very special guest appearance from a much-loved caterpillar, and pays homage to judges Paul and Prue, whose names are carved into an animated tree. The trail was developed by Channel 4's in-house award-winning creative agency 4creative along with Nexus. Lex Down, Deputy Executive Creative Director, 4creative at Channel 4 said: 'The Great British Bake Off is comfort telly at its best. We wanted our campaign to reflect this and deliver its own slice of cakey warmth and joy. 'We created pin badges adorned with bright baking illustrations and messages of positivity, and in a Great British Bake Off first created a fully animated world rich with detail that reveals different delights with each watch. 'Set to the smooth voice of Sammy Davis Jnr singing Sweet Gingerbread Man and with Noel and Alison as our metamorphosed guides, we hope to transport young and old, baking fans or not, to a place where the worst that might happen is a collapsing cake. Flour Power indeed.' Judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will return to the show to cast a watchful eye over all baking goings on. It comes after Prue admitted that she almost didn't apply to replace Mary Berry on the Great British Bake Off as she feared she wouldn't tick the 'diversity boxes'. The restaurateur, 84, has been a judge on the cooking competition since she replaced Mary Berry 2016. In the first look clip as the trailer viewers are invited into an animated world which reflects the warmth and inspiration that The Great British Bake Off brings to its army of fans Representing the sweet relief Bake Off season brings, hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond - in animated form as a cowboy boot wearing butterfly and leopard print clad Queen Bee, respectively - fly audiences from a stormy, angry sky into a bright and colourful joyful world of baked goods Animated Alison and Noel fly towards the iconic Bake Off tent, passing jammy dodger flowers, chocolate log trees, iconic showstopping bakes from past series, all set against an idyllic backdrop of beautiful matte-paintings The trail features a very special guest appearance from a much-loved caterpillar, and pays homage to judges Paul and Prue, whose names are carved into an animated tree The trail was developed by Channel 4's in-house award-winning creative agency 4creative along with Nexus Judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood (front) will return to the show to cast a watchful eye over all baking goings on However, this very nearly wasn't the case as Prue reveals she initially completely dismissed the idea. It was revealed that the women had known each other since the 1970s when a photo of them with broadcaster Jack de Manio (1914-1988) was unearthed. Prue told the Sliding Doors podcast with Jennie Becker: 'I just jumped at it. I had begun to think about it, once I knew Mary Berry was not going to go on. I thought: 'Oh, I'd love that job', but I dismissed the thought. 'I thought: 'They'll get someone younger, someone more... probably a young Asian chef or something, that would tick all the diversity boxes and stuff'. But no, they chose me.' 'If you think about my past career, I'd had 11 years sitting at the Great British Menu as a judge and every plate has about ten tastes on it - it makes Bake Off look really simple. 'With cake, with one spoonful, you can get the icing, the filling and the crumb. I knew all the top chefs, I had a Michelin restaurant of my own so I knew that level of cooking very well.' It comes after Prue admitted that she almost didn't apply to replace Mary Berry on the Great British Bake Off as she feared she wouldn't tick the 'diversity boxes' The connection to baking specialist Mary extends to Prue's own husband, fashion designer John Playfair, 77, who frequently uses it to his advantage while commenting on his wife's cooking. 'I won't bake cakes since we are both too fat, so he taunts me with, 'I wish I'd married Mary Berry,'' she said. At the time of Prue's arrival, fans, already disgruntled by the move from BBC to Channel 4 and the loss of Mary, Sue Perkins, and Mel Giedroyc, did not warm to her. Prue told The Times in February: 'Oh, I hate my voice. It's too posh. When I replaced Mary Berry on Bake Off someone on Twitter said: 'Oh no, not that posh b**ch', and I sort of agreed with her. But yes, Americans seem to like it.' An Antiques Roadshow guest quaked as she learned that her 5 'fancy dress' earrings were in fact worth thousands of pounds. The stunned woman had flown in from Perth, Australia for the opinions of the BBC show's experts and she was not disappointed. In the repeat episode she brought along a pair of stylish gold and diamond earrings which featured a sweet pink bow design. The Perth native told Antiques Roadshow expert Susan Rumfitt that she had bought the jewellery only three years ago because she needed something to wear for a party. She explained: 'The theme was "op shop [charity shop] glamour" so we had to find something in the op shop that was glamorous that we could wear and that's my op shop glamour,' she said. An Antiques Roadshow guest quaked as she learnt her 5 'fancy dress' earrings were in fact worth thousands of pounds The stunned woman had flown in from Perth, Australia and brought along with her a pair of stylish gold and diamond earrings which featured a sweet pink bow Antiques Roadshow expert Susan Rumfitt revealed her earrings, bought for 5 in a charity shop for a party were actually worth up to 6,000 Susan told the guest: 'I bet you looked fantastic when you were at the party.' The Antiques Roadshow valuer then used a thermal tester to determine if the diamonds were real or costume jewellery. Susan placed the gadget on each earring and as it made a series of beeps the guest looked nervous as she waited for Susan's valuation. The expert said: 'So, do we think thats good or bad that beeping?' The guest laughed and said she didn't know, before saying: 'Theyre just a bit of bling really. $10 bit of bling.' Susan did some quick maths and calculated that that would convert to roughly 5. Then the BBC valuer revealed that the woman had herself a pair of diamond earrings. She said: 'Well as I say, weve had a really good look at them and obviously the machine is making some strange noises. A guest who appeared on Antiques Roadshow struggled to contain her profanities as the shocking value of her jewellery collection was revealed On Sunday's edition of the hit BBC programme, jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy, 62, headed to Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, and while there she introduced viewers to a guest with an intriguing jewellery collection According to Joanna, the jewels likely hailed from the 60's and 70's and are worth today around 15,000 'Well, the noise that the tester made, says that they are diamonds. And inside the centre bit here, youve also got some lovely floating diamonds or happy diamonds, as they tend to be called in this range of jewellery.' Susan then revealed that the real diamond earrings were from the 1980s or 1990s and pointed out a faintly engraved name, Chopard, which appeared on the glass. She continued: 'They designed some really superb pieces of jewellery and are seen in some of the finest auctions across the world: Geneva, New York and highly sought after in many ways. 'Thats all good news really, so far. But then of course it does all come down to value and youve come all this way to see how much theyre worth. 'Well you could have probably travelled quite luxuriously on your way over here, because value wise at auction, were going to be looking in the region of 4,000 to 6,000.' The guest was shocked after hearing the value of her charity shop earrings and could only laugh in response. As the woman quaked with surprise, the crowd gasped from behind her in delight. When the shocked Australian guest could finally speak she beamed and told Susan: 'That's grand! Thank you!' Susan then asked: 'Will you be coming back?' The guest revealed that she would be celebrating with a bit of shopping as she continued her trip around the UK. This is not the only shocking valuation for a piece of jeweller the show has featured recently. A guest who also appeared on the show couldn't contain her profanities as the shocking value of her jewellery collection was revealed. On Sunday's edition of the hit BBC programme, jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy, 62, headed to Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, and while there she introduced viewers to a guest with an intriguing jewellery collection. After meeting with specialist Joanna, the seller quickly learned that the intricate pieces had been crafted by George Weil, a renowned sculptor and jeweller. According to Joanna, the jewels likely hailed from the 60's and 70's and exhibit a Modernist design. After examining all of the pieces, Joanna singled out a matching set which consisted of a gold ring, brooch, and bracelet. According to the seller, she had originally purchased the trio for 1,500, but little did she know that the collection was worth so much more. Joanna then replied to her by saying 'Well, I think today they would be about 15,000'. Shocked to learn that her jewellery collection was now worth ten times what she originally paid for it, the seller took a moment to recover before confessing 'Sorry, I nearly swore!' leaving the surrounding crowds laughing. Rick Stein has had some remarkable news. I went back to see my surgeon and he said, Youve got the heart of a 37-year-old now. Your heart will outlive you! Rick laughs because he is actually 40 years older than that, but he is just glad to be alive at all. It is a very traumatic and scary operation, but open heart surgery has changed my life, says the chef, who went under the knife two years ago. His aorta was failing and urgent repairs were needed, but now he has recovered fully and looks very well in his dark-blue polo shirt, smiling broadly. Theres no more breathlessness and his head is in a better place, too. Your heart is much more than just a pump, it has a psychological effect on your whole system, he says. The heart is the centre of your emotional being, so to have it not working too well is a downer, not just physically but mentally. I lived with a really duff heart for about eight years so I do really appreciate how bad it is for some people. To come out the other side of an operation like that with much better health is just a fantastic experience, to be honest. I just feel incredibly lucky. Thats just as well, because this warm, avuncular man has been travelling around the country exploring the food that the British people love to eat right now. His TV series Rick Steins Food Stories is coming soon to BBC2, and the best of all that Rick found and thought on his travels has been gathered into a book of the same name, which is published this week. Some of the recipes are powerfully nostalgic, with Ricks inventive takes on childhood favourites like fish finger sandwiches, fruit crumbles and prawn cocktails. The food you have as a child is really embedded in your whole being, he says firmly. His trademark fish dishes feature alongside new versions of great British classics, of course, but Rick also explores the rich variety of global tastes available here today, from spicy Indian street food sold out of a van in Leicester to Filipino cooking in Northern Ireland. Rick sampling dishes for Food Stories in Northern Ireland Rick and wife Sarah in Sydney There is still a place for traditional British food in this country, but look at the nations favourite dishes, he says enthusiastically. They are a mixture of fish and chips and roast beef and various Indian curries, like chicken tikka masala, and kebabs. The book and show reflect the huge changes Rick has seen in five decades as a chef. When I started cooking professionally in the mid- 70s I seem to remember most restaurant menus were still written in French, he says. The repertoire of dishes was very limited, particularly if you concentrated on seafood as I did. Since then, the sorts of things we eat have changed out of all recognition. You can get food from virtually any part of the world in this country, and not just in London. Having a Filipino Sunday lunch in Belfast is probably the most extreme example of that. Cooked by Filipinos with a lot of very admiring locals eating it. Imagine that in the 70s! You wouldnt have believed it. His easy charm is much in evidence again, and its great to see him so busy after the kerfuffle a few months ago, when Rick accidentally told a reporter he didnt have long to live. That was a mistake, apparently. I started by saying that at age 77, with the best will in the world, I havent got that much longer to go. What I meant was I hope I have got at least 20 years to go, right? But it came out like Ive got a life-threatening illness. Well I havent, all right? Hes very insistent, in a jolly sort of way, although the surgery was a moment of crisis for his family. So did it draw them together? Oh, gosh, yes, crikey. My sons are in their thirties and forties and I think they just assume their parents are going to go on forever, you know? Theyre at the really busy time of their life and they dont want to think about the fact their parents are getting older and are going to die, so it really did throw them. Ed, Jack and Charlie are close to their father and they all serve as directors in the company. Ed, the eldest, runs the building and refurbishment work, including for new restaurants. Middle son Jack is the chef director, overseeing all the menus as well as making his own television shows and writing books. The youngest, Charlie, is a wine expert, and chooses every bottle they serve. Rick with his three sons, Charlie, Ed and Jack, in 2011 The boys mother and Ricks first wife Jill is still very much involved, having designed the look of the brand from the start. Rick and Jill divorced in 2007 after it emerged that he was having an affair with his publicist Sarah Burns, who is 20 years his junior. Sarah, whom he calls Sas, became his second wife in 2011 and the pair co-own restaurants in her native Australia. She nursed Rick back to health after the operation. My wife Sas was just fabulous when I was ill, Rick says. She had never cooked for me before. And actually, shes a good cook, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. I was really weak and not in a good way physically and to have somebody looking after you is just fantastic. His smile fades for a moment and, in that gentle accent shaped by Oxfordshire, London and his adopted county Cornwall, he becomes reflective. When something like this operation happens you do realise how much you need each other and its not only good for you, its good for them. He grew up on a farm in Oxfordshire and it was idyllic until his father Eric committed suicide when Rick was just 17. Wild with grief, he set off on a wander that took in America and Australia, working on ships and in an abattoir. After reading English at Oxford, Rick drifted down to Cornwall and started his first restaurant in Padstow with Jill in 1975. Is MSG unhealthy? Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer that adds savoury or umami notes to dishes. The odourless, crystalline substance which looks like table salt is made by adding sodium to glutamate, an amino acid found in foods like ripened fruits, dried mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Some people negatively associate the additive with Asian cuisine, claiming it causes symptoms such as headaches, nausea and hot flushes. These claims have not been backed up by science in fact, the moderate use of MSG has been approved by the UKs Food Standards Agency as well as several other health authorities, including the World Health Organisation. Advertisement The Steins now also have cafes, shops, a bar, a pub, hotel rooms and lavish holiday home rentals in and around the town many tourists call Padstein. There are also Rick Stein restaurants in upmarket places like Marlborough, Sandbanks, Winchester and Barnes. Heres a cheeky question for him, though: wouldnt next years golden anniversary be a great time to step back? Well, I am trying to, says Rick, surprisingly. This year weve sorted out what Im going to do from now on with my company. Along with my ex-wife Jill, we are leaving the business [to the boys] as much as possible. That does mean letting them get on with it. Certainly the idea we have of maybe opening up a restaurant in central London, its all for them. Theyre running it. I am purposely just keeping out of it. Has he actually had enough? I still like the business and enjoy it but I dont want to be... Rick leaves the sentence unfinished, perhaps unwilling to suggest out loud that he might become a burden. Apart from anything else, because Im 77, I want my sons to be involved in it because we want to attract younger people. Ultimately, thats down to my children, not me. But hes still capable of springing surprises. Theres a recipe in the new book containing one of the most demonised ingredients of all time: monosodium glutamate. I think its time to stand up and be counted, to be honest, says Rick, who suggests sprinkling a little on his crab and sweetcorn soup, a recipe which is a fresh, simplified version of the first thing he ever ate at a Chinese restaurant, in Peterborough in 1964. Years ago I read an article which pointed out that MSG is no more or less dangerous for you than salt. Weve all assumed it is something that gives you headaches or skin rashes when theres no reality in that. Ive never put MSG in any of my recipes [before], just because I dont want people to say, How could you do this? But the reality is that its not dangerous. I just thought it was time I actually pointed this out to people. Is he ready for the inevitable backlash? Yes! Rick says he is off to Australia again in a few days to keep an eye on the restaurants he and Sarah own in New South Wales. How does he manage to cross the world so often? Well, its a lot of flying. I dont mind the journey, its the jet lag that kills me. As Im getting older, its just a right bugger. But I do have a lovely time. Ive got lots of friends there. People think I live there but I dont. I live here, but I do love going there. I love Aussies. I find their optimistic view on life really quite stimulating. Hes been through a lot lately, but it seems he has caught a little of that Aussie optimism from his mates and his wife, not to mention his doctor. Yeah, Im not too bad, he says. You just keep going, dont you? Rick Steins Food Stories is coming soon to BBC2 and BBC iPlayer. Now try Rick's recipes Starters and light meals Korean fried chicken wings with soy, garlic, ginger and gochujang Im amazed at how quickly Korean food has become popular in this country. Its easy to see why, though, as it is sweet, spicy and full of interesting flavours like kimchi and gochujang, a fermented red chilli paste which I use here. Serves 4 or 8 as a starter 15g fresh root ginger, grated 75g cornflour 1kg chicken wings 1ltr vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper for the Sauce 6tbsp soft brown sugar or honey 3tbsp gochujang chilli paste 2tbsp soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, grated 10g fresh root ginger, grated 1tbsp rice wine vinegar 1tbsp tomato ketchup To serve 2tsp sesame seeds 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal Salad To make the sauce, place the sugar or honey, gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar and tomato ketchup in a pan along with 4tbsp water. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and heat for 4-5 minutes, until combined into a glossy sauce. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve or set it aside and reheat when needed. Mix the ginger and cornflour in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken wings and toss them until well coated all over, then set them aside. Fill a large, deep pan two-thirds full with the oil and place over a medium-high heat until the oil has reached 175C. Fry a batch of 4 or 5 wings for about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining wings allow the oil to come back up to temperature each time before cooking the next batch. Once all the chicken is cooked, pour the hot sauce all over the wings. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions and serve immediately, while still crispy, with a salad. Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls Fresh spring rolls are all about texture and flavour. The rice paper wrappers are so thin that you can see the colours and shapes of the vegetable and prawn filling inside. Makes 8 35g rice vermicelli noodles 8 rice paper wrappers 16 chives 8 coriander sprigs, plus extra to garnish 50g fresh bean sprouts 1 carrot, grated or cut into matchsticks of a cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks a little gem lettuce, finely shredded 125g cooked, peeled prawns, halved lengthways 1-2tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional) 16 mint leaves, plus extra to garnish Lime wedges, to serve for the dipping Sauce 2tbsp lime juice 2tbsp fish sauce 1tbsp sugar 1tsp grated root ginger 1 red birds-eye chilli, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, grated Bring a pan of water to the boil, drop in the noodles, then take the pan off the heat. Leave to soak for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside. Mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl with 2tbsp cold water. Set aside. Have all the filling ingredients prepared and to hand. Soak a rice paper wrapper in a bowl of cold water for up to a minute, then transfer to a damp tea towel. Leaving a border around the edge, add the filling as follows: arrange 2 chives in an X pattern in the middle, add a sprig of coriander, then some noodles, bean sprouts, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, prawns and peanuts, if using. Top with a couple of mint leaves. Fold the edge nearest to you over the filling, tuck the sides over to enclose the ends, then roll away from you to seal in the filling. Set aside under a folded damp tea towel to prevent the roll drying out. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with coriander and mint, and serve with lime wedges and individual bowls of sauce. Chickpea, chorizo and red pepper cazuela One of the big changes I am observing in the way we eat out these days is the trend towards small sharing plates. I really like the way these dishes are just served as soon as they are ready and not as part of a conventional main course. Serves 4-6 as a starter or a few more with drinks 3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped or grated 1tsp hot smoked paprika (pimenton) 150g chorizo, diced 1tbsp dry sherry 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained 2 tomatoes, finely chopped 100g roasted red peppers, from a jar, diced Salt and black pepper A small handful of parsley, chopped Crusty bread, to serve Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a pan, add the red onion and garlic and fry over a medium heat until softened. Add the paprika and chorizo. Fry for a minute or so, then add the sherry and allow it to bubble up. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and red peppers and fry for a few more minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir through the parsley and remaining olive oil. Serve in small shallow bowls with crusty bread to mop up the juices. Lunches and suppers Fish finger sandwiches Im very pleased to have discovered that these sandwiches are one of the nations favourite dishes and theyre even better with home-made fish fingers, rather than shop-bought ones. Serves 4 500g thick pollock or haddock fillet, skinned and cut into 2cm strips Salt and black pepper 2tbsp plain flour 1 large egg, beaten About 70g panko breadcrumbs 3-4tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil Lemon juice To serve 8 slices of white bread, buttered Lettuce leaves Tartare sauce or tomato ketchup Season the fish strips with salt and pepper, then roll them in the flour, followed by the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Sprinkle with a little salt and lemon juice, then assemble the sandwiches with lettuce and tartare sauce or ketchup. Chicken tikka masala This is without question one of the nations favourite dishes. At its best, its a combination of tandoori chicken with a rich, spicy tomato sauce cooked in ghee or butter and it is often said to have been invented in the UK. Serves 4 2tsp cumin seeds 1tsp coriander seeds 750g skinless, boneless chicken breast meat (about 4 breasts), cut into 3-4cm chunks 25g ghee or clarified butter, melted 1tbsp lemon juice A small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish for the Marinade Seeds from 12 green cardamom pods, crushed Juice of 1 large lemon 1tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1tsp ground turmeric 1tsp salt 150ml natural yoghurt 25g root ginger, grated 2 garlic cloves, grated For the sauce 3tbsp ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil 1 large onion, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, grated 25g fresh root ginger, grated tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1tsp garam masala 225g chopped tomatoes, tinned or fresh 1tbsp tomato paste 1tbsp ground almonds tsp salt 1tsp sugar 120ml double cream 3 green chillies, slit open To serve Chapatis, pilau rice and lemon wedges Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Put 1tsp of the toasted and ground seeds in a bowl with all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken chunks to the bowl, then toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes. Line a grill pan with foil and preheat the grill to high. Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and brush with melted ghee or clarified butter. Cook under the grill or on a barbecue for 5-6 minutes on each side, until lightly charred in places and cooked through. For the sauce, heat the ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the grated garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the remaining toasted seeds, and the chilli powder and garam masala, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, ground almonds, salt and 300ml water, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add any remaining marinade together with the sugar, cream and green chillies to the sauce and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until it has thickened a little. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Garnish with more coriander leaves, then serve with chapatis, pilau rice and lemon wedges. To make tamarind water, mix 60g tamarind pulp with 150ml warm water. Massage until broken down. Strain and chill. Pad Thai with tofu I wrote this recipe after a trip to a tofu factory just outside Leeds I was so interested to find that perfectly good tofu is now made in this country and the flavour was great. Serves 2 175g Thai folded rice noodles 4tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1tsp 2tbsp Thai fish sauce 2tbsp tamarind water (see tip, top right) tsp chilli flakes 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar 200g firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm dice 1 garlic clove, grated 2 eggs, beaten 50g bean sprouts 1tbsp dried shrimp (optional) 4 spring onions, trimmed, halved and shredded lengthways A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to garnish 50g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped Lime wedges, to serve Bring a pan of water to the boil, drop in the noodles and cook for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain well, refresh with cold water, then drain again and toss in 1tsp oil to prevent them clumping together. Set aside. Combine the fish sauce, tamarind water, chilli flakes, chilli sauce and sugar in a small bowl, then set aside. Heat 2tbsp oil in a wok and fry the cubes of tofu in batches until golden. Remove and set aside to keep warm. Add the remaining oil to the wok, add the garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the drained noodles and stir-fry for a minute. Push the noodles to one side, pour in the eggs and scramble them quickly in the wok. Add the bowl of sauce and combine with the noodles, then add the bean sprouts, dried shrimp, if using, the fried tofu, spring onions, coriander and peanuts. Mix well. Divide between warmed bowls and garnish with lime wedges and coriander leaves. Beef Chow Mein Most of the Chinese restaurants in Britain in the 1970s and 80s were Cantonese, so my early experiences of Chinese food were dishes from this region. And chow mein is one of the all-time favourites. Serves 3-4 400g sirloin steak, fat removed and cut into thin slices 1tbsp cornflour A large pinch of ground white pepper 1tbsp oyster sauce 125ml sunflower or vegetable oil, plus 1tbsp 250g dried egg noodles (4 nests) 150g bean sprouts 3 spring onions, trimmed and shredded lengthways 100g mangetout 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 3 garlic cloves, chopped 15g root ginger, grated or finely chopped For the sauce tsp sugar 1tbsp oyster sauce 3tbsp soy sauce 1/8tsp ground white pepper To serve 2 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal Place the sliced steak in a bowl. Sprinkle with the cornflour and pepper, then mix well. Add 2tbsp water, the oyster sauce and the 1tbsp oil. In a separate bowl, mix the sauce ingredients with 100ml water and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and drain well. Heat about 100ml oil in a pan. When its hot, add the drained noodles and fry until crispy. Remove and keep warm. Add the remaining oil to the pan and stir-fry the beef over a high heat until cooked through. Add the bean sprouts, shredded spring onions, mangetout, mushrooms, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the sauce and allow it to bubble and thicken. Divide the noodles between serving bowls and spoon the steak mixture over. Serve topped with the sliced spring onions. Chicken Katsu Curry There are probably very few people under 30 who dont know this popular dish, which combines the Japanese love of protein fried in panko breadcrumbs with the flavours of India. Serves 4 4 small chicken breasts Salt and black pepper 2tbsp plain flour 1 large egg, beaten 60-70g panko breadcrumbs 60ml sunflower or vegetable oil Steamed green vegetables, to serve For the rice 400g sushi rice tsp salt For the Katsu sauce 2tbsp oil 2 carrots, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 10g root ginger, grated 1tbsp medium curry powder tsp cayenne pepper 400ml tin of coconut milk 150ml chicken stock 2-3tsp soy sauce 2tsp honey 2tbsp malt vinegar Wash the sushi rice until it runs clear, then leave to soak for about 30 minutes in cold water. For the sauce, heat the oil in a pan. Gently fry the carrots, onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Add the curry powder and cayenne and cook for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk, chicken stock, soy sauce, honey and vinegar. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are really soft. Using a stick blender, blitz to form a smooth sauce. Add a little more soy sauce or honey if needed. Place a chicken breast between 2 sheets of clingfilm or baking parchment and bash it with a rolling pin into an escalope about 3-4mm thick. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs on three separate plates. Dip each chicken breast in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Put the soaked rice in a pan with 500ml cold water and the salt, cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling, immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on the pan and allow the rice to steam for a further 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden. If cooking in batches, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm. Slice each chicken breast on the diagonal into five pieces. Spoon some rice into a teacup and compress, then turn out on to a plate to make a rice dome. Add slices of chicken and spoon over some of the sauce. Serve with steamed green vegetables. Naga Munchetty has revealed that she was branded an 'idiot' by her producer after she made a dangerous health error. The BBC Breakfast host, 49, opened up on her potential life-threatening blunder as she told how she forgot to reorder her vital EpiPen, which she needs for her Birch Oral Syndrome (also known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), which is an allergic reaction that can occur when people with birch pollen allergies eat certain fruits and vegetables). During a recent discussion about allergies on the show, Naga told her condition is connected to Hay fever, which, according to doctors, is on the rise. Naga told how trying to get hold of an EpiPen had been proving to be 'quite difficult', especially if you hadn't had an allergic episode in a while, causing her to put off trying to get one. And her lack of action in procuring the crucial medical device was criticised by her colleague, with Naga herself admitting her lapse was 'really bad'. Naga Munchetty has revealed that she was branded an 'idiot' by her producer after she made a dangerous health error The BBC Breakfast host, 49, opened up on her potential life-threatening blunder as she told how she forgot to reorder her vital EpiPen, which she needs for her Birch Oral Syndrome Official NHS guidelines state that the auto-injectors were vital for immediate response to severe allergic reactions triggered by various allergens, including insect stings or bites, foods, drugs or exercise. During the episode, Naga spoke with a guest called Palina, who recalled a terrifying incident during a holiday in Thailand where she was left fighting for breath after mistakenly consuming the wrong dish in a restaurant. Palina, who has a severe nut allergy said: 'I think that the most important thing for people with allergies, more severe allergies, is to have your EpiPens, because in most places it can be really life-saving to have that initial adrenaline before an ambulance gets there. 'For me, in my case, if I hadn't had my EpiPens with me at the Thai restaurant, it would've been a lot more serious.' At this, Naga then admitted that she hadn't followed the advice herself, stating: 'I can't say I always do it myself.' She added: 'It's really bad, there are things like getting them re-prescribed because they go out of date and feeling like you're taking something that you don't use, even though you need it.' Palina went on to agree with Naga and shared her own difficulties in obtaining an EpiPen despite the severity of her allergy, saying it took her four months to get one. Naga then responded: 'I had the same thing. Official NHS guidelines state that the auto-injectors were vital for immediate response to severe allergic reactions triggered by various allergens, including insect stings or bites, foods, drugs or exercise Naga, above with co-star Charlie Stayt, told how trying to get hold of an EpiPen had been proving to be 'quite difficult', especially if you hadn't had an allergic episode in a while, causing her to put off trying to get one Naga said: 'I've got to make another call because I was talking to my producer and he said "You're an idiot, go and order your EpiPen", and he's kind of right' 'I've got to make another call because I was talking to my producer and he said, "You're an idiot, go and order your EpiPen", and he's kind of right. 'But, it takes time doesn't it? And getting a re-prescription for it can be quite difficult for an EpiPen if you haven't had an incident in recent times.' Naga's EpiPen confession comes after she collapsed into giggles during a serious bulletin about touts reselling tickets for Oasis' upcoming gigs during Saturday's show. Naga's EpiPen confession comes after she collapsed into giggles during a serious bulletin about touts reselling tickets for Oasis' upcoming gigs during Saturday's show The host revealed how the band sent out a warning that promoters would cancel tickets after scalpers set to work reselling seats at sky-high prices of up to 10,000 During the segment a photo of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher was shown on the screen besides Naga. However, because of a technical blunder only their midriffs were visible The host revealed how the band sent out a warning that promoters would cancel tickets after scalpers set to work reselling seats at sky-high prices of up to 10,000. During the segment a photo of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher was shown on the screen besides Naga, however due to a technical blunder only their midriffs were visible. Despite the serious subject matter the host couldn't help but laugh as she assured viewers: 'You'll see more.' Adding: 'Later on. That was just their lower halves!' The BBC has reportedly shelved plans for a spin-off series of legal drama The Split. In February the broadcaster announced that a new show derived from the hit series, which starred Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan, had been greenlit. Filming for the new show, The Split Up, was set to take place in Manchester in October, but according to reports, this has been put on ice while producers attempt to resolve 'creative issues'. According to Deadline, the project has now been 'paused indefinitely' by the BBC, with an insider citing 'editorial reasons' behind the decision. However, the publication adds that show bosses remain 'committed' to the show, though a new filming date has yet to be established. The BBC has reportedly shelved plans for a spin-off series of legal drama The Split In February the broadcaster announced that a new show derived from the hit series, which starred Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan [pictured], had been greenlit. It is said that at the time the delay was put in place, fewer than 10 people were working on the show, with a casting call already in place. MailOnline have contacted BBC representatives for comment. The Split, which ran for three series between 2018-2022, followed the lives of the Dafoe family: three sisters and their mother, all working as divorce lawyers. Meanwhile, spin-off The Split Up was due to document the ups and downs of a new family of legal experts the Kishans. The final episode of The Split in May 2022 left fans weeping as fan favourites Hannah and Nathan both without a happy ending. The third series of the much-loved BBC One divorce drama started with Hannah (Nicola Walker) and Nathan (Stephen Mangan) entering the final stages of negotiating their divorce. Many hoped the ex-couple would rekindle their romance in final scenes, while others rooted for Hannah's romance with fellow lawyer Christie - who had relocated to New York. However, viewers instead saw Hannah end up single, with the ending focusing on the importance of moving on and letting go. Filming for the new show, The Split Up, was set to take place in Manchester in October, but according to reports, this has been put on ice while producers attempt to resolve 'creative issues' [Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan pictured] But viewers were once again left delighted a year later when it was announced The Split would be making a return to screens for a two-part special. The BBC confirmed that Nicola Walker, Annabel Scholey and Fiona Button will reprise their roles as sisters Hannah, Nina, Rose. Deborah Findlay will return as mother Ruth, alongside some fresh faces. A two-part special will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year and will chronicle the strong women on a wild Spanish extravaganza. Set two years after the third season, formidable family lawyer Hannah and her family are back. The final episode of The Split in May 2022 left fans weeping as fan favourites Hannah and Nathan (pictured) both without a happy ending Many hoped the ex-couple would rekindle their romance in final scenes, while others rooted for Hannah's romance with fellow lawyer Christie (pictured) - who had relocated to New York However, viewers instead saw Hannah (pictured) end up single, with the ending focusing on the importance of moving on and letting go But viewers were once again left delighted a year later when it was announced The Split would be making a return to screens for a two-part special They've gathered for a beautiful wedding at a magnificent vineyard, nestled in Catalonias wine region. Set across one sun-soaked weekend, The Split will encompass break-ups, reunions and plenty of romance. As the sun rises over the glorious Spanish countryside, Hannah is compelled to banish the ghosts of her past and open herself up to the possibility of love again. The series delves into whether Hannah can build up the courage to take the leap into a new future, says the BBC. EastEnders have confirmed a major star's dramatic exit and they've already filmed their final scenes. The BBC soap confirmed that Matt Di Angelo will be leaving the show following the nail-biting conclusion to his character Dean Wicks' murder trial in which he was wrongly accused of killing Keanu Taylor. And while viewers will have to wait and see the culmination of the trial, in a post shared to Instagram, it was verified that Matt would be waving goodbye to Albert Square. The post read: 'Farewell to the marvellous Matt Di Angelo AKA devious Dean Wicks. From all the cast and crew at #EastEnders thank you, youll be missed!' Meanwhile, in an accompanying video, EastEnders' Executive producer Chris Clenshaw wished Matt well as he paid tribute to the actor. EastEnders have confirmed a major star's dramatic exit and they've already filmed their final scenes [The Six L-R; Stacey Slater, Suki Kaur Panesar, Linda Carter, Sharon Watts, Denise Fox and Kathy Beale The BBC soap confirmed that Matt Di Angelo will be leaving the show following the nail-biting conclusion to his character Dean Wicks' murder trial in which he was wrongly accused of killing Keanu Taylor He said; 'I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Matt for giving us one of the most vile characters, one of the most hated characters in Britain and on British TV. Thank you for coming back and playing out this next chapter of Dean's story.' The video also saw Matt clutching his final script as he told the camera: 'This is it. Dean's final scenes. Shot, sealed, delivered... it is done!' After the video saw a glimpse of Dean being dragged to his cell as Linda walked past, it then cut to Matt - who first joined the soap in 2006 -giving a farewell speech to his colleagues. He said: 'I really, really appreciate all your work. They're long days and you're a class bunch, you really are. So, thank you for helping me and I appreciate it. Thanks very much.' Turning to the camera once more, he added: 'It is done. He is no more. "Good riddance!", you all say. 'He's fun to play and this is an amazing place to work and I do genuinely love everyone here. Thank you for having me and until the next time?! Bye!' Over the past week, the dramatic trial has been played out on screens, with the outlook for Dean looking increasingly dire as The Six took to the stand to share their testimonies. As he was grilled by prosecutors, Dean finally confessed to raping Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), causing the case to be named a mistrial in light of the new evidence. While viewers will have to wait and see the culmination of the trial, in a post shared to Instagram, it was verified that Matt would be waving goodbye to Albert Square [Matt pictured with Executive producer Chris Clenshaw] The video also saw Matt clutching his final script as he told the camera: 'This is it. Dean's final scenes. Shot, sealed, delivered... it is done!' Over the past week, the dramatic trial has been played out on screens, with the outlook for Dean looking increasingly dire as The Six took to the stand to share their testimonies As he was grilled by prosecutors, Dean finally confessed to raping Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), causing the case to be named a mistrial in light of the new evidence However, things took an unexpected twist as Linda, weighed down by her guilt, later admitted to killing Keanu (Danny Walters) Long-time soap fans will know that Dean sexually assaulted Linda in her kitchen back in 2014 and has spent years denying his crime. While he even manipulated the mum into stating that he didn't attack her, after he blackmailed her earlier this year. However, things took an unexpected twist as Linda, weighed down by her guilt, later admitted to killing Keanu (Danny Walters). After speaking to The Six and almost succumbing to alcohol before being comforted by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Linda kissed her children goodbye as she headed to the police station. Scenes showed Dean remanded in custody amid Linda's confession, but viewers will have to wait and see the true extent of Dean's fate played out on air Ensuring the tape was rolling, she told the detective 'It was me. I did it. I killed Keanu Taylor.' Scenes showed Dean remanded in custody amid Linda's confession, but viewers will have to wait and see the true extent of Dean's fate played out on air. EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Netflix has a new hit show on its hands with The Perfect Couple starring Nicole Kidman as fans have boasted binging the entire series in less than 24 hours. The six-part show - based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand - centers around a lavish wedding that ends in disaster, with some already hailing it as the best thing on TV since The White Lotus and Big Little Lies. 'Finished all of The Perfect Couple in less than 24 hours. It was so good,' one enthused fan wrote on X, while another boasted: 'I just binged The Perfect Couple and the plot twist is SO GOOD.' The positive fan reaction flooded social media Thursday and Friday despite the show having only been available to stream for a day - with some genuinely loving the series, while others called it 'trash TV at its finest.' Another viewer praised it as being 'bonkers in the best way.' Netflix's The Perfect Couple has fans calling Nicole Kidman show 'trash TV at its finest' - as viewers binge the series in less than 24 hours 'The Perfect Couple is pure, delicious trash TV at its finest! soapy drama, twists at every turn, and just the right amount of guilty pleasure fun,' a TV fan wrote. Some fans also poked fun at Australian star Kidman's accent in it, saying: 'the way nicole kidmans accent in the perfect couple is american, british and australian all in one.' Others praised the Oscar-winner for her famously quirky turns. 'If Nicole Kidman is going to be attached to man in a project you best believe he is going to be hot, toxic, obsessive and useless all in one. The Perfect Couple on #Netflix hits all the bases. 10/10,' a viewer posted. While some critics have panned the show, some viewers have claimed that the reviews have missed the point - calling it a 'glossy and campy treat.' A watcher posted on X: 'Many critics took The Perfect Couple too seriously. The fact that each episode of this whodunnit starts with the cast dancing to a Meghan Trainor song is already so unserious. The Perfect Couple is a glossy and campy treat.' Netflix's The Perfect Couple has proved to be a big hit with fans Meanwhile, the first handful of reviews have divided critics with some calling it 'ludicrously good' while others branding it 'daft.' The sole positive review thus far is from The Guardian's Lucy Mangan, who compared the show to HBO's The White Lotus and Big Little Lies. She praised the, 'proper plot,' and the, 'carousel of suspects turns and reveals drop at perfectly spaced intervals.' 'It may or may not have things to say about the haves and have-nots, the power of money to corrupt, as well as class consciousness, but it doesnt have anything like the interest The White Lotus, say, took in such questions,' she added. The Perfect Couple has also left fans divided over THAT opening credits scene The critic insists, 'it's almost impossible to resist bingeing the entirety of this classy detective drama set around a posh wedding in Nantucket.' 'Its a glorious, perfectly paced delight,' she says, though the other critics have quite the opposite take. The series could have been a piece of 'biting satire,' but, according to The Independent's Nick Hilton, the show is as, 'daft as it is derivative.' Hilton claims that the irony of the show with this specific title is, 'for all the beachfront properties, the designer dresses, and wedding cakes that could feed a small army, perfection is nowhere to be found.' He adds, 'The star wattage of the cast, and their creative bona fides, should be taken with a pinch of salt: this is a neat shot of unadulterated naffness.' The show is adapted from the 2018 novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand, who has been dubbed, 'queen of the beach reads' The Perfect Couple fans have been left baffled by Nicole Kidman's hybrid accent on the Netflix show, The Australian actress, 57, who plays famed novelist Greer Garrison Winbury on the show, shocked viewers in the murder mystery series as she flipped between 'American, English and Australian' accents. Starring alongside a predominately American cast including Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning and The White Lotus star Meghann Fahy in the series set in Nantucket - the star's questionable accent quickly set tongues wagging on social media. One fan wrote: 'the way nicole kidmans accent in the perfect couple is american, british and australian all in one.' Another typed: 'Special mention for Nicole Kidmans ever-changing accent that somehow manages to cover English, American and Australian all within episode one.' The Perfect Couple fans have been left baffled by Nicole Kidman 's hybrid accent on the Netflix show, A third penned: 'me every time theres a new mystery series with an ensemble cast featuring nicole kidman using an unidentifiable and inconsistent accent.' Others wrote: 'nicole kidman is like: im gonna do whatever accent i like whenever i like and youre gonna eat it.' 'Nicole Kidman acts in every accent, I almost forget shes Australian 'the perfect couple on netflix is a perfect show. every single person has a different accent even though theyre all supposed to be americanexcept for nicole kidman, who gets to use her real accent, and theres also a dance sequence.' 'If Nicole Kidman is going to do one thing... It's going to be not carrying *one* accent through a TV - Movie 'If theres one thing i know about Nicole Kidman i never know what accent shes trying to do. 'nicole kidman went all over the globe with her english/american/australian accent of hers on he new netflix show.' Other fans wrote: 'Nicole Kidmans accent in this one is completely incomprehensible' and 'is Nicole Kidman playing a schizophrenic or just trying to do an accent.' The Perfect Couple follows Kidman and Liev Schreiber's characters as their lives turn upside-down after a body washes up on a beach Starring alongside a predominately American cast including Liev Schreiber , Dakota Fanning and The White Lotus star Meghann Fahy in the series set in Nantucket - the star's questionable accent quickly set tongues wagging on social media - seen with Sam Nivola The Perfect Couple follows Kidman and Liev Schreiber's characters as their lives turn upside-down after a body washes up on a beach - a show early reviewers are calling 'ludicrously good'. 'I grew up on [murder mysteries] and I haven't seen one like this for a while, so it was really exciting to be a part of it and to be able to produce it as well,' Kidman told Reuters on Monday. '[Greer is] strong and and powerful and that was exciting to play. I'm always on this quest to find things that I haven't done or have different experiences.' Susanne Bier directed the small-screen adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand's 2018 novel of the same name. One fan wrote: 'the way nicole kidmans accent in the perfect couple is american, british and australian all in one' Hilderbrand will next be focusing her energy on a two-book deal with her daughter, where the pair will set the story at a boarding school. The first book, titled The Academy, is set to be published in September 2025 with the follow-up in September 2026. It will loosely be based off her experience at the St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island, she told Boston.com. Chelsea Lazkani unfortunately finds herself front and center in the explosive new season of hit Netflix show Selling Sunset, as her husband's alleged infidelity ends up being one of the series' main storylines. Fans got a glimpse of what was to come when a teaser trailer for season eight dropped last month and showed Chelsea, 31, breaking down in tears after a woman named Amanda Lynn - who has recently been accused of posting racist tweets - told Bre Tiesi that she heard 'something about Chelsea's husband.' What transpired in the new episodes is that a friend of Amanda's apparently saw Jeff Lazkani 'making out' with a mystery woman around Christmas time, and Bre, 33, decided to break the news to Chelsea in an emotional scene filmed in Los Angeles restaurant ADKT for episode five. But while the new season doesn't share much information about Chelsea and Jeff's actual breakup, Selling Sunset fans were already aware that they had split because the British-Nigerian real estate agent filed for divorce earlier this year. It was reported on March 27 that Chelsea had filed as TMZ claimed that legal documents cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the official reason for their split. Chelsea Lazkani breaks down in tears in the new season of Selling Sunset after being told that her husband was allegedly seen at a hotel with another woman Chelsea filed for divorce from Jeff Lazkani in March and cited 'irreconcilable differences' Chelsea and Jeff, who met on Tinder back in 2015, share three-year-old daughter Melia, and five-year-old son Maddox, and it was reported that the TV star had sought 'joint physical and legal custody' of their children. Additionally, Chelsea asked for spousal support from the 41-year-old California native, but did not terminate Jeff's ability to request alimony himself. TMZ pointed out that nowhere in her filing was a prenup mentioned, but stated: 'Chelsea is saying that their division of assets needs to be determined in court.' Chelsea did not provide a date of separation and swiftly removed nearly every trace of Jeff from her Instagram page, where she currently has 702,000 followers. Just one week after Chelsea filed for divorce, Jeff responded and accused her of being 'physically aggressive,' with his lawyer noting that he also wanted a divorce and was citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason. In a written declaration Jeff, who is a managing partner at Icon Media Direct, accused the reality star of being 'physically aggressive,' and claimed it happened before and after she filed for divorce, following seven years of marriage. Jeff also alleged that Chelsea 'struck' him 'in the face in an aggressive manner, breaking his glasses and causing a small cut on the side of his face.' He also claimed that in order to maintain the wellbeing of their two children, they both should not live at their five-bedroom Manhattan Beach home, which Jeff said he is the primary owner of. Bre Tiesi broke the news to Chelsea about her husband's alleged cheating on camera in a season eight episode of Selling Sunset Jeff and Chelsea met on the dating app Tinder in 2015 and got married in 2017 Chelsea reportedly sought 'joint physical and legal custody' of their two children - Melia and Maddox Jeff went on to allege that Chelsea, who he said was not named on the mortgage, 'installed a lock on the primary bedroom to' his 'exclusion, remotely monitors his access to the property, and records him at the property.' The property was purchased for $2.9 million in 2018 and Jeff asked for 'exclusive use and possession' of the home and alleged that Chelsea 'provokes' him and 'records him in an attempt to catch him overreacting to her.' He also accused Chelsea of 'exhibiting suspicious behavior,' and claimed a number of his 'personal belongings' had disappeared or were taken from their home after Chelsea filed for divorce. Among the missing items, he claimed, was a scarf he received from a late matriarch in his family, his father's hat, and a spare key to his car. He claimed Chelsea confessed to moving his Rolex after he asked her where it was, and said she 'has also been sneaking around the property and attempted' to go into his room 'when she thought he was not home.' At the time, he requested that Chelsea have 48 hours to get her belongings from the property, and that she not be allowed inside for more than two hours. He also wanted 'a neutral party' present to assist them in dividing the items they might not agree on. It's unclear whether or not Chelsea and Jeff's divorce has been finalized, but season eight ended with her removing her wedding ring as she told the camera: 'I think this needs to come off. Chelsea claimed that she would have 'fought to the very end' for her seven-year marriage Chelsea, Jeff, and their son Maddox pictured at a Los Angeles event in April 2022 'The foundation I built in Manhattan Beach is something I thought I would be building for years to come. I would have fought to the very end for my marriage,' she added. The mother-of-two was also seen on the phone to her costar Emma, after viewing a property in Studio City, as she admitted: 'I haven't really wrapped my head around what the next couple months, let alone the next couple of years, would look like for me. 'But something about being in this house just screams new beginnings for me and I'm kind of not closing my mind to it like I was before, I'm just embracing it,' Chelsea added, hinting that she may be ready to move on. Selling Sunset seasons 1-8 are available to stream on Netflix now. He has brushed shoulders with numbers of royalty over the years. And Gyles Brandreth, 76 - who shared a close relationship with the late Prince Philip - has recalled the tense conversation he had with Philip about Helen Mirren's drama, The Queen. This Morning star Gyles revealed the late Duke of Edinburgh told him he refused to watch the 2006 series due to the 'inaccurate portrayal' of his wife. Philip avoided the documentary because he heard it showed Mirren, who played Queen Elizabeth II, crying - which Philip insisted was false as 'the Queen never cried'. Royal biographer Gyles, who knew both royals, also shared why Elizabeth stopped crying over the years. Gyles Brandreth, 76 - who shared a close relationship with the late Prince Philip - has recalled the tense conversation he had with Philip about Helen Mirren's drama, The Queen (pictured shaking hands in 2017) Helen Mirren (pictured in the series) won widespread critical and popular acclaim for her portrayal of the monarch in the movie, which also starred Michael Sheen as Tony Blair Philip avoided the documentary because he heard it showed Mirren, who played Queen Elizabeth II, crying - which Philip insisted was false as 'the Queen never cried' (pictured in 2007) He was also told by people who were with Elizabeth when she came back from Kenya after her father George VI died, how "calm and contained she was and how she didn't shed tears". Gyles also shared how Philip underlined the strong side of his wife's character when he admitted that Elizabeth never wept. He said: 'The Duke of Edinburgh, I remember saying to me, when I asked him if he'd seen the film of the Queen with Helen Mirren, he [Philip] said "Why would I want to see that?" 'And he [Philip] got irritated. 'He [Philip] said "Apparently they have the Queen crying in the film. The Queen doesn't cry". 'He [Philip] said "An actress would cry, would assume the Queen would cry, but she didn't cry".' Gyles added on his Rosebud podcast: 'He wasn't saying it was a virtue not to cry.' The 2006 film The Queen was a historical drama directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan. Peter also created the controversial The Crown series ten years later. The film depicted the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Helen Mirren won widespread critical and popular acclaim for her portrayal of the monarch in the movie, which also starred Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. Gyles has brushed shoulders with numbers of royalty over the years (pictured with Queen Camilla in 2022) Rebus: A Game Called Malice (Cambridge Arts Theatre and touring) Verdict: Hostilities and lies Rating: Sir Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus accounts for a tenth of all crime book sales in the UK: the ancient, maze-like alleys around Edinburgh Castle symbolise the riddles the detective solves. A novelist can evoke a city, play around with time and space and live in the investigator's head; screen adaptations reflect that. So it was brave of Rankin, bored in lockdown, to write this for the stage and confine it to one room. It's a grand dining-room, featuring a startlingly crowded set of paintings under picture-lights (Scottish 20th-century colourists, an important element in the plot). Harriet's first husband collected them, but her second, Paul, is more inclined towards gambling. John Rebus is played by an agreeably dry, spry Gray O'Brien Rebus A Game Called Malice is a 2024 production touring to November 30 Hence their guests are Jack the casino owner (Billy Hartman, affably shady) and his influencer girlfriend Candida; Rebus is the plus-one for lawyer Stephanie (Abigail Thaw, cool enough to make you wonder if she's a killer or a love interest). There's a menacing thump of music as the lights drop, but then comes some very un-tense banter about a murder-mystery game all butlers and wine-cellars as well as remarks about Jack's questionable past. In an aside, Rebus (an agreeably dry, spry Gray O'Brien) explains that he hopes to nail Casino Jack. An offstage chef, Brendan, may by the interval be dead. A murder game with a real corpse? It feels like an Agatha Christie tribute act, only set in Scotland and with mobile phones (Jade Kennedy's Candida, a serpentine Instagram dream, does a lot of Googling). It's clunky, in a relaxing Sunday-night-telly sort of way, and despite director Loveday Ingram's valiant efforts to keep the cast moving, wastes too long explaining back-stories (Rankin being a novelist, even while co-writing with Simon Reade). The second half livens up, as hostilities and lies are exposed about everything from a Dubai freebie to a possibly bloodstained vase. Is Brendan really dead? Wait and see. In Cambridge until tomorrow, then touring to November 30. Stoppard's sparkling romcom still fizzes By Patrick Marmion The Real Thing (Old Vic, London) Verdict: Romantic Coca-Cola Rating: Tom Stoppard and Alan Ayckbourn are two of the oldest swingers in English theatre. Now aged 87 and 85 respectively, their plays about the tragi-comic ins and outs of romantic love have a reputation for pulling a crowd. Stoppard's 1982 comedy of infidelity, The Real Thing, is a thinly veiled autobiographical account of the thrice-married writer's personal pains, inflicted by Cupid's dart. A middle-aged 'intellectual playwright' called Henry leaves his wife for an actress called Annie a role originated by Felicity Kendal (opposite Roger Rees), who went on to become Stoppard's lover. Other famous pairings have included Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close and Stephen Dillane and Jennifer Ehle. Now, at the Old Vic, we have James McArdle and Bel Powley. Stoppard's 1982 comedy of infidelity, The Real Thing, is a thinly veiled autobiographical account of the thrice-married writer's personal pains, inflicted by Cupid's dart Theatre production of The Real Thing at The Old Vic starring James McArdle and Bel Powley Peter McKintosh's minimalist set, in electric blue, white, and splashes of yellow, has the look of a modern boutique hotel without quite releasing the action from its period The play is starting to show its age with Henry calling Annie a 'silly cow' and telling her to 'shut up and listen'. And Stoppard's lofty preoccupation with Shakespeare, and what makes truly great literature, can feel out of touch. But sparkling wit and a cunning plot together with Henry's dogged pursuit of the meaning of true love ('the real thing' of the title) ensures the work continues to delight a modern audience. The big challenge for the leading man is to try to pretend that Henry isn't Stoppard. For McArdle, that means turning the reticent and omni-charming master into a mostly affable, public school twit. More acid might have helped sharpen his flavour, but when Henry's bluster collapses, leaving him stricken and vulnerable, McArdle does indeed hit a raw nerve. In the role of Annie, Powley is a deceptively kittenish creature. As her character says, she brings the often-taboo perspective of an 'unrequiting' lover (cheater, not cheatee). But she packs emotional dynamite behind her girlish facade. Peter McKintosh's minimalist set, in electric blue, white, and splashes of yellow, has the look of a modern boutique hotel without quite releasing the action from its period. And although it could do with a twist of lemon to balance its sugary, Coca-Cola fizz, Max Webster's production keeps the tone playful. Bedroom Farce (Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch) Verdict: Comic obsolescence Rating: Ayckbourn's 1975 comedy Bedroom Farce hails from the heyday of mass-produced RAAC concrete. Charting the highly improbable movement of four couples between three bedrooms in different houses in one night, I'm afraid it now feels like it should be condemned as structurally unsafe. Elderly Ernest and Delia prepare for an umpteenth wedding anniversary, as their son Trevor causes modest confusion at the housewarming of Kate and Malcolm, after his nervous wife Susannah catches him kissing his ex Jan who's now married to Nick (writhing in bed like Basil Fawlty after putting his back out). Keeping up? The height of riskiness (not to say friskiness) is eating pilchards on toast in bed, and the risk of crumbs. Ayckbourn's 1975 comedy Bedroom Farce hails from the heyday of mass-produced RAAC concrete. Charting the highly improbable movement of four couples between three bedrooms in different houses in one night, I'm afraid it now feels like it should be condemned as structurally unsafe The height of riskiness (not to say friskiness) is eating pilchards on toast in bed, and the risk of crumbs Younger, Gen-Z theatregoers may be stumped not just by the pilchards, but lines like 'make sure he pays for the call' and 'it's not normal for women to fancy girls'. The improbability of characters assembling flat packs in anger at 3am, or seeking sexual counsel from their in-laws is one thing. But the stakes are so low, that the sheer inconsequentiality of it all simply isn't funny. Alex Thorpe's terrific, hard-working cast do their best. They have dealt nobly with the adversity of losing one of their number to illness, only for his replacement to be struck by a loss of his own. Rosie Wyatt and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi are bright and breezy as Kate and Susannah, while Nicholas Prasad and Adam Sopp are blokeish and bemused as Malcolm and Trevor. But while Alys Whitehead's set of Seventies chintz inevitably hits the G-Plan (furniture look it up!), Ayckbourn's play sadly fails to find the G-spot. The Real Thing runs until October 26; Bedroom Farce until September 21. Tense journey into Le Carre's morally murky Cold War epic The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (Minerva Theatre, Chichester) Verdict: Chilling spy drama Rating: John le Carre's 1963 noirish thriller dared to expose 'the dirty business of spying', in sharp contrast to the Technicolor fantasies of the first Bond movie a year earlier, in which any number of baddies were deservedly eliminated by a glamorous, guilt-free good guy. Not surprisingly, the novel blew the young spook's cover and turned him into a full-time author. This is the story of a lonely British agent, Alec Leamas, tired of hiding behind a mask of deceit, of assumed identities and trusting no one. He wants to come in from the cold and experience genuine emotion. This chilly, morally murky world is powerfully captured in David Eldridge's lean, pointed adaptation, matched by Jeremy Herrin's tense, atmospheric production, which he fills with potent images. The chilly, morally murky world of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is powerfully captured in David Eldridge's lean, pointed adaptation, matched by Jeremy Herrin's tense, atmospheric production, which he fills with potent images Theatre production of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold at Minerva Theatre, Chichester This talented team tells the story well and poses the pertinent question: where are you left morally if you become the same as your enemy? An agent is shot and falls from his bicycle. The upturned wheel continues to spin, its spokes catching the light, whirring inexorably like the minds of those who've been primed and programmed to carry out their mission. A searchlight sweeps the auditorium. Everyone us included is under scrutiny. High on a watch post at the end of the Berlin Wall stands John Ramm's tweedy spy-master George Smiley, apparently mild but actually merciless. Despite occasionally removing and wiping his specs, he evidently misses nothing. A detached Rory Keenan vividly suggests the price Leamas has paid for a life under surveillance, fluently fabricating an endless tissue of lies. He seems punctured, vulnerable. No wonder he can't resist the pretty young woman (excellent Agnes O'Casey) in the library where he has been placed by his puppeteers. Having seen the fabulous 1965 black-and-white movie with Richard Burton and Claire Bloom undoubtedly made it easier to follow the intricately plotted tale. But this talented team tells it well and poses the pertinent question: where are you left morally if you become the same as your enemy? Until September 21. Written by Georgina Brown Rose Ayling-Ellis discovered an incredible family connection to EastEnders after starring on the soap during Thursday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are. The actress, 29, - who starred as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera - found out on the show that her great-great-great-grandmother Agnes Chilton owned her own pub. Rose met with a local historian in Birmingham who provided her with more information about Agnes who in the late 1800s ran a pub called the Sandy Hill Tavern with her husband. Rose discovered that Agnes was in charge of most things at the pub to which Rose said: 'The wife does everything. I love that.' The historian then showed Rose a clipping from the time in which both Alfred and Agnes were accused of slapping a customer at their new pub the Queen's Arms. Rose Ayling-Ellis discovered an incredible family connection to EastEnders after starring on the soap during Thursday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are The actress, 29, - who starred as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera - found out on the show that her great-great-great-grandmother Agnes Chilton owned her own pub Agnes had intervened to defend Alfred during the incident at their establishment. Rose - who played a bartender at the Queen Vic in EastEnders - then joked: 'It's kind of like EastEnders, at the Queen Victoria pub. 'Everyone slapped each other all the time in that pub! I chucked someone's drink in their face. I feel like it's in my blood!' Rose added of Agnese: 'I just feel very privileged to learn so much about this woman. I have nothing but massive respect for her.' Viewers loved the episode and took to X during to say that Rose was a 'delight' and called the episode the best of the series. They said: 'Really enjoyed @RoseAylingEllis episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, very interesting story about a pub landlady in Birmingham and another person's connection from Italy. Best of the series I must say.', 'rose ayling-ellis is just so sweet and beautiful to match and i'm so happy her 'who do you think you are?' wasn't filled with boring war stories and actual interesting people.', 'Rose Ayling-Ellis hugely engaging and a total delight on #WDYTYA.', Rose met with a local historian in Birmingham who provided her with more information about Agnes who in the late 1800s ran a pub called the Sandy Hill Tavern with her husband Rose discovered that Agnes was in charge of most things at the pub to which Rose said: 'The wife does everything. I love that' Rose - who played a bartender at the Queen Vic in EastEnders - then joked: 'It's kind of like EastEnders, at the Queen Victoria pub' Viewers loved the episode and took to X during to say that Rose was a 'delight' and called the episode the best of the series Rose added of Agnese: 'I just feel very privileged to learn so much about this woman. I have nothing but massive respect for her' (seen on EastEnders) 'Great episode tonight with Rose Ayling-Ellis tonight. Full of interesting different & varied stories in multiple locations. I also enjoyed Rose's enthusiasm #WDYTYA.', 'Ah I love Rose Ayling Ellis . She is such a joy #wdytya.', 'Rose Ayling-Ellis on Who Do you Think You Are: loved her expressiveness to every fact.', 'I think she's mega! A terrific personality and role model', 'Very interesting 'Who Do You Think You Are?' tonight with Rose Ayling-Ellis. Started off in Hythe (Kent)....via Birmingham and Swindon to Exeter and then to South Molton and Italy! Interesting stories @wdytyamagazine.' The nation fell in love with Rose when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 and was paired with professional Giovanni Pernice. The star was born deaf and has gone on to take on groundbreaking roles on the soap, dancing show and more recently as part of the presenting team for Channel 4's Paralympics coverage. During her time on BBC series Strictly she was supported by her long-term boyfriend Sam Arnold who was often seen at the live shows and with her for rehearsals. The nation fell in love with Rose when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 and was paired with Giovanni who is no longer on the show Currently Rose is said to be single and focusing intensely on her career, with her new role at the Paralympics providing her with a focus But a year on from the show, Rose was said to have amicably ended her eight-year relationship with Sam. At the time this was largely attributed to the time spent apart during her Strictly tour engagements which came after winning the show at the end of 2021. According to The Sun, the couple called it quits, with Sam leaning on Rose's pal and CBeebies host Aimee Campbell-Nottage for support. The source added that Rose had been throwing herself into her work as she had been inundated with offers after Strictly. The Block host Scott Cam has developed a pet peeve with some of the contestants this year to the point where he has walked off the set in frustration. The veteran presenter, 61, likes to keep things moving at a brisk pace and becomes annoyed when contestants take their time filming their on-camera interviews. 'He hates the boring participants that take too long to shoot their on-camera moments,' an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'Scott often walks off in a huff and gives the producers the side eye if the contestant struggles to answer his questions. It's obvious when you know Scotty well.' They added that Scott quickly learns who is comfortable moving at his pace - and who isn't - and then tries to minimise contact with the slow speakers. 'Anyone that takes too long to deliver the basics has Scotty avoiding them like the plague. He makes his mind up pretty quickly, it's often hard to come back from. 'It's obvious the contestants he struggles with the most are always the people who don't take to the TV side of the job. The ones who struggle with being natural or "interesting".' It follows reports that one team on this year's show quickly managed to get Scott Cam offside. The Block host Scott Cam (pictured) has developed a pet peeve with some of the contestants this year to the point where he has walked off the set in frustration. Yellow Team Ricky and Haydn have reportedly developed inflated egos over their time on the show, to the irritation of Scott. 'They already think they're famous,' a fellow contestant told New Idea Magazine. The publication was invited to Phillip Island in Victoria to chat to Scott, who also complained the best mates were holding up proceedings. 'Well, they are tardy,' Scott sniped, as he threatened to start the celebratory lunch without them. Fortunately, the Melbourne friends arrived just in time and things went smoothly from there. The veteran presenter, 61, likes to keep things moving at a brisk pace and becomes annoyed when contestants take their time filming their on-camera interviews. Pictured: NSW couple Courtney and Grant Among the chaos in this year's season, The Block will lose another of their teams in the coming weeks as the pressure cooker reality show threatens to break-up a second unhappy couple. Earlier this week, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Kylie and Brad Baker will make an abrupt exit on the Channel Nine series. The news comes just weeks after it was confirmed Jesse Maguire and Paige Beechey from the Blue Team will throw down their shovels in week five and walk off-site for good. 'Kylie had an absolute meltdown at the end of week 12 and stormed off the set,' spilled an insider from the production team. 'She flat-out refused to continue filming, and the pair didn't even show up to finish their communal space in week 13. 'I've got no clue how the producers are going to handle this on screen or how they'll edit around it,' they continued. The current series of The Block was filmed earlier this year in the popular Victorian tourism hot spot Phillip Island. Daily Mail Australia can reveal a Channel Nine-owned company purchased Island Cove Villas on the Victorian Island for a whopping $9.5million. She has three new films in the can that are now in post-production. And Elizabeth Olsen was on the promotional push for her latest film, His Three Daughters, when she was seen putting on a leggy affair at her hotel in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood on Thursday. The Hollywood star who was seen rocking a chic black look the night before wore a summer-ready pink ensemble consisting of a short patterned skirt with a matching long-sleeve top and beige low-heeled shoes. The younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had her light brown tresses styled long, straight and flowing down over her chest in the front and to the middle of her back with a center part. The actress would again be seen in Midtown Manhattan en route to her guest appearance on the Today show at the NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center. Elizabeth Olsen, 35, looked lovely in pink as she continued the promotional push for her new drama His Three Daughters after leaving her Tribeca hotel on Thursday The Hollywood star wore a summer-ready pink ensemble consisting of a short patterned skirt with a matching long-sleeve top and beige low-heeled shoes After her interview with Today, she was seen leaving the NBC Studios in Midtown Manhattan on the way to her next destination. Earlier in the week, the Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness star attended a special promo screening with some of the cast and crew for His Three Daughters at The Soho Hotel in London. The drama stars Olsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne as three estranged sisters who put their differences aside at least temporarily to come together to care for their ailing father. 'From writerdirector Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers) comes this bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days,' the synopsis reads. Along with Coon, Lyonne, and Olsen, the cast features Rudy Galvan, Jose Febus, Jasmine Bracey, Jay O. Sanders and Jovan Adepo. The film will be released in select theaters in the US on September 6, before its streaming debut on Netflix on September 20. Olsen also landed the lead role in the sci-fi thriller The Assessment, directed by Fleur Fortune, in her feature length debut, with a screenplay by Dave Thomas, Nell Garfath-Cox and John Donnelly. 'Set in a near future where parenthood is strictly controlled, the film charts a couples seven-day assessment for the right to have a child, but the ordeal ends up unraveling into into a psychological nightmare,' according to Deadline. It has a story written by Pat Cunnane, and Elizabeth stars with Miles Teller, Callum Turner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John Early, and Olga Merediz. The ensemble flaunted Elizabeth's toned legs, and she also sported cool dark sunglasses The actress was again seen in Midtown Manhattan en route to her guest appearance on the Today show at the NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center Elizabeth was led by security to the NBC Studios for her appearance on the Today show The leading lady has been out en force promoting the first of three new films in the pipeline Written, directed, and produced by Azazel Jacobs, His Three Daughters stars Olsen (center), Carrie Coon (left) and Natasha Lyonne (right) as three estranged sisters who come back together to care for their ailing father Along with His Three Daughters, Olsen has two other films in the can, including the sci-fi thriller The Assessment and the romantic comedy Eternity; pictured in His Three Daughters The Assessment is slated to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8. So far there hasn't been an official word on when the movie will make its widespread release in theaters. Most recently, Olsen wrapped up the shoot for the upcoming romantic comedy film Eternity that's being directed by David Freyne. With a story written by Pat Cunnane, the cast has Elizabeth Olsen starring with Miles Teller, Callum Turner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John Early, and Olga Merediz. Fans have taken to social media to criticise Rebel Wilson after the actress nabbed a free stay in a life-sized Polly Pocket Airbnb. The Australian actress, 44, jetted to the US with fiancee Ramona Agruma, 40, and daughter Royce, 22 months, to preview Airbnb's 'Icon experience', which gives guests the chance to book a one-night stay in a life-sized version of the iconic toy's compact doll house in Massachusetts. Taking to Instagram on Friday, Rebel posted a series of shots from the stay while gushing about the unique experience. 'So yesterday I took the family to Boston for an epic @airbnb Icon experience,' the Pitch Perfect star wrote. 'The team has recreated EXACTLY the classic Polly Pocket compact and it was the cutest thing imaginable! 'Thanks @airbnb for gifting us this incredible trip and to @bchesky for treating us! I feel so lucky us girls got to do this,' she added, tagging the CEO of AirBnB Brian Chesky. Rebel's fans weren't so impressed with her junket, with many hitting the comments to slam the actress, who boasts an impressive property portfolio. 'Crazy how people who can afford the clothes, make up, jewelry, vacations, etc always get gifted these things for free to advertise to the millions of poor people who can't afford it and let it effect them negatively because of it,' one fan scolded. Fans have taken to social media to slam Rebel Wilson after the actress nabbed a free stay in a life-sized Polly Pocket AirBnB in Massachusetts 'It's so backwards.' Another added a similar sentiment with: 'Why do millionaires get gifted trips?' One fan chimed in claiming that exclusive experiences such as this were only reserved to the rich and connected. 'I'm so glad celebrities get these but us normal people can't even get through to book it,' they said. The criticism didn't end there, with another fan claiming it was a 'bad look' to gift celebrities free accommodation. Taking to Instagram on Friday, Rebel posted a series of shots from the stay while gushing about the unique experience. Pictured: Ramona Agruma 'Gotta love @airbnb funding a trip for a rich person and charging regular people. Bad look,' they said. Others however were quick to point out that arrangements like this were a foundation of public relations and marketing. 'Because they post to their social media and millions of poor people get to see it and then pay for the experience. How promoting works sadly,' one fan commented. The property is based on the Slumber Party Fun compact, one of Polly Pocket's original play sets which debuted in 1989. Rebel's fans weren't so impressed with her junket with many hitting the comments to slam the actress. rebel is pictured with 22-month-old daughter Royce The new Airbnb listing, registered to Polly herself, invites guests to get ready at her vanity, which is stuffed with nostalgic hair and nail accessories. '90s kids rule at sleepovers. But you already knew that. So I wanted this sleepover to feel like youre still actually in the 90s!' the listing reads. 'Just picture itcrafting, throwback snacks, Polaroid cameras it's going to be AMAZING. Basically, I turned my Slumber Party Fun compact into a time machine where your imagination can run wild. Because there's no greater adventure than the one you create for yourself.' The 12-metre-tall home features two stories filled with colorful plastic furniture, and naturally, some of Polly Pockets iconic rubber clothing. 'Crazy how people who can afford the clothes, make up, jewelry, vacations, etc always get gifted these things for free to advertise to the millions of poor people who can't afford it,' one fan wrote 'Gotta love @airbnb funding a trip for a rich person and charging regular people. Bad look,' another said. It sleeps four guests, not in the compact itself, but an Action Park tent (also based on a vintage playset) near to the life-sized playground. The unique Airbnb is only open for overnight stays from September 12 to 14 and costs $89 (70) per person. In 2023, Airbnb put up Rebel, Ramona, and Royce in a stunning Bondi Beach penthouse while the Hollywood name filmed her directorial debut in Australia. 'Directing a movie is really hard, but its made easier when Airbnb hooks me up with this amazing penthouse on Bondi Beach, Sydney,' the Bridesmaids star wrote in the caption of her promotional post at the time. A shocking video has emerged of what appears to be Shia LaBeouf as he prepares to fight a group of men outside a pub in Edinburgh. A man, believed to be the Hollywood actor, was heard shouting 'let's go, Im right here, m**********r,' near the OX184 bar last weekend. Footage shows the bearded man, throwing off his cap before raising his fists, with two other men jumping in to hold him back. Dressed in a black padded jacket and jeans he walks up and down the street while shouting at an unknown male. Shia is in Scotland while his wife Mia Goth films for the upcoming Frankenstein film, the couple have been spotted in both Edinburgh and Glasgow over the past week. A shocking video has emerged of Shia LaBeouf as he prepares to fight a group of men outside a pub in Edinburgh The Hollywood actor, 38, was heard shouting 'lets go, Im right here, m**********r,' outside the the OX184 bar last weekend According to The Sun, a bar worker saw the actor in Whistlebinkies pub on the Friday night where he 'was nothing but nice,' the video was recorded on Saturday. They told the publication: 'He was in there on the Friday. He was nothing but nice to people in there. 'Everyone said he was nothing but lovely. 'Apparently the stuff that happened in the video was the day after. I knew something had kicked off, but something kicks off in the Cowgate every day.' MailOnline has contacted Shia LaBeouf's representative for comment. Last week's incident in Edinburgh follows a string of controversies that have continued to cast a shadow over the troubled actor for the last few years. In 2011 he was also filmed being punched to the ground by a shirtless man outside the Cinema Public House in Vancouver, before getting up and staggering away. Shia has been arrested six times, with the latest taking place in 2017 where he was detained for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness Shia LaBeouf is seen ahead of his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in November 2019 Shia LaBeouf and his current partner Mia Goth are seen in Hollywood on August 30, 2014 in Los Angeles. The pair separated in 2018 before getting back together in 2020 In 2014, he was arrested after disturbing a performance of the musical Cabaret on Broadway in New York. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct violation and received outpatient care for alcohol addiction. Shia was also arrested for a drunken scuffle in New York City in 2017. He was arrested again in the same year for disorderly conduct in Savannah, Georgia when he became aggressive towards a police officer he had asked for a cigarette. In another incident in 2020, Shia was reportedly charged with battery and theft after getting into a verbal argument with a man in Los Angeles. In that same year, the Transformers star was accused of sexual battery, assault, and emotional distress by his former girlfriend FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, who filed a lawsuit against him. Among the allegations, she accused him of violently attacking and strangling her, knowingly infecting her with an STD, and physical and verbal violence. FKA Twigs attends the Polo Ralph Lauren and British Vogue day during Wimbledon in 2021 Shia and FKA Twigs dated for just under a year in 2018, after meeting on the set of American drama Honey Boy. The couple are pictured in Paris in that year Shia LaBeouf and FKA Twigs attend the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019 The couple dated for just under a year in 2018, after meeting on the set of American drama Honey Boy', with FKA Twigs later accusing him of 'relentless abuse' and 'knowingly passing on a sexually transmitted disease'. FKA Twigs said her relationship with the actor was 'the worst thing Ive ever been through in the whole of my life'. Shia appeared on fellow actor Jon Bernthal's Real Ones podcast in 2022 where he addressed the lawsuit and the claims made by his ex, without naming her directly or referring to FKA Twigs' specific allegations. He admitted in the interview: 'I hurt that woman. And in the process of doing that, I hurt many other people, and many other people before that woman. 'I was a pleasure-seeking, selfish, self-centered, dishonest, inconsiderate, fearful human being ... When I think about what my life has become, and what it is now, like what my purpose is now ... I need to be useful. Shia later branded FKA Twigs 'a saint', adding that if she had not 'intervened in my life... I'd either have a really mediocre existence or I'd be dead in full.' The lawsuit came around five years after an unsettling video appeared online showing Shia saying he 'would have killed' his then girlfriend Mia Goth following an argument at a hotel in Germany. Shia appeared on actor Jon Bernthal's Real Ones podcast in 2022 where he addressed the lawsuit Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth out and about in Los Angeles, California, in 2014 Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth attend the Fury film premier at the 58th BFI London Film Festival in 2014 Shia was apparently trying to leave to go to the airport, before the actress, who is now his wife, took his backpack in a bid to get him to stay. He is seen on camera, saying to Mia: 'I dont wanna touch you. I dont wanna be aggressive. This is the kind of s*** that makes a person abusive.' Eventually, Shia gets his bag off Mia and leaves with the locals, talking to them in the car about the fight. He continued: 'If Id have stayed there, I would have killed her Its hard bro really f***ed up in your heart.' Mia and Shia have had an on and off relationship in the last few years, having first met in 2012 and later marrying in 2016. The couple then separated in 2018 after filing for divorce. Shia and Mia reconciled in 2020, and it was revealed that the latter was pregnant with the couple's child in 2022. Mia gave birth in March of that year. The couple were pictured in public for the first time in six months in June this year as they appeared to be heading away for a short break. Shia was seen with his on-off wife Mia for the first time in six months in California in June Shia and Mia appeared to be heading away for a short break as he was seen pushing their luggage through Pasadena in June earlier this year Shia will next star in Francis Ford Coppola's new movie Megalopolis, set for release September 27, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The renowned film director, 85, previously admitted he purposefully included canceled actors in the film, later doubling down on his decision. The controversial group of actors include Shia, who was publicly accused of assaulting former girlfriends in 2020, as well as Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. Francis was caught up in controversy himself after he was accused of unprofessional behavior and kissing women on set. He told Rolling Stone in an interview published on Sunday that he wanted the diverse and divisive group to be 'all working on one film together.' 'What I didn't want to happen is that we're deemed some woke Hollywood production that's simply lecturing viewers,' he said. 'The cast features people who were canceled at one point or another. 'There were people who are archconservatives and others who are extremely politically progressive,' he said. 'But we were all working on one film together. That was interesting, I thought.' Shia is in Scotland while his wife Mia Goth films for the upcoming Frankenstein film, the couple have been spotted in both Edinburgh and Glasgow over the past week (pictured in May) Shia will next star in Francis Ford Coppola 's new movie Megalopolis, with the renowned film director, 85, previously admitting he purposefully included 'canceled' actors in the film (pictured in May) The controversial cast for his movie includes Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight. Coppola explained that he wanted the diverse and divisive group to be 'all working on one film together' (pictured in May) Francis also explained that he wanted to 'start a conversation' with the movie and redirect people to 'really look at why this country is so divided right now.' The director went on to share what he respected about each of the 'canceled' stars, who have at one point or another been involved in newsworthy controversies. Megalopolis, which also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Grace VanderWaal and Chloe Fineman among many others in addition to the aforementioned actors, is a Roman epic set in an imagined Modern America. The logline for the upcoming science-fiction drama reads: 'The city of New Rome is the main conflict between Cesar Catilina (Driver), a brilliant artist in favor of a utopian future, and the greedy mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito). Between them is Julia Cicero (Emmanuel), her loyalty divided between her father and her beloved.' A scary scene transpired during Chris D'elia's stand-up show when a man sitting in the front row seemingly suffered a seizure. It all went down at the Levity Live in the Oxnard neighborhood in Southern California last weekend, and was captured in a video that was shared on his personal Instagram page, according to TMZ. Instead of stopping the show altogether, the comedian continued with his show by reacting to the emergency situation that unfolded before his very eyes, just a few feet in front of him in the front row. 'Too soon,' a man yelled out from where that man had been sitting in the front row, which set D'elia off on a 13-minute bit where he ranted about what he had just witnessed, as well as a question-and-answer session about the man's condition. Just seconds after the man nearly fell back off his chair, D'Elia asked if he was okay several times from the stage with his microphone. A scary scene transpired during Chris D'elia's stand-up show last weekend when a man sitting in the front row seemingly suffered a seizure at the Levity Live in Oxnard, California, according to TMZ After a few more moments, when it appeared the man was all right, the New Jersey native kept asking about his condition: 'You all right, bro?' he said with genuine concern. 'F*** yeah, a round if applause for this guy who almost died,' the New Jersey native declared, which got a rousing applause from people in the audience. 'You're all right, you're good right? Is that something that happens?' he asked the stricken man. After the man confirmed he was okay, it took just a few more seconds for D'Elia and everyone else at the venue to realize that this guy was not all right, and that he began to seize again. 'No, no he's not okay,' the You star corrected himself, before suggesting that they lay the guy down: 'We should call an ambulance, somebody?' A couple guys then carry the man away from the seating area away from the stage to get him medical attention 'A round of applause,' D'elia says, and then proceeds to get on with the show by reacting to what just happened. 'Let's do the show,' he announced, before adding, 'Let's walk with him,' in a reference to the man who had the seizure. 'Woah, that's crazy. I guess that Pride Month bit really hit him hard,' he joked, which got a reaction from another fan who was sitting in that front area, who yelled, 'Too soon.' A man sitting in the front row was captured having a seizure in a video The man's head slowly began to fall as the seizure started, and he fell forward, then backward in his chair, before someone next to him caught him. D'elia stopped the show to ask if the man was all right several times at the beginning of the show 'Too soon. It happened now during the comedy show. What do you mean too soon. What am I supposed to do, a f***ing monologue from a Tennessee Williams play?' 'Too soon. It's the Goddamn comedy club; this s**t happened in the front row. It didn't happen back there. You guys are like, "Be cool dude." Well, f**k you dude.' he shot back. 'You know how hard this s**t right now and the guy almost died.' In all, D'elia did a bit on the man and his seizures for almost 15 minutes, which included the storytelling and a Q-and-A with people about the man and his condition. He also chats with some coworkers of the dude who needed to be taken away, and they say he's going to be fine. It's been 20 years and this has been the weirdest show I have ever done. Guy has a seizure in the front row and almost dies,' the comedian revealed about midway through his 13-minute bit. The scary incident comes four years after D'Elia was first accused of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment beginning in 2020. In interviews with Rolling Stone, 10 women accused him of predatory behavior, four of which claimed they were teenagers when the comic allegedly preyed on them. D'Elia is alleged to have asked the women for sexual images and videos, asked for sexual favors in exchange for free tickets to his shows, sexually solicited them on social media, tracked their locations, picked out outfits, imposed curfews and even forced some of them to get a tattoo of his initials. In the immediate aftermath, DElia was dropped by his talent agents, and some of his famous friends and colleagues publicly turned against him. 'Too soon,' a man yelled out from where that man had been sitting in the front row, which set D'elia off on a 13-minute bit where he ranted about what he had just witnessed, as well as a Q & A about the man's condition 'Too soon. It's the Goddamn comedy club; this s*** happened in the front row,' D'elia said. 'It didn't happen back there. You guys are like, "Be cool dude." Well, f*** you dude.' he shot back. 'You know how hard this s*** right now and the guy almost died' The scary situation at the comedy club comes four years after DElia was accused of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment beginning in 2020 He would confess to becoming addicted to sex in a video he released in 2021. DElia has generally denied the claims made against him over the years, but at times has not provided direct answers to multiple detailed requests for comment on specific allegations. One of the accusers who filed a lawsuit against DElia voluntarily withdrew the legal action a little over a month after it was initially filed. He has since mounted his comeback as a stand-up comedian, and got married to his longtime partner Kristin Taylor in June 2022. Sunrise star Natalie Barr put on a brave face after work as she stepped out with co-host Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington amid colleague Edwina Bartholomew's cancer battle. Just hours earlier, the breakfast show presenter, 56, was seen clinging to Edwina's hand as she tearfully announced her shocking diagnosis live on-air. Now the Seven star has made an appearance at the Sydney Everest Carnival Long Lunch in Randwick on Friday, dressed head-to-toe in eye-catching baby blue. Natalie slipped into a flowing blue chiffon cape which she draped over a matching jumpsuit as she cinched in her waist with a beige belt. The co-anchor matched her accessories with a pair of beige pumps, gold half hoop earrings and a baby blue fascinator. Natalie looked radiant with a bronzed eye and nude lip as she framed her ageless features with loose curls in her brunette bob. On her arm, Shirvo, 45, looked dashing in a navy blue suit and white button down which he paired with a lighter blue tie. Just hours earlier, Edwina, 41, thanked Natalie for prompting her to get tested for cancer and ultimately discovering her illness. Sunrise star Natalie Barr, 56, (right) put on a brave face after work as she stepped out with co-host Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington, 45, (left) amid colleague Edwina Bartholomew's cancer battle The TV star fought back tears on Friday's Sunrise show as she admitted: 'I have been diagnosed with cancer. 'That's a shock to say and hard to say,' she continued, her voice breaking with emotion. 'It is a really good kind. It is called chronic myeloid leukaemia. It can be treated with a daily tablet. If I can take care of myself, I will be completely fine.' While chronic myeloid leukaemia, a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, can be managed, it can become very serious if left untreated. Edwina revealed her co-star Natalie was to thank for getting diagnosed quickly. Just hours earlier, the breakfast show presenter was seen clinging to Edwina's, 41, (left) hand as she tearfully announced her shocking diagnosis live on-air Now the Seven star has made an appearance at the Sydney Everest Carnival Long Lunch in Randwick on Friday, looking a treat to the eye in baby blue Natalie had a similar scare in June when a skin cancer was found on her nose, and she spoke out about it on Sunrise at the time. 'I had a pimple on my nose that wouldn't go away, plus I reckon it had been a couple of years since I had a skin check, so I went to the dermatologist,' Natalie said. 'He said it was skin cancer this tiny little dot on my nose. The good thing is I got it really early, and there's not much treatment.' Natalie shared her story to inspire others to get checked, and just moments after the segment aired, Edwina picked up her phone and booked her own appointment. A month later, in July, Bartholomew received her shocking diagnosis, which she chose to keep private, confiding only in a few close friends at work. Natalie slipped into a flowing blue chiffon cape which she draped over a matching jumpsuit as she cinched in her waist with a beige belt The co-anchor matched her accessories with a pair of beige pumps, gold half hoop earrings and a baby blue fascinator 'I feel very, very lucky and I wanted to share this with you for a couple of reasons,' Edwina eventually told Sunrise viewers on Friday. 'Firstly, because everyone at home and here has been here for all the wonderful times, for the engagements, and the weddings and the babies, for all of us. It felt right to share this with you too. 'Many of you have been in similar situations or much, much worse and come out the other side stronger... and more resilient. That's exactly what I plan to do.' Edwina said the other reason she wished to share her sad news was because she wanted to encourage others to get checked. Natalie looked radiant with a bronzed eye and nude lip as she framed her ageless features with loose curls in her brunette bob 'Particularly for mums who always take care of everyone else, please take care of yourself too. And just check in with your doctor,' she said. She thanked all her co-stars for their support, singling out Natalie in particular 'for constantly checking in and [providing] all the meals as well'. Edwina then nodded her head to colleagues Monique Wright and Sally Bowrey 'who shuffled around their family commitments so I could take care of mine'. After thanking her bosses at Sunrise, Edwina revealed she will be 'taking time off in September' before cutting down her work at Sunrise to a few days a week. The grandson of Hollywood star Paul Hogan has confessed to a string of crimes in a desperate bid to get one last chance at shaking his uncontrollable ice addiction. Jake Paul Hogan pleaded guilty to a series of petty crimes on Friday to fast track his case to NSW Drug Court and immediately entered a prison rehabilitation program. Downing Centre Local Court Magistrate Sharon Freund was told Hogan had taken the Drug Court option to enter the special detox unit, which requires inmates to enter guilty pleas. Hogan, 34, is hopelessly hooked on meth and will be placed in the Compulsory Drug Treatment Correctional Centre at Parklea prison, 40km west of Sydney. His strict new prison regime will bring a grim new reality where he will have no privacy - even while on the toilet - in his bid to be drug-free and earn his release. He will spend the next six months in closed detention undergoing therapeutic intervention, then a further six months in semi-open detention. When eventually released on parole, he will still have to undergo urine analysis three times a week at the Parklea centre. Specially-designed toilets with windows allow staff to watch the men give their urine sample and ensure theyre not trying to evade detection of drug use. Crococdile Dundee star Paul Hogan's once good-looking grandson Jake Hogan (above) looks worse for wear since an alleged return to ice after his release from prison After agreeing to have his case turned over to the drug court, Jake Hogan is likely to be now in closed detention inside Parklea jail's Compulsory Drug Treatment Centre (above) The Drug Court system is designed for prisoners like Hogan, whose offences are directly related to their drug addiction. Violent offenders or armed robbers do not qualify. While Hogan has been repeatedly caught with vehicle and housebreaking implements, including wire cutters and adjustable wrenches and spanners, he hasn't been charged with violent offences. Jake, whose famous grandfather is best known for his legendary Crocodile Dundee films, has had a high number of arrests and breaches since he became hooked on ice three years ago. His prior charges including custody of a knife in a public place, malicious damage, drug possession, shoplifting, bicycle theft and possessing stolen goods. He was given a chance at freedom to turn his life around when his father made a mercy dash from New Zealand and a magistrate released Jake into his custody. But Hogan breached the community order he had been given when his dad Todd flew in from New Zealand and with Jake's sister Lara pleaded for his release in May. Jake fell almost straight back onto meth, with photos exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia showing the once handsome young carpenter looking skinny and ice-ravaged. When Jake was freed from Silverwater jail after a mercy dash by his dad Todd, he looked more like his younger self, but fell back into ice within a short time of his release When he earns his freedom again after about a year of treatment, Jake Hogan will still have to report three times a week back at Parklea where specially-designed toilets with windows (above) allow staff to watch the men give their urine sample Todd, one of Paul Hogan's five children with first wife, Noelene, promised to help Jake stick to court-imposed conditions, including abstaining from drugs and alcohol, not committing other offences and appearing in court as required. After being released from Silverwater prison in May, Hogan went to live with his father at Edgecliff Lodge Motel in Sydney's east. But he reportedly snubbed a quiet life of family dinners, preferring instead to meet up with friends for nights out on the town. Within eight days of his release, police arrested Jake for an earlier alleged theft of a bike and around midnight on July 27, Hogan was arrested again in Glebe in Sydney's inner west. He was charged with possession of 1.5g of methamphetamine and also possessing housebreaking implements including an adjustable spanner. When he failed to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on August 2, Magistrate Clare Farnan issued a warrant for his arrest and police brought him in six days later. He was charged with another earlier crime - stealing a black Trek Marlin mountain bike, reckless destroying a bike cage fence and entering enclosed lands at Woolloomooloo in February. He was also charged with shoplifting a Red Bull energy drink and two oat health slices worth a total of $9.60 from Woolworths in July. The Proactive Crime Unit in Kings Cross also charged him with possessing vehicle breaking implements at Kingsford in June, and he is also charged with contravening an AVO. By pleading guilty to all charges against him and attending prison rehab while having his case transferred to the drug court, Jake Hogan may earn another chance at getting out of jail, although on very strict conditions. Jake and his dad Todd in Sydney before the young carpenter allegedly went off the rails on the drug ice and began breaking into premises and stealing bikes A recent photo of Jake Hogan after his release from prison and allegedly returning to methamphetamine use amid an arrest for several theft and other charges The former carpenter once had a nice home, car, steady job and a girlfriend he hoped to marry - but his life took a downward spiral earlier this year when the relationship ended. Jake's decline is partly blamed on the fact he allegedly never got over the death of his mother, Marie, who suffered from multiple sclerosis and died when Jake was aged 17 in 2006. In May, Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund told Todd Hogan and Jake's sister Lara that she was more inclined to release Jake from behind bars because of the family's show of strength. 'This is a young man who needs some scaffolding,' the magistrate said. 'He totally has the opportunity to turn his life around.' Jake's famous grandfather, who has won the Golden Globe Best Actor in a musical or comedy for his breakout role of Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee in 1987, lives in Los Angeles. Paul Hogan also has a son, Chance, who he had with second wife, and Crocodile Dundee co-star, Linda Kozlowski, living in the US. Todd Hogan, the son of Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, and his daughter Lara leave Downing Centre courts after coming to the rescue of Jake, and securing his freedom from jail The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Mary Cosby garnered plenty of reactions to an image she posted of herself, getting a number of compliments, as well as skepticism to how much editing had been done on the image. The reality star, 51, on Tuesday took to X/Twitter with a screenshot of herself from the show's forthcoming fifth season with the caption, 'Confessional look for s5 #RHOSLC.' The Bravo personality, who is a full-time cast member during this season after spending season four as a friend, is seen donning a shiny red dress with matching earrings in the shot, with her light brown locks parted. Some users said it appeared that Cosby - who appears to clash with costar Meredith Marks, 52, in the forthcoming season - used an app or filter to alter her appearance in the image she posted. 'God works hard, but @facetune works harder,' one fan said, while another asked, 'What filter did she use?? Because they ain't how she look.' The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Mary Cosby, 51, garnered plenty of reactions to an image she posted of herself, getting a number of compliments, as well as skepticism to how much editing had been done on the image The Bravo personality, who is a full-time cast member during this season after spending season four as a friend, was pictured in 2021 One user suggested, 'Now Mary CHILL with the faceapp,' while another remarked, 'Easy with the filter.' One user said, 'The FaceTune is FACETUNING!' adding that they were 'screenshotting to compare to the real thing when it airs.' Another user suggested that the appearance of Cosby - who has a business called Mari Marta' Couture - had been as result of a cosmetic procedure: 'Can you say Botox? Or fillers? Or surgery of some kind.' Said one user: 'Auntie I aint recognize you! Im seeing a bit of Mia from [Real Housewives of Potomac] mixed with facetune i- you look fab without!' Cosby, who describes herself as an entrepreneur, event specialist, philanthropist and spiritual leader on her Instagram page, received a bevy of compliments for the post as well. Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Judge said, 'Looking beautiful, Mary!' while a tweet from Bravo's official account read, 'We must confess: we love this look!' Another user suggested that 'we are currently in the Maryssance' while one said, 'Okay but face card never declines!!' A user said that Cosby looked 'gorgeous' while another said they were 'happy' she was in a more prominent spot, and 'can finally watch [the show] again;' while one said she had the 'best confessional look.' Some users said it appeared that Cosby used an app or filter to alter her appearance in the image she posted Another user suggested that the appearance of Cosby had been as result of a cosmetic procedure A number of other users had complimentary words for Cosby, with one saying she had the 'best confessional look' One commenter said that Cosby's ensemble in the clip marked 'her best look yet,' while another remarked, 'You look absolutely stunning!! Best dressed on the show and you can tell who the REAL fashion girl is!!' A user said, 'Yaaaas Mary to this glam squad. Pls keep them on payroll' while another chimed in, 'BEAUTIFUL! Gurl, you look GREAT! I hope we get to see A LOT more of you this season. Honey, youre the only reason I watch .' Cosby's elevated role in the upcoming season clearly brings a measure of buzz to the Utah-based series, as she has past made headlines for her controversial clashes with castmates such as Whitney Rose, Heather Gay, Jennie Nguyen and Jen Shah. Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Judge said, 'Looking beautiful, Mary!' A tweet from Bravo's official account read, 'We must confess: we love this look!' Cosby and castmate Meredith Marks appear to be at odds during the forthcoming season Not all users were enthusiastic about Cosby's comeback to the show Not all users were enthusiastic about Cosby's comeback to the show, as one asked, 'Get off our screens please,' while another remarked, 'Not sure why you keep coming back ... other than the paycheck.' In a preview for the show's upcoming season last month, Cosby asked Marks to leave her home during a brunch based on Breakfast at Tiffany's. She called her a 'a sneaky little, snarky little something' in the clip. Cosby was seen telling Marks that she's 'not always the victim' in a separate exchange in which Marks responded that Cosby had used her for three years. RHOSLC's fifth season debuts on Bravo September 18 at 9/8c. Sacked news reporter Robert Ovadia has sensationally quit his lawsuit against Channel Seven as the stress on his family takes too heavy a toll. The decision to abandon his wrongful dismissal suit comes after the Seven Network opened a up 'dirt file' claiming multiple women had complained about the TV veteran. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Ovadia's lawyer John Laxon said: 'Robert has advised he is discontinuing legal action for personal reasons. 'While he strongly rejects the allegations of serious misconduct made against him, the emotional and financial toll of proceeding with legal action is something his family can no longer bear. 'And I entirely understand his position.' According to the original statement of claim filed in the Federal Court by Ovadia's barrister, Andrew Gotting, and read out in court, Ovadia claims the incidents he was purportedly terminated for in June do not amount to sexual harassment. 'No reasonable employer could have formed the view that the conduct amounted to sexual harassment, the photo was not coduct of a sexual nature.' Seven's 'reasons' for sacking Ovadia included several cartoon images of a female, with a woman staffer's face superimposed over them, plus a picture of a flaccid penis sent by Ovadia to a male over a story about a man named 'Mr Dick'. Ovadia hit back at 'evil' Seven Network bosses this week after his own daughter asked him a heartbreaking question in the wake of his sudden sacking. Sacked reporter Robert Ovadia has sensationally dropped his case against the Seven Network Seven's own barrister told the Federal Court last week that 'even if they (Seven) didn't have a basis to primarily terminate the applicant's employment at that time, the conduct that has come to light subsequently does provide a basis.' In the Federal Court last week, Seven alleged that '13 more women' have made complaints against the former star reporter. Ovadia hit back on social media, posting on Instagram that the devastating allegations had been propaganda cobbled up by 'evil' TV bosses. He said he had received a chilling death threat, and the claim had prompted Ovadia's teenage daughter to ask her father if people would now think her 'dad is a rapist'. On Tuesday, Ovadia, 51, posted that he was now braced for more dirt allegations in the increasingly bitter row. 'I'll expect more smear over the coming months as this evil company (in whose service I risked my life and safety many times) now seeks to destroy my reputation further,' he added. The death threat, from a man who posts images of guns on his Instagram page, read: 'Hey ringworm. When do you want to be brutally murdered?' Sacked Seven reporter Robert Ovadia has received both a death threat and a heartbreaking question Robert Ovadia branded Seven network 'evil' in his post on social media Ovadia said he had also been flooded with messages of support since Seven filed the new allegations. The Walkley Award-winning journalist has repeatedly and vehemently denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct on his part during his 23-year career at Seven. Posting a series of the messages received, he added: 'Feel free to scroll through a few recent interactions with women I've worked with vs Seven's Propaganda Unit. 'I can be crass, I can be blunt, I can be obnoxious, my humour is dark - 20 years surrounded by trauma and danger will do all of that to you. 'But I do NOT mistreat women. At least the Four Corners hatchet job got one thing right - the Seven Network is diabolical.' Ovadia was sacked in June over two Seven newsroom image exchanges and filed a suit in the Federal Court for wrongful dismissal. His now abandoned legal claim against the Seven Network and Seven West Medias news and editor-in-chief, Anthony De Ceglie, was due to have another file management meeting this coming week. Since last week's filing, Ovadia posted messages of support he said he'd received. One female former colleague posted: 'All the girls I worked alongside with you loved the playfulness ... the cheeky big kid side of you, never knowing what we were in for except that (work was) going to be fun and made that little easier though all of us interacting like that! 'There would be some long depressing nights without it. You're the furthest thing from a bully or anything of the kind. This is all so incomprehensible. 'We wouldn't want you to ever have to feel like you couldn't be yourself as a result of such ridiculous allegations. It's incredibly unfair.' Sacked Seven reporter Robert Ovadia has received a death threat and had his own teenage daughter ask a heartbreaking question in the wake of his sacking Ovadia's supporters have emerged since the former veteran reporter filed an unfair dismissal suit against Seven and its boss Anthony de Ceglie (above) In another comment sent to Ovadia, a male supporter wrote: 'I place you in the same category as your former colleague Chris Reason in that you are a seasoned professional. 'I like many others do not believe the stories being circulated about you. Keep up the good fight and may you be victorious.' When Seven stood down the veteran Sydney reporter, the network said it would conduct an internal investigation into allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour'. Ovadia was initially accused of creating edited photos and a caricature of a female, 'Person A', and sending those to that person, an act which did not constitute sexual harassment, his statement of claim to the court said. Two of the images of cartoon woman representing a colleague - are dismissed by the reporter as just among reporters' exchanges in the Seven newsroom Abba fans were left bitterly disappointed this week as the group revealed the release their latest greatest hits album for an eye-watering sum. On Thursday, the Swedish legends announced that they'll be dropping a 38-track compilation on four vinyl records featuring their biggest tracks from over the years. However, music lovers will have to fork out plenty of money money money as the complication - The Singles The First Fifty Years - will set them back a whopping 96. While the special edition, which is released on October 25th, had some fans demanding 'gimme gimme gimme', others declared no thank you for the music as they complained at the hefty price, with one seething it was an 'absolute rip off!' Taking to the comments of Abba's Instagram announcement, as well as on X, fans made their feelings clear. Abba fans were left bitterly disappointed this week as the group revealed the release their latest greatest hits album for an eye-watering sum [the group in 1976] On Thursday, the Swedish legends announced that they'll be dropping a 38-track compilation on four vinyl records featuring their biggest tracks from over the years [Bjorn Ulvaeus pictured] They wrote: 'Another greatest hits .. seriously. Nothing new here just a money grab sadly as only OG fans will pay 95 for a 4 LP set of songs they already have.' 'I can't really see the point of another ABBA compilation. The majority of the tracks on The Singles - The First Fifty Years are on ABBA GOLD and MORE GOLD, and the "singles" from Voyage just don't stand up to comparison. No need to shell out for it.' 'What a absolute rip off 96 for tracks we've already got. And on 140 grm vinyl not the usual 180grm.' '95? Holy crap!'; 'you're going to make me poor!' The latest compilation album is an expansion of Abba's The Singles The First Ten Years, which was originally released back in 1982. As well as all the popular tracks including Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia, it will also feature songs from the groups final studio album Voyage, which dropped in 2021, as well as additional songs not available on other compilations. Fans splashing out on the soft cover bound book will also be treated to a 24-page illustrated booklet including liner notes and unseen images of the band. However, followers of the group not willing to part with 95.99 can also get their hands on the same compilation on a 2CD special, which will cost them 16.99. The latest compilation album is an expansion of Abba's The Singles The First Ten Years, which was originally released back in 1982 [pictured] However, music lovers will have to fork out plenty of money money money as the complication - The Singles The First Fifty Years - will set them back a whipping 96 [L-R Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson] While the special edition, which is released on October 25th, had some fans demanding 'gimme gimme gimme', others declared no thank you for the music Taking to the comments of Abba's Instagram announcement, as well as on X, fans made their feelings clear It comes after Abba's Bjorn Ulvaeus revealed back in June that he thinks it is a 'stupid' name and said he and his bandmates Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad really wanted to call themselves 'the Northern Lights'. Ulvaeus said the Swedish supergroup, who went on to sell more than 385 million records after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, didn't come up with the name but had it imposed on them. The 79-year-old said to Rosebud podcast that he didn't like it at the time and his opinion of it hasn't changed. Ulvaeus added: 'We didn't have a choice in the matter. 'I thought it was such a stupid name. And it is. 'I had thought we should have a cool name like the Rolling Stones, or something like that. The Northern Lights was one of our thoughts and here we are with Abba.' Gigi Hadid enjoyed a fun girls' night out with Helena Christense at the Caviar Kaspia dinner during New York Fashion Week on Thursday night. The supermodel, 29, let her hair down following her romantic getaway with boyfriend Bradley Cooper. Gigi put on a very leggy display in a suede mini skirt and oversized jacket, teamed with croc knee-high boots. Danish model Helena, 55, exuded glamour in a stylish red suit, complemented with a pale pink vest top. The modelling duo caught up over dinner as they both attended the star-studded NYFW event. Gigi Hadid, 29, enjoyed a fun girls' night out with Helena Christense, 55, at the Caviar Kaspia dinner during New York Fashion Week on Thursday night The supermodel let her hair down following her romantic getaway with boyfriend Bradley Cooper Over the weekend, Bradley and Gigi were seen kissing on a luxury yacht in Italy. The pair who were first romantically linked last year in October embraced and also kissed while underneath a shady area. Lea was also on the weekend getaway to Europe with him and Bradley's mother Gloria also came along. Last week, Bradley and Gigi reached a milestone in their relationship when she was spotted for the first time with Lea as they touched down in Sardinia. They stepped out of a sleek, black SUV together after arriving to the island of Palmarola on a private jet. On the previous weekend, Bradley and Lea were guests at Taylor Swift's lavish Rhode Island mansion. In exclusive photos obtained by DailyMail.com, Bradley soaked up the summer sun with his seven-year-old daughter as they stood on a balcony and at one point, he flashed a big smile during a lighthearted moment. Insiders claim that the Wedding Crashers star is planning to propose to Gigi. Gigi put on a very leggy display in a suede mini skirt and oversized jacket, teamed with croc knee-high boots Danish model Helena exuded glamour in a stylish red suit, complemented with a pale pink vest top The modelling duo caught up over dinner as they both attended the star-studded NYFW event (pictured with Leah McCarthy and Natasha Poonawalla) Helena looked glamorous in her evening ensemble Gigi posed for a snap with Ramon Mac Crohon and Helena Christensen As she departed the event, Gigi posed for photos in her stylish attire Gigi teamed her autumnal ensemble with a chic Miu Miu handbag Gigi struck a pose before she headed into the lavish eatery Sipping on a glass of vino, Helena looked in visted in a conversation with Mark Guiducci and a guest Gigi was all smiles inside the event At one point, Gigi was in fits of laughter as she hugged Charlie Hestini Helena showcased her age-defying beauty in the strappy pale pink top Gigi appeared incredibly pleased to see a guest Over the weekend, the Silver Linings Playbook star was seen kissing Gigi on a luxury yacht in Italy. Seen here in February 2024 A source told DailyMail.com that Cooper has plans to propose to the model. 'Bradley has already determined that he is going to ask Gigi to marry him.' 'This is not even a question. They discussed family and marriage early on in their relationship. They have been committed to each other and to their plans for some time and now it is just a matter of when.' The insider added, 'Bradley only has a couple of projects currently in production but has nothing lined up after that.' 'He wants to take some time away to focus on this and give Gigi the attention and love she deserves.' Bradley shares daughter Lea with his ex-girlfriend, model Irina Shayk, 38, whom he was in a relationship with from 2015 to 2019. Kimberley Garner set pulses racing in a blue cut-out dress as she arrived at swanky private members' club Loulous in Mayfair, London on Thursday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 33, looked incredible in the stylish ensemble which boasted a structured bust, a cut-out panel at the waist, and a draped skirt. Flashing a glimpse of her toned midriff, Kimberley added inches to her frame with a pair of nude strappy stiletto heels. The beauty further accessorised her look with several silver bracelets and a cluster of rings. To complete her look, she styled her luscious blonde locks in a voluminous blowout for the evening and wore a flawless palette of makeup. Kimberley Garner set pulses racing in a blue cut-out dress as she arrived at swanky private members' club Loulous in Mayfair, London on Thursday The former Made In Chelsea star, 33, looked incredible in the stylish ensemble which boasted a structured bust, a cut-out panel at the waist, and a draped skirt The swimwear designer seemed in high spirits as she struck up a smile for the cameras while entering the venue. Kimberley's appearance comes after she recently revealed that she had 'just broken up with someone'. The star confirmed her relationship status at the screening of The Idea Of You at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, London. She told Eden Confidential: 'I've just broken up with someone. Right decision and I am in a really good place.' Kimberley's last known romance began in summer 2023, when it was revealed that she was going out with financier Andreas Anthis. Kimberley was spotted for the first time with Andreas last July, as they packed on the PDA while walking her dog Sasha in London. The reality star previously dated her MIC co-star Richard Dinan. Since finding fame on the show in 2012, Kimberley has made a name for herself as a successful swimsuit brand entrepreneur. Flashing a glimpse of her toned midriff, Kimberley added inches to her frame with a pair of nude strappy stiletto heels The beauty further accessorised her look with several silver bracelets and a cluster of rings To complete her look, she styled her luscious blonde locks in a voluminous blowout for the evening and wore a flawless palette of makeup Since finding fame on the show in 2012, Kimberley has made a name for herself as a successful swimsuit brand entrepreneur (seen in May at Cannes Film Festival) She recently spoke about the lengths she had to go to for her business to be taken seriously. The designer told MailOnline: 'I think people sometimes think that Im only the face, but I am responsible for every bit of the business.' 'I was 18 when I started my first company - I came up with an idea, stayed up for days learning how to register the company and teaching myself. It became very successful overnight.' Kimberley went on: 'However, as I was only 18, no one ever imagined it was mine. I was a young blonde girl with a soft voice.' 'So, I pretended to be the Intern! I handled all the meetings, phone calls, and emails for the company.' She finished: 'When it became a success, I put all the revenues into starting Kimberley London.' Lauren Goodger kept it casual in a trendy co-ord as she was seen out and about in Brentwood during TOWIE filming on Thursday. The reality star, 37, put on a very leggy display in a pair of black and white checked linen shorts and matching crop top. Flashing her ample cleavage through the ties of the top, Lauren completed the look with some white Chanel sandals and matching white leather handbag. Lauren was joined by pals Elma Pazar, Amy Childs, Saffron Lempriere as they headed to Giggling Squid for a catch up. It comes after Lauren revealed she is finally planning her breast reduction after previously being too scared and anxious go ahead with the surgery. Lauren Goodger put on a leggy display in skimpy checked co-ord while out and about in Brentwood for TOWIE filming on Thursday The reality star, 37, flashed her ample cleavage through the ties of the top Lauren has always been candid about the many enhancements she has undergone, after she underwent a breast augmentation surgery, transforming her 34D chest size to 34E in 2013. Earlier this week Lauren took to her Instagram Story as she opened up to her followers about her battle with anxiety. Looking sensational in a plunging ivy green and white cross body swimsuit she confided in her followers, confessing her anxiety has meant she has prevented her from undergoing surgeries and minor treatments. However she has officially started the steps to have her breasts reduced as she admitted she knows it will be 'healthier' for her not to have them anymore. She wrote: 'I have suffered tremendous anxiety due to things I've been through which led me to being caffeine and alcohol free but also stopped me being able go abroad on holiday or have surgery or so minor treatments I've been so bad with anxiety... 'I've even had panic attacks having hair dyed... I'm talking when you go through something so traumatic it really changes you and it's effected my life massively! 'I hate lifts or trains also some days I can't drive on motorway... But today I've spoke to the amazing @simonsmithsurgeon as I want to take the step to get my implants removed in my boobs... 'I do not want them I just need to get this done and I'm terrified but I know it's also much healthier for me and I don't need them anymore. I can't wait for my natural boobs back xxxx'. Lauren completed the look with some white Chanel sandals and matching white leather handbag Lauren was joined by pals Elma Pazar, Amy Childs, Saffron Lempriere as they headed to Giggling Squid for a catch up It comes after Lauren revealed she is finally planning her breast reduction after previously being too scared and anxious go ahead with the surgery And the star looked deeply focused as she chatted with her pals Amy Childs looked stunning as she wowed in a white mini dress with black lace overlay and chunky wedged sandals The star looked radiant in the casual ensemble as she showed off plenty of skin Meanwhile TOWIE filming is well underway as series 34 continues on ITVBe and ITVX this Sunday. Amy looked stunning as she wowed in a white mini dress with black lace overlay and chunky wedged sandals. She completed the look with a nude pink clutch bag and shades as she beamed in snaps after having an awkward run-in with her cousin's ex-boyfriend and his rumoured new partner. The reality star, 34, headed out for lunch with her fiance Billy Delbosq at the Top Oak Pub in Romford during Tuesday's filming. However, they soon left the restaurant looking less than impressed after co-stars Joe Blackman and Junaid Ahmed arrived at the same venue. Elsewhere Elma flaunted her washboard abs as she styled a low waisted denim skirt and cropped white T-shirt. Donning a similar style to Lauren, Saffron cut a trendy figure in a blue and white striped matching trouser and shirt combo. She completed the look with a pair of Prada sandals and a Chanel gold handbag. During Tuesday's filming Amy and Billy's arrival at the restaurant alongside Junaid and Joe appeared to be orchestrated to perfection by the TOWIE producers, seeking to rake up the tension for the new series. Joe recently split from Amy's cousin Harry Derbidge, who like Amy, is an original cast member of the reality show, last month. And in a shocking twist, Joe has reportedly already moved on with fellow TOWIE star and Harry's pal Junaid, 30. Last month, The Sun revealed the pair are dating and claimed their connection had sparked Joe and Harry's split. A source revealed Harry was left 'furious' after he 'discovered text messages between Joe and Junaid' and the discovery led to a blazing row before the couple ended things for good. Lauren has always been candid about the many enhancements she has undergone, after she underwent a breast augmentation surgery, transforming her 34D chest size to 34E in 2013 Earlier this week Lauren took to her Instagram Story as she opened up to her followers about her battle with anxiety Lauren looked over the moon to see her friends as she arrived at the restaurant Donning a similar style to Lauren, Saffron cut a trendy figure in a blue and white striped matching trouser and shirt combo Elma looked in great spirits as she laughed over lunch The girls cheersed during lunch as they tucked into the Thai food Elma and Amy posed together as Amy finished her look with some wedged sandals and shades TOWIE filming is well underway as series 34 continues on ITVBe and ITVX this Sunday The insider said: 'Harry found messages between Joe and Junaid and it led to a huge argument and them splitting.' Joe and Junaid have also been 'spotted enjoying a string of dates' since they returned to Essex from Cyprus, having reportedly 'grown closer' on the trip. The source continued: 'Since then Joe and Junaid have been spending lots of time together. They been spotted on dates around Essex and staying at each others, so its only a matter of time before things erupt with Harry.' And the storyline has begun to play out for viewers on TOWIE, with cast members 'divided' and forced to take sides. Sunday night's episode saw fans shocked as Junaid broke down in tears as he confessed his feelings for Joe. He explained to co-stars Dani Imbert and Saffron Lempriere that he had developed a strong bond with Joe on the Cyprus trip. Anais Gallagher cut a casual figure in a grey jumper as she attended Diptyque's Les Essences De Diptyque fragrance launch in London on Thursday. The Daughter of Oasis' Noel Gallagher, 24, who recently weighed in on the Oasis ticket debate, looked effortlessly stylish as she teamed a pair of dark blue denim jeans with her look. The model sported a pair of shiny black leather loafers and rolled up the hem of her jeans for a more relaxed fit. For the event, Anais styled her luscious blonde locks in a one-sided loosely braided plait and showcased her natural beauty with minimal makeup. Her outing comes after she hit back at 'ageist and misogynist' fans who complained about young people jumping on the Oasis bandwagon since the brothers announced their long-awaited reunion. Anais Gallagher cut a casual figure in a grey jumper as she attended Diptyque's Les Essences De Diptyque fragrance launch in London on Thursday The Daughter of Oasis' Noel Gallagher, 24, (right) recently weighed in on the Oasis ticket debate and hit back at 'ageist and misogynist' fans who complained about young people jumping on the Oasis bandwagon Social media sites were awash with the band's older fans complaining that 'Suddenly everyone loves Oasis' and arguing that they deserve priority when it came to getting tickets for the shows next summer. Taking to TikTok to express her anger, she said: 'One thing I won't stand for is the ageism and the misogyny around people getting tickets.' 'Sorry if a 19-year-old girl in a pink cowboy hat wants to be there, I will have my friendship bracelets ready.' She also showed her support for a fellow user, Josie, who wrote, 'What do you mean everyone suddenly loves Oasis? Everyone has always loved them. They're one of the most famous bands in the entire world.' 'Don't try and gatekeep Oasis because you can't gatekeep probably the most famous band to come out of the UK. Literally, the entirety of Britain is Oasis fans.' It comes as sales of the brothers' albums have more than quadrupled with HMV reporting sales of their Definitely Maybe LP rising by 443 percent. Anais, whose mother is Noel's first wife, Meg Mathews, has become a firm fixture on her father's side, accompanying his solo band High Flying Birds on tour in 2023 and directing a documentary of the trip. She said: 'I know he likes to think differently, but I love my dad's music genuinely more than anything. I bang out Oasis and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds in my room super-loud all the time.' During her outing, Anais looked incredible as she teamed a pair of dark blue denim jeans with her look She styled her luscious blonde locks in a one-sided loosely braided plait and showcased her natural beauty with minimal makeup Anais was later joined by musician Paul Weller's daughter Leah for George Home's 10th birthday Anais threw on a long black winter coat as she posed outside the venue The star kept it chic and stylish in her simple fit The Mail revealed last month that Anais and Liam Gallagher's 23-year-old son, Gene, led the way in fixing their feud and convincing their dads to reunite after 15 years. A friend of the stars revealed: 'Anais and Gene led the way by showing their dads that they could set aside their differences.' 'They have made no bones about it, they told their dads that they love their old music and wanted to see them on the stage together.' Anais previously threw her support behind the news of Oasis' reunion by posting photos of her dad and uncle from the nineties and declaring: 'Summer 2025'. She also reposted the band's announcement video and their statement: 'The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.' It comes after social media sites were awash with the band's older fans complaining that 'Suddenly everyone loves Oasis' and arguing that they deserve priority tickets Taking to TikTok to express her anger, she said: 'One thing I won't stand for is the ageism and the misogyny around people getting tickets' Earlier this week Oasis announced they will perform two additional shows at Wembley and promised a 'staggered, invitation-only ballot'. The gigs will take place on 27 and 28 September Earlier this week Oasis announced they will perform two additional shows at Wembley and promised a 'staggered, invitation-only ballot' after many fans were left angry and disappointed after waiting for hours and not being able to buy tickets. The extra dates at the London Stadium were announced due to 'phenomenal demand' after Oasis was heavily criticised over the use of dynamic pricing for their first wave of tickets. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Oasis said: 'Two extra Wembley Stadium shows have been added due to phenomenal demand. Tickets will be sold by a staggered, invitation-only ballot process.' The gigs will take place on 27 and 28 September and applications to join the ballot will be available first for those fans who were unsuccessful in the initial sales window with Ticketmaster. Krissy Marsh showed off her signature style as she joined Kate Waterhouse and Kerri-Anne Kennerley leading the arrivals at a glitzy racing lunch in Sydney on Friday. The trio pulled out all the stops as they dressed to the nines for the Everest Carnival Long Lunch, which saw the stars descend on The Winx Stand in Royal Randwick. Krissy, 52, put on a busty display in a blue strapless gown with a plunging neckline which hugged her incredible figure. She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of black strapped heels and fixed a fascinator in her glossy brunette tresses in keeping with the racing day theme. The reality TV star made sure to capture attention in her bombshell ensemble, which perfectly adhered to the dress code of 'spring racewear with a touch of blue'. She was joined at the lavish event by journalist Kate, 40, who looked effortlessly stylish in a high-neck white midi dress. Model Kate toted her essentials in a small white handbag and completed her look with a simple pair of beige heels. She shielded her eyes with a pair of reflective shades and styled her golden tresses in a straight fashion over her shoulders. Krissy Marsh (left) showed off her signature style as she joined Kate Waterhouse (right) in leading the arrivals at a glitzy racing lunch in Sydney on Friday Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured) also stepped out for the Everest Carnival Long Lunch, which saw the stars descend on The Winx Stand in Royal Randwick Veteran Aussie actress Kerri-Anne, 70, put on a leggy display in a chic black mini dress covered with blue circular patterns. She added to her frame with a pair of quirky black heels and carried a black handbag embellished with gold detailing in one hand. The Good Morning Australia presenter accessorised with a pearl necklace and fixed a statement fascinator in her platinum locks. Amber Sherlock also made sure to turn heads as she stepped out in a very vibrant ensemble for the star-studded meal. The TV presenter, 52, showed off her toned legs in a shirt mini dress, which featured colourful prints of 'paradise' holiday destinations. She completed her eye-catching ensemble with white strapped heels and opted for a statement white headband to accessorise. Laura Dundovic put on an equally bold display in a vibrant red mini dress featuring a jewelled keyhole cutout neckline and puffed sleeves. Krissy, 52, put on a busty display in a blue strapless gown with a plunging neckline which hugged her incredible figure She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of black strapped heels and fixed a fascinator in her glossy brunette tresses in keeping with the racing day theme She was joined at the lavish event by journalist Kate, 40, who looked effortlessly stylish in a high-neck white midi dress She shielded her eyes with a pair of reflective shades and styled her golden tresses in a straight fashion over her shoulders Model Kate toted her essentials in a small white handbag and completed her look with a simple pair of beige heels as she posed alongside Michael Brown Veteran Aussie actress Kerri-Anne, 70, put on a leggy display in a chic black mini dress covered with blue circular patterns She added to her frame with a pair of quirky black heels and carried a black handbag embellished with gold detailing in one hand The Good Morning Australia presenter accessorised with a pearl necklace and fixed a statement fascinator in her platinum locks Amber Sherlock (pictured) also made sure to turn heads as she stepped out in a very vibrant ensemble for the star-studded meal The TV presenter, 52, showed off her toned legs in a shirt mini dress, which featured colourful prints of 'paradise' holiday destinations Laura Dundovic (pictured) put on an equally bold display in a vibrant red mini dress featuring a jewelled keyhole cutout neckline and puffed sleeves She added to her stunning features with a dramatic make-up palette and fixed a red headband and fascinator into her slicked-back tresses The Miss Universe 2008 winner, 36, slipped her feet into some matching red buckled heels as she put her toned legs on full display. She added to her stunning features with a dramatic make-up palette and fixed a red headband and fascinator into her slicked-back tresses. Elsewhere, Sunrise star Natalie Barr put on a brave face after work as she stepped out with co-host Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington amid colleague Edwina Bartholomew's cancer battle. Just hours earlier, the breakfast show presenter, 56, was seen clinging to Edwina's hand as she tearfully announced her shocking diagnosis live on-air. But the Seven star kept her head up later in the day as she stepped out to host the lunch, dressed head-to-toe in eye-catching baby blue. Natalie slipped into a flowing blue chiffon cape which she draped over a matching jumpsuit as she cinched in her waist with a beige belt. The co-anchor matched her accessories with a pair of beige pumps, gold half hoop earrings and a baby blue fascinator. Sunrise star Natalie Barr put on a brave face after work as she stepped out with co-host Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington (both pictured) amid colleague Edwina Bartholomew's cancer battle Stacey Hemera (pictured) showed off her incredible figure in a blue gown with a daringly low neckline, which she styled with a wide-brimmed hat Angela Belle McSweeney (pictured) showed off her signature sense of style in a cream floral mini dress, which she styled with a dramatic feathered headpiece Lucinda Pikkat (pictured) put on a leggy display in a pink collared mini dress as she brought the glamour to the event Sally Bowrey (pictured) oozed sophistication in a black jumpsuit and a matching blazer, which she styled with heels and a handbag Hayden Quinn (pictured) looked dapper in a black suit as he attended the lunch, which was hosted by the Australian Turf Club and cost $295 per person Natalie looked radiant with a bronzed eye and nude lip as she framed her ageless features with loose curls in her brunette bob. On her arm, Shirvo, 45, looked dashing in a navy blue suit and white button down which he paired with a lighter blue tie. Also in attendance were the likes of Sally Bowrey, Stacey Hemera and Angela Bella McSweeney, among many others. The lunch, hosted by the Australian Turf Club, was helmed by Channel 7's Natalie and Matt, as well as actress Kerri-Anne. The lavish affair also featured a 30-minute performance by Ricki-Lee while the high-class lunch had an eye-watering price tag of $295 per person. Tammy Hembrow updated her chest recently and she has been showing off the results of her surgery. The fitness influencer headed out on a Tammy Fit morning walk from Miami to Burleigh Heads, Queensland with her clothing brand, Saski. The 30-year-old flaunted her figure in a black crop top with white spaghetti straps that ensured her buxom chest was on show. Tammy added a pair of skintight leggings with flared bottoms along with a pair of stacked white sneakers. She opted for a natural makeup look with a hint of peachy eye shadow and a dark pink lipstick. The blonde pulled her hair off her face and kept her accessories minimal, choosing gold earrings and a fine chain. Tammy had on a retro pair of sunglasses and and treated herself to an iced coffee after the walk. She was busy chatting on a pink phone after her workout, and looked happy and relaxed. Tammy Hembrow (pictured) updated her chest recently and she has been showing off the results of her surgery The fitness influencer headed out on a Tammy Fit morning walk from Miami to Burleigh Heads, Queensland with her clothing brand, Saski The 30-year-old flaunted her figure in a black crop top with white spaghetti straps that ensured her buxom chest was on show Tammy was later joined by her former fiance Matt Poole and her toddler daughter Posy, who she held on her hip. Matt also cuddled his daughter and gave her kiss, while his new girlfriend Elise helped out with babysitting duties. The star has been recovering from a breast implant revision procedure to fix her implants after chest exercises caused them to move apart. The revision surgery involves replacing old breast implants with new ones and can resolve issues that have developed from surgical problems or natural body changes. Tammy added a pair of skintight leggings with flared bottoms along with a pair of stacked white sneakers She opted for a natural makeup look with a hint of peachy eye shadow and a dark pink lipstick The blonde pulled her hair off her face and kept her accessories minimal, choosing gold earrings and a fine chain Tammy had on a retro pair of sunglasses and and treated herself to an iced coffee after the walk She looked happy and relaxed throughout the stroll Tammy was armed with two water bottles to stay hydrated At the start of the month, Tammy revealed she had undergone a breast implant revision procedure as she documented her recovery. She underwent a mystery surgery at the end of July and later confirmed it was to get her eight-year-old breast implants removed and replaced. In a video, Tammy explained she decided to get them replaced because she felt 'insecure' with how they looked after they moved due to her gym exercises. 'It's kind of been a little insecurity of mine for a while, just like how they sat and they just weren't doing what I wanted them to do,' she explained. Watchdog account Influencer Updates AU later claimed of her surgery: 'She went bigger to avoid having a lift as that would have meant more scars. Tammy was later joined by her former fiance Matt Poole and her toddler daughter Posy, who she held on her hip Matt (pictured) also cuddled his daughter and gave her kiss Matt's new girlfriend Elise helped out with babysitting duties The pair shared a tender moment with the tot 'She got [the surgery] done at One Cosmetic in Sydney. She currently has lots of swelling and bloating from the anaesthetic.' Her surgery comes just months ahead of her wedding as she is set to exchange vows with her partner Matt Zukowski in November. The couple were quick to start planning their wedding just weeks after they became engaged in December after three months of dating. Despite concerns that they are rushing down the aisle, the couple told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year that they are 'very happy' together. Elise gave Posy a sweet little smooch Tammy has been recovering from a breast implant revision procedure to fix her implants after chest exercises caused them to move apart The revision surgery involves replacing old breast implants with new ones and can resolve issues that have developed from surgical problems or natural body changes At the start of the month, Tammy revealed she had undergone a breast implant revision procedure as she documented her recovery She underwent a mystery surgery at the end of July and later confirmed it was to get her eight-year-old breast implants removed and replaced In a video, Tammy explained she decided to get them replaced because she felt 'insecure' with how they looked after they moved due to her gym exercises 'So good. Very happy. Couldn't be more happy,' they said of their shock engagement. 'We're in the middle of wedding planning. It's not that bad. I mean, I don't have to do much, I just have to sort of sit there,' Matt added. Tammy has been engaged twice before, the first time to influencer Reece Hawkins, who she shares her son Wolf and daughter Saskia with. In November 2021, the fitness guru became engaged to restaurateur and former Ironman Matt Poole. The pair split in December 2022 and share a daughter Posy, who turns two in June. Gavin And Stacey's Mathew Horne shared an adorable moment with fans as he took time out of filming to share his birthday cake on Friday morning. Mathew, 46, who portrays Gavin in the hit BBC sitcom, appeared on set for the first time on Thursday, reuniting with James Corden following their feud. The actor ran over to fans with his giant birthday cake which they had bought him, as he pretended to nearly trip and drop it, asking: 'Has anyone got any cutlery?' Mathew was in complete awe of fans supporting his character 'Gavalar' during filming on Barry Island. As he walked up the hill while eating chocolate from his cake, fans sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. Gavin And Stacey's Mathew Horne, 46, shared an adorable moment with fans as he took time out of filming to share his birthday cake with them on Friday morning Mathew, who portrays Gavin in the hit BBC sitcom ran over to fans with his giant cake, and asked: 'Has anyone got any cutlery?' Another fan shouted: 'GAV-A-LAR!' Laughing and taking a bow, he joked: 'Thank you! Has anyone got any cutlery? No? We should swan into one of these houses and get some knives and stuff. 'I want you to take that [the cake] and share it', he told fans. Fans who took time out of their day had the pleasure of hearing Mathew applaud: 'Thank you everyone, you're amazing', before hurrying back to set. Known as the 'Gavalar' and 'Smithster', there looked to be no tension between James and Mathew on set, despite their feud many years ago. James and Mathew went on to work together as comedy partners on projects including the critically-panned movie Lesbian Vampire Killers after Gavin And Stacey wrapped up. Hoping to make it as a TV duo they also hosted comedy show Horne and Corden in 2009, yet this also received woeful reviews from critics. As their career together failed to take off, the pair stopped working together and began to drift apart with rumours of a feud circling them both. The fab four - including Mathew (second from right), were last seen in 2019's Christmas Special in which Nessa proposed to Smithy and the episode ended before he answered While James found success on the West End stage in One Man, Two Guvnors, and then headed over to America to begin hosting the Late Late Show in 2015, Mathew remained in the UK working on TV projects. Speculation on the pair's friendship continued to grow as many fans feared they had fallen out. During an appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2011, James discussed their relationship as he admitted they had drifted but there was never a pivotal fall out. As James was asked whether he kept up with Mat, he replied: 'Err, we talk occasionally, yeah.' Piers then revealed that Mat was asked to take part in the programme but chose not to. Faltering, James continued: 'I didn't know that, but I can understand.' Expressing regret for how quickly they got caught up in everything post Gavin And Stacey, he confirmed 'We never fell out, it was never that. We were one person for a long time. If I have one regret, it was we just rushed those things. 'We did our own sketch show but the reaction was fierce. It was hard to go through that. We were riding this amazing wave and then it just dropped. In one year we spent 263 days together and we went from that to nothing.' Riding the LA wave, James hosted the Late Late Show until 2023, as he made a name for himself across the pond with his iconic Carpool Karaoke and the Spill Your Guts challenge. James and Mat reunited for the Gavin And Stacey Christmas special back in 2019 and Mathew squashed any rumours of a feud. When asked about the 'feud' by MailOnline at the launch episode, Mat insisted the claims were entirely were fabricated - with no animosity in place. As MailOnline asked the actor: 'After rumours of a feud, did you feel the need to address the claims when you reunited earlier this year?', Mathew simply insisted the claims were made up, as he joined the whole cast except James at the press conference. After both insisting there was never a feud between the pair, they are reuniting once again for the final ever episode of the sitcom set to air this Christmas. Sydney publicist Jai Evans was 'under the pump' at work and told a friend he 'needed a drink tonight' at a dinner weeks before he died in his inner-city apartment. Evans, 43, who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Lara Worthington during his days as a party-hopping PR in the 2000s, was found dead on Wednesday in the apartment he was renting at the high-rise Horizon complex in Darlinghurst. No cause of death was revealed, but the PR industry was abuzz with rumours on Friday that his body may have been lying in the unit for days before its discovery. A source last night told Daily Mail Australia Evans was under pressure professionally after losing a string of clients and was possibly under some financial strain. 'Before he died, he was under the pump with a big client and needed to deliver for them. He was always under pressure,' said the insider, who last spoke to Evans in person at a dinner in Potts Point, Sydney, on August 22. During that dinner, Evans remarked that he 'needed a drink' despite having recently spoken of being sober. 'He also told friends he had a court matter coming up that he was stressed about,' the source added. The nature of this legal issue remains unclear. Despite having two decades of PR experience under his belt, Evans had apparently 'lost a few clients lately'. The insider added: 'From what I could tell he was not getting new clients, just working with his existing ones.' Sydney publicist Jai Evans, who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Lara Worthington (left) during his days as a party-hopping PR in the 2000s, was found dead on Wednesday in the apartment he was renting at the high-rise Horizon complex in Darlinghurst. (Pictured in 2005) Evans' (right) last public appearance was at a dinner in Potts Point, Sydney, on August 22, which he attended with several MAFS contestants, including Layton Mills (left). A guest at the dinner told Daily Mail Australia that Evans, 43, had seemed 'under the pump' with work and had remarked that he 'needed a drink' despite having recently spoken of being sober Evans lived the high life, renting an upscale unit in the Horizon building - 'which can't have been cheap' - leading the source to suspect he may have had money troubles. One of his last PR jobs was helping Married At First Sight stars Duncan James and Evelyn Ellis 'hard launch' their real-life relationship after being paired with other people on the Channel Nine dating show. Daily Mail Australia understands his partnership with James and Ellis did not last. In the period leading up to his death, Evans' friends and acquaintances had begun to worry that the 'social butterfly' would fall off the radar for several days at a time. 'He was social but could turn it on and off. He would fall off the radar and make his Instagram private when he was under the pump,' one said. One of his last PR jobs was helping MAFS stars Duncan James (left) and Evelyn Ellis (right) 'hard launch' their real-life relationship after being paired with other people on the Channel Nine dating show. Daily Mail Australia understands his partnership with James and Ellis did not last One insider fondly remembered Evans for his 'gift of the gab' and said he was always the man to ask if you needed to talk your way out of a situation. 'It's such sad news that he's gone,' they added. It's unclear if Evans was using drugs at the time of his death; however, he was known for taking 'dexies' - a type of stimulant medication used for the treatment of ADHD - and would 'hand them out like Tic Tacs' at parties. Evans' last public appearance was at the aforementioned Potts Points dinner on August 22, which he attended alongside several well-known MAFS contestants. After the news of his death emerged on Friday afternoon, unsavoury rumours began to circulate about when Evans died and how long his body lay undiscovered for. One friend told Daily Mail Australia he died last Sunday but was not found until days later. A NSW Police spokesman said: 'Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner regarding the death of a 43-year-old man at a unit in Darlinghurst on 4 September 2024. 'Police will not be making any further comment about the matter.' His cause of death is unknown, but police who attended the scene reportedly found there were 'no apparent suspicious circumstances'. When police say a death is not suspicious, this means they have found evidence that indicates there was no third party involved and no crime was committed. Bondi fitness entrepreneur Dan Wootton confirmed the news of Evans' death, while DJ Shiralee Coleman also took to Instagram to pay tribute (she is pictured with him in May 2023) Bondi fitness entrepreneur Dan Wootton confirmed the news of Evans' death on Friday in a heartfelt tribute shared to social media. 'RIP, Jai Evans. Another beautiful friend taken much too soon before his time,' Dan wrote, alongside a photo of Evans in happier times. 'Your vibrant energy and eagerness to help was second to none. Rest easy, Jai. Love you, mate.' DJ Shiralee Coleman also took to her Instagram Stories to pay tribute to Evans, sharing a recent photograph of them together. 'Rest in peace darling, I'm sure you're showing them how it's done in the heavens,' the model and musician penned. She added that her DJ set at celebrity hotspot Nobu on Friday evening would be dedicated to Evans, adding: 'I know how much he loved our Nobu nights.' Evans had more than two decades of experience in the public relations industry and worked with hundreds of media companies to help with their PR strategies. Throughout his celebrated career, he founded his own business, Evans Media, in 2005, and worked as an advertising manager, publicist, magazine publisher, editor and all-round public relations expert. Evans helped many key players in Australian media, including Channel Nine, Sky News, News Limited, BRW and Vogue, achieve their marketing goals. The talent expert also boasted a host of famous friends, including model Lara Worthington and e-commerce queen Anastasia Fai Kogan. Evans lived the high life, renting an upscale unit in the Horizon building (pictured) - 'which can't have been cheap' - leading the source to suspect he may have had money troubles Evans had more than two decades of experience in the public relations industry. He founded his own business, Evans Media, in 2005, and worked with hundreds of media companies to help with their PR strategies. He is pictured with events manager Lucia Labbate in May 2008 He also briefly had an acting career, appearing on Home and Away in 1997. Fellow publicist Roxy Jacenko, who rose to fame in the Sydney PR scene alongside Evans two decades ago, praised him as a 'real networker'. 'He was like me, one of a new wave of PRs,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'He always had the best-looking bevy of girls to bring to events [and was] always up to try something different.' Amusingly, a friend of Evans' contacted Daily Mail Australia when they saw Jacenko's quotes in the Telegraph to make it clear the two of them were not friends. 'He'd be rolling in his grave to see that,' they said. 'He didn't like her [Jacenko] at all.' Melbourne's most glamorous socialites were out in force on Friday night. Rebecca Judd, Nadia Bartel and Jessie Murphy joined forces at the By Lana Wilkinson x Tequila Don Julio 1942 Spring '24 Preview in Melbourne. The evet took place at one of Melbourne's top fine-dining restaurants, Vue de Monde, overlooking the sweeping views of the city. Guests sipped on Tequila Don Julio 1942 alongside a curated degustation menu from Vue de Monde Executive Chef, Hugh Allen. Bec showed off her leggy physique in a pearl toned mini dress with long sleeves and an exaggerated shoulder. She added a pair of luxury heels with sheer panels and a pointed design, and skipped the accessories. The WAG opted for a glamorous makeup palette including glowing highlighter and pink lip stain. The designer completed her look by wearing her brunette locks down around her shoulders in soft waves. Melbourne's most glamorous socialites were out in force on Friday night. Pictured: Bec Judd Judd, Nadia Bartel and Jessie Murphy joined forces at the By Lana Wilkinson x Tequila Don Julio 1942 Spring '24 Preview in Melbourne The event took place at one of Melbourne 's top fine-dining restaurants, Vue de Monde, overlooking the sweeping views of the city Celebrity stylist Lana Wilkinson (pictured) showed off her very tanned legs in a white dress at the event Nadia meanwhile chose a grey maxi dress that sat close to her figure and featured long sleeves. She added a pair of strappy nude heels with an open toe and carried a black designer purse. The former WAG opted for a warm toned makeup palette with a peachy blush and a dark pink nude lipstick. Nadia completed her look with simple dark rings and wore her brunette locks down and straight. Bec showed off her leggy physique in a pearl toned mini dress with long sleeves and an exaggerated shoulder. Pictured with Wilkinson Nadia (pictured) meanwhile chose a grey maxi dress that sat close to her figure and featured long sleeves She added a pair of strappy nude heels with an open toe and carried a black designer purse. The former WAG opted for a warm toned makeup palette It comes after news that Bec is taking her passion for fashion to the racecourse. Dubbed the Queen WAG, the 41-year-old has been named a Crown ambassador for Melbourne Cup Carnival events Oaks Day and Makybe Diva Stakes Day. 'The Melbourne Cup Carnival is the highlight of the social calendar every Spring, and I can't wait to attend this year's event with Crown,' she said in a statement to the Herald Sun on Monday. 'It's the event that truly kicks off the warmer weather' Bec continued. 'I am looking forward to spending time with my friends watching the Group One races, seeing the beautiful fashions, and then heading back to Crown to continue the celebrations.' The Melbourne Cup Carnival kicks off later this year, with celebrations starting on November 5th. Bec is well known for frocking up for race day, and extends her love of all things sartorial to her own fashion line. The Perfect Couple may be set on the island of Nantucket, but the Netflix limited series was actually filmed on a nearby coastal town in Cape Cod. Despite the fact that all of Elin Hilderbrands novels are set on her home of Nantucket, the filming crew opted to stage the show on Chatham to still give it an 'authentic Cape and island feel,' the author told Boston.com. Some scenes were still filmed on the expensive island to give it a real Nantucket feel, but the majority of it was filmed a short distance away where production crews constructed fake police departments and other landmarks. Production chose to film the Nicole Kidman-led series on the Cape because it made transportation easier as they didn't need to lug equipment over on a ferry; overall, filming on the Cape was just more convenient. The Perfect Couple follows Kidman and Liev Schrieiber's characters as their lives turn upside-down after a body washes up on a beach - a show early reviewers are calling 'ludicrously good'. Despite the fact that all of Elin Hilderbrands novels are set on her home of Nantucket, the filming crew opted to stage the show on Chatham (pictured) to still give it an 'authentic Cape and island feel,' the author said The Perfect Couple follows Kidman and Liev Schrieiber's characters as their lives turn upside down after a body washes up on a beach Chatham is a vibrant tourist town located on the 'elbow' of the Cape and is the most easterly part of Massachusetts. It's surrounded by three sides of water and has a rich maritime heritage, according to CapeCode.com. Production crews transformed the popular summer spot into Nantucket by constructing a fake police station between Chatham Light Liquors and Chatham Perk coffee shop in April 2023, according to Cape Code Times. They constructed a fake sign and had vehicles that were marked as Nantucket police cars, while renaming the liquor story Grey Lady Liquors and the coffee shop Lighthouse Perk, allowing the coastal town to transform into the book's setting. One of series stars, Meghann Fahy - who starred in The White Lotus - often spent time on the Cape growing up as she lived only an hour and a half outside of Boston. 'Every summer, even still, I go to Cape Cod with my family,' she told the Boston Globe. 'So its a really, really special place for me, and I feel like not a lot of stuff even films there, so it felt very exciting to be working there.' Production chose to film the Nicole Kidman-led series on the Cape because it made transportation easier as they didn't need to lug things over on a ferry or face other transportation limitations. Overall, filming on the Cape was just more convenient Production crews transformed the popular summer spot into Nantucket by constructing a fake police station between Chatham Light Liquors and Chatham Perk coffee shop in April 2023. (Pictured: Chatham lighthouse) Fahy's character, Merritt Monaco, even leans into the Nantucket fashion sense, a detail she enjoyed about the show, even if it does vary from her personal style. 'Growing up in New England its like a very iconic sort of style that Ive always been aware of,' she said. 'Theres the famous "Nantucket salmon" or whatever that red color is, thats like so specific to that area. Its cool when you can really get specific about stuff. It just helps the world feel more alive and authentic.' The main house on the show is also filmed in Chatham. However, Nantucket wasn't entirely skipped, according to the author, who has written 28 books set on the island. The second unit shot was 'extensively' filmed on the wealthy island and places like Bartlett's Farm had footage filmed overhead. 'Hollywood legend Fred North took overhead footage in his helicopter, and he later messaged me and said it was one of the most beautiful places hes ever shot,' Hilderbrand told Boston.com. Other parts of the film were shot in London and in Los Angeles. Some scenes are still filmed on the expensive island to give it a real Nantucket (pictured) feel The second unit shot was 'extensively' filmed on the wealthy island and places like Bartlett's Farm had footage filmed overhead, the author said (pictured: Nantucket) The show, which released Thursday, has scooped up a variety of reviews from 'daft' to 'derivative' to 'ludicrously good.' The Guardian compared it to HBO's The White Lotus and Big Little Lies, another show Kidman stars in. The Guardian's Lucy Mangan praised the 'proper plot' and the 'carousel of suspects turns and reveals drop at perfectly spaced intervals.' 'It may or may not have things to say about the haves and have-nots, the power of money to corrupt, as well as class consciousness, but it doesnt have anything like the interest The White Lotus, say, took in such questions,' she added. The critic insists, 'it's almost impossible to resist bingeing the entirety of this classy detective drama set around a posh wedding in Nantucket.' 'Its a glorious, perfectly paced delight,' she says, though the other critics have quite the opposite take. The show, which released Thursday, has scooped up a variety of reviews from 'daft' to 'derivative' to 'ludicrously good.' The Guardian compared it to HBO's The White Lotus and Big Little Lies, another show Kidman (right, on the show) stars in The series could have been a piece of 'biting satire' but, according to The Independent's Nick Hilton, the show is as 'daft as it is derivative.' Hilton claims that the irony of the show with this specific title is 'for all the beachfront properties, the designer dresses, and wedding cakes that could feed a small army, perfection is nowhere to be found.' He adds, 'The star wattage of the cast, and their creative bona fides, should be taken with a pinch of salt: this is a neat shot of unadulterated naffness.' Despite Hilderbrand's love of Nantucket and setting her books there, she told The New York Times that she's done with writing about the island. Her last Nantucket-set book was Swan Song, which was released in June. The series could have been a piece of 'biting satire' but, according to The Independent's Nick Hilton, the show is as 'daft as it is derivative' (pictured: a scene from the show) She said she 'couldn't be happier' about her semi-retirement, according to The Times. Hilderbrand will next be focusing her energy on a two-book deal with her daughter, where the pair will set the story at a boarding school. The first book, titled The Academy, is set to be published in September 2025 with the follow-up in September 2026. It will loosely be based off her experience at the St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island, she told Boston.com. She also has tons of her other books in the works to become films, including The Five Star Weekend, Swan Song, The Winter Street, and 28 Summers. Gavin And Stacey's Nessa and Smith reunited back in Barry on Friday as they continued filming scenes for the upcoming Christmas episode. The duo, played by Ruth Jones and James Corden, who also wrote the series, were seen filming outside Gwen's house as they battled the rain. And the on-off couple were also joined by their son, Neil the baby. However born back in 2008 as the result of a one night stand between the pair Neil is no longer a baby and is now 15-years-old. Arriving in the passenger's seat of Smithy's iconic car, Neil, played by Oscar Hartland, looked worlds away from the young 10-year-old boy who last appeared on the show in 2019. Gavin And Stacey's Nessa and Smithy reunited on set on Friday as they were joined by their son Neil the baby - and you won't believe what he looks like! The duo, played by Ruth Jones and James Corden, who also wrote the series, were seen filming outside Gwen's house as they battled the rain The on-off couple were also joined by their son, Neil the baby. However born back in 2008, the result of a one night stand between the pair, Neil is no longer a baby and is now 15-years-old Emerging from the car Oscar was seen waving to fans and throwing up the peace sign as he waited to film his scenes. Meanwhile James was also seen carrying a guitar suggesting their could be a musical number in the highly-anticipated final episode. Uncle Bryn also joined the gang as he was seen dressed in his typical smart shirt, tie and beige tailored trousers. Aside from his Gavin And Stacey hustle, Oscar has since turned his attentions to music and is the guitarist and co-frontman of South Wales band Redwood City. Last year the young musician even competed on The Voice Kids as a solo artist. Reflecting on his acting past, Oscar told The Sun: 'I grew up knowing I was Neil The Baby, but it was after the Christmas special (when he was 10) that my life literally turned around. 'I went from a kid that was in a show when he was a baby to a kid in a TV even going into the supermarket was mad.' The critically acclaimed series follows the lives of titular characters Gavin from Essex and Stacey from South Wales, documenting key points in their long-distance relationship and events that bring the two families together. Arriving in the passenger's seat of Smithy's iconic car (L), Neil, played by Oscar Hartland, looked worlds away from the young 10-year-old boy who last appeared on the show in 2019 (R) Oscar looked to be loving the attention as he shouted to fans The star also threw up the peace sign as he waited to film his scenes in his ripped jeans and beige jacket Uncle Bryn also joined the gang as he was seen dressed in his typical smart shirt, tie and beige tailored trousers The iconic character, played by Rob Brydon, was seen adjusting his tie Ruth was seen giving Oscar a big hug as they filmed what will be their final scenes together James appeared to have his hair touched up by a member of the crew as he waited in the rain The presenter, who has just returned back to the UK after living in America, was also seen filming on his iPhone Meanwhile James was also seen carrying a guitar suggesting their could be a musical number in the highly-anticipated final episode The finale will also star Joanna Page as Stacey, Mathew Horne as Gavin, as the whole gang reunite for the first time since the last Christmas episode in 2019. On Friday morning Mathew shared an adorable moment with fans as he took time out of filming to share his birthday cake. Mathew, 46, appeared on set for the first time on Thursday, reuniting with James Corden following their feud. The actor ran over to fans with his giant birthday cake which they had bought him, as he pretended to nearly trip and drop it, asking: 'Has anyone got any cutlery?' Mathew was in complete awe of fans supporting his character 'Gavalar' during filming on Barry Island. As he walked up the hill while eating chocolate from his cake, fans sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. Another fan shouted: 'GAV-A-LAR!' Laughing and taking a bow, he joked: 'Thank you! Has anyone got any cutlery? No? We should swan into one of these houses and get some knives and stuff. 'I want you to take that [the cake] and share it', he told fans. Meanwhile, elsewhere in filming it looks as though Bryn and Gwen could be set to leave Barry Island. Smithy's iconic car is also back for the return episode Nessa was seen wearing a huge raincoat over her denim midi skirt and UGG boots Always one for a bold print, she wore a T-shirt adorned with a huge tiger face Uncle Bryn is one of the series' most iconic characters and has always wanted to forge a friendship with Smithy and Gavin James was seen parking Smithy's car Neil the baby pictured in 2009 at his christening Actors Rob Brydon and Melanie Walters looked emotional as they were seen packing up a car while shooting scenes for the Christmas special on Wednesday. Melanie, 62, was seen attaching huge suitcases to the top of the car as her on screen brother-in-law played by Rob, 59, helped her. In the show Gwen and Bryn live just across the street from each other in Barry and are often seen nipping across to each other's houses. It comes after Ruth was seen filming in the iconic setting of Barry Island as well on Wednesday. Joined by her co-star Joanna, Ruth, who plays Nessa in the sitcom, looked as though she might be leaving Barry Island for good too in the final episode. Wheeling a suitcase behind her, Nessa fashioned a burgundy leather jacket, black leather skirt and heeled boots as she was seen locking up the amusement arcade where she works for a final time. Could it be that Nessa is leaving for a life in Essex with Smithy - played by (James Corden) after she proposed to him in the last episode in 2019 or that she is leaving because he turned her down? Fans are eager to find out his answer. Earlier in the day, Nessa was also spotted without an engagement ring on her finger, suggesting all did not go to plan... or perhaps the writers are simply keeping us guessing. Last year the Oscar even competed on The Voice Kids as a solo artist after pursuing a career in music Ruth was seen climbing into a car as she sheltered from the rain The last episode of the series ended on a cliff hanger after Nessa proposed to Smithy, but fans never found out his answer The recognisable gang were joined by a hoard of film crew Meanwhile Ruth was also joined by Joanna, who plays Stacey, as the pair laughed together during takes together. Joanna, 47, previously revealed her excitement after it was confirmed the iconic BBC sitcom would return for one final episode this Christmas, nearly five years after the last episode aired in 2019. Speaking during a special of her Off the Telly Podcast she told co-host Natalie Cassidy: 'I'm so excited to see the gang again and start filming, and I can't wait to find out if Smithy has said yes. 'I can't wait to find out what's happening to everybody!' Before laughing: 'I'm going to have to keep that script away from your [Natalie's] little paws but yeah we are going to be able to review it on our show at Christmas and I will be very cross if you aren't sitting down on Christmas Day watching me!' Joanna also shared a statement with ITV's Loose Women that read: 'I'm very excited for the return of the Gavin and Stacey and can't wait to come back on and tell you all about it'. The fab four - including Mathew (second from right), were last seen in 2019's Christmas Special in which Nessa proposed to Smithy and the episode ended before he answered At the climax of the last Christmas episode in 2019, Nessa got down on one knee to propose to Smithy, but viewers never got to hear his response. The pair had an on-off relationship during the series after several unplanned one-night stands led to their son, Neil the baby. In the last episode, which caught up with the characters 10 years after the previous instalment, it was revealed they were successfully co-parenting their son. And as the family gathered in Barry for the festivities, the episode ended with Nessa down on one knee and the episode ended immediately after she asked: 'Marry me?' While talking about Nessa's shock proposal, she told the Mirror back in 2019: 'Its quite difficult to show her soft side. If Im down on one knee, its obvious whats going on. 'When I put my hand on my heart and I said, as Nessa, "I love you. No, I do, I loves you with all my heart" I really meant it to James.' Gavin And Stacey star Alison Steadman, who plays Pam Shipman, admitted she will 'cry' as filming finally commences. Gavin & Stacey co-creator James and Ruth confirmed the show would return in May, with filming back in Barry Island, after last airing a Christmas special in 2019. She is a veteran Hollywood actress who has worked in films for the past 30 years. Her costars include George Clooney and Antonio Banderas as well as Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga, and she has done over 40 movies. The Latin looker appears more in demand than ever as she stars in movie after movie. And she often attends fashion events with her very rich French husband who is a top executive with designer labels. One of her highlights is her incredible bikini body pinup posts on Instagram that gets tons of likes. On Thursday the mother-of-one made the rare move of posting a snapshot from her childhood while growing up in Mexico. Can you guess who this woman is? She is a veteran Hollywood actress who has worked in films for the past 30 years. Who is she? She is Salma Hayek. The movie icon has worked with George Clooney on From Dusk Till Dawn, with Antonio Banderas on Puss N Boots, with Angelina Jolie on The Eternals and with Lady Gaga on House Of Gucci. She celebrated her 58th birthday recently by sharing a stunning collection of swimsuit photos. The From Dusk Till Dawn star who recently had an unexpected encounter with her friend Gerard Butler took to Instagram to mark the occasion, giving her 28 million followers a glimpse into her luxurious vacation life. In a series of striking bikinis and elegant one-piece swimsuits, the Hollywood icon showcased her incredible figure. She posed like a supermodel on opulent yachts against the backdrop of breathtaking coastal destinations. 'Birthday bikini dump, happy 58th birthday to me!' Salma captioned the carousel. 'P.s none of these are throwbacks'. Hayek celebrated her 58th birthday by sharing a stunning collection of swimsuit photos The From Dusk Till Dawn star who recently had an unexpected encounter with her friend Gerard Butler took to Instagram to mark the occasion, giving her 28 million followers a glimpse into her luxurious vacation life On one of her recent holidays to Ibiza, she bumped into none other than Olympus Has Fallen star Gerard Butler, 54. The Frieda star was all smiles as she snapped pictures with Gerard during a casual outdoor hangout with friends. 'Nothing better than unexpected run-ins with friends on vacation,' the beauty captioned the post, tagging Gerard. In one shot, Salma leaned in, her arm resting on Gerard's shoulder, while he struck a smoldering pose in a relaxed blue linen shirt, adding a laid-back charm to their impromptu moment. It comes after Salma looked glamorous as she cosied up to her husband Francois-Henri at the Kering Women In Motion event during the Cannes Film Festival. She stunned in a gorgeous caped lilac gown as she posed for snaps with the French businessman. Salma commanded attention in the light purple dress which had a flattering one-shoulder design and pretty sheer cape detailing. 'Birthday bikini dump, happy 58th birthday to me!' Salma captioned the carousel. 'P.s none of these are throwbacks' Meanwhile, Francois-Henri looked dapper in a black suit and bow tie as he put on a loved-up display with Salma during his event. The couple, who married in 2009, recently appeared on The Sunday Times Rich List for 2024 with a combined net worth of approximately $7.7 billion. Their fortune has decreased from around $10.1 billion in 2023, causing their rank to drop from 21st to 31st on the list. Pinault has served as the chairman and CEO of Kering since 2005, while Salma Hayek's personal net worth is estimated to exceed $125 million, thanks to her successful film career and lucrative beauty and fashion endorsements. In a series of striking bikinis and elegant one-piece swimsuits, the Hollywood icon showcased her incredible figure Despite the drop, the couple remains among the wealthiest in the world, with their influence extending across multiple industries. Salma and Francois-Henri's love story began in 2006 when they met at a gala in Venice. The couple quickly fell for each other and announced their engagement the following year. They welcomed their daughter, Valentina, in September 2007 and tied the knot in a private ceremony on Valentine's Day in 2009, followed by a lavish second wedding in Venice in April. On one of her recent holidays to Ibiza, she bumped into none other than Olympus Has Fallen star Gerard Butler Before meeting Salma, Francois-Henri had been previously married to Dorothee Lepere, with whom he shares two children, Francois and Mathilde. He also had a brief relationship with supermodel Linda Evangelista, with whom he has a son, Augustin. Salma, on the other hand, was romantically linked to actor Edward Norton. The birthday celebration also comes after Salma revealed one of the last thoughts she had when she believed she was going to die in a plane crash with her pal Penelope Cruz. Salma and fellow Hollywood star Penelope, 50, who have been friends for more than 20 years, had a terrifying experience when their plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Mexico. Penelope already had a fear of flying and the pair realised something had gone wrong when a member of the crew dashed out of the cockpit and put on an oxygen mask. During an interview for Vogue Arabia, Penelope asked Salma what she had learned from the hair-raising experience. Salma told her: 'Youve always had a fear of flying and you always give me instructions of what to do if you die in a crash!. They welcomed their daughter, Valentina, in September 2007 and tied the knot in a private ceremony on Valentine's Day in 2009, followed by a lavish second wedding in Venice in April 'That day we were together on a flight and the plane had an emergency and had to land in the middle of nowhere in Mexico.' 'I knew it was going to happen because I saw the flight attendant coming out of the cockpit and grabbing oxygen.' 'So, I took your hands and said to you that were going to be OK. There is something wrong with the plane, but I need you to calm down. And I was so proud of you because I could see you struggling to calm yourself down.' 'We could do a whole movie about this! And then you said something so beautiful that I will never forget. You said, "I thought maybe we were going to die. But we were going to die together. And we were going to be OK".' Jett Kenny has revealed that his late sister Jaimi was with him when he and girlfriend Lily Brown filmed the new season of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition. The 30-year-old and his love had taken a portion of Jaimi's ashes with them, to scatter in exotic locations around the world. It's a tribute that Jett's mum, Lisa Curry, began after Jaimi in 2020, having herself already left some of the ashes at the top of Mount Kosciuszko and other locations. 'Jaimi was with us the whole time,' Jett explained to the Daily Telegraph. 'It was Mum's idea which was pretty cool because whenever she goes travelling she takes some of Jaimi's ashes and spreads them around the world' he continued. 'Having her in our backpacks meant she went to a few more places she's never been before.' Lily chimed in: 'It was like she was our guardian angel'. Jett's world was shattered in September 2020, when Jaimi died at the age of 33 after battling alcoholism and an eating disorder. Jett Kenny (left) has revealed that his late sister Jaimi was with him when he and girlfriend Lily Brown (right) filmed the new season of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition While his Olympian mother Lisa discusses her mental health regularly on social media, Jett usually keeps his struggles more private. 'How I would deal with the grief is different compared to how mum deals with it. Obviously as a parent, that's not something you'd never want to go through,' the SAS Australia star previously told The Daily Telegraph. Jett, whose father is Ironman Grant Kenny, said he copes with grief by rationalising his tragic loss as 'something part of life', and reminding himself that 'these things do happen.' 'Obviously we have times where some days are harder than others, especially around birthdays, Easter and Christmas,' he added. The Kenny-Curry family announced Jaimi's death on social media on September 15 2020, one day after her passing. The 30-year-old and his love had taken a portion of Jaimi's ashes with them, to scatter in exotic locations around the world. Pictured with Jaimi Jett's world was shattered in September 2020, when Jaimi died at the age of 33 after battling alcoholism and an eating disorder 'Our beautiful daughter Jaimi has lost her battle with a long-term illness and passed away peacefully in hospital yesterday morning with her loving family by her side,' Jaimi's mother, Lisa Curry, wrote at the time. Back in 2021, Jett told HIT Queensland's Breakfast with Cliffo & Gabi Jaimi was struggling with her mental health even when she seemed happy. 'It's behind closed doors [people struggle], it's not really a public conversation. It was the same for our family,' he said. 'When Jaimi was out in public it was all sunshine and rainbows, but with that comes the dark clouds and the storms. It's hard because you don't truly understand,' he added. 'You can do everything you can for that person, but in the end it comes down to that person wanting to help themselves. It's an unfortunate situation.' For free and confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Foundation for eating disorder concerns on 1800 ED HOPE Laura Hamilton shared a steamy kiss with married businessman James Pettigrew during a romantic getaway in Costa Brava, Spain. A Place In The Sun host Laura, 42, confirmed her romance with James, 44, as they shared multiple kisses in their car. After their secret smooches, the couple got out of their car giggling. Laura flashed her jaw-dropped physique in a pale green bikini top and black denim shorts. The TV presenter, who has been filming in Spain for the show, appears to be mixing business with pleasure as she took some time out of her schedule to spend with James. Laura Hamilton, 42, shared a steamy kiss with married businessman James Pettigrew, 44, during a romantic getaway in Costa Brava, Spain A Place In The Sun host Laura confirmed her romance with James as they shared multiple kisses in their car Laura recently shared a lighthearted video about dating again. And the couple looked more than smitten as they spent some fun together during their getaway. Laura shares Rocco, 10, and daughter Tahlia, 9, with her broker ex-husband Alex Goward, who she married in 2012 and divorced in 2022. The presenter has reportedly been seeing the CEO since January at the Scottish FA Cup Final in May while enjoying corporate tickets to the match between Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. The pair's budding romance has 'upset' James' estranged wife, with a friend telling MailOnline Jackie was 'unaware' her husband was dating Laura at the beginning of their relationship, and is now going through a painful divorce. In August, Laura told The Sun's Fabulous Magazine: 'I'm dating. I'm having fun. No, I don't have the apps. I've tried those in the past three years. I went on Raya and thought: "This is not for me." I like to meet people organically.' The TV star also admitted that her fame often strikes up a conversation with her potential suitors. She said: 'People do look at me and say: 'I know you from somewhere' and that starts a conversation.' The couple were captured passionately kissing in the front seats After their passionate display, the couple got out of their car giggling Laura flashed her jaw-dropped physique in a pale green bikini top and black denim shorts The TV presenter, who has been filming in Spain for the show, appears to be mixing business with pleasure as she took some time out of her scedule to spend with James Laura hinted her romance with James packed up after sharing a lighthearted video about dating again But the couple looked more than smitten as they spent some fun together during their getaway The pair's budding romance has 'upset' James' estranged wife, with a friend telling MailOnline Jackie was 'unaware' her husband was dating Laura at the beginning of their relationship, and is now going through a painful divorce In August, Laura told The Sun's Fabulous Magazine : 'I'm dating. I'm having fun. No, I don't have the apps. I've tried those in the past three years. I went on Raya and thought: "This is not for me." I like to meet people organically' The TV star also admitted that her fame often strikes up a conversation with her potential suitors The blonde beauty did acknowledge that the idea of dating could be tricky because she is always abroad filming She then joked that really she should have a 'man in every country' before insisting that monogamy is the only thing she would settle for At one point, James stripped off and went shirtless Laura shares Rocco, 10, and daughter Tahlia, 9, with her broker ex-husband Alex Goward, who she married in 2012 and divorced in 2022 Pictured with ex-husband Alex Goward in 2021 But the television host was taken aback when one man she went on a date with started asking her for property advice and had to tell him that was not what she was there for. The blonde beauty did acknowledge that the idea of dating could be tricky because she is always abroad filming. She then joked that really she should have a 'man in every country' before insisting that monogamy is the only thing she would settle for. Laura said: 'Really, I should have a man in every country. That would be a more interesting story [laughs]. 'Oh, she's got one in Ibiza, one on Mallorca. No, that's not who I am.' Laura has been one of the rotating presenters on Channel 4's lifestyle series A Place In The Sun since 2012. She began her rise to fame in 2003, appearing on popular children's programme Fun Song Factory on CITV - alongside JLS' Aston Merrygold. Iskra Lawrence is getting ready to pop with baby number two. The British model, 33, shared several images on Instagram to mark both her birthday month and the month her baby is scheduled to make her arrival. 'My birthday month and your birth month I wonder if youll be the third generation of Virgos I cant wait to meet you and raise you to be a powerful unstoppable goddess ,' she captioned the post. In the images, Iskra flaunts her lush curves and deep tan in a white bikini with her long blonde hair cascading down her back. Iskra and her partner, music producer Philip Payne, are already parents to four-year-old son Alpha. Iskra Lawrence is getting ready to pop with baby number two The beauty announced her pregnancy in April with a lengthy Instagram post. In the caption, Iskra wrote: '4 years later and we are finally going to be a family of 4.' She then went on to say that she would be giving away $20,000 to two of her followers to support them on their fertility journey after giving away $10,000 during her first pregnancy. 'This announcement is extra special because once again Im partnering with @firstresponsepregnancy and Ill be giving away all $20k to two of YOU to support you on your fertility journey,' she said. '4 years ago I gave away $10k each to Sara & Skye during my first pregnancy and its hard not to cry writing this but both now have their rainbow babies and its truly been my greatest honour being part of their journeys and I cant wait to do this again '1 in 6 people are affected globally by infertility and 1 in 4 women experience miscarriage, pregnancy loss or still birth and there is no where near enough support, education or on going research into womens health so lets continue to end the shame, stigma and silence.' Iskra confirmed her relationship with Philip in May 2019, after first meeting at a Grammys party in 2018 and becoming a couple in October of that year. Earlier this year, Iskra sat down with DailyMail.com for an interview and answered the question of when she feels best about herself. 'When I am taking care of my mind and body,' she said, adding, 'Also, engaging in self-care activities, like practicing mindfulness, exercising, and nourishing myself with healthy foods, helps me feel confident and empowered.' And she has some smart words to get her through the rough patches. The British model, 33, shared several images on Instagram to mark both her birthday month and the month her baby is scheduled to make her arrival 'my birthday month and your birth month I wonder if youll be the third generation of Virgos I cant wait to meet you and raise you to be a powerful unstoppable goddess ,' she captioned the post In the images, Iskra flaunts her lush curves and deep tan in a white bikini with her long blonde hair cascading down her back Iskra and her partner, music producer Philip Payne, are already parents to four-year-old son Alpha The beauty announced her pregnancy in April with a lengthy Instagram post 'When I am feeling down, I often remind myself of the quote, "You are enough." It serves as a powerful reminder that I am worthy and deserving of love and acceptance just as I am,' she said. And she constantly reminds herself is that she does not need to be perfect. 'My favorite body acceptance message is that everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way - we dont need to be perfect, being ourselves is always enough,' she explained. 'Embracing and celebrating our differences is essential for cultivating self-love and acceptance.' 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. Michael Keaton was the star of his own personal meet-cut when he first encountered his girlfriend Marni Turner. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star, 73, who brought his partner with him to the Tim Burton Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, revealed he was blown away by his lady love's beauty when he first encountered her on a street in Los Angeles sometime around 2016. 'I kind of went, "Whoa." And then she turned out to be a very nice person,' he told People of the romcom-like meeting. Turner, 51, also has an eye for fashion and a bargain. 'She prides herself in going like somebody walks up to her, and goes, "That is a fantastic!" And she'll go, "Thank you. $39, T.J. Maxx."' Michael Keaton was the star of his own personal meet-cut when he first encountered his girlfriend Marni Turner. The actor, 73, was blown away by her beauty when he first encountered her on a street in Los Angeles (Pictured in Beverly Hills in March) 'That's kind of her thing,' he explained, 'She's known for it.' Turner was also with him while he shot his Emmy winning performance as a doctor at the center of the opioid epidemic in 2021's Dopesick. 'I lost my nephew to fentanyl, heroin and fentanyl. So, that obviously made it even more special,' the actor said of the series. 'It's one reason I did it. Some people think it's the only reason I did it. It wasn't. It was just really well written and I would've done it anyway,' he contended of the series based on building a legal case against the makers of Oxycontin. 'But it definitely pushed it over the top for me just to honor him, I guess, but also bring awareness to it for other people.' The actor said Turner offered him support during that emotional time. 'I could not have gotten through Dopesick without her,' he said. The actor, born Michael John Douglas, had decided he wants to begin using a version his birthname for the remainder of his career. Due to Screen Actors Guild rules which prohibit an actor from having the same stage name as another, Keaton was forced to abandon Douglas as his last name, adopting Keaton after finding the name in the phonebook, according to Wikipedia. The pair met sometime around 2016. 'I kind of went, "Whoa." And then she turned out to be a very nice person,' he told People of the romcom-like meeting (Pictured in Beverly Hills in March) Turner, 51, accompanied Keaton to Tim Burton's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Tuesday September 3. The couple have been linked together since around 2016, but have kept their relationship private Keaton said Turner offered him emotional support while shooting his Emmy winning performance in Dopesick as a doctor caught up in the opioid epidemic. 'I could not have gotten through Dopesick without her,' he said The actor can't quite recall the motivation. 'I was looking through - I cant remember if it was a phone book,' he told the outlet. 'I mustve gone, "I dont know, let me think of something here". And I went, "Oh, that sounds reasonable."' He has changed his name on social media and had hoped to include his new moniker in the credits for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. 'I said, "Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas. And it totally got away from me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen,' he declared. Reese Witherspoon enjoyed dinner in New York with her lookalike daughter Ava, amid the movie star's blossoming romance with financier Oliver Haarmann. The 48-year-old Legally Blonde actress shares her older two children - Ava, 24, and Deacon, 20 - with her first ex-husband Ryan Phillippe. She also amicably co-parents an 11-year-old son called Tennessee Toth with her second ex-husband, retired talent agent Jim Toth. Earlier this week, she confirmed her new relationship, publicly holding hands with Oliver as they enjoyed a stroll together in New York City. But amid her flourishing love life and jam-packed career, Reese found time for a one-on-one dinner with Ava in Manhattan on Thursday. Reese Witherspoon enjoyed dinner in New York with her lookalike daughter Ava, amid the movie star's blossoming romance with financier Oliver Haarmann As Ava grew into adulthood, fans breathlessly noted that she was the spitting image of her mother, particularly since they were both blondes at the time. Even though Ava recently debuted a new brunette hairdo, her resemblance to her mother was still uncanny when they met for dinner this week. The similarity was particularly striking since they mirrored each other in their New York chic ensembles, combining black with dark blue. Her night out with Ava came just one day after Reese was spotted strolling hand in hand in New York with Oliver, a German private equity financier. She and Olivier were seen out in New York in late July, and DailyMail.com exclusively reported they had been on multiple dates before. However an insider remarked in early August that Reese was 'taking things slow when it comes to dating,' adding that she is 'friends' with Olivier. 'She enjoys it but doesn't want it to be a big focus. She's busy with work and her son. These are her biggest priorities,' the source informed People. Olivier is a founding partner of the private equity investment firm Searchlight Capital Partners and used to be a senior partner at the global investment firm KKR & Co. But amid her flourishing love life and jam-packed career, Reese found time for a one-on-one dinner with Ava in Manhattan on Thursday The similarity was particularly striking since they mirrored each other in their New York chic ensembles, combining black with dark blue As Ava grew into adulthood, fans breathlessly noted that she was the spitting image of her mother, particularly since they were both blondes at the time He has two children with his ex-wife Mala Gaonkar, 54 who is now romantically involved with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, 72. Reese and Ryan got married in 1999 just three months after the release of their teen drama Cruel Intentions, which also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair. At the time of their wedding, Reese was already pregnant with Ava, and they welcomed Deacon in 2003 before divorcing in 2008. In 2011 Reese went down the aisle with Jim Toth, who as an agent represented such A-list names as Scarlett Johansson and Matthew McConaughey. They announced their separation in March 2023, just two days before they would have celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary. Reese's latest sighting comes amid her blossoming romance with German private equity financier Olivier Haarmann, pictured in 2016 with his ex-wife Mala Goankar Reese and Ryan Phillippe got married in 1999 just three months after the release of their teen drama Cruel Intentions; pictured in August 1998 Reese and Ryan are also the amicable co-parents of a 20-year-old son called Deacon, whom they are pictured with celebrating his high school graduation Reese shares Tennessee with her ex-husband, former Hollywood talent agent Jim Toth, 54, whom she split from last year; Reese and Jim pictured in 2020 Insiders subsequently claimed that gossip had been circulating for months that the marriage was on the verge of collapse, via Page Six. On April Fool's Day last year it emerged that Reese had filed for divorce in Nashville, citing irreconcilable differences, according to TMZ. Reese and Jim's lifestyles were said to have diverged, as her Hollywood renaissance went gangbusters and he preferred more relaxation, per People. A source said Jim, who used to be at CAA but left in 2019 to work at the doomed streamer Quibi, was more 'laid-back' while Reese was 'headstrong and focused.' 'They've been spending less and less time together while she was working,' said one insider, as another claimed: 'She has her hand in a lot of pots; he prefers less frenzy.' Reese has a formidable list of projects in the pipeline, not only as an actress but also a producer - a role she has thrown herself into with gusto. Her upcoming releases include a third season of her hit HBO series Big Little Lies, as well as a third Legally Blonde movie. George Lopez has taken aim at Jennifer Lopez for posting risque snaps in the wake of her divorce from 'miserable' Ben Affleck. J-Lo, 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on their two year wedding anniversary last month - and set pulses racing with a cheeky swimsuit snap in the days following. Comedian Lopez, 63, said in Thursdays episode of iHeartRadios Politickin' podcast: 'You look at Ben Affleck you never seen one dude more miserable and being married. 'And Jennifer Lopez posting a tweet a selfie with her ass, its almost like, next!' He added that he believes Jennifer 'can't survive' the backlash she received over the selfie while still married to the actor, George Lopez has taken aim at Jennifer Lopez for posting risque snaps in the wake of her divorce from 'miserable' Ben Affleck J-Lo , 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on their two year wedding anniversary last month - and set pulses racing with a cheeky swimsuit snap in the days following He said: 'The minute their divorce isnt even final, theyre already taking pictures of their ass. Like, next!' He also likened Ben and Jen's marriage to Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos' romance with fiancee Lauren Sanchez - saying they are both 'Latinas who have been married twice.' He said: 'You can find anything on Amazon. You could probably find a Latina with no kids, you know? 'So the idea that the richest man in the world would go in, I mean, to me, thats off. The last thing any smart Latina wants to be is a stepfather.' Jennifer flashed her toned backside in a sexy mirror selfie last week, slipping into stunning white strappy swimwear. JLo appeared to take a sly dig at Ben within her slew of summer pictures she shared with fans - over a week after she filed for divorce from him. Within her album of snaps, JLo modelled a string of stylish outfits perfectly fitted to emphasise her knockout physique. JLo was surrounded by loved ones in the pictures, including her 16-year-old twins Max and Emme and her younger sister Lynda, 53. Comedian Lopez, 63, said in Thursdays episode of iHeartRadios Politickin' podcast: 'You look at Ben Affleck you never seen one dude more miserable and being married' - the two seen in 2023 Jennifer and Ben were married in an intimate ceremony on July 16, 2022, but they later tied the knot a second time for family and friend at Ben's estate in South Carolina on August 20, 2022 two years to the day before she filed for divorce But it was the memes sprinkled throughout the album that appeared to deliver a blow at Ben - combined with a mischievous message in her caption. 'Everything is unfolding in divine order,' read one meme, while another showed the words: 'she's in bloom and unbothered out of reach and at peace' on a t-shirt. JLo, who listed her date of separation from Ben at the end of spring on April 26, also suggestively captioned the album: 'Oh, it was a summer.' Amid the news of his divorce Ben has reportedly been spotted hanging out with RFK Jr.'s daughter Kick in recent weeks. He previously enjoyed a brief fling with Kick, before he rekindled his relationship with now-estranged wife Lopez, sources have revealed. Insiders have revealed to DailyMail.com that Kick and Ben are 'enjoying spending time' together but the writer is remaining 'tight-lipped' about their connection because she doesn't want to be seen as a 'mistress'. 'Ben and Kick had a fling before he got back together with JLo,' the source began. 'They met because Ben is from Boston and when you live in Boston, the Kennedy family is royalty.' Meanwhile Lopez is 'doing as well as she can' even though she 'didn't want a divorce' from the actor, a source told People on Monday. 'It's been incredibly difficult for her that Ben chose to pull away from their marriage and move on with his life, leaving her behind,' the insider shared. 'She didn't want a divorce. She wanted to figure things out. They love each other. Jennifer is not the type to just give up. It's been almost torture for her to wait around.' 'After filing for divorce, she seems relieved,' the source shared. 'Her family and friends agree that it was the right decision. She's surrounded by a lot of love and support. She'll be fine. She's strong and always comes out on top.' Notably, Jennifer filed the divorce paperwork herself, and she did not have an attorney listed as representing her, though she may have an attorney listed in the future. She cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the divorce filing. Although she was the one to file, and Ben appears to have opted not to do so, Us Weekly reported on Friday that he was allegedly well aware of her plans. According to an insider, the estranged couple had 'already agreed to these terms before she filed.' They said the two had 'had gone through all the details' of the filing in advance, describe it as a 'planned' event, rather than a filing designed to take Ben by surprise. 'JLo finally pulled the trigger because that was their agreement that she would file, and she was the one who ultimately made the decision,' the source added. The reporting is largely in line with the couple's decision to fake a healthy marriage for months with occasional public outings together, despite having already split behind the scenes. The source noted that both parties 'came in with significant assets of their own,' so they allegedly don't plan to fight over their wealth, leaving their massive Beverly Hills mansion as their only significant shared property that needs to be sold off. Ben and Jennifer first got engaged at the end of 2002 but broke it off a year later before calling quits on their relationship for good in 2004 Accordingly, Jennifer requested no spousal support from her ex, and she asked the court to deny it for Ben. She listed the date of their separation as April 26. Jennifer and Ben were married in an intimate ceremony on July 16, 2022, but they later tied the knot a second time for family and friend at Ben's estate in South Carolina on August 20, 2022 two years to the day before she filed for divorce. They first first got engaged at the end of 2002 but broke it off a year later before calling quits on their relationship for good in 2004. Mia Goth has revealed she thinks actors are 'weird' as she posed for a kook shoot for Another Magazine on Friday. The actress's stunning shoot comes was released just hours after her husband Shia LaBeouf appeared to be involved in a near-bust up in Edinburgh. Mia, 30, revealed to the magazine that not only does she believe those in her line of work are weird, but she also considers herself a 'weirdo'. She confessed she also thinks she is 'socially awkward' and gets nervous in interviews. Mia told the publication: 'I think actors are weird people, the best ones anyway. Mia Goth has revealed she thinks actors are 'weird' as the star sent pulses racing while posing in black mini dress for the cover of Another Magazine on Friday The actress's stunning shoot comes just hours after her husband Shia LaBeouf appeared to be involved in a near-bust up in Edinburgh 'They're socially awkward and strange and that's probably why they get into acting. 'The easy, charismatic ones that are great in social settings and at parties don't tend to be the best actors.' Following her interview, the brunette beauty showcased her trendy sense of style as she posed in array of colour outfits - including a lime green two-piece skirt suit. She also channeled her inner Velma as she sported a purple cardigan, orange jump, and grey skater skirt. In keeping with her colourful theme, she posed with a glass of milk while wearing a red shift dress, red tights and matching heeled boots. Embracing her wild side, Mia then stunned in an exaggerated floor-length leopard-print dress. Opting for another style, she looked chic in a dramatic black Victorian-style gown with a neck tie and corset waist detailing. Elsewhere in her interview with the publication, Mia opened up on how her childhood 'shaped who is today'. Mia, 30, revealed to the magazine that she not only does she believe those in her line of work are weird, but she also considers herself a 'weirdo' She confessed she also thinks she is 'socially awkward' and gets nervous in interviews Following her interview, the brunette beauty showcased her trendy sense of style as she posed in array of colour outfits - including a lime green two-piece skirt suit She also channeled her inner Velma as she sported a purple cardigan, orange jump, and grey skater skirt In keeping with her colourful theme, she posed with a glass of milk while wearing a red shift dress, red tights and matching heeled boots Embracing her wild side, Mia then stunned in an exaggerated floor-length leopard-print dress Opting for another style, she looked chic in a dramatic black Victorian-style gown with a neck tie and corset waist detailing In the shoot she was the optiome of chic as she posed holding a porcelain bouquet Her shoot also involved some quirky art displays as she was seen hanging off a shelf covered in multicoloured wires She also modeled an oversized black woven hat which featured a simple black brooch Mia sent pulses racing as she posed across a blow up mattress wearing a black leather dress Elsewhere in her interview with the publication, Mia opened up on how her childhood 'shaped who is today' 'My mum raised me on her own,' she revealed. 'She worked as a waitress when I was growing up, and we moved around a lot. Another A/W24 goes on sale Thursday, September, 12 'I don't want to get too much into that, though it definitely shaped who I am and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's given me a lot to pull from as a performer.' Her stunning shoot comes hours after a shocking video has emerged of what appears to be Shia as he prepared to fight a group of men outside a pub in Edinburgh. A man, believed to be the Hollywood actor, was heard shouting 'let's go, I'm right here, m**********r,' near the OX184 bar last weekend. Footage shows the bearded man, throwing off his cap before raising his fists, with two other men jumping in to hold him back. Dressed in a black padded jacket and jeans he walks up and down the street while shouting at an unknown male. Shia is in Scotland while his wife Mia films for the upcoming Frankenstein film, the couple have been spotted in both Edinburgh and Glasgow over the past week. Shia was heard shouting 'lets go, I'm right here, m**********r,' outside the the OX184 bar last weekend According to The Sun, a bar worker the real reason why he allegedly squared up to a group of men outside the pub. The source told the publication: 'The guy who was involved in it has been in touch. I told him to contact the police - one of the guys who got involved with him outside. 'He messaged on Facebook asking if he could get CCTV. We could only share it with the police. 'I watched the CCTV, he looked like he was having a great time. He was dancing about. 'To be honest the other four guys were antagonising him. They knew who he was and they were poking at him. 'The other guys were definitely antagonising him, trying to goad him into some sort of reaction.' According to The Sun, a bar worker saw the actor in Whistlebinkies pub on the Friday night where he 'was nothing but nice,' the video was recorded on Saturday. They told the publication: 'He was in there on the Friday. He was nothing but nice to people in there. Everyone said he was nothing but lovely. 'Apparently the stuff that happened in the video was the day after. I knew something had kicked off, but something kicks off in the Cowgate every day.' MailOnline contacted Shia's representative for comment. Last week's incident in Edinburgh follows a string of controversies that have continued to cast a shadow over the troubled actor for the last few years. In 2011 he was also filmed being punched to the ground by a shirtless man outside the Cinema Public House in Vancouver, before getting up and staggering away. Shia has been arrested six times, with the latest taking place in 2017 where he was detained for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness Shia and Mia are seen in Hollywood on August 30, 2014 in Los Angeles. The pair separated in 2018 before getting back together in 2020 In 2014, he was arrested after disturbing a performance of the musical Cabaret on Broadway in New York. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct violation and received outpatient care for alcohol addiction. Shia was also arrested for a drunken scuffle in New York City in 2017. He was arrested again in the same year for disorderly conduct in Savannah, Georgia when he became aggressive towards a police officer he had asked for a cigarette. In another incident in 2020, Shia was reportedly charged with battery and theft after getting into a verbal argument with a man in Los Angeles. In that same year, the Transformers star was accused of sexual battery, assault, and emotional distress by his former girlfriend FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, who filed a lawsuit against him. Among the allegations, she accused him of violently attacking and strangling her, knowingly infecting her with an STD, and physical and verbal violence. The couple dated for just under a year in 2018, after meeting on the set of American drama Honey Boy', with FKA Twigs later accusing him of 'relentless abuse' and 'knowingly passing on a sexually transmitted disease'. Shia was seen with his on-off wife Mia for the first time in six months in California in June Shia and Mia appeared to be heading away for a short break as he was seen pushing their luggage through Pasadena in June earlier this year FKA Twigs said her relationship with the actor was 'the worst thing I've ever been through in the whole of my life'. Shia appeared on fellow actor Jon Bernthal's Real Ones podcast in 2022 where he addressed the lawsuit and the claims made by his ex, without naming her directly or referring to FKA Twigs' specific allegations. He admitted in the interview: 'I hurt that woman. And in the process of doing that, I hurt many other people, and many other people before that woman. 'I was a pleasure-seeking, selfish, self-centered, dishonest, inconsiderate, fearful human being ... When I think about what my life has become, and what it is now, like what my purpose is now ... I need to be useful. Shia later branded FKA Twigs 'a saint', adding that if she had not 'intervened in my life... I'd either have a really mediocre existence or I'd be dead in full.' The lawsuit came around five years after an unsettling video appeared online showing Shia saying he 'would have killed' his then girlfriend Mia following an argument at a hotel in Germany. Shia was apparently trying to leave to go to the airport, before the actress, who is now his wife, took his backpack in a bid to get him to stay. He is seen on camera, saying to Mia: 'I don't wanna touch you. I don't wanna be aggressive. This is the kind of s*** that makes a person abusive.' Eventually, Shia gets his bag off Mia and leaves with the locals, talking to them in the car about the fight. He continued: 'If I'd have stayed there, I would have killed her It's hard bro really f***ed up in your heart.' Mia and Shia have had an on and off relationship in the last few years, having first met in 2012 and later marrying in 2016. The couple then separated in 2018 after filing for divorce. Shia and Mia reconciled in 2020, and it was revealed that the latter was pregnant with the couple's child in 2022. Mia gave birth in March of that year. The couple were pictured in public for the first time in six months in June this year as they appeared to be heading away for a short break. Shia will next star in Francis Ford Coppola's new movie Megalopolis, set for release September 27, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. AnOther Magazine's A/W24 edition goes on sale Thursday, September, 12. Sienna Miller and her boyfriend Oli Green looked as loved-up as ever as they attended the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday. The actress, 42, and the LA-based actor, 27, welcomed their first child together in December and walked hand-in-hand through the crowd. Sienna, who attended the Marion premiere solo earlier in the day, looked incredible in a black strappy gown. She teamed it with some stylish shades and a chunky silver necklace, elevating her height with a pair of heels. Meanwhile, Oli opted for an oversized white shirt, with navy blue trousers and leather Chelsea boots. Sienna Miller and her boyfriend Oli Green looked as loved-up as ever as they attended the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday The actress, 42, and the LA-based actor, 27, welcomed their first child together in December and walked hand-in-hand through the crowd Sienna made sure all eyes were on her as she posed up a storm at the Marion premiere earlier in the day. The actress showed off her ample cleavage at the glitzy launch of the short film, of which she is executive producer. Flashing plenty of skin in the ensemble, Sienna looked incredible as she matched the simple black ensemble with some stylish shades and a chunky silver necklace. The mother-of-two looked to be enjoying a child free day as she was helped onto the boat. The star seems to well and truly be in her 'Siennaissance' era as she continues to serve up her plethora of fashionable looks less than a year post-baby. Marion focuses on the French tradition of bull-jumping at La Course Landaise, with the synopsis reading: 'As Marion prepares, being the only woman in the team, the film explores her battle against misogyny and prejudiced attitudes. 'A journey of one woman through an all-male world juggling motherhood and the contentious pursuit of her passion. The film blends fiction and reality, creating a captivating thirteen minutes of tension.' Sienna was last seen with her boyfriend last month as the pair enjoyed a romantic holiday together in Saint-Tropez. Sienna, who attended the Marion premiere solo earlier in the day, looked incredible in a black strappy gown Meanwhile, Oli opted for an oversized white shirt, with navy blue trousers and leather Chelsea boots The couple chatted amongst other attendees Oli shielded his eyes with a pair of black sunglasses Sienna made sure all eyes were on her as she posed up a storm at the Marion premiere earlier in the day The couple's sunny trip comes after they welcomed their first child together, a daughter, in December 2023. Sienna already has 12-year-old daughter Marlowe from her previous relationship with actor Tom Sturridge, 38. Her new boyfriend, Oli, an actor who is 15 years her junior, is just like her instinctive and a free spirit. In an interview earlier this year she explained: 'I think you either live your life with caution or you take risks.' She added that whatever success, or otherwise, her choices are met with, she is finally at peace. 'For the longest time, I felt the need to really prove something, and I can see that reflected in the choices that I made. I pursued roles that were very heavy and very dramatic and challenging emotionally because I felt that I was probably seen as frivolous. I'm now completely over that.' Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a exotic holiday in August last year, where she stepped out for a day at the beach and visibly showed off her blossoming bump. She later appeared on the cover of Vogue, displaying her bare bump alongside both Marlowe and Oli, as she spoke about her pregnancy for the first time and revealed she was expecting another girl. During the rare interview, the Horizon: An American Saga star spoke candidly about how her pregnancy had been 'unplanned'. But she added that Marlowe had been wanting a sibling for some time and admitted she felt 'more psychologically prepared' than with her firstborn. Sienna said: 'I was very fortunate. I wasn't necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do.' Discussing what is different this time around, she explained: 'I have expectations where I had none before. I feel much more psychologically prepared than I was with Marlowe. 'It was quite a shock, the reality. I hadn't given it the thought, I guess you can't prepare for it. In my mind I imagine it's going to be the loveliest, but I think I've forgotten.' Flashing plenty of skin in the ensemble, Sienna looked incredible as she matched the simple black ensemble with some stylish shades and a chunky silver necklace The star seems to well and truly be in her 'Siennaissance' era as she continues to serve up her plethora of fashionable looks less than a year after welcoming her second child Having acted as an executive producer on the short film, Sienna proudly posed for snaps at the premiere Two men helped steady the star as she headed onto the boat in her stunning dress The mother-of-two, who welcomed her second child and first with boyfriend Oli Green back in December, looked to be enjoying a child free day as she was helped onto the boat Marion focuses on the French tradition of bull-jumping at La Course Landaise Earlier in the day, Sienna and her co-star Abbey Lee were pictured arriving in Venice ahead of the premiere of their film Horizon: An American Saga Chapter Two Sienna teamed a pair of leopard print flares with a slightly unbuttoned black cardigan She completed her look with some simple black heels Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a exotic holiday in August last year, where she stepped out for a day at the beach and visibly showed off her blossoming bump Sienna made sure to turn heads for her debut at this year's Venice Film Festival Kevin Costner also made his arrival in Venice ahead of the premiere of his film Horizon: An American Saga The actor cut a dapper figure as he headed to the festival on a water taxi Sienna went on to address the stigma around pregnancy as an older woman, confessing she'd been fighting her own prejudices around the subject. She said: 'I think people are comfortable with a way of living that has existed for many years, which is very misogynistic and patriarchal. 'Like me being the older woman in a partnership with a younger person or being pregnant over 40 and that that's irresponsible and poor child and it's such double standards.' She added: 'I'd love to get to a point where I didn't feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show I'm in on the joke.' Bar Refaeli was the epitome of elegance in a gold gown as she graced the Nuovo IMAIE Award's red carpet on the penultimate day of the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday. The Israeli model, 39, boosted her jaw-dropping physique in the long-sleeve number which perfectly hugged her figure and featured draped details on the dress with a slightly cinched waist. Enhancing her endless legs, the maxi gown presented a semi-sheer skirt, which she teamed with strappy black sandal heels. The elegant garment was completed with a dazzling set of diamond jewellery including an eye-catching chunky chain with a purple stone pendant. The TV host also sported elaborated sparkling earrings, while flaunting a very natural make-up showing off her looks. Bar Refaeli was the epitome of elegance in a gold gown as she graced the Nuovo IMAE Award's red carpet on the penultimate day of the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday The Israeli model, 39, boosted her jaw-dropping physique in the long-sleeve number which perfectly hugged her figure and featured draped details on the dress Bar couldn't radiate more happiness, strutting her stuff at the iconic cinema event as she waved to the crowd with a gentle beam. Her golden locks were straight in light waves, gently cascading behind her back as she stopped under the limelight for a series of striking snaps. The Venice Lido was home to the 10th edition of the film talent awards - which is dedicated to emerging talents chosen by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) and the National Union of Italian Film Journalists (SNGCI). Talented actresses and actors are identified among the films in competition and not at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The event saw young stars Tecla Insolia e Martina Scrinzi being awarded, with Italian actress Teresa Saponangelo as Godmother of the edition. The winners received a cash prize useful for continuing and deepening an educational path to thrive in the cinema industry. Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened the Venice Film Festival on August 28. Sigourney Weaver meanwhile will receive the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award during the festival. She rocked strappy black sandal heels, as she posed up a storm on the red carpet The elegant garment was completed with a dazzling set of diamond jewellery including an eye-catching chunky chain with a purple stone pendant The TV host also sported elaborated sparkling earrings The actress opted for a very natural make-up showing off her looks Bar couldn't radiate more happiness, strutting her stuff at the iconic cinema event She was captured waving to the crowd with a gentle beam Her golden locks were straight in light waves, gently cascading behind her back Sigourney said ahead of receiving the prize: 'I am truly honored to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from La Biennale di Venezia.' 'To be gifted this award is a privilege I share with all the filmmakers and collaborators I have worked with throughout the years. I proudly accept this award in celebration of all who have helped bring these films to life.' The 81st Venice International Film Festival is organised by La Biennale di Venezia and will be held on the Lido di Venezia from 28 August to 7 September 2024. As well as Sigourney and the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice cast there is an array of A-listers that have descended on Venice in recent days. George Clooney and his wife Amal were in attendance last week for the debut of his anticipated new movie Wolfs - the Jon Watts-directed heist thriller that reunites him with Oceans 11 co-star Brad Pitt. Brad's ex wife Angelina Jolie was also in Venice to promote the film Maria, in which she plays opera legend Maria Callas. Sources indicated that the schedules have been arranged so that the warring couple - who continue to be embroiled in legal action eight years after they split - would not be at the film festival at the same time. Another major screening was Joker: Folie a Deux, welcoming stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga to the Venice red carpet. Daniel Craig also made an appaerance to promote his movie Queer, which screened on September 3. Venice regulars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton are in town for Pedro Almodovars English-language debut The Room Next Door. Pupi Avati's The American Backyard will close the festival on September 7. Ben Affleck glowed with happiness when he was spotted leaving work this Friday amid his ongoing divorce drama with Jennifer Lopez. The Hollywood couple spent months trailed by feverish speculation that their marriage was on the verge of collapse, culminating in Jennifer finally filing for divorce on their second wedding anniversary, August 20. The Argo director, 52, has been repeatedly spotted in public since the news broke, often with a radiant smile on his face. His latest sighting Friday was no exception, as he was seen sharing a laugh with another gentleman as they strode through a parking lot. Ben was dressed in snappy business attire, including a well-fitted navy suit and a lighter blue dress shirt, worn without a tie in a nod to California chic. Ben Affleck glowed with happiness when he was spotted leaving work this Friday amid his ongoing divorce drama with Jennifer Lopez The outing comes as Jennifer returned to the red carpet in a sideboob flashing silver gown for the premiere of her ex's film Unstoppable. She wowed in the risque number as she promoted the film Ben produced and she stars in - while Ben remained in LA. George Lopez claimed Ben looked 'miserable' during his marriage and slammed Jennifer for posting risque snaps in the wake of her divorce. In the days after she filed to dissolve her marriage, Jennifer posted a sizzling Instagram snap in a high-cut swimsuit that hinted at her derriere. Comedian Lopez, 63, said in Thursdays episode of iHeartRadios Politickin' podcast: 'You look at Ben Affleck you never seen one dude more miserable and being married. 'And Jennifer Lopez posting a tweet a selfie with her a**, its almost like, next!' He added that he believes Jennifer 'can't survive' the backlash she received over the selfie while still married to the actor. He said: 'The minute their divorce isnt even final, theyre already taking pictures of their a**. Like, next!' He also likened Ben and Jen's marriage to Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos' romance with fiancee Lauren Sanchez - saying they are both 'Latinas who have been married twice.' He said: 'You can find anything on Amazon. You could probably find a Latina with no kids, you know? Ben was dressed in snappy business attire, including a well-fitted navy suit and a lighter blue dress shirt, worn without a tie in a nod to California chic The outing comes as Jennifer returned to the red carpet in a sideboob flashing silver gown for the premiere of her ex's film Unstoppable Jennifer, who is pictured with Ben at the Golden Globes this January, filed for divorce last month on the couple's second wedding anniversary George Lopez has taken aim at Jennifer for posting risque snaps in the wake of her divorce from 'miserable' Ben J-Lo , 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on their two year wedding anniversary last month - and set pulses racing with a cheeky swimsuit snap in the days following 'So the idea that the richest man in the world would go in, I mean, to me, thats off. The last thing any smart Latina wants to be is a stepfather.' Jennifer flashed her toned backside in a sexy mirror selfie last week, slipping into stunning white strappy swimwear. JLo appeared to take a sly dig at Ben within her slew of summer pictures she shared with fans - over a week after she filed for divorce from him. Within her album of snaps, JLo modelled a string of stylish outfits perfectly fitted to emphasise her knockout physique. JLo was surrounded by loved ones in the pictures, including her 16-year-old twins Max and Emme and her younger sister Lynda, 53. But it was the memes sprinkled throughout the album that appeared to deliver a blow at Ben - combined with a mischievous message in her caption. 'Everything is unfolding in divine order,' read one meme, while another showed the words: 'she's in bloom and unbothered out of reach and at peace' on a t-shirt. JLo, who listed her date of separation from Ben at the end of spring on April 26, also suggestively captioned the album: 'Oh, it was a summer.' Amid the news of his divorce Ben has reportedly been spotted hanging out with RFK Jr.'s daughter Kick in recent weeks. He previously enjoyed a brief fling with Kick, before he rekindled his relationship with now-estranged wife Lopez, sources have revealed. Insiders have revealed to DailyMail.com that Kick and Ben are 'enjoying spending time' together but the writer is remaining 'tight-lipped' about their connection because she doesn't want to be seen as a 'mistress'. 'Ben and Kick had a fling before he got back together with JLo,' the source began. 'They met because Ben is from Boston and when you live in Boston, the Kennedy family is royalty.' Meanwhile Lopez is 'doing as well as she can' even though she 'didn't want a divorce' from the actor, a source told People on Monday. 'It's been incredibly difficult for her that Ben chose to pull away from their marriage and move on with his life, leaving her behind,' the insider shared. 'She didn't want a divorce. She wanted to figure things out. They love each other. Jennifer is not the type to just give up. It's been almost torture for her to wait around.' Jennifer and Ben were married in an intimate ceremony on July 16, 2022, but they later tied the knot a second time for family and friend at Ben's estate in South Carolina on August 20, 2022 two years to the day before she filed for divorce 'After filing for divorce, she seems relieved,' the source shared. 'Her family and friends agree that it was the right decision. She's surrounded by a lot of love and support. She'll be fine. She's strong and always comes out on top.' Notably, Jennifer filed the divorce paperwork herself, and she did not have an attorney listed as representing her, though she may have an attorney listed in the future. She cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the divorce filing. Although she was the one to file, and Ben appears to have opted not to do so, Us Weekly reported on Friday that he was allegedly well aware of her plans. According to an insider, the estranged couple had 'already agreed to these terms before she filed.' They said the two had 'had gone through all the details' of the filing in advance, describe it as a 'planned' event, rather than a filing designed to take Ben by surprise. 'JLo finally pulled the trigger because that was their agreement that she would file, and she was the one who ultimately made the decision,' the source added. The reporting is largely in line with the couple's decision to fake a healthy marriage for months with occasional public outings together, despite having already split behind the scenes. The source noted that both parties 'came in with significant assets of their own,' so they allegedly don't plan to fight over their wealth, leaving their massive Beverly Hills mansion as their only significant shared property that needs to be sold off. Ben and Jennifer first got engaged at the end of 2002 but broke it off a year later before calling quits on their relationship for good in 2004 Accordingly, Jennifer requested no spousal support from her ex, and she asked the court to deny it for Ben. She listed the date of their separation as April 26. Jennifer and Ben were married in an intimate ceremony on July 16, 2022, but they later tied the knot a second time for family and friend at Ben's estate in South Carolina on August 20, 2022 two years to the day before she filed for divorce. They first first got engaged at the end of 2002 but broke it off a year later before calling quits on their relationship for good in 2004. Jude Law has brought the '70s back! The usually clean-shaven English actor, 51, adopted a bushy moustache for his new historical crime film The Order. The thriller premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August and will be available to watch on Prime Video. Jude's performance as Terry Husk, a washed-up FBI agent who goes up against real-life white supremacist group The Order, received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Festival. He said of his character: 'There was a sort of lived-in quality to him that I enjoyed. Jude laid down the Law (with help from a big tash) in his new historical crime thriller film The Order which premiered in August at the Venice Film Festival Jude's performance as Terry Husk, a washed-up FBI agent who goes up against real-life white supremacist group The Order, received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Festival Jude pictured looking dapper in all-black at the film's August 31 Venice premiere - with not a facial hair in sight 'There was a lot of discussion about facial hair, but every agent I interviewed had a moustache, so it was just a given that I had to grow one.' Also starring are Alison Oliver, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, and Nicholas Hoult. Nicholas plays The Order leader Bob Mathews, an American neo-Nazi who led the white supremacist group in 1983. Nicholas revealed that the film's director Justin Kurzel gave each actor a 'manifesto' for their character, including tasks for them to complete. 'I just found out on the boat here one of Jude's tasks was to follow me for a day!' he said. 'He was trailing me for a day when I landed in Calgary.' The Order is based on the 1989 biography The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt. It was written by Zach Baylin and distributed by Prime Video (though Amazon MGM Studios). Though a Prime Video film, Vertical acquired partial rights to the film, and will release it on December 6, 2024, in a limited theatrical release. The Order cast. Left to right: Matias Garrido, Nicholas Hoult, Jurnee Smollett, director Justin Kurzel, Jude, Tye Sheridan, and Philip Lewitski At The Order's Venice Film Festival press conference, Jude spoke about the importance of the film at a time when far-right ideologies are rising again. 'Sadly, the relevance speaks for itself,' he said. '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. Director Justin agreed with Law, adding that the films parallels with todays world were what made it so interesting to make. Its always an extraordinary thing when you find a piece of writing or event from the past that has some sort of perspective that can have a conversation with todays politics. Thats a rare gem. So, we felt that there was a lot that was being said about today. Megan Thee Stallion went braless in a plunging dusty pink dress as she attended Paris Hilton's album release party during New York Fashion Week on Thursday. The Texas rapper, 29, turned heads in the halterneck dress which dipped to her navel and cinched her waist. Megan showed off her famous derriere when she spun around outside Paris's event, a joint collaboration with NYLON Nights. Inside the event, Megan smiled from ear to ear alongside Hayley Williams, 35, the frontwoman of American rock band Paramore. Hilton Hotels heiress Paris, 43, has made a triumphant return to music with album Infinite Icon, 18 years after her eponymous debut album Paris. Megan Thee Stallion, 29, went braless in a plunging dusty pink dress as she attended Paris Hilton's album release party during New York Fashion Week on Thursday The Texas rapper turned heads in the halterneck dress which dipped to her navel and cinched her waist She showed off her famous derriere when she spun around outside Paris's event, a joint collaboration with NYLON Nights Infinite Icon released on Friday and features Chasin' with Meghan Trainor, Fame Won't Love You with Sia, and BBA with Megan. Executively produced by Australian artist Sia, Infinite Icon will hope to replicate the success of Paris which peaked at number six on the US charts and sold over 200,000 copies - despite mixed reviews. Megan has released three albums: Good News (2020), Traumazine (2022), and the eponymous Megan which came out in June. At the end of August, Megan broke the internet along with fellow rapper GloRilla and none other than Beyonce when the trio took a selfie. Famous homebody Beyonce shared the photo to her Instagram and captioned it with just a white heart. Beyonce rarely posts anyone other than herself and her family on her Instagram, so fans went wild. In the snap, the women decked themselves out in lacy white ensembles. All three hail from the southern states of America, GloRilla being from Tennessee and Megan and Beyonce, Texas. Hilton Hotels heiress Paris, 43, has made a triumphant return to music with album Infinite Icon, 18 years after her eponymous debut album Inside the event, Megan smiled from ear to ear alongside Hayley Williams, 35, the frontwoman of American rock band Paramore She shook her huge curly hair and smiled as she began to feel the music - she collaborate with Paris on one track, BBA At the end of August, Megan broke the internet along with fellow rapper GloRilla when they featured in a selfie with Beyonce which earned a coveted spot on her Instagram page The gal pals also share professional ties - Beyonce featured on a remix of Megan's 2020 single Savage, while Megan and GloRilla released the duet Wanna Be this April. Megan's album Megan is her first album to be released under her independent label, Hot Girl Productions. Megan received generally favorable reviews from music critics, with praise towards the newfound creative freedom on display. The album was supported by four singles, one of which, Hiss, became Megan's first solo number one. The album itself debuted at number three. This X Factor star is a dead ringer for Robbie Williams - but can YOU guess who it is? He competed in the eighth series of The X Factor in 2011 at 18 years old and quickly became the series heartthrob. Also on this series were Misha B, TOWIE star Amelia Lily, Marcus Collins, and eventual winners Little Mix. But, this Robbie doppelganger unceremoniously exited the series in eighth place for 'boasting about cocaine-fuelled sex sessions'. So, can you get who it is? Lock up your daughters...it's Frankie Cocozza! This X Factor star is a dead ringer for Robbie Williams, 50 - but can you guess who it is? He competed in the eighth series of The X Factor in 2011, won by Little Mix (pictured), but was booted off in eighth place after 'boasting about his cocaine use'. So, can you guess who it is? Lock up your daughters...it's Frankie Cocozza! (Left: Frankie, 31, in Indonesia on Friday, right: Robbie in 1993) Frankie, 31, appeared on The X Factor as a bright-eyed 18-year-old and was loved for his charming bad boy persona. He was mentored by Gary Barlow who later said he was 'hugely disappointed' that Frankie 'threw away an opportunity' after the drugs scandal. After The X Factor, Frankie enjoyed success on Celebrity Big Brother, finishing the 2012 series in second place behind Denise Welch. He went on to have limited success as a solo artist before forming short-lived pop rock band The Telescreen. The band have not be active since 2015, and in 2018 Frankie moved to Australia after marrying Bianca Murphy. Frankie has not released music in years, despite fans' pleas, but still describes himself as a 'musician'. In 2022, Frankie split from Bianca and that same year he found love with lingerie designer Emma Stubbs. Frankie and Bianca share one child together, son Frankie Jr., and he turned five in May. The Sun previously reported that Frankie and Bianca remain on amicable terms for the sake of their son Frankie Jr. Frankie appeared on The X Factor as a bright-eyed 18-year-old and was loved for his charming bad boy persona He was mentored by Gary Barlow who later said he was 'hugely disappointed' that Frankie 'threw away an opportunity' after the drugs scandal After The X Factor, Frankie went on to have limited success as a solo artist before forming short-lived pop rock band The Telescreen (pictured in 2023) Frankie is currently on holiday in Indonesia with his girlfriend of four years Emma Stubbs, a lingerie designer (pictured in March) A source told the publication: 'Frankie and Bianca were madly in love but things just fizzled out over time. 'They have remained on good terms for the sake of their son, Frankie Jr, but have both moved on. 'Bianca has stopped using Cocozza as her surname and he has removed all trace of her from his Instagram.' They tied the knot in May 2018 back in Brighton and the following year they welcomed their baby boy. Big Lots, the discount home goods retailer, has set alarm bells ringing after postponing the release of its financial results today. One retail analyst told DailyMail.com that the highly unusual move is 'usually not a good omen'. Neil Saunders said bankruptcy is now the 'ultimate destination' for the ailing chain - sparking fears that it will be forced to shutter more stores. The Ohio-based company already announced last month it would close down more than 300 of its almost 1,400 stores across the US. 'It is unusual for companies to delay filing and when they do it is usually not a good omen,' Saunders, head of retail at GlobalData, said. 'We know that Big Lots is in a lot of financial difficulty with losses mounting and sales sliding. It looks like bankruptcy might be the ultimate destination for the company.' Discount home goods retailer Big Lots is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy after years of falling sales and store closures (Pictured: A store closure in Manassas, Virginia) Only last week, rumors began to swell that Big Lots is on the brink of bankruptcy after years of falling sales. If it cannot find investors, the beleaguered chain may seek Chapter 11 protection within weeks, according to Bloomberg. Saunders added: 'The problem for Big Lots is twofold. 'First, a lot of what it sells is discretionary with much of it tied to home furnishings. That market has been very weak. Big Lots history The company that would go on to become Big Lots was founded in 1967 by Sol Shenk. In 1982, the company - then known as Consolidated International - launched Odd Lots, which was later renamed Big Lots. It was one of the first types of store known as close-out - which meant it sold goods that were nearly out of date in the case of food or not the current season for fashion and homewares. The chain grew over the years to include stores operating under several names including Mac Frugal's Bargains, Closeouts, and Pic 'N' Save. They were all converted to the Big Lots name in 2001. Advertisement 'Second, Big Lots has done itself no favors with a poor proposition where prices are not all that sharp and bargains are few. 'This doesnt fit with its value-based model and has meant customers have found other places to shop.' This morning, the company put out a statement: 'Big Lots today announced it has postponed the release of its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 ended August 3, which had previously been scheduled for September 6. 'The Company expects to report its second quarter of fiscal 2024 results on September 12.' Big Lots stock fell on that news. It comes after it plummeted as much as 50 percent last week after news of the bankruptcy fears emerged. At the time, the stock price dropped to 56 cents. This afternoon it was 45 cents. CEO Bruce Thorn warned during the company's last earnings call three months ago that Americans were cutting back spending on big ticket items, especially for furniture, which was hurting sales. Big Lots received a loan earlier this year to help navigate its liquidity problems, Bloomberg reported, and it has been seeking additional financing in recent weeks. The chain has seen its takings fall consistently for each of the past ten quarters. It lost an eye-watering $132 million in the first three months of 2024. In August, Big Lots said it would close as many as 315 stores across states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire and Vermont which are due to close. The latest closures were on top of 40 further stores which closed their doors in June. It means the Columbus, Ohio-based chain will have lost a quarter of its 1,392 store footprint this year. On the closures, a company spokesperson told Retail Dive earlier this month: 'While the majority of our stores are profitable, we have made the difficult decision to close certain underperforming stores.' 'We are confident that the steps we are taking will best position the company for the future as we return to our roots, focus on owning the bargain space, and deliver unmistakable value to our customers.' On Reddit, Big Lots store managers have complained that they are getting more and more stock that customers do not buy. 'In the last month we received four of the largest trucks we have seen all year and triple the amount we normally get,' one wrote. 'The warehouse is pretty much full to capacity and none of [it] is selling.' Another posted: 'Isn't that the weirdest thing? So much stuff, but none of it is what people want.' The store sells furniture and homeware alongside toys, beauty products and groceries Big Lots is know for its reduced price items Problems for Big Lots come amidst a widespread 'retail apocalypse' which is seeing stores struggle with consumer pullback and increasingly tight margins. There were almost 2,600 store closures in the first four months of 2024. If that trend continues, almost 8,000 will have been lost by the end of the year. Bargain stores like Big Lots as well as dollar stores have been hit particularly hard. For example, 99 Cents Only announced in April it would shutter all 371 of its locations across California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Meanwhile, 1,000 stores belong to Family Dollar and its sister company Dollar Tree will shutter over the next three years. In recent months, Walmart has also closed three more of its underperforming locations. Best Buy closed ten in March. In addition, Macy's is closing 150 shops over the next three years - including the shuttering of 55 this year. Drug store Rite Aid has said it will close more than 800 stores after entering bankruptcy. Most of these have been in just two states - with customers scrambling to find a new pharmacy in Michigan and Ohio. Session on Trade Vision organised at Gndu new delhi: The Dinero Finance Club of University Business School, Guru Nanak Dev University hosted a Industry Interactive Session Trade Vision: Decoding the Dynamics Of Stock Market under the guidance and scientific vision of Prof (Dr.) Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice Chancellor. VIT University Donates `1,57,50,000 for Flood Victims Amaravati: To support the Andhra Pradesh government in the wake of recent floods, Dr.G.Viswanthan, Chancellor, Sri Sankar Viswantha, Vice-President, VIT University presented a cheque of Rs1,57,50,000 (One crore fifty seven lakhs fifty thousand) to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. ATES, another step by Nfr to enhance safety MAligaon: Northeast Frontier Railway has installed a prototype Automatic Train Examination System (ATES) for the first time at its rolling in & rolling out examination point at New Jalpaiguri. ATES is an Artificial Intelligence based technology that involves capturing, processing and analysing visual data such as images and videos of rolling stocks. NBCC receives award in various categories new delhi: NBCC (India) Limited a Navratna CPSE under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was presented with Shield by the Town Official Language Implementation Committee, Delhi (Undertaking-2) in their half yearly meeting and prize distribution ceremony organised at Silver Oak Auditorium, India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road, New Delhi on September 4, 2024 for exhibition in Rajbhasha Utsav; publication of in-house Hindi magazine Nirman Bharti and securing first position in Quiz Competition. Guru Nanak Dev University celebrates Teachers Day Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University celebrated Teachers Day with enthusiasm and reverence, honoring the dedication and commitment of its educators. The various departments includes Punjab School of Economics, Department of History organised special events and activities to express gratitude towards the teaching staff. SRM institute hosts international conference kattankulathur: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) recently hosted the International Conference on Precision Bio-Medicine and Sustainable Smart City Development (ICPBSSC) in collaboration with National Chung Cheng University (CCU), Taiwan held over three days. REC Honoured as Nodal Agency of the Year new delhi: REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been conferred with the prestigious Nodal Agency of the Year award at the Bharat Electricity - Powering India Awards 2024. Session on Trade Vision organised at Gndu new delhi: The Dinero Finance Club of University Business School, Guru Nanak Dev University hosted a Industry Interactive Session Trade Vision: Decoding the Dynamics Of Stock Market under the guidance and scientific vision of Prof (Dr.) Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice Chancellor. VIT University Donates `1,57,50,000 for Flood Victims Amaravati: To support the Andhra Pradesh government in the wake of recent floods, Dr.G.Viswanthan, Chancellor, Sri Sankar Viswantha, Vice-President, VIT University presented a cheque of Rs1,57,50,000 (One crore fifty seven lakhs fifty thousand) to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. ATES, another step by Nfr to enhance safety MAligaon: Northeast Frontier Railway has installed a prototype Automatic Train Examination System (ATES) for the first time at its rolling in & rolling out examination point at New Jalpaiguri. ATES is an Artificial Intelligence based technology that involves capturing, processing and analysing visual data such as images and videos of rolling stocks. NBCC receives award in various categories new delhi: NBCC (India) Limited a Navratna CPSE under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was presented with Shield by the Town Official Language Implementation Committee, Delhi (Undertaking-2) in their half yearly meeting and prize distribution ceremony organised at Silver Oak Auditorium, India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road, New Delhi on September 4, 2024 for exhibition in Rajbhasha Utsav; publication of in-house Hindi magazine Nirman Bharti and securing first position in Quiz Competition. Guru Nanak Dev University celebrates Teachers Day Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University celebrated Teachers Day with enthusiasm and reverence, honoring the dedication and commitment of its educators. The various departments includes Punjab School of Economics, Department of History organised special events and activities to express gratitude towards the teaching staff. SRM institute hosts international conference kattankulathur: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) recently hosted the International Conference on Precision Bio-Medicine and Sustainable Smart City Development (ICPBSSC) in collaboration with National Chung Cheng University (CCU), Taiwan held over three days. REC Honoured as Nodal Agency of the Year new delhi: REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been conferred with the prestigious Nodal Agency of the Year award at the Bharat Electricity - Powering India Awards 2024. Gautam Adani had in the late 1970s applied to join a Mumbai college for education, but the college rejected his application. He did not pursue education but turned to business and went on to build a USD 220 billion empire. About four-and-a-half decades later, he gets called to the same college to deliver a lecture to students on Teachers Day. Adani had moved to Mumbai at the age of 16 and started working as a diamond sorter. Around the same time in 1977 or 1978, he applied for admission to the city's Jai Hind College. "But they rejected him," said Vikram Nankani, President of the Jai Hind College Alumni Association, as he introduced India's second richest person before his lecture. He had applied to Jai Hind College because his elder brother Vinod had earlier studied in the same college. "Fortunately or unfortunately, the college did not accept him and he went on to work full time and pursued an alternative career," Nankani said, declaring Gautam Adani as a "deemed alumni" since he had applied to join. After working as a diamond sorter for almost two years, he returned to his home state of Gujarat to run a packaging factory managed by a brother. He never really looked back after he launched his firm in 1998, trading in commodities. Over the next two-and-half-decade, his debt-fuelled companies diversified into ports, mines, infrastructure, power, city gas, renewable energy, cement, real estate, data centres and media. The infrastructure tycoon, who runs 13 seaports in India, operates seven airports, is the largest private player in power, is the biggest renewable energy producer, runs the country's second-largest cement company, is building expressways and re-developing Asia's largest slums, is described by some as the most aggressive of India's new generation of entrepreneur. Delivering the lecture 'Breaking Boundaries: The Power of Passion and Unconventional Paths to Success', Adani, 62, was just 16 years old when he chose to break his first boundary. "It had to do with giving up my education and choosing to move to an unknown future in Mumbai. People still ask me, 'Why did you move to Mumbai? Why did you not complete your education?' The answer lies in the heart of every young dreamer who sees boundaries not as barriers but as challenges that test his courage. "I was driven by a need to see if I had the courage to make a life for myself in the most happening city of our country," he said. Mumbai was his training ground for business as he learned to sort and trade in diamonds. "The field of trading makes a good teacher. I learnt very early that an entrepreneur can never be frozen by over-evaluating the choices in front of him," he said. "It is Mumbai that taught me 'To think big, you must first dare to dream beyond your boundaries'." In the 1980s, he established a trading organisation for importing polymers to supply to the struggling small-scale industries. "By the time I turned 23, my trading venture was doing well," he said. After the 1991 economic liberalisation, he established a global trading house dealing in polymers, metals, textiles, and agri-products. He was just 29 then. "Within two years, we had become the largest global trading house in the country. This is when I understood the combined value of both speed and scale," he said. "Thereafter, in 1994, we decided that it was time to go public, and Adani Exports, now known as Adani Enterprises, launched its IPO. The IPO was a strong success and underscored for me the importance of public markets." Adani realised that to break the next set of boundaries, he would have to first start by challenging his own status quo and investing in assets to provide a solid foundation. In the mid-1990s, he was approached by the global commodities trader Cargill for a partnership to manufacture and source salt from the Kutch region in Gujarat. "While the partnership did not materialise, we were left with about 40,000 acres of marshy land and approval to build a captive jetty at Mundra (in Gujarat) for the export of salt," he said. What others saw as marshy barren land, he saw as a canvas waiting to be transformed. That canvas is now by far India's largest port. "Mundra today hosts India's largest port, the largest industrial Special Economic Zone, the largest container terminals, the largest thermal power plant, the largest solar manufacturing facility, the largest copper plant, and the largest edible oil refinery. And yet, we're only about 10 per cent of what Mundra will eventually become," he said. He is now building the world's biggest renewable energy park in the inhospitable deserts of Kutch and redeveloping Dharavi slums in Mumbai. "While we have helped redefine India's infrastructure across airports, ports, logistics, industrial parks and energy it is not the victories that define us. It is the mindset to take on and overcome challenges that have shaped the Adani Group's journey," he added. Some developments since the installation of the interim Government provides cause for concern Several developments in Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina raise the question: Is that country set to become a fundamentalist Islamist state and a cradle and exporter of Islamist terrorism? As of now, none of what the students who led the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement (ADSM) have said indicates that they support fundamentalist Islam or terrorism. It is, however, not clear what they stand for. A report in the Dhaka Tribune (datelined August 16, 2024) quoted Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the ADSM and an advisor in the interim government, as saying, "The spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return." The same reported quoted him as saying that structural reforms were needed to achieve this aim, and that would require time. One does not know what structural reforms they have in mind and the policies they intend to pursue. The Tribune report in question quotes Tahmid Chowdhury, another student leader, as saying that they were still working out their programme, which would be rooted in secularism and free speech. Reuters reported on August 16, 2024, that the students were contemplating forming their own party to carry their movement forward and bring a closure on the history of the last three decades when Bangladesh was governed either by the Awami League or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Not much has been heard about the matter since then. The question is whether the overwhelming majority of them share their leader's views. One needs to ask this as fundamentalist Islamist and terrorist organisations have been increasingly spreading their tentacles inside Bangladesh's colleges and universities. Consider the case of North South University (NSU), one of that country's best-known private universities. Professor Gias Uddin Ahsan, Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences, and acting Pro-Vice Chancellor, was arrested on July 16, 2016, along with two of his associates, for renting out his flat, and not informing the police about the fact of its being rented out and details of the tenants-which he was required to do. The flat was subsequently used by the perpetrators of the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant in Dhaka on July 1, 2016. The University has suspended Professor Ahsan after his arrest. Earlier, it had dismissed four teachers for their links with the terrorist outfit, Hizb-ut Tahrir. Nibras Islam, one of the six identified as those attacking the Holey Artisan Bakery and killed by the police in the encounter that followed, was one of its students. Abir Rahman, one of those who attacked a police post guarding Bangladesh's largest eid prayer congregation at Sholakia in Kishoreganj on July 7, 2016, and was killed, was a student of NSU. The attack, which was repelled, led to three deaths. Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, who, in 2012, was convicted on the charge of attempting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank, and of coming to the United States for waging jihad, had also been a student of NSU. Besides, all the young men-Sadman Yasir Mamun, Faisal Bin Nayeem Dwip, Ehsan Reza Rumman, Maksudul Hasan Anik, Nayeem Irad and Nafiz Imtiaz- arrested for killing the blogger and Ganajagaran Mancha activist, Ahmed Rajib Haidar, in 2013. were its students. There has been large-scale irregular inundation of educational institutions by fundamentalist elements. A report by Ekramul Huq Bulbul and Masud Milad in the Bengali daily Prathom Alo of August 12, 2004. States, "The allegation has been levelled of the jama'atification of the Chittagong University by violating all rules. Most applicants were not appointed as teachers despite getting four first classes in their educational life. Yet there has been the unprecedented occurrence of appointment of the supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami, a partner in the present four-party coalition government headed by Begum Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) despite their being without a single first class." The report further stated that investigations by Prathom Also revealed that of the 122 teachers appointed during this period, 57 had been appointed by ignoring the recommendations of the Departmental Planning Committee and the number of posts advertised. Whether all this has caused a significant section of students to be influenced by militant fundamentalist Islam need to be seen, given the continued operations of terrorist organisations. A number of Bangladeshis had fought the Soviet forces occupying Afghanistan. The Soviet Union's defeat at the hands of the Mujaheedin and withdrawal from the country in February, 1989, had boosted their morale as also that of militant Islamists the world over. Osama bin-Laden, who had been involved in the jihad and who harboured the vision of establishing sharia rule worldwide, helped the establishment of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HUJIB) in 1992. The formation of Jama'at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), followed. Pressure from the United States and other Western countries following the large-scale violence unleashed by these organisations, compelled the Khaleda Zia government to act against them. More resolute action followed the ascent to power of the second Awami League-led government, with Sheikh Hasina as prime minister, in 2009. Nine Islamist terrorist groups were banned during her prime ministership. These included the JMB, Shahadat-e al-Hikma, Hizb ut-Tahrir, HuJI-B, Ansarullah Bangla Team and the last-named's subsequent reincarnation, Ansar al-Islam. The list also included Jamaat Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya formed in 2018. Another seven Islamic extremist groups were blacklisted during her regime. These were Ulama Anjuman E Al Bayyinat, Neo-JMB, Dawlatul Islam Bangladesh, Hezbut Tawheed, At-Tamkin, Tamiruddin-Bangladesh and Towhidi Trust. Particularly active among these was the Ansar al-Islam, which played a major role in the murder of the bloggers, which began with the killing of Ahmed Rajib Haider in Dhaka on February 15, 2013 and continued until 2015. The Neo-JMB, however, is believed to have been behind the attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery which killed 23 persons, including three Bangladeshis, seven Japanese, nine Italians and one Indian. The tough measures that followed, had kept Islamist terrorism more and less under control. Following Sheikh Hasina's ouster, the Hizb-ut Tahrir (Hijb-ut) has been staging processions in different parts of Bangladesh and putting up posters articulating its ideology. On August 9, 2024, it held a rally in Dhaka demanding the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in Bangladesh. Also, the statues of two police officers who died fighting the terrorists at the Holey Artisan Bakery, have been destroyed and a Hijb-ut Tahrir poster has been found at the site. On its part, the interim government has released Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the Ansarullah Bangla Team, now Ansar al-Islam. Neither all this nor the very cordial meeting Muhammad Yunus has had with leaders of the Jama'at and Hefazat-e-Islam, of course, indicates that the interim government supports Islamist militancy. Nevertheless, skating on thin ice is better avoided. (The author is Consulting Editor, The Pioneer. The views are personal) The recent disparaging remarks by Donald Trump against Kamala Harris have once again spotlighted the rampant sexism entrenched in politics The Republican presidential nominee Donal Trumps recent disparaging comments against her Democratic rival, Vice President Harris about her appearance, re-established the fact that sexism is very much alive in American politics. His party, however, had denied that it had anything to do with race or gender. Harris, on the other hand, urged Trump to commit to debating her, if he got something to say. Such sexist vilification, many believe, is on the expected lines in a country that had no women, and only one person of colour as president, which is now, for the first time, having a woman of colour running for the presidency on a major party ticket. Harris entry into the presidential battle has unleashed a wave of misogyny, and personal attacks on her marriage and stepchildren. She is also accused of leaning into being Black for political expediency. Republican vice-presidential nominee Cyrus Vances remarks that the Democratic Party is dominated by childless cat ladies, with no direct stake in Americas future, is also a dig at Harriss life choices. While, early this year, Nikki Haley, the first woman governor of South Carolina, when encountered the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, she was dismissed as a token candidate, and her achievements hardly got any attention. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had to undergo similar ordeals with apprehensions about her health and integrity, and even for her political ambitions. In 2008, Sarah Palin wasnt spared, she was constantly jeered at for her looks, personal life and intelligence, while her policy positions and records were overlooked. While only a relatively small share of the US adults (18%) consider that it is important that a woman be elected as president in their lifetime, most (64%) say this is not too or not at all important or that the presidents gender doesnt matter. Overall, 62% of Americans believe that the media focuses too much on the physical appearance of women contesting for high elected offices, and there is not enough attentiveness to their views on key policy matters (Pew Research Centre). Along the party lines, 25 per cent of Republicans are of the view that men generally make better leaders than women, only 4 percent said that women are better suited to lead. While, Democrats, were found to be more likely to say women were better leaders than men (August, 22, PerryUndem survey). Many of the politicians may be progressive in their policy beliefs, but, when it comes to equity, their socialisation around gender stereotypes and expectations is quite stubborn, commented Kelly Dittmar, professor, of political science, at Rutgers University. In the USA, women hold only 27.9 per cent of seats in Congress, while, there is currently no Black woman in the Senate. A 2016 IPU study on the experiences of fifty-five women members of national parliaments from 39 countries across the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Arab countries, confirmed that sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians are very real and rampant. While, psychological violence, the most widely spread, and, now, more on social media, affected 81.8 per cent of the respondents surveyed. A majority (61.5 per cent) believed that such behaviour and/or violence was intended primarily to dissuade them from continuing in politics. While young and feminist women parliamentarians are particularly targeted, said an Asian parliamentarian. A parliamentarian from sub-Saharan Africa underscored that men need to be educated about the benefits of womens presence in parliament. While, many opined that an increase in the number of women in parliament and solidarity among them, can help change such a political culture. While, in India, women parliamentarians, a minuscule minority, just 13.63% of the elected strength of the Lower House, much less than the 33% that the Womens Reservation Act, 2023, proposes to put into effect, face sexist comments from all corners, their colleagues, rivals or voters, and their achievements reduced to their gender only, rued a womens rights activist. An erstwhile woman Union minister lamented that when a woman is attacked, she gets attacked for her character, but never for her policymaking. Women politicians, cutting across party lines, seem to agree on the issue of character assassination, and consider that it reflects the larger psyche of the society. Many also complain that women politicians arent taken seriously, and male members have been often preferred for speaking on serious issues, while, women are only expected to raise soft issues. Outright misogynist remarks are quite the norm in political discourse. Recently, a senior woman Rajya Sabha MP expressed discomfort with her identity being tied to her husbands name by the Chair. Globally, only 26.9 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are now women (IPU). Many countries have resorted to womens quotas and reserved shares. But, thats not enough. What is needed is a nuanced approach to addressing the issues of sexism and double standards existing within the political parties and parliament. Political parties must have an internal assessment mechanism to look into the gaps in all areas of internal practices and operations. A parliament must also ensure inclusivity in its work processes and outputs, with the help of a strong regulatory framework. Gender parity and pluralism are essential in electoral politics for the greater good. (The author is former Director General, Doordarshan, All India Radio; views expressed are personal) The United Nations faces unprecedented challenges that threaten its relevance in the modern world writes Nand Kishor and Amal Chandra The United Nations (UN), a symbol of global cooperation since its founding in 1945, now finds itself at a pivotal moment. Established to promote international peace, security, and development, the organization faces growing pressure to reform in response to the ever-changing global landscape. However, despite widespread recognition of the need for restructuring, numerous obstacles hinder the reform process. Political, institutional, financial, legal, and socio-cultural barriers make consensus among member states difficult to achieve, thus stalling efforts to enhance the UNs relevance and effectiveness. Three critical areas demand attentionrepresentation, effectiveness, and operational efficiency. Without addressing these, meaningful reform remains elusive. One of the most significant barriers to UN reform is the veto power held by the five permanent members (P5) of the Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This power enables any of these nations to block resolutions, including those aimed at restructuring the UN. The P5s vested interest in maintaining their influential status has led to repeated failures to expand the Security Council to include new permanent members, such as India, which is the worlds largest democracy. Indias exclusion from permanent membership, despite its growing global influence, highlights a major flaw in the UNs current structure. Similarly, other responsible powers, such as Japan and Germany, have long called for permanent seats on the Council. The reluctance of the P5 to share their privileged status stifles efforts to make the UN more representative of todays geopolitical realities. Another complicating factor is the principle of state sovereignty enshrined in the UN Charter. Many member states, particularly smaller or less powerful nations, are wary of reforms that they perceive as infringing on their sovereignty. These states fear that in a restructured UN, their voices might be drowned out by larger, more powerful countries. This divergence in priorities complicates efforts to build the broad consensus necessary for substantial reform. While some states advocate for a more democratic and inclusive Security Council, others focus on regional issues or specific conflicts, making agreement difficult. The UNs effectiveness in addressing global challenges has been called into question, further complicating the reform debate. Public opinion and trust in the organization are crucial to its ability to implement meaningful changes. However, repeated failures to effectively address major crises, such as those in Afghanistan and Palestine, have eroded public confidence in the UNs capacity to respond to contemporary challenges. UN peacekeeping missions, a cornerstone of the organizations efforts to maintain global peace, have also come under fire. Critics argue that these missions have often failed to prevent conflicts or protect civilians adequately. To enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, reforms must focus on improving the mandates, training, and resources available to peacekeepers. Additionally, addressing allegations of misconduct, including sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers, is essential to restoring the organizations credibility and ensuring accountability. These limitations highlight the urgent need for innovation and reform within the UN. Building and maintaining public trust is essential to securing the political and financial support necessary for any restructuring efforts. Efforts to improve the UNs operational efficiency, such as those initiated by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, have demonstrated the institutional challenges of reform. While some administrative changes have been implemented, resistance from within the organization and differing priorities among member states have limited the scope of these reforms. The UNs extensive bureaucracy presents a major obstacle to meaningful change. Established procedures and norms are deeply ingrained, making it difficult to implement significant reforms. Bureaucratic inertia often leads to resistance from within the organization, as staff and officials may be reluctant to change familiar processes and structures. Moreover, the UNs broad mandate, which covers peace and security, development, and human rights, adds complexity to any reform effort. This wide scope can lead to overlapping functions and responsibilities among different UN bodies, resulting in inefficiencies. Reforming the UN also involves navigating a complex web of international law. Any proposed changes must comply with existing legal frameworks and secure broad international support. This legal complexity adds another layer of difficulty, as reforms must be not only politically acceptable but also legally sound.While the need for reform is widely acknowledged, the path to achieving it remains fraught with challenges. Political dynamics, institutional inertia, financial limitations, and legal hurdles all contribute to the slow pace of change. (Dr Kishor is the HoD of Politics and International Studies, at Pondicherry University and Chandra is an author, political analyst and columnist. Views expressed are personal) The India-US relationship would continue its upward trajectory regardless of who wins the presidential elections, USISPF president and CEO Mukesh Aghi said, underlining that the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump was "too close to call". The geopolitical alignment between the two countries is very strong, Aghi said in an interview with PTI on Thursday. "What are the implications, regardless of who comes in? I think India stays critical to US geopolitical ambitions. That is trying to contain the rise of aggressive China. It also serves India's interest. That it has a partner to deal with a neighbour who will never accept India as an equal partner. "The alignment geopolitically is very, very strong between the two countries. So, regardless of who comes in, either Trump or Kamala Harris, the partnership will continue to go in that direction," he said. The US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) chief said the elections are "very, very close" at the moment. Even though the momentum has "shifted in favour of" Harris, "it is too close to call, especially when you have an electoral college and we expect around 40,000 votes to make a difference among the swing states itself". Amidst tension between the US and China, the American corporate sector is looking at de-risking that supply chain, Aghi said. "Yes, you have countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand providing but nothing can provide the scale India can provide. So, India becomes critical in the de-risking of the supply chain. But more importantly, India also becomes a market for a lot of these companies," he said. "Then you have what we call the Indian-American diaspora here, which is roughly 1 per cent of the population, producing almost 6 per cent of the GDP. They will play a very pivotal role between the two countries. So, regardless of who comes in, the relationship will continue to grow deeper, broader and much more robust," Aghi said. The foreign policy and the India-US relationship would definitely have an impact on the leadership of Trump and Harris, he noted. "You have to understand the style. Trump's is a very transactional style, whereas Biden and Kamala Harris have been very structural," he added. "While Biden and Harris have been able to build a coalition of partners to help them take this relationship forward, Trump has focused on transactions. What we see is the transaction(al) approach will continue under Trump. There's a strong relationship between Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and (former) president Trump," Aghi said. The USISPF chief also applauded the role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in driving the India-US relationship. "You have a prime minister who was refused visa to the United States. But I think he kept his personal affront aside and looked to the broader interests of India. "He felt that the United States is critical to the economic growth. The United States is critical for investment. The United States is critical for technology transfer. And he focused on building those relationships, worked very hard with President (Barack) Obama, and then worked with Trump and then with Biden," Aghi said. "I believe that the process will continue when he comes to New York for the UNGA week later this month," he said. Pb Vigilance Bureau arrests Tehsildar, his driver for accepting Rs 50,000 bribe Chandigarh: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday apprehended Tehsildar Dera Baba Nanak, Lakhwinder Singh along with his driver for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 50,000. An official spokesperson of the state VB said the accused has been arrested on a complaint lodged by Sukhdev Singh Sohi. The complainant approached the VB and alleged that Ajaib Singh had filed a complaint against him regarding a land dispute which was marked for verification to the Tehsildar. During this process, Sukhdev Singh Sohi, along with Dilbagh Singh Numberdar from Village Ratta, the Tehsildar who had demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000 through Dilbagh Singh in exchange for favoring Sukhdev Singh Sohi in his report. After a preliminary inquiry, the VB has laid a trap in which the accused Tehsildar were caught red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs.50,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. The accused handed over the bribe money to his driver and the VB team has also arrested him as an accused being his accomplice to handle the illegal gratification. Dr. Baljit Kaur holds Meeting with Representatives of "ETT 5994 Backlog Union" Chandigarh: Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur, convened a meeting with representatives of the ETT 5994 Backlog Union (Punjab) to address their demands. During the meeting on initiating the recruitment process to fill the backlog vacancies of teachers from Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. The union representatives acknowledged the governments prompt action and appreciated the Chief Minister and Dr. Kaur for their unwavering dedication to ensuring the welfare of marginalized sections. Kaur assured the union that the recruitment for the 5994 vacant ETT teacher posts will proceed swiftly, with 2994 of these posts reserved to fill the backlog for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. This recruitment marks a significant step toward fulfilling the states promise to uplift these communities. Order CBI probe into Rs 100-cr cyber fraud complaint against Minister: Majithia to CM Chandigarh: A Day after a woman Inspector submitted Rs 100 crore cyber fraud complaint to the state police chief against Punjab Cabinet Minister and his IPS officer wife, Shiromani Akali Dals (SAD) senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday requested the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to order a CBI probe into the same as per the wishes of the accused Minister Harjot Bains. Majithia, addressing the media, said that following the expose in which Inspector Amanjot Kaur had accused the Minister and his wife Jyoti Yadav of obstructing investigation into a fraudulent call centre operating out of a basement in Mohali and even shielding the crooks, Harjot Bains had announced that he welcomed a fair probe into the entire matter. The Chief Minister should go by Bains word and order an impartial CBI probe into the matter as requested by the minister, he added. SAD to hold district level dharnas to force AAP Govt to fulfill pre-poll promises Chandigarh: SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar on Friday announced that the party would hold district-level dharnas to force the AAP government to fulfill the promises made to the people. AAP Government has not only gone back on all its promises but has bankrupted the State besides ushering in goonda raj and overseeing the spread of drug addiction across the StateNo development work is being done even as civic services are in a mess, said Bhundar, declaring that the SAD would not remain silent. DS Guru appointed Advisor to SAD working president Chandigarh: IAS-turned-politician and senior party leader Darbara Singh Guru has been appointed Advisor to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar on Friday. A spokesperson said that Darbara Singh Guru will assist the working president in official work. Met Office warns of low flash flood risk in 5 districts of Himachal Shimla: As rains forced the closure of 40 roads in Himachal Pradesh, the local Met office on Friday warned of low flash flood risk in five districts of the state. The local meteorological office has warned of low flash flood risk in parts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Mandi and Bilaspur districts till Saturday. It has issued yellow alert of heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning in 10 out of 12 districts of the state, barring tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti on Friday. A total of 40 roads including 16 in Mandi, 10 in Kangra, nine in Shimla, two in Kullu and one each in Sirmaur, Una and Lahaul and Spiti districts are closed for vehicular traffic as per the state emergency operation centre. As many as 32 power schemes have also been affected in the state, the centre said. The Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday called former Delhi Social Welfare Minister and AAP MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam, who resigned from his party and joined the Congress, a badly know anti Santan Dharm activist and said that by including him, Congress has confirmed that it is a sanctuary for opponents of Sanatan Dharma. By including Rajendra Pal Gautam in the party from the All India Congress platform, Congress has confirmed that it is a sanctuary for opponents of Sanatan Dharma, he asserted. The Seemapuri MLA resigned from AAP, saying he wanted to intensify the struggle for social justice. Only Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi could have included Rajendra Pal Gautam, a badly know anti Santan Dharm activist and close associate of Arvind Kejriwal in their party. We have nothing to say if they are happy doing so, Sachdeva claimed. Gautam resigned as social welfare minister in October 2022 after he kicked off a political storm over his alleged remarks against Hindu gods and goddesses. He has been a very ordinary-level MLA in Delhi, and in the 2020 elections, he was able to retain his seat only due to Kejriwal government's free electricity and water schemes. Over time, due to his outspoken opposition to Sanatan Dharma, he became a political liability for the AAP, leaving Congress as his only political option, he added. He remarked that normally, no party would have accepted the AAP MLA, but it appears that despite becoming a liability, Arvind Kejriwal wanted to safeguard his political future. For this reason, he asked his friends in Congress to include Gautam, he alleged. Further, the Delhi BJP chief added that at Kejriwal's behest, Congress has given the honor of including Rajendra Pal Gautam, an opponent of Sanatan Dharma, from the national Congress platform rather than just the Delhi Congress platform. By including Sanatan Dharma opponent Rajendra Pal Gautam through the All India Congress platform, Rahul Gandhi has affirmed that Congress is a sanctuary for those who oppose Sanatan Dharma, he said. The Congress will hold a protest on September 20 across Madhya Pradesh seeking hike in minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, the party's state unit chief Jitu Patwari said on Friday. Offices of collectors of the all the 55 districts in the state will be "gheraod" (encircled) at 12 noon that day under the Congress' 'Kisan Nyay Yatra'. Patwari told reporters. "The farmers across India are in distress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union agricultural minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speak about doubling farmers' income but the condition of cultivators is going from bad to worse. We want the state government to procure soybean from farmers at Rs 6,000 per quintal, wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal and paddy at Rs 3,100," he said. The BJP, in its manifesto for the MP assembly polls last year, promised MSP of Rs 2700 for wheat and Rs 3100 for paddy but these have been forgotten by the party after it retained power, he said. "Our leader Rahul Gandhi wants legal guarantee for MSP. The PM, in a rally in Bareli in UP in February 2016, said farmers' income would be doubled by 2022. However, the National Statistical Office's report states the average daily income of farmers was Rs 27 and a farmer was laden with an average debt of Rs 74,000," Patwari pointed out. "The cost of production in a hectare of land in the last 10 years has shot up by Rs 25000 due to the levy of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tractors, agriculture implements, manure, pesticides, diesel which ranges from 5 to 18 per cent," he added. In April last year, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (now Union agriculture minister), while speaking at a Panchayat Raj function in Rewa district, claimed income of MP farmers had doubled, which was contrary to the data in the report of a parliamentary committee of 2022, Patwari claimed. "The report submitted to Lok Sabha said MP was a lone state in the country where the family income of farmers had dipped to Rs 8339 from Rs 9740 in 2015-16," the senior Congress leader added. Farmers protesting against the alleged delay in implementing Punjab's new agriculture policy called off their six-day strike on Friday, 6 September, following assurances from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The decision to end the protest came after Mann pledged to provide a draft of the states agriculture policy by 30 September and promised that farmers' suggestions would be considered before finalizing the policy. The protest, led by the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, began on Sunday and was aimed at pressing the state government to expedite the finalization of the agriculture policy. Hundreds of farmers gathered in Chandigarh, demanding transparency and consultation in the drafting process, along with a resolution to other key issues affecting Punjabs agrarian community. During a two-hour meeting with the leaders of the protesting unions on Thursday, Chief Minister Mann reassured the farmers that their concerns would not be overlooked. "The state government is committed to safeguarding farmers' interests. The draft of the new agriculture policy is nearly ready, but it will only be finalized after consulting with farmers to ensure their input is incorporated," said Mann. Mann assured the protesting farmers that the draft policy, comprising 1,600 pages, would be shared with them by September 30. This gesture is aimed at involving farmers in the decision-making process, ensuring that the policy reflects their needs and perspectives. Mann emphasized that the state government does not wish to impose the policy without full consultation, adding that making agriculture more profitable for the farmers is a top priority. In addition to the agriculture policy, the farmers raised other demands, including promoting chemical-free farming practices, compensating the families of farmers who committed suicide, and addressing the growing drug menace in Punjab's rural areas. Lachhman Singh Sewewala, General Secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, reiterated these concerns, highlighting the need for immediate action from the government. The government also expressed its intent to introduce a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme aimed at providing relief to debt-ridden farmers. Many farmers in Punjab have been struggling with mounting debt and are unable to repay loans to cooperative banks. Mann stated that the OTS scheme is under consideration and could offer much-needed relief to the states farmers. Following the meeting, Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan addressed reporters at the protest site, confirming the decision to end the strike. We have decided to end the protest for now, but we will closely monitor the developments. After we receive the draft policy on September 30, we will thoroughly review it and hold a large meeting to decide our next steps," said Ugrahan. The farmer leader added that the unions would remain vigilant and would not hesitate to reignite the protests if the governments actions fail to meet their expectations. Our fight is not over. We have only paused the protests, not ended them for good, Ugrahan said, urging the government to honour its commitments. The six-day protest in Chandigarh highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by Punjab's farming community, which has long dealt with issues like inadequate crop pricing, debt burdens, and environmental concerns linked to agricultural practices. The protest also underscored the critical role that transparent policymaking and farmer participation will play in shaping the future of Punjab's agrarian sector. As the farmers await the release of the agriculture policy draft, all eyes are now on the Punjab government. The agricultural policy has the potential to significantly impact the livelihoods of farmers across the state, and the inclusion of their suggestions will be vital in ensuring its success. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Friday, instructed the Forest department to set up a forestry college in Gorakhpur. The college will offer degree and diploma courses tailored to the needs of the Forest department, providing youth with job opportunities in various forestry roles. This initiative aims to enhance forestry development and forest conservation. During the inauguration of the worlds first conservation and breeding centre for red-headed vultures, the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre in Bharivaisi, Campierganj Range of the Gorakhpur forest division, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commended the efforts of the officers and employees who contributed to the development of this groundbreaking project. He emphasised that true development must prioritise the preservation of nature and the environment to ensure sustainability. He cautioned against development that harms natural ecosystems, noting its short-lived and harmful effects. Recalling the story of Jatayu, the King of Vultures, from the Ramayana, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath noted, The population of vultures, vital protectors of the environment, has drastically declined due to the harmful effects of pesticides. The new conservation centre, a pioneering effort not just for Uttar Pradesh or India but globally, aims to address this issue. He also expressed satisfaction that members of the Vantangiya community have been employed as caretakers at the centre, underscoring the collective responsibility to protect nature and its creatures. Chief Minister Yogi greeted everyone on the auspicious occasion of Hartalika Teej and emphasised that the inauguration of the Jatayu Conservation Centre is a tribute to the nations Vedic and mythological heritage. Jatayu, the King of Vultures, revered as the first martyr of the Ramayana era, sacrificed himself to uphold righteousness and honour. Upon hearing Sitas sorrowful cries, Jatayu recognised her as the beloved wife of Shri Ram. As a friend of King Dasharath, Jatayu fought unarmed against Ravana to uphold the values of friendship and the dignity of women, ultimately sacrificing his life in the process, Yogi pointed out. To honour Jatayus legacy, his grand statue has been installed in front of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The newly established Jatayu Conservation Centre further commemorates his memory and contributions. Chief Minister Yogi highlighted the governments dedication to environmental protection, noting that Uttar Pradesh has become the first state globally to achieve the target of planting 200 crore saplings in seven years. This remarkable accomplishment, in contrast with the previous era of deforestation, is a testament to our commitment to preserving nature for future generations, he added. The chief minister stressed the importance of this achievement, especially in the face of climate change, which has led to unpredictable weather patterns and extensive damage to agriculture and livestock due to plastic waste. He stated, On one hand, we are focusing on increasing tree plantation to protect the environment, and on the other, under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership, 12 crore women across the country have received free LPG connections. In Uttar Pradesh alone, 1.86 crore women have benefited from this initiative, reducing smoke and safeguarding the environment. The governments support does not end there. It continues to provide these households with free LPG during Holi and Diwali, ensuring their comfort and safety during these festive times. Chief Minister Yogi further emphasised that forests provide oxygen and combat climate change. Efforts include designating 100-year-old trees as heritage, creating wetlands, bird sanctuaries and tiger reserves, and enhancing forest coverage. These initiatives have led to the resurgence of wild animals and the visibility of dolphins in rivers, reflecting the success of these environmental conservation efforts, he added. Chief Minister Yogi provided an in-depth overview of the progress in Uttar Pradesh and Gorakhpur. He noted that Uttar Pradesh is experiencing rapid advancement across various sectors. The state is seeing significant infrastructure improvements with the construction of highways, expansion of railways, and the development of metro systems, enhancing public transport. Air connectivity is also being strengthened, creating new jobs and employment opportunities. Yogi emphasised that Gorakhpur is not left behind as a new UP emerges within a new India. The city has seen the establishment of a fertiliser factory and AIIMS, and the services at BRD Medical College have significantly improved. Gorakhpur is also connected with a network of four- and six-lane roads. The citys attractions, including the zoo and Ramgarh Taal, are drawing tourists from afar, and the improved road lighting is capturing everyones attention. On this occasion, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Forest, Environment and Zoo Dr Arun Kumar Saxena, MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh, Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Zoo KP Malik, Mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, MLA Vipin Singh, Dr Vimlesh Paswan, Pradeep Shukla, MLC and BJP state vice-president Dr Dharmendra Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Environment) Manoj Kumar Singh, State Commission for Women's Vice-Chairperson Charu Chaudhary, former MLA of Farenda Bajrangi Singh and others . were present. During his visit, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath toured the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre, inspecting its facilities and enquiring about its operations. He examined every section of the centre and observed the Jatayu vulture housed in the enclosure. Divisional Forest Officer and Zoo Director Vikas Yadav provided detailed information about the centre throughout the visit. The chief minister had laid the foundation stone for the Jatayu Conservation Centre on October 7, 2020. While the legacy of red-headed vulture Jatayu is well-known from the Ramayana period, environmental threats have endangered its descendants. The Yogi government has committed to addressing this crisis by establishing the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre in Campierganj within the Gorakhpur forest division. The Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre aims to increase the population of red-headed vultures and plays a significant role in promoting eco-tourism. The centre is expected to attract a significant number of tourists by providing a unique opportunity for visitors to observe these endangered species. According to the action plan of the Gorakhpur forest division, the goal is to release 40 pairs of vultures from the centre over the next eight to ten years. Amid alliance talks for the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a massive setback in Delhi as its sitting MLA and former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam joined the Congress on Friday, in the presence of the partys general secretary KC Venugopal, partys Delhi chief Devender Yadav and party leader Pawan Khera. Gautam is the third senior leader to leave AAP after Raaj Kumar Anand and Kartar Singh Tanwar ahead of the assembly polls due early next year. Gautam joined the Congress two years after his presence at a mass religious conversion event in October 2022 triggered a political row. Gautams exit came at a time when the AAP and the Congress were negotiating for seat sharing in 90 assembly seats in Haryana. Minutes after announcing his resignation from the AAP and all posts held by him in the party, Gautam joined the Congress. He has also resigned as AAP MLA from the reserved Seemapuri Assembly constituency. The former AAP leader also praised Congress' Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Yatra."At such a time, Rahul Gandhi gave a slogan during Bharat Jodo Yatra - Main nafrat ke baazar mein mohabbat ki dukaan kholne aaya hoon. That slogan touched my heart. He said that Constitution has to be saved and taking forward social justice in the country, every section should get their representation as per their population...My struggle has always been that everyone should get their representation and honour," Gautam said. In October 2022, Gautam resigned as a cabinet minister in the Delhi government after facing criticism for attending a mass conversion event where around 10,000 people converted to Buddhism. The BJP had accused him of "insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses" and demanded his removal by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Gautam had apologised and shared his resignation letter on social media. AAP or Kejriwal did not come out in his defence, which attracted criticism. Fearing that the issue could have an impact on AAP's prospects in poll-bound Gujarat where the BJP has ratcheted up the issue, the party had said, "Delhi CM and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal is extremely displeased with minister Rajendra Pal Gautam." Earlier in the day, he made the announcement in Hindi on social media platform X. "In order to accelerate the struggle for social justice and participation and involvement of Bahujan Samaj in all fields, I am resigning from all the posts and membership of Aam Aadmi Party. Jai Bheem!" he said in the post.Unfortunately, we can see a rise in religious and caste frenzy in the last 10 years. Riots are breaking out and Dalits, backwards and minorities are being oppressed," he said. The former minister thanked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for giving him an opportunity to become an MLA twice. In his three-page resignation letter posted on X, he addressed to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Gautam also criticised the party over appearing "very weak and helpless" before the BJP in raising issues like caste census, raising reservation limit above 50 percent, ensuring population based participation of 'Bahujan Samaj', and defending secularism."I have to say it with a heavy heart that its impossible to imagine about works of social justice and social equality within AAP," he said in his resignation letter. Gautam said, as a soldier of Babasaheb Ambedkar, he was feeling for sometime that he won't be able to achieve the first and last goal of his life which is social justice, while being in AAP. The AAP gives no special representation to the SC, ST, OBC and minority, Gautam, who belongs to the Dalit community, said. "Party (AAP) supports upper caste MLAs or ministers when they face any allegations but it immediately abandons Muslim or Dalit even if the allegations are false. The party in a way internally blacklists the Muslim and Dalit and changes its behaviour which is painful," he charged in his letter to Kejriwal. Addressing a press conference, Venugopal said, It's a proud moment for us as Rajendra Pal Gautam joins the Congress party". "The Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra have given a new narrative to the country, and now the country is also accepting it with full might. Attracted by the Congress programs under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, he has decided to join the Congress " Venugopal said of Gautam. Gautam joined the the Aam Aadmi Party in November 2014 and went on to become minister in the Kejriwal government holding various portfolios, including social welfare. Gautam resigned as social welfare minister in October 2022 after he kicked off a political storm over his alleged remarks against Hindu deities. He is a former Minister for Water, Tourist, Culture, Arts and Languages and Gurudwara Elections in the Government of Delhi, and represents Seemapuri Assembly constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. An 11-year-old student of a government school was allegedly sexually assaulted in her classroom in Sultanpuri area of outer Delhi on Friday. According to DCP Outer Jimmy Chiram, on Friday an information was received at 12:12 pm regarding Sexual harassment by school teacher. The accused has been identified as 45 year old Satish. He was conducting self defence classes free of cost throygh an NGO. He is not a regular teacher of the school, Chiram said. A senior police officer said the family members and their neighbours gathered outside the police station and demanded action against the teacher. As per statement of the victim, who is 11 year old female student of seventh class of government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya H Block Sultan Puri an FIR has been registered at Sultan Puri police station, he added. Madhya Pradesh has been honored by the Central Government in the Top Achiever Category in Citizen Services" for the successful implementation of the Business Reforms Action Plan-2022. Union Commerce Minister Shri Piyush Goyal presented the honor to the Principal Secretary of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Shri Raghavendra Singh at a function organized in New Delhi. The innovations and process simplification by Madhya Pradesh for industries and civic facilities have been appreciated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Central Government. The award has been given to the state based on an evaluation of services available on online portals implemented by various departments of Madhya Pradesh state like Shram Seva Portal, Invest Portal, e-Nagar Palika, RCMS, Cyber ??Tehsil, Sampada, MPE District Portal, etc. Efforts are being made by all the departments to further strengthen Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business in Madhya Pradesh. Acts and rules are being simplified by the departments. New upgraded systems like Cyber Tehsil and Sampada 2.0 are helpful in this. It may be noted that the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) is a program of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, which makes assessments of the reforms done in business and civic amenities by Indian States and Union Territories (UTs). The goals of BRAP include the single window system, online building permit system, inspection reforms, labor and environment reforms. Under the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2022, the Central Government has categorized the states scoring more than 95 percent in 25 reform areas (15 business and 10 citizen-centric) in the Top Achievers category. Madhya Pradesh has been honored for its excellent work in Empowering citizens through streamlined employment services. To revolutionize agriculture through renewable energy, Punjab is rolling out a significant solar initiative, targeting both environmental sustainability and social equity by installing 20,000 solar pumps (Surface and Submersible). Of these, the state has reserved 5,000 solar pumps exclusively for Scheduled Caste (SC) farmers and Gram Panchayats, offering unprecedented subsidies that promise to transform farming practices while easing financial burdens on marginalized communities. Punjabs New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora on Friday announced that under the ambitious PM Kusum Scheme, the state will install 20,000 solar pumps, marking a decisive step towards reducing reliance on traditional energy sources. Of these, 2,000 solar pumps have been reserved for SC farmers, who will benefit from an 80 percent subsidy on installation costs. In addition, 3,000 pumps are set aside for gram panchayats to encourage collective farming initiatives at the village level. General category farmers, meanwhile, are eligible for a 60 percent subsidy under the same scheme. Emphasizing the government's focus on cleaner energy, Arora pointed out that the Punjab Government is pushing for widespread use of solar energy to decarbonize the agricultural sector. This move aligns with the states broader environmental agenda, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable farming practices. The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), tasked with executing the solar pump initiative, has developed an online portal to streamline the application process. The portal, designed with support from the Department of Governance Reforms (DGR), will allow farmers to easily apply for the solar pumps. Minister Arora, alongside department secretary Ravi Bhagat, personally reviewed the portals operations to ensure a seamless experience for applicants, pledging that transparency and efficiency will be the hallmarks of this initiative. Mandatory for political parties to submit election manifesto copies: Hry CEO PNS Chandigarh Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal on Friday said that all the political parties and candidates contesting the elections must submit three copies each of their election manifestos in Hindi and English to the Chief Electoral Officer's office within 3 days from the date of issuance of the manifesto. Agarwal said that all political parties should thoroughly study all aspects of the Model Code of Conduct issued by the Election Commission and ensure full compliance during the election process. According to sub-clause 3 of Paragraph 8 of the Model Code of Conduct, in the interest of transparency, fair opportunities, and the credibility of promises, it is expected that election manifestos reflect the justification for their promises. Primarily, they should outline the methods and means to meet the financial requirements, and voter confidence should only be sought for promises that are feasible to fulfill. Divyang and voters above 85 years can vote from home The CEO said that the Election Commission of India has made provisions for Divyang (Persons with Disability) voters and those over the age of 85 years to cast their votes from home as well, ensuring their participation in the democratic process. This facility is optional, and such voters can also choose to vote at the polling station if they prefer. Agarwal said just like any other voter, Divyang individuals and those above 85 years of age should also exercise their right to vote. Therefore, this special facility has been made for them. In Haryana, voting for the general elections of the Legislative Assembly will take place on October 5, 2024, and every voter should contribute to it by casting their vote. To avail the facility of the home voting, Divyang voters and those over the age of 85 need to fill out Form 12-D and submit it to the Returning Officer within five days of the election notification (September 5, 2024). Apart from this, Divyang voters must submit a copy of their disability certificate of more than 40 percent and should also be marked in the electoral roll, added the CEO. He further stated that BLOs would collect Form 12-D from such voters' homes and also a list of these voters will also be provided to the candidates so that they can appoint representatives to monitor the home voting process. Agarwal said that a team of polling officers would visit the homes of these voters to collect their votes. Voters will be informed in advance about the officer's visit. A videographer and a police security officer will accompany the polling officers to ensure the process is conducted according to the Election Commission's guidelines, while maintaining the confidentiality of the vote, he added. The farmer registration process has been fixed for procurement of paddy, jowar and millet at support price in Kharif marketing year 2024-25. Farmers can register from September 19 to October 4. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput has urged the farmers to get registered within the stipulated time so that there is no inconvenience of any kind. He has informed that the system of farmer registration has been made easy and smooth. Farmers will be able to register from home using their own mobile. Farmers will get relief from the hardship of doing registration by standing in queues at registration centres. Apart from the facility of registration of farmers through mobile, other arrangements have also been ensured. Free registration facility has been provided at the facility centres established in Gram Panchayat and Janpad Panchayat offices, at the facility centers established in Tehsil offices, at the registration centers run by co-operative societies and co-operative marketing institutions and also on MP Kisan App. Paid registration facility has been provided at MP Online Kiosk, Common Service Centre Kiosk, Public Service Centre and Cyber ??Cafes run by private individuals. The Collector will issue instructions regarding receiving the fee for registration at these centres. A fee of more than Rs 50 will not be fixed for each registration. For farmer registration, it will be mandatory to properly check the land related documents and the farmer's Aadhar card and other photo identity cards and keep their record. The facility of registration of Sikmi/Bataidaar/Kotwar and Forest Leaseholder farmer will be available only at the registration centres run by the Co-operative Society and Co-operative Marketing, Cooperative Institution. Cent percent of the farmers of this category will be verified by the Revenue Department. The payment of the produce sold by the farmer at the support price will be made on priority basis in the Aadhar linked bank account of the farmer. In case of any problem in making payment in the Aadhar linked bank account of the farmer, payment can be made in the bank account provided by the farmer in the registration. At the time of farmer registration, the farmer will have to provide information about the bank account number and IFSC code. Inactive bank accounts, joint bank accounts and Fino, Airtel, Paytm, bank accounts will not be acceptable in registration. To get better service in the registration system, it will be necessary that the farmer keeps his bank account and mobile number updated by linking it with his Aadhar number. All the district collectors have been directed to keep the Aadhaar registration centres established at the district and tehsil level functional so that farmers can easily go there and update their mobile number and biometrics. Aadhaar facility centres operated in post offices can also be used for this work. Coordination with banks will also be necessary to link bank account with Aadhaar number. For verification of the farmer's Aadhaar linked bank account, a transaction of Re 1 will be done by Madhya Pradesh State Supply Corporation through e-procurement / JIT portal during registration itself. It will be mandatory to get the Aadhaar number verified for registration and selling the crop. Verification can be done with the OTP received on the mobile number linked to the Aadhaar number or with a biometric device. Registration of the farmer will be possible only in the case when the name recorded in the farmer's land records account and Khasra will match with the name recorded in the Aadhaar card. In case of discrepancy in the name recorded in the land records and Aadhaar card, the registration will be verified from the tehsil office. Ranchi police have arrested seven criminals involved in levy and bike theft. SSP Chandan Sinha gave this information in a press conference on Friday. On Sinha's instructions, the police team took action and arrested Tinku Saw alias Mahi in the case of levy. Amresh Kumar, a resident of Patna, had lodged an FIR against Tinku Saw in Sikidiri police station. After filing the FIR, Amresh Kumar had told the police that Tinku Saw was demanding levy. The police took this matter seriously and arrested him from Ramgarh. Sajid Ansari, Haroon Ansari, Aftab Ansari, Kaleem Ansari and Azad Ansari were arrested in the case of bike theft. Addressing the press conference, the SSP said that information was received that some criminals from Ramgarh district are coming towards Ormanjhi and they are going to commit a crime. "After getting information about the case, a checking campaign was carried out. Seeing the police, the bike rider tried to run away. After this, the police interrogated them thoroughly on the basis of suspicion, after which it was found that these people were roaming on stolen bikes. Based on their statement, Ranchi Police arrested four other people from Ramgarh and recovered a total of eight bikes," he said. In a significant move to enhance the quality of education in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government is constructing Chief Minister Model Composite Schools in 57 districts (except 18 districts with divisional headquarters). These state-of-the-art institutions will cater to students from pre-primary to class 12 and are set to be completed within the next three years. The governments ambitious plan aims to build one school at each nyaya panchayat level, providing education to 3,000 students simultaneously. Each school will be spread over a minimum of 25 acres, ensuring ample space for comprehensive learning facilities. The Education department has been instructed to prioritise the quality of construction and infrastructure, reinforcing the governments commitment to creating a robust education system. As per the action plan, classes up to 12th will be conducted in Chief Minister Model Composite Schools along with pre-primary (Bal Vatika). These schools will be developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with a strong emphasis on the holistic development of students. The schools will follow the UP Board curriculum, offering diverse streams such as science, mathematics, commerce and arts. To ensure quality education, excellent teachers will be selected from the existing pool of educators based on their credentials. Each school will feature separate academic blocks for pre-primary, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary levels. In addition to a robust academic structure, the schools will be equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including modern science and math labs, smart classrooms, computer labs, skill development hubs and a centralised kitchen. A special focus will be placed on earthquake-resistant construction, green energy and energy-efficient architecture. The infrastructure will be world-class, offering modular laboratories for chemistry and physics for classes 9 to 12, composite science and math labs for classes 1 to 8, and separate libraries for junior and senior students. Students will also benefit from open gym areas, multiple activity halls and playgrounds. To support sustainability, the schools will have solar panels, rainwater harvesting units and RO-UV water plants. Additionally, facilities like midday meal kitchens, dining halls, hand washing units and designated staff rooms for teachers are also part of the plan, making these schools a model of modern education and infrastructure. Former BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders on Friday. The move came after the BJD expelled Kumar for anti-party activities earlier in the day. He subsequently resigned his Rajya Sabha membership. Kumar joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, the party's Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar, MP Bhartruhari Mahtab and other leaders. The BJP's chief spokesperson Anil Baluni, a Rajya Sabha member, was also present. Addressing a joint press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, Kumar said he joined the saffron party as he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work and his vision for making India a developed country by 2047 and Odisha a developed state by 2036. "For me, country is first and foremost. Nation first has always been my philosophy. I lived abroad for many years and worked for organisations such as the UN (United Nations) and the World Economic Forum. I returned to India in 2011 to contribute to the development of my country," he said. Kumar said he felt Odisha's Kalahandi district did not develop as it could have due to the "kind of corruption and bad policy" prevalent there. "Several BJD leaders, including those from the district, were involved. I tried to bring this to the notice of the BJD leadership several times. But when I saw that nothing was happening, I had to take this decision (to join the BJP)," he said. "I resigned from the Rajya Sabha membership today. I was elected to Rajya Sabha as a BJD candidate in 2020. I want to thank BJD president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik for sending me to the Rajya Sabha," he added. Expressing his happiness at joining the BJP, Kumar thanked party chief JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders. "I have been an ardent admirer of Prime Minister Modi. I am glad that I am joining the party to which he belongs My goal is to further strengthen the BJP and contribute to the country's progress," he added. Welcoming Kumar into the BJP fold, Union minister Pradhan said, "I am confident that he will contribute to fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve of making India a developed country." Baluni described Kumar as a very "important personality" and expressed happiness over his decision to join the BJP. "He had been a BJD Rajya Sabha member since 2020. He resigned from the Rajya Sabha today," he said. The BJD on Friday expelled Kumar with immediate effect for anti-party activities. "He has let down the party, which sent him to the Rajya Sabha and the hopes and aspirations of the people of Kalahandi district," BJD chief Naveen Patnaik said in an order. In a post on X, the vice-president's secretariat said Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson, had accepted Kumar's resignation from the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) with immediate effect, finding the same in conformity with Article 101 3(b) of the Constitution. The Congress on Friday took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah over the government's policy on Jammu and Kashmir, asking when full statehood would be restored and why the security situation there had "deteriorated under your watch". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also asked why the Centre was attempting to "infringe" on the Jammu and Kashmir political executive's powers and why the economic situation in the Union Territory had only "declined" since 2019. "The self-styled Chanakya is in Jammu and Kashmir today. Since the fall of the PDP-BJP government in 2018, Jammu and Kashmir has been administered primarily by the home ministry," he said in a statement, adding that there were four questions the "swaghoshit (self-declared) Chanakya" should answer about his governance. Ramesh alleged that since 2018, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were denied any avenue to express grievances and the region had become a bureaucratic fiefdom controlled by the BJP-RSS cabal. "While claiming to have ended special status for Jammu and Kashmir, the government has, in fact, created an extra-special situation of a new and unique political system: one where the state has been downgraded to a Union Territory, elections have been suspended, and all norms of constitutional morality violated," he alleged. In his speech in Parliament on December 11, 2023, Shah said that full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored at an "appropriate time", Ramesh pointed out. "Five years after being stripped of their statehood, the people of Jammu and Kashmir still lack clarity on what the timeline for this return of statehood is. Based on the experience of the last five years, where assembly elections were delayed on one pretext or the other, the people of Jammu and Kashmir don't buy the Centre's assurance of restoration of statehood," he said. Ramesh asked if the home minister could give a straight answer to the key question of when full statehood would return. He further said one of the most repeated talking points of "the non-biological prime minister, the self-styled Chanakya, and their ministers" was that the abrogation of Article 370 curbed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. "The mood on the ground, however, is one of anxiety. At least 51 security personnel have been killed to the south of Pir Panjal since 2021, in an area where there were no major incidents of terrorism between 2007 and 2014," he said. "In the last few weeks, it has spread even to neighbouring districts that we considered largely peaceful: as evinced by the attack in Reasi on 9th June, the attack in Kathua on 10th June, and in Doda on 11th June," Ramesh said. Infiltration from Pakistan is rising and a palpable sense of insecurity prevails across Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress leader claimed. "The home minister has been conspicuously silent even amidst this surge in terrorism. Why has his government failed to salvage the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir? What is his vision to restore normalcy? Why is the central government consistently lying to the country about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir?" Ramesh asked. He also questioned why the Centre was attempting to infringe on the Jammu and Kashmir political executive's powers. "In July 2024, the home ministry amended the rules under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, giving powers to make decisions on crucial matters such as police and all-India services officers and granting sanctions for prosecution in various cases solely to the Union government-appointed lieutenant governor (L-G)," he said. By curtailing the Jammu and Kashmir political executive's policing and administrative powers, the home ministry severely compromised the functioning of the future government, he said. Ramesh also asked why the Centre was continuing to compromise the to-be state government's powers if it was sincere in giving complete statehood to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "Why has Jammu and Kashmir's economic situation only declined since 2019? When the BJP abrogated Article 370 to much fanfare in 2019, they repeatedly argued that the law was a hindrance to 'development and progress'. In the three years since the new industrial policy was announced in January 2021, the Union Territory has received proposals worth Rs 84,544 crore in as many as 42 industrial sectors," he said. Till date, only 414 units have been registered and actual investment on the ground is just Rs 2,518 crore, he said. Ramesh said the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy painted a grim economic picture in April last year, noting that Jammu and Kashmir had among the highest unemployment rates in India at 23.1 per cent. He alleged that part of this situation was administrative incompetence -- recruitment processes in government jobs had been delayed due to allegations of exam paper leaks and bribes for four years. Jammu and Kashmir has more than 60,000 government daily wagers working for Rs 300 per day, he pointed out. "Will the home minister inform the people of Jammu and Kashmir who is responsible for this economic mess? Is it the BJP-appointed L-G or the home minister himself? How many jobs has this government created -- in the public sector or the private sector?" he asked. The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will go to polls in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, and the votes will be counted on October 8. The operation to douse the blaze at a commercial building in Mumbai has been going on for more than two hours after a fire erupted there on Friday morning, civic officials said. There are no reports of any injury to anyone in the fire that broke out at the Times Tower building in the Kamala Mills compound of the Lower Parel area around 6.30 am, the officials said. The authorities had initially said that the commercial building had seven floors. They later updated the information, calling it a 14-storey structure. The level 2 (major) fire is confined to an electric duct between the 3rd and 7th floors on the rear side of the building with a glass facade, a civic official said. Firefighters used chisel and hammer to break the locks on the doors and enter the commercial building to battle the fire, he said. Eight fire engines and other firefighting vehicles were sent to the spot, an official had said earlier. The Kamala Mills compound, which has witnessed many major fires, is located next to the Parkside residential building. Parkside residents said it was a terrifying experience to see plumes of flame and smoke rising close to their homes. According to the residents, their security staff tried to control the blaze with their building's firefighting equipment before firemen arrived at the scene. Our emergency team used our hose pipes before the fire brigade could reach the spot, claimed one of the residents. ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (OTCMKTS:ASUUY Get Free Report) rose 10.8% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $83.70 and last traded at $83.70. Approximately 250 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 54% from the average daily volume of 162 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.51. ASUSTeK Computer Stock Performance The firm has a 50 day moving average of $77.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.00. ASUSTeK Computer Company Profile (Get Free Report) ASUSTeK Computer Inc researches and develops, designs, manufactures, sells, and repairs computers, communications, and consumer electronic products in Taiwan, China, Singapore, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company offers Internet information services; maintenance and operating services for information hardware; services information technology and communication products; and leases real estate property. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ASUSTeK Computer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASUSTeK Computer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. City of London (LON:CTY Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Thursday, September 5th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, October 24th will be paid a dividend of GBX 5.25 ($0.07) per share on Friday, November 29th. This represents a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 24th. The official announcement can be seen at this link. City of London Stock Performance City of London stock traded down GBX 0.50 ($0.01) during midday trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 436 ($5.73). The stock had a trading volume of 496,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 782,950. City of London has a 12 month low of GBX 371.50 ($4.88) and a 12 month high of GBX 454 ($5.97). The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 433.45 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 417.63. The firm has a market capitalization of 2.17 billion, a PE ratio of 1,742.27 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 3.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.73. Get City of London alerts: City of London Company Profile (Get Free Report) Further Reading The City of London Investment Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Henderson Investment Funds Limited. It is co-managed by Henderson Global Investors Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Receive News & Ratings for City of London Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for City of London and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peoples Financial (OTCMKTS:PFBX Get Free Report) and Byline Bancorp (NYSE:BY Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends, valuation and analyst recommendations. Dividends Peoples Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.0%. Byline Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Peoples Financial pays out 18.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Byline Bancorp pays out 13.2% 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. Get Peoples Financial alerts: Volatility and Risk Peoples Financial has a beta of 0.47, indicating that its stock price is 53% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Byline Bancorp has a beta of 1.14, indicating that its stock price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Peoples Financial 0 0 0 0 N/A Byline Bancorp 0 2 2 0 2.50 This is a summary of recent recommendations for Peoples Financial and Byline Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Byline Bancorp has a consensus price target of $29.88, indicating a potential upside of 11.62%. Given Byline Bancorps higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Byline Bancorp is more favorable than Peoples Financial. Insider and Institutional Ownership 32.8% of Peoples Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 67.7% of Byline Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 28.1% of Peoples Financial shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 30.1% of Byline Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Peoples Financial and Byline Bancorps top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Peoples Financial $39.52 million 2.09 $9.17 million $1.92 9.22 Byline Bancorp $403.05 million 2.93 $107.88 million $2.73 9.80 Byline Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Peoples Financial. Peoples Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Byline Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Peoples Financial and Byline Bancorps net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Peoples Financial 20.91% 12.26% 0.99% Byline Bancorp 19.42% 12.69% 1.36% Summary Byline Bancorp beats Peoples Financial on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks. About Peoples Financial (Get Free Report) Peoples Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for The Peoples Bank that provides banking, financial, and trust services to government entities, individuals, and small and commercial businesses in Mississippi. The company accepts various deposits, such as interest and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). It offers business, commercial, real estate, construction, personal, and installment loans; and personal trust, agencies, and estate services, including living and testamentary trusts, executorships, guardianships, and conservatorships. In addition, the company provides self-directed IRAs; and escrow management, stock transfer, and bond paying agency accounts to corporate customers. Further, it offers other services consisting of safe deposit box rental, wire transfer, night drop facilities, collection, cash management, and Internet banking services. the company provides services to customers of various industries, such as seafood, retail, hospitality, hotel/motel, gaming, and construction. Peoples Financial Corporation was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi. About Byline Bancorp (Get Free Report) Byline Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Byline Bank that provides various banking products and services for small and medium sized businesses, commercial real estate and financial sponsors, and consumers in the United States. It offers various retail deposit products, including non-interest-bearing accounts, money market demand accounts, savings accounts, interest-bearing checking accounts, and time deposits; ATM and debit cards; and online, mobile, and text banking services, as well as commercial deposits. The company also provides term loans, revolving lines of credit, and construction financing services; senior secured financing solutions to private equity backed lower middle market companies; small business administration and united states department of agriculture loans; and treasury management products and services. In addition, it offers financing solutions for equipment vendors and their end users; syndication services; and investment, trust, and wealth management services that include fiduciary and executor services, financial planning solutions, investment advisory services, and private banking services for foundations and endowments, and high net worth individuals. The company was formerly known as Metropolitan Bank Group, Inc. and changed its name to Byline Bancorp, Inc. in 2015. Byline Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Receive News & Ratings for Peoples Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Peoples Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Barclays upgraded shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note published on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. Separately, StockNews.com lowered Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold. Get Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on DB Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Stock Up 4.0 % Shares of NYSE:DB opened at $16.62 on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft has a fifty-two week low of $10.00 and a fifty-two week high of $17.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $15.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.77. The company has a market cap of $34.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.26, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.22. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The bank reported ($0.41) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.90). Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft had a net margin of 5.58% and a return on equity of 4.63%. The business had revenue of $7.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.18 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft will post 2.29 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DB. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,483 shares of the banks stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 1,163 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 20.5% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,368 shares of the banks stock worth $118,000 after buying an additional 1,251 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in the second quarter worth $135,000. 27.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Get Free Report) Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, a stock corporation, provides corporate and investment banking, and asset management products and services to private individuals, corporate entities, and institutional clients in Germany, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dine Brands Global (NYSE:DIN Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday. Several other research firms have also commented on DIN. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of Dine Brands Global from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Dine Brands Global from $54.00 to $38.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Dine Brands Global from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Dine Brands Global from $71.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on Dine Brands Global from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Dine Brands Global presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $48.86. Get Dine Brands Global alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Dine Brands Global Dine Brands Global Stock Down 3.6 % DIN stock opened at $30.49 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $469.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.43 and a beta of 1.74. Dine Brands Global has a 52-week low of $29.25 and a 52-week high of $54.62. The business has a fifty day moving average of $33.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.74. Dine Brands Global (NYSE:DIN Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The restaurant operator reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.07. Dine Brands Global had a net margin of 11.14% and a negative return on equity of 35.88%. The firm had revenue of $206.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $210.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.82 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Dine Brands Global will post 5.86 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dine Brands Global Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DIN. LSV Asset Management boosted its stake in Dine Brands Global by 2.8% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 661,092 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $23,932,000 after acquiring an additional 18,200 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Dine Brands Global by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 278,087 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $10,067,000 after purchasing an additional 8,518 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dine Brands Global by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 260,032 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $12,086,000 after purchasing an additional 23,400 shares during the last quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Dine Brands Global by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. now owns 241,600 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $8,746,000 after purchasing an additional 15,600 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in Dine Brands Global by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 233,464 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $8,451,000 after buying an additional 4,427 shares during the last quarter. 92.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Dine Brands Global Company Profile (Get Free Report) Dine Brands Global, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns, franchises, and operates restaurants in the United States and internationally. The company operates through six segments: Applebee's Franchise Operations, International House of Pancakes (IHOP) Franchise Solutions, Fuzzy's franchise operations, Rental Operations, Financing Operations, and Company-Operated Restaurant Operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Dine Brands Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dine Brands Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $87.54 and last traded at $87.48, with a volume of 567827 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.03. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on EIX shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Edison International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Edison International from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Edison International from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Edison International from $86.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Edison International from $80.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $82.36. Get Edison International alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on EIX Edison International Price Performance The companys 50 day moving average price is $79.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.99. The company has a market capitalization of $33.84 billion, a PE ratio of 38.44 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. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.18. Edison International had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 13.01%. The company had revenue of $4.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.01 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Edison International will post 4.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Edison International Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th were given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 8th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.56%. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 136.84%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Edison International news, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 28,995 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.43, for a total value of $2,274,077.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,660 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,541,933.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Edison International news, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 28,995 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.43, for a total value of $2,274,077.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,660 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,541,933.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Natalie K. Schilling sold 2,341 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $187,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,338 shares of the companys stock, valued at $507,040. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 89,099 shares of company stock valued at $7,223,342. Company insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edison International A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Equitable Trust Co. raised its stake in Edison International by 0.9% during the second quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 15,424 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,108,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. TIAA Trust National Association increased its stake in shares of Edison International by 2.0% in the second quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 6,723 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. increased its stake in shares of Edison International by 53.8% in the second quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 400 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC increased its stake in shares of Edison International by 37.5% in the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 550 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, Carson Advisory Inc. increased its stake in shares of Edison International by 0.3% in the first quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. now owns 54,625 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,864,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.95% of the companys stock. About Edison International (Get 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Environmental Waste International Inc. (CVE:EWS Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as C$0.01 and last traded at C$0.01, with a volume of 2222 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$0.01. Environmental Waste International Stock Performance The stocks fifty day moving average is C$0.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.01. The firm has a market capitalization of C$1.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.50 and a beta of -0.20. About Environmental Waste International (Get Free Report) Environmental Waste International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, researches, designs, develops, sells, and maintains systems based on the patented Reverse Polymerization process, Microwave Delivery System, and Hybrid Microwave Process in Canada and the United States. The company provides systems for feed tire reduction, biological wastewater sterilization, shipboard food waste sterilization/dehydration, and batch-based infectious medical waste sterilization. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Environmental Waste International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Environmental Waste International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Free Report) Analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2025 earnings estimates for Huntington Ingalls Industries in a research report issued on Monday, September 2nd. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the aerospace company will post earnings per share of $4.19 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $4.16. The consensus estimate for Huntington Ingalls Industries current full-year earnings is $16.55 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Huntington Ingalls Industries Q2 2025 earnings at $4.56 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $4.67 EPS and Q1 2026 earnings at $5.07 EPS. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The aerospace company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.61 by $0.77. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.27 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Separately, Citigroup started coverage on Huntington Ingalls Industries in a report on Monday, May 20th. They issued a buy rating and a $310.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $278.00. Get Our Latest Report on HII Huntington Ingalls Industries Price Performance NYSE HII opened at $270.93 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $264.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $267.86. Huntington Ingalls Industries has a twelve month low of $199.11 and a twelve month high of $299.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.68 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.82. Huntington Ingalls Industries Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Huntington Ingalls Industriess payout ratio is presently 29.31%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Huntington Ingalls Industries Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HII. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. American National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 158.5% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 106 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.46% of the companys stock. Huntington Ingalls Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF (NYSEARCA:XMMO Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 517,149 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 67% from the previous sessions volume of 309,899 shares.The stock last traded at $114.47 and had previously closed at $118.36. Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF Stock Performance The firms 50-day simple moving average is $115.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.20. The company has a market cap of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.24 and a beta of 1.12. Get Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in XMMO. LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 1,462,834 shares of the companys stock valued at $166,748,000 after buying an additional 23,229 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 321,240 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,619,000 after buying an additional 7,717 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 294,088 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,523,000 after buying an additional 32,271 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF by 34.7% in the 2nd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 215,906 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,611,000 after buying an additional 55,650 shares during the period. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 201,919 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,138,000 after buying an additional 29,870 shares during the period. Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF Company Profile The Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF (XMMO) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P MidCap 400 Momentum (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of S&P 400 MidCap stocks selected by momentum and weighted by market cap and momentum. XMMO was launched on Mar 3, 2005 and is managed by Invesco. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of National Australia Bank Limited (OTCMKTS:NABZY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $13.45 and last traded at $12.94, with a volume of 55051 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.97. National Australia Bank Price Performance The stocks fifty day moving average price is $12.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.66. About National Australia Bank (Get Free Report) National Australia Bank Limited provides financial services to individuals and businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. The company operates through Business and Private Banking; Personal Banking; Corporate and Institutional Banking; New Zealand Banking; and Corporate Functions and Other segments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for National Australia Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Australia Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of OC Oerlikon Co. AG (OTCMKTS:OERLF Get Free Report) were up 6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $5.41 and last traded at $5.41. Approximately 10,000 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 194% from the average daily volume of 3,400 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.11. OC Oerlikon Stock Performance The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $4.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $4.47. About OC Oerlikon (Get Free Report) OC Oerlikon Corporation AG provides surface engineering, polymer processing, and additive manufacturing services in Switzerland, Americas, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company operates through two segments, Surface Solutions and Polymer Processing. It offers engine fan compressors, engine hot section, landing gears, actuation systems, aircraft interior, and hydraulic systems for aerospace; engine and brake systems, transmission, drive train, steering and suspension, exhaust systems, piping and tubing systems, exterior, lighting, green hydrogen, interior, heat exchanger and EGR coolers, peripherals and design parts, and thermal insulation systems for automotive; and oil and gas, and boilers, as well as hydro, gas, steam, and wind turbines for energy industry. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for OC Oerlikon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OC Oerlikon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $147.39 and last traded at $147.29, with a volume of 578866 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.90. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades TRGP has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $116.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $124.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $132.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Argus initiated coverage on Targa Resources in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. They set a buy rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Targa Resources from $147.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $140.54. Get Targa Resources alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Targa Resources Targa Resources Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of $32.81 billion, a PE ratio of 30.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 2.26. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $137.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $121.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.98, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Targa Resources (NYSE:TRGP Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The pipeline company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $3.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.33 billion. Targa Resources had a return on equity of 23.98% and a net margin of 6.60%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.44 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Targa Resources Corp. will post 5.88 EPS for the current year. Targa Resources Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were given a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. Targa Resourcess payout ratio is currently 61.73%. Insider Buying and Selling at Targa Resources In other Targa Resources news, Director Paul W. Chung sold 916 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.35, for a total value of $124,896.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 238,591 shares in the company, valued at $32,531,882.85. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Julie H. Boushka sold 1,213 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.02, for a total transaction of $160,140.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 52,257 shares in the company, valued at $6,898,969.14. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul W. Chung sold 916 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.35, for a total value of $124,896.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 238,591 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $32,531,882.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 45,534 shares of company stock worth $5,989,390. 1.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Targa Resources Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Targa Resources during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Targa Resources by 2,220.0% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 232 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Targa Resources by 2,400.0% during the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 275 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new position in shares of Targa Resources during the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Register Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Targa Resources in the first quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors own 92.13% of the companys stock. About Targa Resources (Get Free Report) Targa Resources Corp., together with its subsidiary, Targa Resources Partners LP, owns, operates, acquires, and develops a portfolio of complementary domestic midstream infrastructure assets in North America. It operates in two segments, Gathering and Processing, and Logistics and Transportation. The company is involved in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting, and selling natural gas; storing, fractionating, treating, transporting, and selling natural gas liquids (NGL) and NGL products, including services to liquefied petroleum gas exporters; and gathering, storing, terminaling, purchasing, and selling crude oil. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Targa Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Targa Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ Get Free Report) rose 3.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $17.42 and last traded at $17.41. Approximately 172,963 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 787,905 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.89. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Utz Brands from $23.00 to $19.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Piper Sandler reissued an overweight rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Utz Brands in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $22.00 target price on shares of Utz Brands in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Three 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, Utz Brands presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $20.17. Get Utz Brands alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on UTZ Utz Brands Stock Performance The stocks 50 day moving average price is $16.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market cap of $2.48 billion, a PE ratio of -70.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.01. Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.03. Utz Brands had a net margin of 0.29% and a return on equity of 6.79%. The business had revenue of $356.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $356.23 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.13 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Utz Brands, Inc. will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Bruce John Lindeman purchased 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $16.11 per share, with a total value of $64,440.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 42,480 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $684,352.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 17.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Utz Brands Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Comerica Bank increased its position in shares of Utz Brands by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 16,491 shares of the companys stock worth $304,000 after purchasing an additional 848 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 12,944 shares of the companys stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 1,017 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 9,924 shares of the companys stock valued at $161,000 after buying an additional 1,033 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,838 shares of the companys stock valued at $197,000 after buying an additional 1,228 shares during the period. Finally, Personal CFO Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 20,572 shares of the companys stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 1,664 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.97% of the companys stock. Utz Brands Company Profile (Get Free Report) Utz Brands, Inc engages in manufacture, marketing, and distribution of snack foods. It offers a range of salty snacks, including salty snacks, including potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, pork skins, veggie snacks, pub/party mixes, tortilla chips, salsa and dips, ready-to-eat popcorn, and other snacks under the Utz, Zapp's, ON THE BORDER, Golden Flake, Boulder Canyon, Hawaiian, TORTIYAHS!, etc. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Utz Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Utz Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aris Mining Co. (NYSE:ARMN Get Free Report) shares shot up 4.9% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $4.52 and last traded at $4.51. 216,463 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 15% from the average session volume of 255,720 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.30. Aris Mining Stock Down 5.4 % The businesss 50-day moving average price is $4.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $3.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $712.03 million and a PE ratio of 88.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Get Aris Mining alerts: Aris Mining (NYSE:ARMN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.07). Aris Mining had a net margin of 2.46% and a return on equity of 6.00%. The company had revenue of $117.19 million for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Aris Mining Co. will post 0.59 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About Aris Mining Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ARMN. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Aris Mining during the 4th quarter worth about $380,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new stake in shares of Aris Mining during the 4th quarter worth $131,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Aris Mining by 127.9% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,338,317 shares of the companys stock worth $4,790,000 after buying an additional 751,046 shares during the period. Herr Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in Aris Mining in the 1st quarter valued at $670,000. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Aris Mining during the 1st quarter worth $165,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 35.81% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) Aris Mining Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of gold properties in Canada, Colombia, and Guyana. It also explores for silver and copper deposits. The company was formerly known as GCM Mining Corp. and changed its name to Aris Mining Corporation in September 2022. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Aris Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aris Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:BNY Free Report) by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 42,446 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLCs holdings in BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust were worth $455,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust by 8.5% during the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 31,252 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 2,454 shares during the last quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 117,638 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,247,000 after buying an additional 7,114 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $244,000. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at about $450,000. Finally, Robinson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $126,000. Get BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust alerts: BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Price Performance Shares of BNY opened at $10.75 on Friday. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust has a 52-week low of $8.60 and a 52-week high of $11.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $10.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.64. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Announces Dividend BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Profile The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.043 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. (Free Report) BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust 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 the investment grade municipal bonds exempt from federal income taxes and New York State and New York City personal income taxes. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BNY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:BNY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) insider Carolyn L. Oboyle sold 63 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.90, for a total transaction of $17,318.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 6,903 shares in the company, valued at $1,897,634.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Boston Beer Trading Up 0.3 % SAM stock opened at $281.58 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $280.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $289.82. The company has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.06. The Boston Beer Company, Inc. has a 52 week low of $254.40 and a 52 week high of $395.52. Get Boston Beer alerts: Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $4.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.99 by ($0.60). Boston Beer had a net margin of 4.39% and a return on equity of 9.69%. The firm had revenue of $579.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $597.33 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.72 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Boston Beer Company, Inc. will post 9.65 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have commented on SAM shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Boston Beer from $332.00 to $318.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Boston Beer from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $290.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Boston Beer from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $335.00 to $360.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Roth Mkm lowered their price target on shares of Boston Beer from $395.00 to $389.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Boston Beer from $273.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $326.92. Read Our Latest Research Report on SAM Institutional Investors Weigh In On Boston Beer Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Boston Beer by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 918,502 shares of the companys stock valued at $317,425,000 after purchasing an additional 21,060 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Boston Beer by 17.0% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 182,972 shares of the companys stock worth $55,814,000 after buying an additional 26,538 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 8.1% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 133,486 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,720,000 after buying an additional 9,997 shares in the last quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Boston Beer by 80.0% during the 2nd quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 114,736 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000,000 after acquiring an additional 51,003 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 107,312 shares of the companys stock worth $37,086,000 after acquiring an additional 3,382 shares in the last quarter. 81.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Boston Beer Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Boston Beer Company, Inc produces and sells alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It offers various beers, hard ciders, flavored malt beverages, and hard seltzers under the Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly, Angry Orchard, Dogfish Head, Angel City, and Coney Island brand names. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Boston Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) was down 1.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $114.66 and last traded at $114.67. Approximately 420,287 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average daily volume of 2,811,006 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.71. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have issued reports on CAVA shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of CAVA Group from $93.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Piper Sandler lowered shares of CAVA Group from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $63.00 to $92.00 in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of CAVA Group from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of CAVA Group from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $110.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Wedbush boosted their price objective on shares of CAVA Group from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $106.75. Get CAVA Group alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on CAVA Group CAVA Group Price Performance The firms fifty day simple moving average is $93.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $79.51. The company has a market capitalization of $13.11 billion, a PE ratio of 279.68 and a beta of 3.27. CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $233.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $219.47 million. CAVA Group had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 7.37%. The companys revenue was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.21 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CAVA Group, Inc. will post 0.43 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other CAVA Group news, CEO Brett Schulman sold 66,414 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total value of $5,984,565.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 904,094 shares in the company, valued at $81,467,910.34. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Theodoros Xenohristos sold 98,490 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.77, for a total transaction of $12,387,087.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 424,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,432,881.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brett Schulman sold 66,414 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $5,984,565.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 904,094 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $81,467,910.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 493,579 shares of company stock worth $55,510,751. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,539,000. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in CAVA Group by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 39,344 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,649,000 after acquiring an additional 4,295 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $368,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in CAVA Group by 98.0% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 875 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning raised its holdings in CAVA Group by 24.7% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 5,046 shares of the companys stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.15% of the companys stock. About CAVA Group (Get Free Report) CAVA Group, Inc owns and operates a chain of restaurants under the CAVA brand in the United States. The company also offers dips, spreads, and dressings through grocery stores. In addition, the company provides online and mobile ordering platforms. Cava Group, Inc was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CAVA Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CAVA Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH Get Free Report) has received an average rating of Hold from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $129.27. A number of research firms have recently commented on CHH. UBS Group cut their target price on Choice Hotels International from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $137.00 to $134.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $134.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $114.00 to $112.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and set a $120.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, July 19th. Get Choice Hotels International alerts: View Our Latest Report on Choice Hotels International Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International In other news, insider Patrick Cimerola sold 13,259 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.08, for a total transaction of $1,658,435.72. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,934,501.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 13,117 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.45, for a total transaction of $1,632,410.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 69,171 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,608,330.95. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, insider Patrick Cimerola sold 13,259 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.08, for a total transaction of $1,658,435.72. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,934,501.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CHH. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,502,000. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 2nd quarter worth $799,000. Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the second quarter worth approximately $387,000. Sepio Capital LP increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sepio Capital LP now owns 10,844 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,290,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 106.1% during the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 8,403 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 4,326 shares during the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Choice Hotels International Stock Down 1.3 % CHH stock opened at $124.23 on Friday. Choice Hotels International has a fifty-two week low of $108.91 and a fifty-two week high of $134.44. The company has a market capitalization of $5.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.25. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $124.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99. Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.86 by ($0.02). Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 3,953.67% and a net margin of 15.42%. The business had revenue of $435.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $438.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.75 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Choice Hotels International (Get Free Report Choice Hotels International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a hotel franchisor in the United States and internationally. It operates through Hotel Franchising & Management and Corporate & Other segments. The company franchises lodging properties under the brand names of Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Clarion Pointe, Sleep Inn, Ascend Hotel Collection, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, MainStay Suites, Suburban Studios, WoodSpring Suites, Everhome Suites, Cambria Hotels, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Radisson Inn & Suites, Park Inn by Radisson, Radisson Individuals, and Radisson Collection. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Choice Hotels International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Choice Hotels International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A Get Free Report) shares were up 6.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $7.59 and last traded at $7.50. Approximately 3,695 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 72% from the average daily volume of 2,149 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.04. Gray Television Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 1.63. The company has a market capitalization of $793.10 million, a PE ratio of -58.67 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $8.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.05. Get Gray Television alerts: Gray Television (NYSE:GTN.A Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $826.00 million during the quarter. Gray Television had a net margin of 1.84% and a return on equity of 3.02%. Gray Television Dividend Announcement About Gray Television The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Gray Televisions payout ratio is currently -266.67%. (Get Free Report) Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcast company, owns and operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2019, it owned and operated television stations in 91 television markets broadcasting approximately 400 program streams, including approximately 150 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network, and the FOX Network. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Gray Television Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gray Television and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hemenway Trust Co LLC cut its position in The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Free Report) (TSE:TD) by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,330 shares of the banks stock after selling 335 shares during the quarter. Hemenway Trust Co LLCs holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank were worth $348,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Foster & Motley Inc. grew its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 29,622 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,628,000 after purchasing an additional 2,574 shares in the last quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 12.9% in the second quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 72,089 shares of the banks stock worth $4,164,000 after buying an additional 8,230 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp raised its holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 0.6% in the second quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 5,759,070 shares of the banks stock valued at $316,696,000 after acquiring an additional 34,310 shares in the last quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH boosted its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 71.1% during the 2nd quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH now owns 43,698 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,401,000 after acquiring an additional 18,163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,925 shares of the banks stock worth $381,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares in the last quarter. 52.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Toronto-Dominion Bank alerts: Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Performance Shares of TD traded up $0.45 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $60.97. 216,504 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,701,509. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 1-year low of $53.52 and a 1-year high of $65.12. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $57.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.54 billion, a PE ratio of 13.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.81. Toronto-Dominion Bank Cuts Dividend Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Free Report ) (TSE:TD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The bank reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.56. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a net margin of 6.94% and a return on equity of 14.34%. The company had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.48 earnings per share. Toronto-Dominion Banks revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 5.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.739 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 10th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.85%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 67.05%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In TD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. National Bank Financial upgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Toronto-Dominion Bank from $86.00 to $84.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. They set a neutral rating for the company. Finally, Cibc World Mkts upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $84.00. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on TD Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile (Free Report) The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Horizon Investment Services LLC cut its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,796 shares of the companys stock after selling 153 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 283.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 1,186,082 shares of the companys stock worth $111,583,000 after purchasing an additional 876,790 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter valued at $5,634,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Philip Morris International by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 34,390 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,151,000 after buying an additional 6,974 shares during the last quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $857,000. Finally, Pinebridge Investments L.P. grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 99.5% in the 4th quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 54,063 shares of the companys stock worth $5,087,000 after acquiring an additional 26,960 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Philip Morris International In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total value of $1,038,150.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 85,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,877,305.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 158,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total value of $1,038,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 85,629 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,877,305.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently commented on PM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Barclays upped their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $120.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $113.70. Get Our Latest Stock Report on PM Philip Morris International Price Performance Shares of Philip Morris International stock opened at $125.18 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $87.23 and a 1 year high of $127.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $113.38 and a 200 day moving average of $101.98. The firm has a market cap of $194.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.45, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.55. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.02. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.41% and a negative return on equity of 113.32%. The firm had revenue of $9.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.60 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.45 EPS for the current year. 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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hourglass Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 906 shares of the aerospace companys stock, valued at approximately $263,000. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in General Dynamics during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of General Dynamics during the first quarter worth about $29,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, American Capital Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get General Dynamics alerts: General Dynamics Stock Performance GD stock opened at $297.96 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $290.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $288.67. The company has a market capitalization of $81.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.25, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. General Dynamics Co. has a fifty-two week low of $214.53 and a fifty-two week high of $302.75. General Dynamics Dividend Announcement General Dynamics ( NYSE:GD Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The aerospace company reported $3.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.30 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $11.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.46 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 16.74% and a net margin of 7.89%. General Dynamicss revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that General Dynamics Co. will post 14.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, October 11th will be issued a $1.42 dividend. This represents a $5.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 11th. General Dynamicss payout ratio is 46.33%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on General Dynamics from $330.00 to $334.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of General Dynamics from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their target price for the company from $293.00 to $345.00 in a report on Friday, August 9th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $315.06. View Our Latest Stock Report on General Dynamics About General Dynamics (Free Report) General Dynamics Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces and sells business jets; and offers aircraft maintenance and repair, management, aircraft-on-ground support and completion, charter, staffing, and fixed-base operator services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Dynamics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Dynamics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ithaca Energy plc (LON:ITH Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 110.29 ($1.45) and last traded at GBX 110.79 ($1.46), with a volume of 866415 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 116 ($1.53). Ithaca Energy Stock Performance The firm has a market capitalization of 1.12 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 926.94. The company has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 126.21 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 126.56. Get Ithaca Energy alerts: Ithaca Energy Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 5th. This represents a yield of 5.76%. Ithaca Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 24,166.67%. About Ithaca Energy Ithaca Energy plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the North Sea. The company own a portfolio of assets located in Northern and Central North Sea, Moray Firth, and West of Shetland area of the UKCS. Ithaca Energy plc was formerly known as Delek North Sea Limited and changed its name to Ithaca Energy plc in October 2022. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Ithaca Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ithaca Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. J.Jill (NYSE:JILL Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The specialty retailer reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.11, Yahoo Finance reports. The business had revenue of $155.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $155.13 million. J.Jill had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 136.44%. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. J.Jill updated its FY 2024 guidance to EPS and its Q3 2024 guidance to EPS. J.Jill Trading Down 1.1 % NYSE:JILL opened at $26.51 on Friday. J.Jill has a 12 month low of $23.06 and a 12 month high of $40.61. The firm has a market cap of $284.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.91 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. The companys 50 day moving average is $35.19 and its 200-day moving average is $31.38. Get J.Jill alerts: J.Jill Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 18th will be given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 18th. J.Jills dividend payout ratio is 8.36%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of J.Jill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a buy rating and a $44.00 price objective on the stock. Lake Street Capital raised their price objective on shares of J.Jill from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a market perform rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of J.Jill from $37.00 to $32.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $39.33. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on JILL Insider Activity In other news, CFO Mark W. Webb sold 1,348 shares of J.Jill stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.31, for a total value of $43,553.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 107,808 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,483,276.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO Claire Spofford sold 13,490 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.87, for a total transaction of $483,886.30. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 181,471 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,509,364.77. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Mark W. Webb sold 1,348 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.31, for a total transaction of $43,553.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 107,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,483,276.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,326,190 shares of company stock valued at $41,210,657 over the last 90 days. 6.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. J.Jill Company Profile (Get Free Report) J.Jill, Inc operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for J.Jill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for J.Jill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI Free Report) had its price objective upped by Jefferies Financial Group from $460.00 to $510.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the communications equipment providers stock. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on MSI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Barclays upped their target price on Motorola Solutions from $372.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $436.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $466.17. Get Motorola Solutions alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on MSI Motorola Solutions Stock Performance Shares of MSI opened at $437.31 on Tuesday. Motorola Solutions has a 1 year low of $269.64 and a 1 year high of $448.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.20. The companys fifty day moving average is $407.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $372.43. Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.23. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 337.36% and a net margin of 14.04%. The company had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.41 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Motorola Solutions will post 12.22 earnings per share 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 paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Motorola Solutionss payout ratio is 48.45%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Motorola Solutions news, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the 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 of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, SVP Rajan Naik sold 5,274 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.81, for a total value of $1,971,473.94. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,939 shares in the company, valued at $3,341,487.59. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 46,821 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Motorola Solutions Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSI. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions during the second quarter worth about $5,021,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $677,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 2.5% in the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 447,086 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $172,597,000 after buying an additional 10,979 shares during the period. Finally, New Century Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Motorola Solutions by 23.4% during the second quarter. New Century Financial Group LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $472,000 after buying an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. 84.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Motorola Solutions Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Motorola Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Motorola Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX Get Free Report) CEO Matthew J. Cox sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.17, for a total transaction of $1,028,775.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 215,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,546,006.49. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Matson Price Performance Shares of NYSE MATX opened at $131.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.47 and a beta of 1.09. Matson, Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.68 and a 12 month high of $138.84. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $130.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Get Matson alerts: Matson (NYSE:MATX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The shipping company reported $3.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $847.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $861.68 million. Matson had a net margin of 10.41% and a return on equity of 13.87%. Analysts expect that Matson, Inc. will post 10.49 EPS for the current year. Matson Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st were issued a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 1st. This is a positive change from Matsons previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Matsons payout ratio is presently 16.04%. Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Matson from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Matson from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. View Our Latest Research Report on MATX Institutional Investors Weigh In On Matson Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MATX. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in Matson in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Matson in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Matson in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Security National Bank purchased a new stake in Matson in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Matson in the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.76% of the companys stock. About Matson (Get Free Report) Matson, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of ocean transportation and logistics services. It operates through two segments, Ocean Transportation and Logistics. The Ocean Transportation segment offers ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Japan, Alaska, and Guam, as well as to other island economies in Micronesia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Matson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Matson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA Get Free Report)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $19.94, but opened at $19.53. Mueller Water Products shares last traded at $19.97, with a volume of 43,526 shares. Analysts Set New Price Targets MWA has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen cut Mueller Water Products from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their price target for the company from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Mueller Water Products from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Mueller Water Products from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Mueller Water Products from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, September 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $21.60. Get Mueller Water Products alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on MWA Mueller Water Products Stock Down 1.9 % The business has a 50-day moving average price of $19.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.82. The stock has a market cap of $3.05 billion, a PE ratio of 31.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 3.70, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The industrial products company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $356.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $329.67 million. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 9.71% and a return on equity of 19.46%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.18 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products, Inc. will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current year. Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a $0.064 dividend. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. Mueller Water Productss payout ratio is 39.06%. Insider Buying and Selling at Mueller Water Products In other Mueller Water Products news, insider J Scott Hall sold 102,025 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.54, for a total value of $1,993,568.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 544,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,630,326.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Mueller Water Products news, insider J Scott Hall sold 102,025 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.54, for a total value of $1,993,568.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 544,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,630,326.66. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Hansen sold 10,791 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.55, for a total transaction of $221,755.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 102,792 shares in the company, valued at $2,112,375.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 256,869 shares of company stock valued at $5,141,842 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Mueller Water Products Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,231,209 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $245,070,000 after acquiring an additional 227,843 shares during the last quarter. Nuance Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Nuance Investments LLC now owns 13,161,657 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $189,528,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022,785 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,498,710 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $107,981,000 after purchasing an additional 974,333 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 6,740,893 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $97,069,000 after buying an additional 430,572 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,417,005 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $78,006,000 after buying an additional 138,018 shares during the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Mueller Water Products (Get Free Report) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mueller Water Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mueller Water Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Synergy Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report) by 25.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,905 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,650 shares during the quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLCs holdings in Novartis were worth $2,119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 6,767 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 2nd quarter valued at about $15,044,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 180,764 shares of the companys stock worth $17,485,000 after acquiring an additional 11,080 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 314.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 55,096 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,563,000 after purchasing an additional 41,815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FORA Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at $2,968,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of NVS stock traded up $0.88 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $117.37. The company had a trading volume of 138,762 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,401,492. The company has a market capitalization of $239.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.93. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $92.19 and a twelve month high of $120.92. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $112.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.40. Analyst Ratings Changes Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $12.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.24 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 33.76% and a return on equity of 34.56%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.83 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. NVS has been the topic of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Novartis from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $121.00 price objective (up from $119.00) on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of Novartis to a strong sell rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $118.38. View Our Latest Analysis on NVS 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSE:SLF Get Free Report) (NYSE:SLF)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as C$75.00 and last traded at C$74.77, with a volume of 530914 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$74.26. Analyst Ratings Changes SLF has been the topic of a number of research reports. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of Sun Life Financial from C$73.00 to C$72.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Sun Life Financial from C$78.00 to C$81.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Barclays set a C$76.00 price objective on Sun Life Financial and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore cut their price objective on shares of Sun Life Financial from C$76.00 to C$75.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Sun Life Financial from C$76.00 to C$78.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sun Life Financial presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$76.09. Get Sun Life Financial alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on SLF Sun Life Financial Stock Down 0.6 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.77, a quick ratio of 84,866.00 and a current ratio of 65.29. The firm has a market cap of C$42.79 billion, a PE ratio of 14.11, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$69.40 and a 200-day moving average price of C$70.29. Sun Life Financial (TSE:SLF Get Free Report) (NYSE:SLF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 12th. The financial services provider reported C$1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.58 by C$0.13. Sun Life Financial had a return on equity of 13.65% and a net margin of 9.90%. The firm had revenue of C$8.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$9.18 billion. Research analysts expect that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 6.642596 EPS for the current year. Sun Life Financial Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 28th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.37%. Sun Life Financials payout ratio is 61.36%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Senior Officer Daniel Fishbein sold 15,999 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$71.40, for a total transaction of C$1,142,323.80. In other news, Senior Officer Daniel Fishbein sold 15,999 shares of Sun Life Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$71.40, for a total transaction of C$1,142,323.80. Also, Director Stephanie Coyles bought 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$70.00 per share, with a total value of C$35,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 500 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$35,000. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Sun Life Financial (Get Free Report) Sun Life Financial Inc, a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Asset Management, Canada, U.S., Asia, and Corporate. It offers various insurance products, such as term and permanent life; personal health, which includes prescription drugs, dental, and vision care; critical illness; long-term care; and disability, as well as reinsurance. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Sun Life Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Life Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd trimmed its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 44.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 307 shares of the companys stock after selling 243 shares during the quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltds holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bordeaux Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Bordeaux Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 677 shares of the companys stock valued at $613,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 4.5% in the second quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. now owns 5,538 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,014,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.5% in the second quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 1,122 shares of the companys stock worth $1,016,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 91.9% during the second quarter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC now owns 881 shares of the companys stock valued at $798,000 after purchasing an additional 422 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.7% during the second quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 3,302 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,990,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 75,510 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $860.78, for a total value of $64,997,497.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 97,793,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $84,178,955,771.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 737,410 shares of company stock valued at $669,719,100. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance Shares of LLY stock opened at $912.75 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $516.57 and a twelve month high of $972.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $896.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $826.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $867.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 134.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $1.28. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 18.86% and a return on equity of 67.52%. The company had revenue of $11.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.83 billion. On average, analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 16.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.57%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is currently 76.58%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Argus upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $884.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $961.76. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on LLY Eli Lilly and 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Below are the phonetic spellings of the nations referred to in the land acknowledgement: Mikmaq: MEEG EM ACH Wolastoqoey: WOO LUSS TOOK OH WAY Peskotomuhkati: BESS GO DUE MO GUDD EE The US Military and federal authorities in Baltimore have announced a multi-million-dollar reward for six Russian citizens accused of orchestrating cyberattacks on a Maryland-based government agency and Ukrainian computer systems. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, charges five members of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, and one affiliated civilian with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Get alerts: The individuals are accused of being part of Unit 29155, a GRU unit known for its cyber operations. The FBI, CISA, NSA, and allied agencies released a joint advisory detailing the units activities. Targeting Ukrainian Systems and a US Government Agency The indictment details a multi-pronged hacking campaign that began in August 2021 and continued through February 2022. According to the indictment, the group allegedly targeted the Maryland government agency, conducting probing activity 63 times. The indictment states that the group used the same servers previously employed to conduct scanning against potential targets, suggesting a coordinated and systematic approach to identifying vulnerabilities. However, the indictment does not identify the specific agency targeted in Maryland, and officials have declined to provide further details. The hackers are also accused of launching attacks against Ukraine, specifically targeting the countrys Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Treasury, Judiciary Administration, and other civilian agencies. These attacks included the use of the destructive WhisperGate malware, which was deployed as early as January 2022 in an apparent attempt to disrupt Ukrainian government operations ahead of the Russian invasion. A Relentless Pursuit The US government has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of each individual, totaling $60 million. The message is clear to the GRU and the Russians: We are onto you, said the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Matt Olsen. The FBI and the Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue you. That sends a powerful deterrent message. GRU Unit 29155: A Rising Cyber Threat The indictment provides a detailed look into the activities of Unit 29155, revealing a sophisticated and increasingly active cyber unit. The joint advisory released by US agencies highlights the units evolving capabilities, stating that it has conducted computer network operations against numerous members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe and North America, as well as countries in Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia. The advisory describes the units activities as encompassing website defacement, infrastructure scanning, data exfiltration, and data leak operations. The unit also uses tools commonly employed by red teaming groups, which simulate malicious attacks to test security measures. A Global Cyber Threat The charges against the Russian hackers are the latest in a series of actions by the US government to counter Russian cyber activity. The Department of Justice accused Russia of directing influence campaigns targeting US voters in June. The indictments and rewards the US offers underscore the escalating cyber warfare between Russia and Western nations. These attacks highlight the growing threat cybercriminals pose and emphasize the need for increased vigilance in protecting critical infrastructure and government systems. A group of Catholic parishioners in Derry have vowed to continue a campaign to save their parish church despite a Vatican ruling supporting moves to close the place of worship. Parishioners at Culmore in Derry were left homeless when the Derry diocese chose to close the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the grounds of the citys former Thornhill college. The move followed a decision by owners of the church and former Thornhill Convent, the Sisters of Mercy to sell off the building in 2022. The Catholic faithful of Culmore have taken a stand against the move, securing the support of more than 1,350 parishioners in a campaign to save the church. Parishioners appealed the decision to close the church to the Vatican but received news this week that the Derry Diocese decision was to be upheld. A spokesperson for the parishioners said: Words are totally inadequate to express our heartfelt sorrow that the Vatican has turned down our appeal. Our barrister and legal team believed we had sufficient grounds to win the appeal and the rejection has come as a devastating blow. The Vatican Canon Law decision rested on the description of the church as an oratory rather than a parish church. Parishioners argued that the Church of the Immaculate Conception was a parish church. However, the Vatican accepted an argument from the Derry diocese that it was an oratory. We submitted more than 100 witness statements to the contrary. The clue is in the title, as the road sign and former bulletins read Thornhill Church and not Thornhill Oratory. We already have three Parishioners willing to buy the property and restore it to a place of worship. We look forward to participating in the sale which surely must be widely publicised. We have not given up hope. Following the disappointing news we intend to hold a public meeting of Culmore Parishioners. We must also pay tribute to the dedicated Parishioners of Culmore who raised 690,000 to build a new Church in 2011. Unfortunately a decision was taken not to proceed with the new build. A sizeable amount of that money has been spent on other things which is being currently investigated by the Charity Commission. SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter has branded news of polluted waters across Northern Ireland an environmental catastrophe. She was speaking after it was revealed that NI Water has released untreated sewage close to popular beaches and beauty spots. East Derry MLA Ms Hunter said: The news that raw sewage has spilled for at least 1,711 hours into the River Bann at Articlave, Castlerock and Portstewart bathing waters is stomach churning and nothing short of a disgrace. It is clear that Northern Ireland is in the middle of a crisis that poses serious risk to our environment, our health and the very ability to provide safe drinking water. The ongoing failings of NI Water to stop sewage being pumped into our rivers, lakes and seas, threatens public health and safety, and risks the jobs and livelihoods of those businesses that are dependent on our waters for tourism and marine activities. As E coli flows into our waters, the potential for illness is very real. I have no doubt that the news that NI Water only monitors a fraction of sewage pipes and that for seven months a year no monitoring at all takes place will be deeply concerning. Northern Ireland already boasts the unenviable crown of the worlds 14th least biodiverse country, and the news of our bathing waters suffering from thousands of hours of untreated sewage flowing into them is yet another shocking indictment on the Executive's ability to manage our environment. I am calling on the Department of Infrastructure and Department of the Environment to take immediate action and work with NI Water to safeguard public and ecological health before this situation gets any worse. A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today charged with sexual assault on a female police officer in Altnagelvin Hospital. Andrew McMillan (32) of Shearwater Way in Derry appeared charged with a series of offences that were said to have occurred in the hospital. McMillan was charged with assault on a female on August 18, disorderly in Altnagelvin Hospital and attempted criminal damage to chair in the hospital on the same date. He was also charged with another disorderly at the hospital on September 4, criminal damage to a door in the hospital and a sexual assault on a female police officer again on the same date. A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. The court heard that on August 18 police were called to the hospital due to a disorderly male, the defendant. Police attended and were told that McMillan was being abusive and shouting. He was then said to have lifted a chair and thrown it at a member of staff. The officer said that on September 4 police again were called to the hospital and told McMillan had damaged a door and was abusive to staff and members of the public. The court heard that the defendant was said to have sworn at police and asked them to shoot him. He then began asking a female officer to 'give him a kiss' and said she could 'get me in trouble'. When a male officer who was present was called away the defendant tried to kiss the officer before grabbing her twice on the upper thigh on two occasions. The officer said she felt 'violated' after the incident and was physically sick. At interview McMillan said he had taken a seizure and remembered nothing. Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending as the defendant has a suspended sentence from July for offences in the hospital. The police officer said they had 'zero confidence' the defendant would abide by conditions as he had been 28 day charged for the August incident and hadn't made that period. A defence barrister Brendan Kearney said he accepted this was 'a difficult application' and said that the defendant ended up in hospital due to seizures but the alcohol consumption was responsible for that. He said his client was in 'precarious situation' with suspended sentences hanging over him. Deputy District Judge Liam McStay it would be 'truly astonishing if he does not receive a substantial prison sentence' when the court comes to deal with this case. He refused bail due to the risk of re-offending and McMillan was remanded in custody to appear again on October 3. A police officer has suffered a significant head injury after a piece of masonry was thrown during unrest in Belfast. The officer required hospital treatment after he sustained the injury while dealing with anti-social behaviour off the Westlink on Thursday night. The PSNI said groups of young people were involved in altercations with each other at around 8.30pm. Local neighbourhood officers attended after some youths were seen running on to the dual carriageway. During their inquiries, bricks were thrown in their direction. The officer who was injured has since returned home to his family but is unfit to work while he recovers. A photograph released by the PSNI shows a large gash at the back of his head. Police remained in the area throughout the evening and no further incidents were reported. Chief Inspector Claire Hamilton said: My thoughts are with our colleague who has our full support as he recovers from this injury. Our officers were attending to bring order to this situation and protect these young people from harm as they were running through traffic. Attacks and assaults on us will not be tolerated and should be condemned by all. We deal with difficult situations every day and are here to help. Assaults on police officers will not be tolerated and will never accepted as being part of the job. Ms Hamilton added: In regards to this report in the Westlink, I am appealing to parents to know where your children are and do all you can to stop them becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. Officers continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to find collaborative and proactive solutions to address the problem. We are committed to working towards a solution and welcome any information from the public and local elected representatives to inform what we are doing. Our officers will continue to provide a visible policing presence throughout west Belfast. Anyone with information from last night, if you witnessed what was happening in the Distillery Court area at around 8.30pm or if you have dashcam footage, call us on 101. West Belfast MP Paul Maskey described the attack on the officer as disgraceful. Mr Maskey added: The young people involved in this behaviour must stop, and their parents must intervene before someone is seriously hurt or ends up in the criminal justice system. These activities by a small number of young people are not representative of our community and are in stark contrast to the hugely positive work happening every day across west Belfast. Youth and community workers have played a stellar role across the last few months in this area, engaging with young people and providing them with positive opportunities. West Belfast is a community continually moving forward and we will not be dragged backwards by the actions of a minority. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a number of officers escaped injury after their patrol vehicle was rammed in Co Down. Substantial damage was caused to the police car when it was deliberately rammed in the Commercial Road area of Banbridge at around 9.30pm on Thursday after officers responded to a report of a black BMW driving erratically. A 34-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including driving with excess alcohol in breath, failing to provide a specimen of breath and dangerous driving. The PSNI and the NI Police Federation have consistently raised concerns about the toll of attacks on police officers and the impact of sickness levels within the force. A number of officers were injured last month when dealing with rioting which followed an anti-immigration protest in Belfast. Addressing the Policing Board this week, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the force currently has about 6,300 officers, well below the 7,500 level recommended in the Patten Review. He said that when taking into account sickness absence and duty restrictions, they have in the region of 4,500 deployable officers. The Chief Constable said he is preparing a recovery plan to address officer numbers. Combining blockchain and e-ticket technologies, 3T GDS helps Taiwan's service industry capture global business opportunities In the face of growingly intense market competition, companies began to sell gift cards or vouchers decades ago to maintain steady growth. This approach allows them to get paid in advance while encouraging consumer spending. Today almost every consumer has a mobile device so electronic vouchers or tickets are replacing the printed version to become the mainstream. Especially when COVID-19 gave rise to zero-contact shopping, e-vouchers became something that consumers preferred. Seeing that e-vouchers might be susceptible to cybercrime, more and more vendors now integrate blockchain with e-voucher systems and expand their business footprint into the global market. Two groups of vendors combine blockchain with e-vouchers. The first group comprises blockchain startups. They generally don't know the industry well enough to win the favor of international sales channel operators. The second group comprises the original distributors of printed vouchers. They generally work with ICT solution providers but they may not be technically proficient enough to communicate with their ICT partners. 3T GDS is among the very few vendors that have the experience and technical caliber to integrate blockchain with e-vouchers. It was recognized and funded by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program in 2022. According to 3T GDS CEO Eric Ko, blockchain enables traceability, immutability, and irreversibility. It has been widely used across a diversity of fields. Blockchain integrated with e-voucher systems prevents fraudulent use of e-vouchers and protects consumers and businesses. The security feature will undoubtedly attract partnership opportunities. Safeguarding e-vouchers with blockchain will also help companies expand their footprint globally as overseas consumers can rest assured that their purchase and use of the e-vouchers are protected against cybercrime. This is what distinguishes 3T GDS from the other e-voucher platform vendors. 3T GDS offers more than 5,000 electronic commodities with its global network of 15 channel partners As consumers increasingly opting for e-vouchers gives rise to the rapid growth of the e-voucher market, 3T GSD, a startup founded in 2020, endeavors to realize borderless living with digital assets and tourism banking solutions. Leveraging the popular blockchain technology on top of the team's 20 years of experience, 3T GDS brought together cross-border service providers and formed a big league of international e-voucher suppliers. 3T GDS's team of seasoned experts has built a global e-voucher purchase and sales platform providing travel commodity trust and reservation services, aiming to deliver higher quality service and stronger guarantees for every aspect of the travel experience. The company currently operates the 3TEZ online ticket point-of-sale platform, the 3TET e-voucher shopping site, the 3T GDS global distribution system, and the 3T GDS CRM distribution management platform. In collaborations with Trip.com, Ctrip.com, Alibaba, ezTravel, and a slew of other internationally known channels, 3T GDS helps them accelerate the distribution and preservation of electronic tickets or vouchers. According to Ko, not only does 3T GDS enable cross-border merchants to manage their inventory on all international channels, but it also helps them digitize their commodities or services and make them available on all international channels. It consolidates all the orders from the international channels and provides them to the merchant so that the merchant does not have to worry about exchange rates and cross-border payment clearing issues. 3T GDS is currently in partnership with more than 35 channel operators, marketing over 8,000 commodities in Taiwan and over 5,000 commodities abroad. Successfully foraying into Singapore, 3T GDS signed an agreement with a prestigious banking group Despite the widespread popularity of e-vouchers around the world, only Taiwan and Japan have a complete system to regulate e-voucher execution to protect consumers from fraudulent bankruptcy. 3T GDS learns from the system and has signed an agreement to work with a Singaporean banking group to provide escrow services for e-vouchers, creating a multi-win situation for merchants, consumers, platform operators, and financial institutions. Ko noted that without laws and regulations in place, there have been incidents in Singapore where e-voucher sellers went out of business maliciously and consumers demanded financial institutions for refunds. In view of this, when expanding into Singapore, 3T GDS signed escrow agreements with financial institutions and merchants to safeguard against such incidents. The Singaporean banking group therefore quickly agreed to the partnership with 3T GDS. Thanks to the assistance from Foodland Ventures, based in TTA, 3T GDS was able to add many partners in the food service sector, helping them issue e-vouchers and unlock new revenue streams. Going forward, 3T GDS plans to work with TTA and Foodland Ventures to keep expanding OTA, EC, social media, and payment channels in different countries as part of its efforts to build a solid foundation for long-term growth. Semiconductor giants unveil sustainability roadmaps at Semicon Taiwan 2024 Taiwan's semiconductor industry, a linchpin of the global tech supply chain, is grappling with an existential challenge: how to maintain growth while dramatically reducing its environmental footprint. At Semicon Taiwan 2024, industry leaders laid out ambitious plans to tackle climate change, presenting a vision of a greener future for chip manufacturing. TSMC set the tone with its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. Hui-Hsin Tseng, Deputy Director at TSMC, revealed the company's strategy to improve global computing energy efficiency by 6.8 times by 2030. "We've implemented over 600 energy-saving initiatives across five sectors," Tseng stated, highlighting efforts in advanced process R&D and EUV lithography. Water conservation emerged as a critical focus, with TSMC targeting an 80% reduction in ultra-pure water usage by 2030. The company is developing a green manufacturing management platform to centralize its sustainability efforts, signaling a shift towards data-driven environmental stewardship. ASE Group outlined its path to net-zero emissions. Louie Huang, Director at ASE, announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality in offices by 2030 and production sites by 2050. The company is leveraging AI for 3D design and modeling of semiconductor plants, aiming to create more eco-efficient facilities. Gradiant Corporation, specializing in water treatment solutions, addressed the growing complexity of wastewater management in chip manufacturing. Roger Foo, Managing Director at Gradiant, introduced advanced membrane systems designed to dramatically reduce the cost of wastewater reclamation. "Modern fabs now deal with over 60 elements in their wastewater, up from 30 in the past," Foo explained, underscoring the need for innovative treatment technologies. Lam Research brought a different perspective, focusing on the role of simulation and AI in sustainable R&D. Martyn Coogans, Head of Marketing & Business Development, presented findings from a year-long study suggesting that simulation and AI could reduce R&D carbon footprint by up to 20%. "The carbon footprint of one full-loop wafer is equivalent to using a high-compute platform for three years," Coogans noted, highlighting the potential for computational methods to drive sustainability. Edwards Ltd, a vacuum and abatement system provider, showcased innovations in greenhouse gas reduction. Colin Reid, Vice President of Marketing, introduced advanced abatement systems offering either improved destruction efficiency or reduced resource usage. The company is also pioneering hydrogen recovery systems for EUV lithography, potentially cutting environmental impact by up to 50%. As the semiconductor industry faces pressure to reduce its carbon footprint while meeting growing global demand, these initiatives represent a significant shift in strategy. The sector, which currently accounts for an estimated 0.3% of global emissions, is betting on technological innovation to reconcile growth with sustainability. Industry analysts note that while these efforts are promising, challenges remain. The capital-intensive nature of chip manufacturing means that implementing large-scale sustainability measures will require substantial investment. Moreover, the industry's complex supply chain presents hurdles in achieving end-to-end emissions reductions. Despite these challenges, the mood at Semicon Taiwan was one of cautious optimism. As one industry insider put it, "The semiconductor industry has always been about solving impossible problems. Climate change is just our next big challenge." With global chip demand projected to grow, the industry's ability to deliver on these sustainability commitments will be crucial. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. A young woman fell asleep on a late bus to Gurranabraher and the driver had to call gardai because of the passengers intoxicated condition. Sergeant Dave Delea outlined the background to the incident, which occurred just before midnight on July 31 at Bakers Road, Gurranabraher, Cork. She was unable to be roused by the driver, who had completed his route, Sgt Delea said. Gardai attended the scene and observed that Eve Guerin was in an intoxicated state. She was unsteady on her feet, slurring her words and there was a strong smell of intoxicating liquor emanating from her. She was arrested for her own safety. Eve Guerin, aged 19, of Ballinure Lawn, Mahon, Cork, pleaded guilty to the public order offence at Cork District Court. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said Ms Guerin acknowledged a difficulty with alcohol but was off alcohol now and attending a training course for employment. Her trajectory is generally positive and she is engaging with the probation service, said Mr Buttimer. Ms Guerin was fined 150 by Judge Mary Dorgan for being intoxicated and a danger to herself or others. Cork Airport has said that it is actively engaging with airlines to grow its service offerings next year, following the expectation that Dublin Airport will exceed its 32 million passenger cap in 2024. To date this year, Dublin Airport has seen 22.7 million passengers travel through its terminals, with August striding ahead as the busiest month in its 84-year history, catering to a total of 3.46 million visitors. In comparison to Dublin Airport figures, Cork Airport welcomed a record 340,705 passengers in August, which represented a 10% increase on the previous year. As of the end of August, passenger numbers at Dublin Airport were trending 5.5% ahead of 2023, with this trend forecasted to continue through September. While this increase in numbers is welcomed by the DAA, the body has made extensive efforts to reduce passenger numbers to comply with planning requirements. This includes the removal of airline incentives at Dublin Airport, and the launch by Cork Airport of a new scheme to encourage airlines to move seat capacity from Dublin to Cork. Speaking to The Echo, managing director of Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said: Cork Airport is Irelands fastest growing airport at the moment, with growth of 10% expected this year, to [reach] nearly 3.1 million passengers. We are actively engaging with airlines to grow even more next year with more choice, more routes and further growing tourism to the south of Ireland. We expect to have exciting announcements regarding next year in the months ahead. Cork Airport is now on track to exceed its milestone of three million passengers travelling internationally before the end of the year, with recent CSO statistics showing that the service is the fastest growing of the three state airports in the first seven months of 2024. To further alleviate pressure at Dublin Airport, the DAA has applied to Fingal County Council to increase the current terminals passenger cap to 40 million passengers per year, as part of a broader Infrastructure Application (IA). The IA seeks permission for a range of significant sustainable investments to facilitate the projected growth of passengers through the airport. The DAA is also preparing to lodge an Operational Application (OA) which seeks to increase the passenger cap only, without the additional sustainable infrastructure developments detailed in the IA to hasten the lifting of the cap. A Cork doctor and elected member of Cork City Council has said that the Irish health system faces significant challenges due to the large increase in population with a doubling of those aged over 65 expected in the next 15 years. Dr John Sheehan, the Blackpool-based medic and councillor in the North West ward, was speaking to The Echo after the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) published its pre-Budget submission in which it said the health system was at a critical juncture and facing what it described as persistent and worsening crises. Dr Sheehan said the challenges ahead, particularly the growth in the over-65 population, will require more community-based facilities with beds for rehabilitating patients and those transitioning from hospital to homes. Changing Were the EU country with the highest life expectancy, said Dr Sheehan. But this in itself is going to pose us huge challenges as more people will fall ill and contract various illnesses. The model the west has had traditionally over the past 150 years is also changing, its moving away from the big hospital which caters for every specialty in a central location to disease/illness hubs which cater for specific ailments in different locations, he said, referring to centres in Ballincollig, Mallow and elsewhere in the county. While acknowledging that funding for the health system has never been greater, the IMOs submission said the funding was merely allowing the health system to just stand still. Submission In its submission, the IMO pointed to the 14.4% increase over the past decade in Irelands population, with 15.3% of the population aged more than 65 years. It said that at the same time, there has been little or no increase in inpatient beds in the past 20 years and waiting lists had almost tripled in the decade between 2013 and 2023. IMO President Dr Denis McCauley said there had been decades of insufficient planning and investment in our health system which had left it at a critical juncture. The systems capacity has not kept pace with demand, resulting in overcrowding, patients on trolleys and prolonged waiting times in emergency departments, he said. Among the recommendations in the IMO submission is an increase of more than one-third in the number of acute inpatient beds. It also recommends measures aimed at enabling GPs to establish and sustain GP practices through an independent GP contractor model. A motorist sitting on top of a seatbelt that was buckled to stop the warning sound from beeping has been banned from driving for two years for having no insurance on the same occasion. Mihai Gherghel, aged 33, of Lotabeg Green, Mayfield, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and failing to wear a seatbelt at Boreenmanna Rd on November 16, 2023. When told that the driver was found sitting on the seatbelt in that fashion in the Renault Clio, Judge John King said: Presumably that was to stop it beep, beep, beeping. Solicitor Diane Hallahan said at Cork District Court that he had just bought the car for 500 and was shopping for insurance and should not have been driving. She described his offending as being based on ignorance of the law, rather than deliberate breaches. She added that the young man, who has been living in Ireland for the past three years, could not afford the insurance being quoted. Judge King fined him 240 for not wearing the seatbelt and 250 for having no insurance. Most significantly, he disqualified him from driving for two years. More than half the men involved in same-sex relationships surveyed for a new report by the OSS Cork Domestic Violence Resource Centre and the Gay Project have said they had experienced physical, sexual or mental violence from a partner or ex partner during their lifetime. The Reach Out report with the subtitle, Addressing Intimate Partner Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Cork, which was launched yesterday in the city, goes on to disclose that more than half of those surveyed had experienced sexual abuse, two in five had been victims of physical assault with the same number revealing they had been impacted by emotional abuse. Deborah O'Flynn, Manager OSS Cork, Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle and Dr. Angela O'Connell, Report author at the report launch. Picture: Jim Coughlan. One in three had experienced HIV/Trans/health abusive behaviours, while a third of men had been victims of financial abuse from a partner or ex partner. Women abused by their male partners form the largest group among those impacted by intimate partner abuse but men can also be victims. While the number of men who completed the survey, 43, may appear low, the reported incidence of abuse between male partners and ex partners in gay relationships, according to the survey and wider international research, was equal to or more prevalent than in male-female intimate relationships. It also should be borne in mind that while there is no official estimate of the LGBTI+ population in Ireland, international figures would suggest that 10% of males identify as not heterosexual. The report was prompted by OSS Cork, which is the only domestic violence service in the Cork region to work with male as well as female victims, noting that gay and bisexual men experiencing violence, abuse or control were not coming forward in the number that would be expected. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, funded this research as an endeavour to find out why these men were not presenting for help and to develop referral pathways. Intimate partner abuse in relationships involving gay or bisexual men takes many forms and includes threats of outing, attempts to normalise or deny that abuse is happening and unprotected sex and isolation from the wider LGBTI+ community. Other exacerbating factors include the higher rate of substance abuse in this population as well as anxiety and depression. Raising awareness According to report author, Dr Angela OConnell, the reports primary focus is about raising awareness. Intimate partner abuse happens in all relationships and the research shows that it happens regardless of class, race, sexual orientation, age, social class, geographic location. It happens wherever there is a closed door for it to happen behind, she told The Echo. Where youre looking at hidden populations like gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans people, theres every opportunity because theyre hidden from view for that to happen in their relationships as well, just as it happens in heterosexual families that wed be more familiar with, with the very well known image of the big man hitting the vulnerable woman. Stephen Spillane, Gay Project, John Buttimer, Chairperson Gay Project, Josephine O'Halloran, Chairperson OSS Cork, (front row) Nathan Kelleher, Gay Project, Carl Keegan, Gay Project, Deborah O'Flynn, Manager OSS Cork, Dr. Angela O'Connell, report author. Picture: Jim Coughlan. Also theres much more awareness now, especially with new legislation on coercive control that domestic abuse and intimate partner abuse encompasses a lot more than just physical violence. Its very much rooted in the control and exploitation of one person by another and that, of course, can happen in any relationship. Dr OConnell said that those who are gay, bisexual and trans can be subject to additional forms of abuse such as blackmail. They can be threatened to be outed or, if theyre HIV positive, having their medication controlled or having their access to the gay community controlled by an abusive partner who might be putting stories out there or who might isolate them from any source of support and thats a very powerful mechanism to control somebody. Then theres the shame of any man coming forward, given the dominant masculinity that we have to live with, saying that theyre the victim of intimate partner violence or abuse. They feel less than they should be, less a man when you add into that the shame and stigma in a sexual gender minority, youve got an added barrier to approaching services. The gay population has, historically, been criminalised and stigmatised and having to deal with prejudice on a daily basis and fear of being met with discrimination when they go to services. This in turn generates a fear and reluctance to come forward and this is expressed by gay victims of intimate partner violence who have been surveyed and have contributed on an anonymous basis to the report. Theres two or three organisations here in Cork for domestic abuse and Ive looked in the window and Ive seen the name of the organisation on it and Im thinking, could I go in there?, said Jay, a gay man in his 50s. Im thinking no, its probably for women isnt that weird? Because on the signage it doesnt say anything about men or women, it just says domestic violence something. The goal of the reachOUT project was to investigate the awareness, perceptions and experiences of intimate partner abuse by gay and bisexual men, and to explore if, how and when they seek help and what are the barriers they experience in trying to access mainstream sources of support. Using the information gathered in the report, OSS Cork and the Gay Project have devised a referral system and are now taking steps to raise awareness among Corks gay community, the public and service providers. Awareness of issue and supports low The findings in the report suggested that the prevalence of intimate partner violence among the gay and bisexual community was high while the awareness of the issue and available supports remained low for intimate partner abuse in same gender male relationships. This applied to the gay community itself as much as to general service providers. According to a service provider for gay men quoted in the report the information for victims of intimate partner abuse is not easily accessible. Its not just hospitals, its GPs and other services and I dont think they have the information, probably not for heterosexual violence but certaintly not for same sex violence. According to a sexual health service provider, the workers who work directly with victims to support them need to have competency training and this needs to be extended to all those working in these types of organisations. The final part of the reachOUT project involved the development of referral pathways between the Gay Project and OSS Cork for gay and bisexual men experiencing violence and control in their intimate relationships. As appropriate, and following training in each organisation earlier this year, the Gay Project may refer gay and bisexual men in need of support and information to OSS Cork, while that organisation may refer gay and bisexual men to the Gay Project if they feel those men would benefit from one of the many programmes on offer. Another outcome from the reachOUT project is a toolkit providing information about intimate partner abuse among gay and bisexual men and, in particular, how to recognise, respond to and refer victims. Theres more to come in the second phase of reachOUT as links with the Gay Project will be strengthened and links with other organisations formed as public awareness raising initiatives, resources, networking, training and workshops to deliver other services are developed. On top of that, OSS Cork is also engaged in a new national LGBTI+ Intimate Partner Abuse network as well as the Social Inclusion Forum at Mercy University Hospital. The organisation has also taken part in the consultation for the Second National LGBTI+ Strategy and are exploring other networking opportunities as they arise. While the Gay Project is viewed as a hugely important resource for Corks gay community, the reachOUT project collaboration has consolidated OSS Cork as an important resource for gay and bisexual men experiencing intimate partner abuse. 300 students welcomed Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers TD to their school in recent days. The visit, which took place on Friday at Colaiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire, saw the Minister deliver a speech to pupils from junior cycle classes on what it means to be a politician, and his plans for the future allocation of monies within the education sector. Mnister Chambers was invited to the school to mark its 50-year anniversary, which was achieved in 2023. Minister Jack Chambers TD, receives a school GAA jersey from Shay O'Donnchu during his recent visit to Colaiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire. Picture: Howard Crowdy Speaking to The Echo, Colaiste an Phiarsaigh Principal, Micheal O Tuama said: As one of the largest gaelscoileanna in the country, and with his previous role, we felt it would be important for the Minister to speak to the students and explain exactly what his position is. He spoke to the students fluently in Irish, which was brilliant, and explained to them the surplus of money he had this year, what he was hoping to do with it, and how he was hoping to give much of it to education. He also congratulated us on achieving the 50-year landmark, and for getting sanctioned for a brand new secondary school, which is coming along in the next two to three years. The Department of Finance has committed 35m to the development, and he was here to mark that as well. The new development at Colaiste an Phiarsaigh, which currently caters to 580 students and 60 faculty members, will see the construction of 15 new classrooms, a suite of specialised classrooms to facilitate subjects like home economics, woodwork, metalwork and technical graphics, a new library, a canteen, and a new staff room, by 2027. Pictured with the plans for the redevelopment of the school were Cllr Shiela O'Callaghan, Minister Jack Chambers TD, and Julie Dennehy O'Callaghan, Chair Parents Association with students Alex, Taillte, and Tom during the Minister's recent visit to Colaiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire. Picture: Howard Crowdy Its going to be a school for the future, said Principal O Tuama. Itll be a school for Irish speaking which caters to the community of Cork City and its hinterlands, which is why it was important for Minister Chambers to come along. "He is a role model for our students, being the youngest Minister for Finance since Michael Collins. It was something different and the students loved it," he added. "He gave them free homework for the weekend, so he was a big hit. Minister Jack Chambers TD, pictured with teachers and some students during his recent visit to Colaiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire. Picture: Howard Crowdy Students and faculty also presented Minister Chambers with a specially engraved pen that featured the school name, as well as a school jersey marked. Colaiste an Phiarsaigh will be hosting an open night for prospective students on September 19 from 6pm to 8.30pm, with all members of the public invited to join. For more information about Colaiste an Phiarsaigh, please visit: http://www.colaisteanphiarsaigh.ie/. One of Corks oldest charities will gather people in the heart of the city for a candle-lit vigil to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. Members of Cork Penny Dinners will join the Cork High Hopes Choir at the Albert Quay Plaza at sunset on Tuesday, September 10, for an event dedicated to raising awareness and to creating a space for conversation. Caitriona Twomey, volunteer co-ordinator with Cork Penny Dinners, said members of the public were being asked to embrace the theme Start the Conversation. It is a call to each of us, a reminder that opening our hearts and our mouths can ignite change, foster understanding, and build bridges of connection, she said. We know all too well that these conversations can be tough, but in their unfolding, we discover the power of love and community. Ms Twomey said that part of Tuesday evenings event would see a band of Cork bikers set off from Albert Quay around 8pm, carrying teddy bears through the city. Symbol The bears, she said, will be a symbol of the message we all need to hear you are loved, and she said it was hoped they might help to spark conversations around suicide prevention. Later, on Parnell Bridge by City Hall, a lone piper will play as members of Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery travel up the River Lee with Bear Hope. Together, we will create an evening infused with love, connection, and hope, a celebration of life and the bonds we share, Ms Twomey said. Let us gather, converse, and remind one another that if we come together, we can create a culture of support, where no one feels unseen or unheard. Join us at the plaza next to City Hall on Albert Quay on Tuesday evening. Lets stand together in solidarity, wrap ourselves in the warmth of community, and most importantly, lets start the conversation. You are loved, and you are not alone. The rebranding of eight pharmacies across Cork will signal of what has been described as an exciting new chapter for community pharmacy care in the region. Eight branches of Lloyds Pharmacies located in sites across Cork city and county including on the Grand Parade, the Lough Shopping Centre, Hollyhill Shopping Centre, the Glen as well Ballincollig, Youghal, Midleton and Charleville are to rebranded and transformed into branches of McCabes Pharmacy. This increases the presence of McCabes Pharmacy across Ireland to 112 branches with a total workforce of 1,400 employees. While the branding on the shopfront and internally will be the most noticeable change for customers, further enhancements are also promised such as the rise of digital health, a focus on personalised and preventative care as well as an expanded role for integrated health services. Accessible According to McCabes Pharmacy CEO, Sharon McCabe the rebranding will not only expand the reach of the company, allowing it to become more accessible to its patients, it will also reinforce the companys dedication to patient centric healthcare. We are excited about the future and the opportunities this rebranding brings as we become Irelands leading pharmacy brand with 112 pharmacies in addition to providing greater access nationwide to Irelands largest online health pharmacy website and app which boosts excellent customer ratings for service including next day delivery and click and collect, said Ms McCabe. Customers of Lloyds Pharmacy branches in the Cork and other locations will continue to see the familiar faces from the teams they know and trust, the Managing Director of LloydsPharmacy, Jan Pietr Hallema has said. This new more resilient pharmacy network combines the strengths of both brands allowing us to enhance our services and continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Three Cork schools took part in the second annual Camino for Cliona event, which raised nearly 130,000 for families caring for sick children in Ireland. Colaiste Mhuire Buttevant, Scoil Mhuire Kanturk, and Colaiste Mhuire Crosshaven were among the 21 schools across Munster and Leinster that participated in this years charity walk. The five-day event saw 101 transition-year students, teachers and group leaders fly to Santiago in northern Spain to undertake the 114km route from Sarria to Santiago. The trip took place after the group collectively raised 128,640 for Clionas Foundation, a charity that provides financial assistance to families caring for seriously ill children across the country. Funds raised will be used to help specifically with the non-medical costs associated with receiving a diagnosis. Stones The foundation was set up by Brendan and Terry Ring following the death of their daughter Cliona from an inoperable brain tumour in 2006, who students honoured at this years event by carrying stones throughout the walk that represented Cliona and all the other children who have succumbed to illness. The charity has supported more than 1,400 families and last year distributed 502,000 across 27 counties, their largest amount ever, to families in need. Grateful Head of communications and fundraising at Clionas Foundation, Charlotte Kavanagh said: It was a privilege to accompany this remarkable group of young people, leaders and teachers on our second Camino for Clionas. We are so grateful to the schools, parents and communities who supported the students fundraising efforts. The journey itself was truly inspirational and lifechanging, she added. For me personally the trip was very special [and] I am so looking forward to 2025. Clionas Foundation are aiming to grow the annual event on a national scale and are calling on schools across the country to get in touch to apply for next years fundraiser. Clionas Foundation expects that up to 200 families will apply for financial assistance this year, and will need to raise a minimum of 500,000 to meet these applications. To learn more about Clionas Foundation and the camino event, visit: https://clionas.ie. If you are entitled to public health services in Ireland, you may choose to access those services in another member state of the European Union or European Economic Area (EEA), which also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and be repaid the cost if you meet the requirements. How does the scheme work? In the same way you would be referred to public health services in Ireland, you must be referred to the health service you require abroad. This may be, for example, by your GP (family doctor) or public hospital consultant. In the case of some community-based services the appropriate referral could be by a Health Service Executive (HSE) professional such as a public health nurse, community dentist or HSE orthodontist. Funding will only be reimbursed for healthcare that is publicly funded and available in Ireland but the referral may be to a public or private health service in the other country. You pay the costs of treatment and then apply for a refund when you return to Ireland. The referral letter should specify the healthcare required, the health professional abroad you are being referred to and their clinic, hospital or other location. You, or the person referring you, should be satisfied that the healthcare provider abroad is qualified and suitable. If you wish to access information on services or service providers abroad, please contact the National Contact Point for the other EU/EEA State. Ensure the service you are seeking to access abroad is covered by the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. Your referring clinician can advise you on this but if you are in doubt, contact the National Contact Point in Ireland to check. Can I access healthcare in Britain or Northern Ireland? You can no longer use the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive to access healthcare in Britain. The Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme is a temporary option allowing you to receive healthcare in Northern Ireland in a similar way to the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. The healthcare must be publicly available in Ireland. You must pay for the healthcare then claim the cost from the HSE. The Scheme is available until a permanent statutory scheme is approved. Residents of Northern Ireland can access healthcare in Ireland under the Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme. What healthcare treatments are available under the scheme? Examples include: Day, in-patient and out-patient care in acute hospital services, including psychiatric services Community-based out-patient care Dental and orthodontic services (with some exceptions, such as dental screening services in schools) Speech and language services Occupational therapy services (with some exceptions, such as assessment for aids at home) Psychology services Physiotherapy services Disability services Ophthalmic services Mental health services Methadone programme Addiction care Some health services are not included, for example, organ transplantation and long-term care such as nursing home care. If the treatment involves an overnight stay in hospital, the HSE will need to authorise it in advance. For other treatment, it is advisable to check if prior authorisation is required by contacting the National Contact Point. The application form for prior authorisation must be completed by you and by the medical professional who is referring you for treatment abroad. Completed applications take 15 to 20 working days to process and you will be notified of the decision by letter. Prior authorisation is also required for healthcare that involves: Highly specialised and cost-intensive medical infrastructure or equipment Treatments presenting a particular risk for the patient or the population A healthcare provider that could give rise to serious and specific concerns relating to the quality or safety of the care How do I apply for the refund of costs? To get a refund of the costs you pay for your treatment, you and your healthcare provider abroad must complete the HSE Cross-Border Healthcare Directive Pro-Forma Invoice and submit it with the invoice from the healthcare provider and receipt. The refund will only be made to the patient (or to the parents of a child patient). The HSE has published the refund amounts for different treatments, listed according to a code - you can get the code from the healthcare professional who has referred you. If you prefer, or if your treatment is not listed, you can get details of the refund rates from the National Contact Point. The maximum refund for a hospital outpatient consultation is 130. If you have more than one consultation on the same day with consultants in the same speciality, the daily limit is 130. For in-patient treatment, the charges for public in-patients in public hospitals in Ireland will apply. These charges will be deducted from the amount of the refund. What are the contact details for the National Contact Point office? It is based at St Canices Hospital, Dublin Road, Kilkenny. Call 056 7784546 or email crossborderdirective@hse.ie Cork Citys Citizens Information telephone lines are open 10am to 4.30pm, Mon-Fri. In addition, the Cork City CIC in Cornmarket Street weekdays, 9.45am to 1pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4.30pm. If you are entitled to public health services in Ireland, you may choose to access those services in another member state of the European Union or European Economic Area (EEA), which also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and be repaid the cost if you meet the requirements. How does the scheme work? In the same way you would be referred to public health services in Ireland, you must be referred to the health service you require abroad. This may be, for example, by your GP (family doctor) or public hospital consultant. In the case of some community-based services the appropriate referral could be by a Health Service Executive (HSE) professional such as a public health nurse, community dentist or HSE orthodontist. Funding will only be reimbursed for healthcare that is publicly funded and available in Ireland but the referral may be to a public or private health service in the other country. You pay the costs of treatment and then apply for a refund when you return to Ireland. The referral letter should specify the healthcare required, the health professional abroad you are being referred to and their clinic, hospital or other location. You, or the person referring you, should be satisfied that the healthcare provider abroad is qualified and suitable. If you wish to access information on services or service providers abroad, please contact the National Contact Point for the other EU/EEA State. Ensure the service you are seeking to access abroad is covered by the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. Your referring clinician can advise you on this but if you are in doubt, contact the National Contact Point in Ireland to check. Can I access healthcare in Britain or Northern Ireland? You can no longer use the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive to access healthcare in Britain. The Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme is a temporary option allowing you to receive healthcare in Northern Ireland in a similar way to the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. The healthcare must be publicly available in Ireland. You must pay for the healthcare then claim the cost from the HSE. The Scheme is available until a permanent statutory scheme is approved. Residents of Northern Ireland can access healthcare in Ireland under the Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme. What healthcare treatments are available under the scheme? Examples include: Day, in-patient and out-patient care in acute hospital services, including psychiatric services Community-based out-patient care Dental and orthodontic services (with some exceptions, such as dental screening services in schools) Speech and language services Occupational therapy services (with some exceptions, such as assessment for aids at home) Psychology services Physiotherapy services Disability services Ophthalmic services Mental health services Methadone programme Addiction care Some health services are not included, for example, organ transplantation and long-term care such as nursing home care. If the treatment involves an overnight stay in hospital, the HSE will need to authorise it in advance. For other treatment, it is advisable to check if prior authorisation is required by contacting the National Contact Point. The application form for prior authorisation must be completed by you and by the medical professional who is referring you for treatment abroad. Completed applications take 15 to 20 working days to process and you will be notified of the decision by letter. Prior authorisation is also required for healthcare that involves: Highly specialised and cost-intensive medical infrastructure or equipment Treatments presenting a particular risk for the patient or the population A healthcare provider that could give rise to serious and specific concerns relating to the quality or safety of the care How do I apply for the refund of costs? To get a refund of the costs you pay for your treatment, you and your healthcare provider abroad must complete the HSE Cross-Border Healthcare Directive Pro-Forma Invoice and submit it with the invoice from the healthcare provider and receipt. The refund will only be made to the patient (or to the parents of a child patient). The HSE has published the refund amounts for different treatments, listed according to a code - you can get the code from the healthcare professional who has referred you. If you prefer, or if your treatment is not listed, you can get details of the refund rates from the National Contact Point. The maximum refund for a hospital outpatient consultation is 130. If you have more than one consultation on the same day with consultants in the same speciality, the daily limit is 130. For in-patient treatment, the charges for public in-patients in public hospitals in Ireland will apply. These charges will be deducted from the amount of the refund. What are the contact details for the National Contact Point office? It is based at St Canices Hospital, Dublin Road, Kilkenny. Call 056 7784546 or email crossborderdirective@hse.ie Cork Citys Citizens Information telephone lines are open 10am to 4.30pm, Mon-Fri. In addition, the Cork City CIC in Cornmarket Street weekdays, 9.45am to 1pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4.30pm. 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. Britain has introduced new legislation in an attempt to crack down on water companies that pollute its lakes, rivers and seas, in what the government says is the most significant increase in enforcement powers in a decade. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will give new powers to regulators to take faster and more stringent action to prevent water companies from harming the environment and failing their customers, a press release from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said. The public are furious that in 21st century Britain, record levels of sewage are being pumped into our rivers, lakes and seas. After years of neglect, our waterways are now in an unacceptable state. That is why today I am announcing immediate action to end the disgraceful behaviour of water companies and their bosses, said Steve Reed, Secretary of State for DEFRA, in the press release. [W]ater executives will no longer line their own pockets whilst pumping out this filth. If they refuse to comply, they could end up in the dock and face prison time. This Bill is a major step forward in our wider reform to fix the broken water system. In addition to prison time, the new law will ban bonuses to water bosses who fail to meet strict environmental protection standards while at the same time safeguarding the companies finances and their customers. In civil cases, the burden of proof will be lowered to enable the Environment Agency to more easily bring criminal charges against water bosses, reported BBC News. The bill includes severe automatic fines for a variety of offenses and allows regulators to swiftly issue penalties without having to conduct lengthy investigations, DEFRA said in the press release. Independent monitoring of sewage outlets will also be introduced, and water companies will be required to publish data for emergency overflows in real time, along with a requirement that discharges be reported an hour or less after the initial spill. Protesters hold banners and placards on Brighton Beach during a demonstration by Surfers Against Sewage in Brighton, England on May 18, 2024. Jack Taylor / Getty Images The Bill creates new tougher penalties including imprisonment for water executives when companies fail to co-operate or obstruct Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate investigations. Previously, the maximum punishment for most cases of obstruction was merely a fine. We will increase sentencing powers to include imprisonment, with offences triable in both the Crown and Magistrates Court, DEFRA said. Water companies will also be responsible for the cost of enforcement actions taken because of their failings. Since 2020, water chief executives have given themselves big bonuses, incentives and benefits to the tune of more than $54 million. The bill will give the Water Services Regulation Authority the power to ban performance-related pay, including bonuses for water companies senior leadership and chief executives, unless high standards of fitness and propriety are met for protecting the environment and consumers, criminal liability and financial resilience. The companies will also be required to involve customers in decision-making. Just 14 percent of rivers in England have been found to be ecologically healthy, BBC News reported. Following decades of inadequate investment in sewage infrastructure, the system is often not able to deal with the volume of sewage and rainwater, which causes spilling. In 2023, the total spills across the sewage network in England took 3.6 million hours to address. On the surface, this new bill simply doesnt look up to scratch to tackling the sewage scandal that has plagued our nations rivers and waterways, a statement from the Liberal Democrats said, as BBC News reported. Only a complete overhaul of this disgraced industry and a tough new regulator will end the sewage crisis. 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. Volvo Cars has scrapped its goal of selling only electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, as demand for battery-powered vehicles falls. The Swedish carmaker said it is now aiming for 90 to 100 per cent of its global sales volume by 2030 to consist of electrified cars, including a combination of EVs and plug-in hybrids, reported Euronews. Volvo blamed shifting market conditions for changing a target it announced just three years earlier, BBC News reported. The industry has been facing a slowdown and uncertainty caused by trade tariffs imposed on EVs manufactured in China. Ford and General Motors have also scaled back their EV plans. Volvo said it may also offer a limited number of mild hybrids more conventional cars that have limited electrical assistance. We are resolute in our belief that our future is electric, said the companys chief executive Jim Rowan, as reported by BBC News. However, it is clear that the transition to electrification will not be linear, and customers and markets are moving at different speeds. The automaker said factors like delayed charging infrastructure rollout and the removal of consumer incentives had changed the EV business climate. Some of the subsidies that governments had put in place to encourage electric car purchases have ended and also theres just that ongoing lack of demand because consumers are worried about charging, Anna McDonald, an independent equity analyst, told the BBCs Today show. McDonald noted that EVs were still more expensive than traditional cars. While the EU and the U.S. are putting tariffs on Chinese cars that are imported to stop them kind of swamping the market, that just means that vehicles have to be made outside China which is more expensive, McDonald explained. Car manufacturers are not keen to start making a loss on these vehicles. Volvo expects a combination of full EVs and hybrids to make up from 50 to 60 percent of its sales by 2025, Reuters reported. An earlier target of the company was for a minimum of half of their vehicles to be fully electric by next year, with the remainder being made up of hybrid models. Its a pragmatic approach to help our customers go on the journey to full electrification. For many customers in many markets it will be a stepwise journey, Erik Severinsson, chief product officer and head of strategy at Volvo, told Reuters. EV registrations in the European Union fell by almost 11 percent in July, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said, as reported by BBC News. Volvo Cars is majority-owned by Geely, a Chinese car manufacturer that uses factories in China, so import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs in North America and Europe will also affect the company. China has been accused by Western countries of giving its own carmakers an unfair edge by subsidizing its EV industry. However, China has rejected the accusations, calling the tariffs unilateral and discriminatory. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and several other countries have signed an AI safety treaty laid out by the Council of Europe (COE), an international standards and human rights organization. This landmark treaty, known as the Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, opened for signature in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the first legally binding international agreement aimed at ensuring that AI systems align with democratic values. The treaty focuses on three main areas: protecting human rights (including privacy and preventing discrimination), safeguarding democracy, and upholding the rule of law. It also provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems, promoting innovation, and managing potential risks. Besides the US, UK and the EU, the treatys other signatories include Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Moldova, San Marino, and Israel. Notably absent are many major countries from Asia and the Middle East, and Russia, but any country will be eligible to join it in the future as long as they commit to comply with its provisions, according to a statement from the Council of Europe. We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them, said COE secretary general Marija Pejcinovic Buric in the statement. The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a strong and balanced text - the result of the open and inclusive approach by which it was drafted and which ensured that it benefits from multiple and expert perspectives. The treaty will enter into force three months after five signatories, including at least three Council of Europe member states, ratify it. The COEs treaty joins other recent efforts to regulate AI including the UK's AI Safety Summit, the G7-led Hiroshima AI Process, and the UN's AI resolution. YouTube confirmed its termination of five right-wing political channels believed to be connected to the Department of Justices Russia-linked US media indictments this week. The platform pulled the channel of Tenet Media, which CNN reported to be the unnamed company implicated in the indictment. The DOJ accused Russian operatives of paying the media organization to spread disinformation designed to influence the 2024 US elections. A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the takedown and provided a statement to Engadget. Following an indictment from the US Department of Justice and after careful review, we are terminating the Tenet Media channel and four channels operated by its owner Lauren Chen as part of our ongoing efforts to combat coordinated influence operations, the company statement reads. According to YouTube, the investigation into the situation is ongoing, and the company will evaluate whether further actions are warranted as new information emerges. The company says it terminated over 4,000 YouTube channels in Q2 2024 as part of investigations into Russia-linked influence operations. YouTube works with Googles Threat Analysis Group (TAG) to identify bad actors and deplatform their channels and accounts accordingly. On Wednesday, the DOJ indicted two employees of RT (formerly Russia Today), a Kremlin-backed media outlet. They were accused of illegally funding a Tennessee-backed media organization, now all but officially confirmed as Tenet Media. DOJ prosecutors allege in the indictment that the media companys founders knew their funding came from the Russian government. Tenet Media is owned by Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan. The Washington Post reports that YouTube was Tenets preferred platform for spreading propaganda videos aimed at US conservatives and featuring popular right-wing pundits. Those working with the organization included Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and Dave Rubin. The channels have even featured appearances from former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and RNC Chair Lara Trump. Pool and Rubin have reportedly denied knowledge that the Russian government was behind Tenets funding. Sony shared a first glimpse of its plans to celebrate PlayStations 30th anniversary, and it seems PS5 Pro is coming to the party. Its decorative logo includes an image of the rumored upgrade to the current-gen PS5 console. Zoom between the S of the PlayStation logo and the 3, to reveal a different rectangle to the PS5s that appears elsewhere. The main change appears to be a differently proportioned console if this is the Pro, itll be shorter than the OG PS5 and have more stripes across the body, making it look a lot like the PS5 Pro rendering leaked in late August. How much, though? And how much more powerful? Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed Prime Video's much-needed overhaul Adobes Photoshop can now generate AI images via prompts like Dall-E or Midjourney Fujifilm GFX 100 II: The king of medium-format mirrorless cameras You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! A powerful and lightweight $200 drone. Engadget DJIs much-leaked $200 drone is for content creators and casual users alike. Its tiny and easy to use thanks to novice-friendly propeller guards, palm takeoff and voice control. It has a suite of powerful features, like ActiveTrack, Quick Shots, FPV controller support, smartphone control and the ability to record yourself with the DJI Mic 2. The Neos 1,435mAh lithium-ion battery is incredibly light but supports up to 17 minutes of fly time, or around 13 to 14 minutes in the real world. Its reasonably priced too. Continue reading. One of the best games Sony has ever made. Sony Sony might have finally made a cute in-house official PlayStation mascot. It may have found its Mario. However, Astro Bot is not just for kids. It feels purpose-built for video game fans. According to Engadgets Jessica Conditt, its a skill-driven celebration of everything that makes the format so memorable and joyful, and an excellent introduction to the language of games. Continue reading. You can access No Such Podcast on all major platforms. The National Security Agency has a podcast to bring people to the table from across the agency to discuss our role as a combat support agency, our foreign signals intelligence and cybersecurity missions, and so much more. The podcast is far from Edward Snowden-level sharing. The NSAs chief of strategic communications, Sara Siegle, is quick to add that some of the agencys work is too sensitive to discuss. The first episodes have focused on cybersecurity and the agencys role in finding Osama Bin Laden. Continue reading. Say goodbye to your free time. Get ready to get addicted. Continue reading. The Apple iPhone 16 launch event is now live and you can stream it on YouTube or the company's website. You can also follow along as we live-blog the news, and hopefully we'll get a chance to check out the new iPhone which will come equipped with iOS 18 after the event. The biggest news we're expecting from Apple's It's Glowtime event is the iPhone 16 lineup. Following past events, we're also anticipating a new Apple Watch or two. But a late-breaking update from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that we won't be seeing a full refresh on the Apple Watch Ultra line just a new Ultra 2 color. (See below for details). Beyond that, rumors have been swirling about various changes to the AirPods line, including new noise-canceling models and maybe even a small refresh to the AirPods Max. And what about new M4 Macs, HomePods, iPad mini or even the baseline iPhone SE? Some of those may hit later this year, while others probably won't see the light of day until 2025 or beyond. But until Tim Cook takes the (virtual) stage, however, everything is pure speculation. With that said, lets get into the most likely leaks and rumors ahead of the Apple event. iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro No matter what else happens, these new handsets will take center stage during the Apple event. Thats good news for people ready for an upgrade. The bad (ish) news? The vast majority of leaks and rumors indicate that this will be another year of iterative improvements, so dont expect a game-changing new hardware feature. Cherlynn Low / Engadget There are likely to be four new models announced at the event, which is similar to what Apple did last year. The new phones will allegedly be called the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, according to industry analyst Mark Gurman. This is the exact same naming convention as last years iPhone 15 reveal, so the rumors of Apple adopting an iPhone Ultra moniker seem to have been greatly exaggerated. Even if Apple doesn't use the Ultra naming, the Pro models might be getting slightly larger screens, which is always nice (if you like big phones, that is). The regular Pro is likely to move to 6.3 inches from 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max should hit 6.9 inches, an increase from 6.7 inches. Finally, there will likely be a new color or two, as always. Bloombergs Gurman suggests that Apple is ready to ditch the blue model in favor of the return of rose gold. Separately, 9to5Mac has reported on a new "gold-colored titanium" hue for the iPhone 16 Pro model. Based on a source who apparently nailed last year's gray titanium color, they are showing off what appears to be more of a dusky sand hue than gold. On the hardware side of things, look for a new chipset that takes advantage of the companys recent push toward AI, also known as Apple Intelligence. Beyond that, the upgraded A18 chip will be an iterative improvement, specs-wise. As is typical, the Pro and Pro Max will likely get a more powerful chip than the standard models. It looks like the base amount of RAM here will be 8GB, so as to handle those aforementioned AI tasks. Its also been rumored that the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get the Action Button, a feature introduced last year for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This multi-purpose button is a direct replacement for the mute switch, by default, but can be adjusted to control a bunch of different things. The Action Button can be used to to change ringer settings, turn on the flashlight, launch the camera and more. Cherlynn Low/Engadget Theres also talk of another new button, this one on the right side of the phone. This will control camera features, operating like a button on a DSLR. Reporting indicates that a soft press will trigger autofocus and a harder press will take a photo. Consumers may also be able to swipe along the button to zoom in and out while shooting photos or taking videos. Its been reported that this camera button will only come with the Pro and Pro Max, which makes sense since the high-end models typically offer a more robust camera experience. To that end, new iPhones always get a camera spec bump, but we dont know exactly what that will look like this time. Its been reported, however, that the iPhone 16s camera module could be getting a design refresh. Apple might be ditching the square and going with a vertical orientation. This might only apply to the base iPhone 16 and maybe the Plus, as the Pro and Pro Max phones tend to place a much higher emphasis on photos and videos. Apple We already know whats coming on the software side of things, thanks to the recent WWDC event. Based on previous years, iOS 18 should be available within the week following the event. The software update features a more customizable Control Center and Home Screen. It'll also finally bring RCS support to iPhones. As for Apple Intelligence, youll have to wait a bit. It was announced as part of iOS 18, but its been delayed until iOS 18.1. This isnt a huge deal, as that OS refresh is expected in October, but does mean that early adopters of the iPhone 16 wont be able to fool around with AI right away. The new iPhone drop may also spell the end of Apples widely panned FineWoven case, which was just introduced last year as an alternative to leather but has been criticized for durability issues. Bloombergs Mark Gurman recently reported that FineWoven inventory is getting low, suggesting the company is either phasing it out or planning a refresh. One leaker on the Saturday ahead of the event shared a look at an array of iPhone cases in neutral colors, claiming these may be coming out in a new material to replace FineWoven. Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Ever since 2016, iPhone events have also included a deep dive on the latest Apple Watch. This year looks to be no different. As a matter of fact, this is a big year for the Apple Watch. We are coming up on the gadgets tenth birthday, so there are conflicting rumors as to whether the next entry will be called the Apple Watch Series 10 or the Series X. No matter what it ends up being called, Apples next standard smartwatch is reported to have a bigger screen thats more in line with the Ultra. Its expected that the company will ditch the 41mm form factor and introduce a 49mm design. Rumors have also suggested that Apple has completely redesigned the band system and added new connectors. This will likely make these straps easier to adjust, but theres a downside. This move could make it so all of those old bands no longer work. Cherlynn Low / Engadget Of course, theres going to be a new chip to power these watches, but we dont have any specifics. Its been suggested that these chips have been designed to accommodate Apples recent foray into AI, but that integration is likely to happen later on. For now, Apple Intelligence will be tethered to iPhone, iPad and Mac. There are likely to be two watches revealed at the event, which are codenamed N217 and N218. Its possible one of these will be the Apple Watch Ultra 3, though Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says the high-end smartwatch wont get a major redesign this time out. Itll likely be an iterative refresh. On the software front, it looks like Apple has run into some snags while developing long-anticipated health tracking tools. Health monitoring is one of the key features of the Apple Watch, so the company has been working on new sensors to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea. However, the tech will likely not be ready for this years smartwatch. Apples also been developing a glucose sensor for almost a decade so, who knows, maybe itll finally show up with the Series X. Finally, its highly possible that Apple announces a new version of the budget-friendly Watch SE. This was last updated in 2022, so a refresh is overdue. There has been some reporting that Apple will be swapping out the aluminum exterior with a rigid plastic shell. This should help get costs down even further. As it stands, the Apple Watch SE is $250, but Samsungs cheapest wearable is the $200 Galaxy Watch FE. Apple may want to compete closer to that price range. Two new sets of AirPods Billy Steele/Engadget Its been reported that Apples prepping two new variants of its standard earbuds. According to a Bloomberg roundup that was published on September 6, Apple will introduce an entry-level model and a mid-tier version, which would effectively replace AirPods 2 and AirPods 3. The big news here is that both new AirPods versions are likely to transition to a USB-C case to keep pace with the iPhone and the second-gen AirPods Pro. Its been suggested that the cheaper of the two forthcoming models would lack wireless charging, but that the mid-tier version would support this technology. This is the same strategy Apple followed with previous generations, so it makes sense. The case for the more expensive AirPods may also include a speaker, which would make it easier to find with Apple's Find My feature. Both versions should feature similar designs, though the mid-tier variant is likely to support active noise cancellation like the Pro model. If that's the case, it's not really clear what's left to differentiate those earbuds from the AirPods Pro, but we'll find out soon enough. As for the AirPods Max, four years on, we might finally an updated model, too. In a tweet just a day before the big event, Mark Gurman says we could see a new pair of premium headphones. They'll get USB-C and "better noise cancellation." One more thing The iPhone event doesnt typically have a one more thing moment, but theres one piece of hardware that could get a surprise shout out. Its been rumored that Apple is preparing a massive redesign of the Mac mini, which would include ditching the USB-A port, according to Gurman. Analysts have suggested that this will be the companys smallest ever desktop computer and could be around the same size of an Apple TV streaming box. There will reportedly be two versions of the upcoming Mac Mini, one with the standard M4 chip and another with the more powerful M4 Pro chip. The base model is rumored to start shipping from suppliers this month, so its possible Apple will spend a few minutes on the computer at the iPhone event. However, dont count on it. This is an event for iPhones and smartwatches and a miniaturized desktop could feel out of place. And, just like it did last fall, Apple could easily hold a Mac-specific event later this year. There's also a lot of noise online about an upcoming iPad mini refresh. Apple's smallest iPad hasn't had an update since 2021, and is currently "considered 'constrained' internally," according to Gurman. While a new model is likely to come soon, it's not common for Apple to announce iPads during its iPhone event. Beyond that, a whole bunch of software updates are about to drop. Theres iOS 18, which weve written about extensively, and iPadOS 18. As for smartwatches, watchOS 11 is also coming out sometime this fall. Apple already detailed all three operating systems at WWDC, but the upcoming iPhone event would be a good time to announce official release dates. One... early thing? Here's something we know for sure: Apple has a updated Beats Powerbeats Pro update coming next year. Beats teased an update to the earbuds on its Instagram account on September 4 with a short Reel. In the clip, Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani swings a bat while wearing the upcoming earbuds, before a "Powerbeats Pro 2" wordmark and "Coming 2025" flash up on screen. That's it there's no mention of specs, pricing, or a tighter release window, but we do at least see a tweaked design. You can read senior reporter Billy Steele's analysis of this glimpse here. Chances are we won't hear about this new set of buds at the iPhone event, but expect to see them adorning many more athlete and celebrity ears before long. The Engadget Podcast with special guest Mark Gurman This embedded content is not available in your region. In preparation for Apple's September 9 event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman joined Engadget Podcast hosts Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar to talk all things Apple. The trio talked at length about the latest Apple rumors, including the new camera button for iPhone, tweaks to screen sizes, the new AirPods lineup and what to expect from the latest Apple Watch models. There's also a little more detail on the future of Apple, from next year's "super slim" iPhone redesign through to the company's burgeoning ambitions in home robotics. You can listen to the episode above, and a full transcript is available here. Update, September 9 2024, 8:00AM ET: This story has been updated multiple times since its original publishing. The updates were as follows, in chronological order: Johnny Depp's teeth got a new look. Depp, 61, made headlines last year after fans claimed his teeth looked like they were "rotting" in viral photos of him at the Cannes Film Festival. But Depp seems to have sprung for dental work since then because he was recently spotted flashing clean-looking white teeth while on vacation. A video shared by @killerbartender on Instagram last week showed the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star stopping by a bar in the Bahamas. In the footage, Depp showed off his seemingly new pearly whites as he greeted employees and fellow customers at the beachside bar in Exuma. The 61-year-old actor was all smiles as he shook hands with patrons and helped the bartender make his drink. RELATED: Johnny Depp's New Movie A 'Flop' With Just 2 Seats Filled Per Screening, But Not Reason It Was Pulled Depp appeared to channel Captain Jack Sparrow in his flowing beige button-down shirt, long shorts, and a yellow and green cloth tied around his waist. The Instagram user, who suggested he was the bartender in the video, confirmed that the footage is "new." "He just stayed on his island here at the Bahamas for a week and he visited me for my #housespecialdrink," @killerbartender wrote in the comments section. Fans of Depp couldn't help but notice his teeth transformation. "[He definitely] got his teeth done! Looks so good," one person commented on the video, while another comment read, "Thank you for fixing your teeth." RELATED: Johnny Depp Plans To Buy $4M Historic Castle In Italy 2 Years After Winning Amber Heard Defamation Trial Another chimed in, writing, "Hello new teeth! He looks great." A fourth user wrote, "Am I right [to] see that his teeth are [looking] brighter than ever before???" "Is it me or does his teeth look more straight?" another asked. Other fans were glad to see Depp looking so happy and relaxed. "Absolutely love this. Seeing him so relaxed and happy," one user said. A different fan commented, "He looks amazing, happy and healthy." "1000-lb Sisters" star Amy Slaton faces the possibility of jail time and her children being taken away from her following her arrest, according to a legal expert. Slaton and her friend Brian Lovvorn were arrested at a zoo in Tennessee Monday after drugs were allegedly found in their car. Deputies allegedly discovered magic mushrooms and 80 grams of marijuana in their vehicle while they were with two kids under the age of 8, The U.S. Sun reported, citing an arrest warrant. Slaton pleaded not guilty to illegal possession of schedule I, illegal possession of schedule VI, and two counts of child endangerment under 8 years old Thursday. RELATED: '1000-Lb Sisters' Star Amy Slaton Mugshot Released After Arrest On Drug, Child Endangerment Charges Alongside 'Boyfriend' Former Los Angeles County prosecutor Sam Dordulian told the outlet that the TLC star could face "serious consequences," including jail time, if she's convicted of the drug and child endangerment charges. In Tennessee, being found with more than half an ounce of marijuana can be considered possession with the intent to distribute or sell. However, the expert noted that this would lead to possession with the intent to distribute or sell charges only if there are other factors involved, such as whether the marijuana was wrapped individually and whether it was found alongside a huge amount of cash. Dordulian suggested that Slaton would have been more likely to avoid jail time and instead ordered to enter a drug diversion program if she faced just the drug charges. However, the addition of the child endangerment charges involving kids under 8 lowers the chances of her being able to take advantage of such a program, according to the lawyer. RELATED: Why '1000-Lb Sisters' Star Amy Slaton Was Accused Of Fraud, Scamming Fans In 2015 Dordulian said he believes Slaton is also likely to be subjected to an investigation into her children's safety. "An investigation into whether or not the children need to be taken away for their safety will very likely certainly take place and that investigation may trump the criminal case in importance for Ms. Slaton," he said. Gage, 4, and Glenn, 2, Slaton's kids with ex-husband Michael Halterman, were at the zoo with her at the time of her arrest Monday, a law enforcement source told People. Slaton's sister Tammy picked up the two kids following the former's arrest. According to People, Tennessee's child services department is expected to investigate the children's parenting situation. Lovvorn faces the same charges as Slaton and has since pleaded not guilty. Both were released from jail on a $10,000 bond Tuesday. Slaton and Lovvorn are scheduled to return to court in November. On the same day Rich Homie Quan died, Quavo and Offset of the Migos have seemingly made up. Quavo, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, posted on his Instagram Story Thursday that he and Offset, who is married to Cardi B, spoke after an extended time of estrangement. "Good convo with my bro," the 33-year-old posted, with a chain link and praying hands emojis. He also tagged Offset in the post. The "Bad and Boujee" rapper also posted a group photo of Rich Homie Quan with a white dove emoji over his head. The picture also included Takeoff, his fellow Migos' bandmate, who was killed on November 1, 2022, in Houston, Texas, with a rocket emoji, and a broken heart emoji over Offset. Since 2022, Quavo and Offset, 32, have had a fractured relationship. Quavo previously implied Offset was disloyal, and the death of the third member of the Atlanta trio only complicated their issues, per 'Hip Hop DX.' "We gon' stand on loyalty, you know what I mean?" Quavo said in October 2022 on REVOLT TV's 'Big Facts' podcast. "We stand on real deal, real deal loyalty, and sometimes that ... ain't displayed. This ain't got nothing to do with no label, no paperwork, no [Quality Control Music], nothing. This got something to do with the three brothers." "It is what it is," he added. "Right now, we gon' be the duo 'til time tell." After Cardi B unfollowed Quavo and Takeoff on Instagram in May of that year, rumors around the Migos breaking up gained steam. The pair also announced their collaborative single "Hotel Lobby" as a duo, Unc & Phew, without Offset. 'TMZ' confirmed Rich Homie Quan, born Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died Thursday in his Atlanta home, according to his family who are "devastated" and the local morgue. Fellow rapper Boosie Badazz confirmed the news on Twitter, writing how he "got word" the Atlanta, Georgia, native "just OD." RHQ's official cause of death has not been revealed. Rich Homie Quan began his music career in 2011. The emcee first achieved mainstream success with his single "Type of Way" (2013), which peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2015 track, "Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)," saw further success at No. 26 on the chart. RHQ was also a member of Cash Money Records' spin-off project Rich Gang with Young Thug, who is currently facing RICO charges. The duo's 2014 single, "Lifestyle," was released on June 5, 2014, and was certified platinum in the U.S. 'ENSTARZ' previously reported how the late-rapper was once called to be a star witness in the YSL RICO trial before his shocking death. He was set to testify at Young Thug's ongoing trial after prosecutors subpoenaed him to take the stand as a witness, according to 'VIBE.' "Rich Homie Quan has officially been subpoenaed by the State in the Young Thug case," Twitter account ThuggerDaily posted on May 15, which included the subpoena signed by Fulton County Lieutenant Investigator Justin French. "He is expected to take the stand in the upcoming few weeks," the post added. "Just to be clear this does NOT mean he cooperated or will cooperate." Mark Grotbo, CEO and general manager at Ravalli Electric Cooperative, has long wanted a traffic light at the intersection of Highway 93 and Bell Crossing near the companys facility south of Missoula. Most of RECs 34 employees pass through the dangerous intersection multiple times a day while servicing customers throughout the Bitterroot Valley, and for Grotbo, the intersection the site of multiple accidents over the years, including a fatality in 2023 has been an ongoing concern. One of my staff pulled somebody from a burning vehicle out there, said Grotbo, noting that an ambulance was called to another accident at the intersection just the day prior to a recent interview with Montana Free Press. We are very supportive of a light, said Grotbo, insisting that he has been pressuring the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) to install one since 2017. But, Grotbo said, one thing he never wanted was the multi-lane roundabout, which MDT says it will construct in the spring or summer of 2025. Grotbo insists that if safety were truly MDTs concern, it could address it by installing a traffic light on the highway where the speed limit is 70 mph far faster than the time it would take to install a roundabout, and with far less expense. MDT acknowledges that a roundabout would cost more to build, about $8.5 million, but would save money in the long run. MDT also maintains that both options would take approximately the same amount of time to design and build. But Grotbo feels as though his concerns, and those of others who likewise oppose the roundabout, arent being heard by MDT. And while MDT held three informational open houses at the Stevensville High School in July and August to explain the projects funding, engineering and timeframe, Grotbo still isnt convinced. Their sessions arent listening sessions; theyre trying to convince and sell the thing. Its not conducive to taking comments, he said. When asked if he had heard any support for the proposed roundabout, his response was simple: Zero, other than MDTs. Bob Vosen, MDTs Region 1 district administrator, said that he knows that change can be difficult, but he disagrees that the majority of people in the valley are against the plan. Ive had people tell me that they think this is a good idea and Ive had people question my intelligence for even suggesting it, and everything in between. Vosen added that the vocal opposition to the Bell Crossing roundabout tracks with every other roundabout hes seen developed in Montana over the last several years. He compared it to a similar roundabout on Highway 2, west of Kalispell, which was also installed on a 70-mph stretch of highway. There was a lot of concern about it, he said. Its been in place for several years now, and in that time period Ive gotten one complaint. A traffic study of the Bell Crossing intersection conducted by MDT showed that half of the crashes were T-bone accidents. In the four years since the studys completion, eight more crashes have occurred, including the fatality. After analyzing the results, MDT concluded that a roundabout would give the intersection the highest level of service and safety, reducing fatal crashes by 90% and overall crashes by 37%. Despite MDTs explanations, tension in the community seems to hinge upon personal preference and lack of say. One vocal group has been collecting petitions to stop the roundabout at more than a dozen retail stores in the valley. Their primary arguments are that a roundabout is inappropriate for snow and ice and for those pulling trailers who will use it. Frustrations are also being shared on a private Facebook page, which aims to be an apolitical clearinghouse for information about the roundabout. While the page does provide some facts, it has also become a forum for venting dissatisfaction and occasional conspiracy theories. In one post, Bill Lussenheide Sr., a Ravalli County Republican Central committeeman, suggested politics are behind the roundabout, calling it woke and writing that it represents a plot to inject liberal ideology into the heart of Ravalli County. His group recently was gathering signatures for an anti-roundabout petition at its booth at the Ravalli County Fair. When another Facebook user expressed disdain for politicizing the issue, Lussenheide and others pushed back, referring to the roundabout as an authoritarian mandate, and questioning why residents dont get the opportunity to vote on the proposed infrastructure. Lussenheide declined MTFPs request for comment. Republican Theresa Manzella, the state senator for District 44, has also actively opposed the roundabout, helping to organize a float for the countys fairs kickoff parade, which encouraged people to say no to the roundabout, and offered to deliver the signed petitions to the state Capitol. On a Facebook post, Manzella wrote, Just say WHOA to the big government runaway! Vocal supporters of the roundabout seem reluctant to show their heads, but Warren Neyenhuis of Hamilton is unabashed. I am a roundabout fan, he said at the MDT open house at Stevensville High School on Aug. 29. Neyenhuis said the sobering statistics on accidents at the intersection confirmed his opinion. If theres something that can obviate that, why wouldnt we support it? he asked. At the same open house, however, David and Barbara Garten listened intently as MDT engineer Tyrel Murfitt explained the function and rationale behind the roundabout, but they werent convinced. This was a very good session to talk one-on-one with the engineers, Barbara Garten said, but she added that she would still prefer a traffic signal. Suggesting that it might be due to her age, she added, Im not comfortable with roundabouts. David Garten said the proposed roundabout is MDTs effort to, make everything we do in life idiot-proof. Meanwhile, at the county fair, representatives of the Ravalli County Republican Central Committee, like Jan Wisniewski, continued to gather signatures on the petitions. Wisniewskis opposition centers around the difficulties that he anticipates for road maintenance. I know several plow drivers, and they dont like it, he said. When asked if hed presented his concerns to MDT or attended one of the open houses, he replied, No, I did not. In the end, however, the petitions against the roundabout are headed to Helena, and the most vocal opponents have arranged to meet with Ravalli County commissioners on Sept. 25 in hopes of galvanizing their opposition as well. Vosen with MDT said that construction of the roundabout isnt a foregone conclusion, but I would say that MDT is charged with providing a safe transportation network for Montana. One thing we cant do is to allow safety decisions to become a popularity contest. It cant come to a public vote. Dear Editor: I kindly respond to Mr. Gueberts statements of fact about former President Donald Trumps position on illegal immigration and his proposed deportation policy. First, I acknowledge a fact that Guebert does not: approximately six million migrants have illegally entered the United States under the Biden-Harris-Mayorkas administration. Conversely, during Trumps tenure, barely one-third of that amount were allowed in. Again, a fact that Guebert neglects to note. Then, Mr. Guebert makes a bold assertion based on nothing more than left-wing and liberal media talking points: All (950,000 illegal agricultural workers) would be deported under the plan former President Donald Trump has been trumpeting. Guebert, as any journalist worth his or her salt, should have provided incontrovertible proof that (1) Trump plans to deport illegal ag workers and (2) that Trump would deport all 950,000. And I am betting my two-cents worth that Guebert cannot substantiate his claim because Trump NEVER said this. Guebert then gaslights all farmers particularly dairy farmers by suggesting that if Trump is elected Nov. 5, 2024, and then assumes office the early afternoon of Jan. 20, 2025, that within a matter of hours an executive order would be signed and all 950,000 illegal ag workers would be rounded up and boarded on buses bound for Mexico. Then, on Jan. 21, Americans across the country would wake up to grocery stores with empty milk shelves. What a strange and impossible scenario Guebert portrays. And Id bet money that the two sources Guebert cites to under gird his rickety, the-sky-is-falling warning (Natasha Sarin, a Yale University professor and University of Colorado professor, Chloe East) are fellow Never Trumpers. This is what Donald Trump has promised if re-elected as president: to deport foreigners who are in this country illegally, beginning with those that have criminal records or those that have committed crimes since illegally immigrating to the U.S. Period. Nothing more. Nothing less. In fact, one need only review Trumps posture toward American agriculture during his four years in office to see clearly that the former President constantly supported American agriculture, primarily by dropping the hammer on China who has since the late 1970s (Nixons opening of China) held American agriculture hostage. If Trump is elected, I expect him to deport illegal migrants who are criminals. Quickly and decisively. I also predict Trump will again hold Chinas feet to the fire when it comes to American farmers and ranchers livelihoods. Further, I am betting that Trump will finally settle the existential problem of foreign (especially Chinese) ownership of American farmland. Something Biden and Harris have failed woefully to even address the past four years. Alan Guebert is constitutionally entitled to his opinion, as am I. My guess is, however, that most farmers lean far more right than left. And I would bet that most farmers appreciated Trumps agricultural policies during his four years in office, while suffering from the current administrations lack of decisive action. Either way, both sides of any issue affecting farmers ought to be heard equally so that those who work the land can decide for themselves. Mark Davis Retired coal miner, current small row-crop farmer Liberty, Putnam County, W.Va. Related Content Farmers are being urged to contact their veterinarians and discuss the use of three new bluetongue vaccines that were given approval to curb rising infections. The government permitted the use of the unauthorised bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) vaccines on Thursday (5 September) following dozens of confirmed cases. The vaccines are suppressive, meaning they will reduce some of the clinical signs experienced by animals with the disease, but they do not prevent infection. Following over 40 confirmed cases of bluetongue across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in the space of nearly two weeks, Defra declared a restricted zone across the region to mitigate the risk of further spread of the disease. Just a few days ago, bluetongue was also confirmed in a single bull on a farm in East Yorkshire, leading to the creation of a 20km temporary control zone (TCZ). The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, said the vaccines were an important step forward in curbing the virus. "They will aid in reducing clinical signs in animals and the impact of disease on farms, but it is not a protective vaccine," she said. "We are still urging farmers to follow all of our guidance in order to prevent the disease spreading to their herds and any further. I urge farmers to contact their veterinarians if they wish to use the vaccines and to continue monitoring their animals frequently for clinical signs and report suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal Plant Health Agency. Vaccines must only be used with an appropriate licence in place, with Defra saying it would publish guidance around these 'imminently'. Available licences to allow use will most likely include geographically targeted licences, initially in high-risk counties as part of a phased approach. The National Sheep Association (NSA) welcomed the vaccine approvals, calling it a 'welcome and very necessary step'. It reiterated that farmers must contact their private vets if they are interested in using them. Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said the permitting of these vaccines formed one part of the government's efforts against this highly infectious disease. She said: We are working at pace in order to provide farmers with everything they need to protect their livestock and businesses and would recommend they contact their veterinarians for access to the vaccines. "Farmers are also reminded that free testing remains available. Unlike some of the authorised BTV vaccines for other BTV serotypes, the three vaccines reduce rather than prevent the presence of BTV-3 virus in the blood. This means that they may not prevent animals from being infected or infectious, rather depending on the vaccine their claims include reduction or prevention of clinical signs experienced or mortality. For this reason, all movement controls and trade restrictions in place, such as in the restricted zone and the TCZ, will still apply to vaccinated animals. Vaccination status will not affect movement restrictions which remain in place and apply to all ruminants and camelids moving out of the restricted zone and to the movement of their germinal products within the zone. Last November, government vets identified the first case of the disease in Britain since 2007. The government recently set out its plans to minimise the impact of a likely outbreak of bluetongue as experts feared a surge in cases during the summer months. BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of it in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301. Concerns have been raised over the 'huge' decline in abattoirs numbers in the UK, as a new report warns that just over 200 are left. The decline in the number of abattoirs, from about 2,500 in the 1970s to just 203 in 2024, risks 'seriously jeopardising' British food security. The warning comes from the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), which is included in its new 'Meat Industry Manifesto [PDF]'. For livestock farmers, access to a local abattoirs is a major priority, but rising distances and journey costs have made some family-run abattoirs unviable. With each closure, farmers are forced to go further afield, putting pressure on remaining abattoirs trying to accommodate increasing numbers. But the BMPA said this 'worrying' trend in declining abattoir numbers could, in turn, severely impact UK food security. The association blamed this on declining domestic farm production, 'increasingly onerous' trade barriers and a 'systemic' labour shortage. And UK consumers and government should be worried, the body warned, as a lack of a viable abattoir sector could lead to a sharper decline in British farming and more reliance on imported meat. The BMPA said that, although 'contentious', the meat processing industry could survive without British livestock and, if necessary, could replace meat from UK-reared animals with imported meat. However, it warned that British livestock farmers could not survive without abattoirs. Nick Allen, CEO of the association said that, since Brexit, the UK meat sector had come under pressure from increased bureaucracy, tougher trade barriers and worker shortages. "Many policy decisions have been made in a departmental vacuum, without a full understanding of the impacts and unintended consequences they will have on different parts of the food chain. Often, one problem is fixed, only to create another." Efforts have been made to address problems facing the sector. The previous government launched a 4m Smaller Abattoir Fund awarding grants to help support smaller abattoirs in England. Defra's Small Abattoir Working Group is also seeking to address regulatory and other issues. But Mr Allen said the election of Labour was an opportunity to reset how government and industry worked together to share workable policies that strengthened the UK's long-term food security. "Our Meat Industry Manifesto sets out that ideal big picture and offers practical solutions to achieve it," he added. Farm leaders have welcomed commitment from the Scottish government that it is to proceed with plans to bring forward crofting reforms. In its statement in Holyrood, the Scottish government confirmed that the Crofting Bill will support the sustainability of crofting. Crofting regulation will also be made less onerous for crofters, and they will be encouraged to innovate, diversify and adapt to help meet future challenges. This follows on from the Scottish governments recent consultation on proposals for crofting law reform. The consultation sought views on proposals regarding entry to crofting, crofting communities, use of common grazings and strengthening residency and land use. There are around 20,000 crofts across the crofting counties, which are located in the Highlands and Islands and in designated areas in Scotland. More than 750,000 hectares of land in Scotland is in crofting tenure, with approximately 33,000 people living in crofting households. NFU Scotland said it 'broadly supports' reform, but also used its submission to the consultation to call for the legislation to go further to assist entry to crofting for new entrants. Archie Macnab, chair of NFU Scotlands Crofting Committee, which represents 850 crofters, said the future of crofting must be successful and profitable. It is in the best interests of everyone that crofting law is future-proofed, modernised and becomes more flexible to ensure crofting businesses are sustainable and play a full part in the local economy," he said. "Crofting law must enable crofting to move with the times and any changes that can speed up the Crofting Commissions processes would be welcome. Greater flexibility in crofting law would recognise that one size fits all may not always be appropriate and we have made suggestions around regionalisation of some proposals to ensure all aspects of crofting are catered for." However, he said the sector was disappointed that the proposals did not go far enough to help address entry to crofting for new entrants other than the proposed access to funds to purchase a tenancy. "That, in itself, may exacerbate the worryingly high values already being paid for croft tenancies," Mr Macnab said. Some of the welcomed elements of the proposals do provide opportunity for crofters to benefit from their common grazings, particularly the proposed changes that would permit shareholders to make use of the common grazings for purposes other than solely for livestock grazing. Image Credit pixabay Eva Michalkova Gen Z women are finding it even more difficult to cope. A global poll by Ipsos revealed that women belonging to this cohort are struggling the most with stress and mental health issues. A Fortune article noted that Gen Z women are consistently reported as the most likely to be suffering from mental health disorders. The Pure Land Foundation was originally formed in 2015 to fund projects, organisations and events that contribute to spiritual and mental wellbeing. Close to a decade later, it is turning its resources to one of the biggest challenges that the Western world faces today: the mental health crisis. A generation in crisis Recent reports describing the mental health crisis paint a disturbing picture. The Lancet Psychiatry Commission notes an alarming rise in mental health problems among younger people, particularly Gen Z. Inundated by the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, countless headlines about a worsening climate crisis, peer pressure on social media, and high economic insecurity, Gen Z women in particular are disproportionately affected by the mental health crisis, which is widely documented in the Western world. Due to these pressures and more, women aged in their 20s were reported to risk unemployment due to poor mental health far more than people in their 40s. Hashtag spirituality on the rise Gen Z women are tech-savvy, and it is well-noted that they typically prefer interacting with highly visual, aesthetically pleasing and relatable content on social media. But they are not only using social media for leisure. Data suggests that a great many are actively searching for answers to their mental health challenges. This trend is perhaps making way for more alternative sources for self-actualisation and soul searching, which is giving rise to the hashtag spirituality phenomenon. Content on spirituality, shared using relevant hashtags, are becoming more and more popular among Gen Z women on social media. On TikTok, the spirituality hashtag is being used by more than 6 million posts, garnering views in the billions. On Instagram, this has been used in more than 20 million posts. The fact that Gen Z women are searching for spiritual answers against the backdrop of a mental health crisis shows their intuition. It showcases their deep desire for knowledge, self-improvement and mental wellbeing. The Pure Land Foundation hopes to provide learning to help them to face their day-to-day challenges. A digital transformation To tackle the mental health crisis first hand, the Pure Land Foundation has begun to transform itself into a digital-first advocacy organisation to provides non-religious, Buddhism-inspired answers to the most common questions about mental and spiritual wellness that Gen Z women are searching for today. The Pure Land Foundation hopes to become a portal for knowledge seekers who want universal answers to these modern questions, with answers described through the lens of ancient wisdom and Buddhism-inspired spirituality. It is building a studio capability and a global digital platform to produce well-researched, highly considered and accessible content that those women affected by the crisis can learn from and use as guidance to build a more emotional, spiritual and mental wellbeing. Moreover, the content that the Pure Land Foundation is producing is of high quality, and aims to be visually striking, snappy and engaging. It will be distributed through channels such as YouTube and social media to maximise its impact and reach. What is Gen Z googling? The Pure Land Foundation is imminently releasing its inaugural Q&A video series, which is produced on the back of extensive research undertaken to find out what questions Gen Z is googling right now. Each video will cover one popular question that will be answered with deference to secular Buddhism-related teachings. The soon-to-launch first episode explains the phenomenon of empathy burnout, an all-too-familiar feeling that many within service-oriented industries will experience, from hospitality workers to nurses to teachers and carers. The video guides viewers through how to manage this phenomenon through the lens of spirituality and Buddhism-inspired teachings. The video suggests that empathy burnout can be solved by first understanding that the experience is a natural part of human existence. And it recommends methods such as being happy for others or creating a network of social support so that those experiencing it can continue caring for others without damaging their mental health. Another episode will guide you through the loneliness epidemic and explain Buddhism-inspired methods of overcoming the shame associated with feeling socially isolated. The search for love The Pure Land Foundation is also producing, among many others, videos exploring the cosmic origins of love and its neurobiological roots. A forthcoming Series on Love will be a built around the findings of David Cadman, a Harmony Professor of Practice at the University of Wales, Trinity St. David, who is a longstanding recipient of funding from the Foundation. This series will educate people on how a lack of love is currently responsible for the chaos surrounding humanity today. It will then encourage its viewers to embrace life-affirming practices for better mental health and wellness. Collaborating with Japans rebel monk According to General Psychiatry, a journal published by the British Medical Journal, a study conducted on Buddhist monks showed that practicing deep meditation, which is steeped in Buddhism-related philosophies, can help regulate gut bacteria and lower the risk of physical and mental ill health. In the Autumn the Pure Land Foundation will host an extremely rare, in person dialogue, with Japans eminent rebel monk, Osho Taigu. Osho Taigu grew up as a monk in a 540-year-old Fukugonji Temple in the Aichi Prefecture in Japan, rebelled against this very temple, but later returned to it. The Pure Land Foundation is collaborating with Osho Taigu to spread his message on spirituality and its connection to better mental health Western and Gen Z audiences. Building upon past successes. Founded by philanthropist and patron Bruno Wang in 2015, the Pure Land Foundation has previously supported numerous successful projects, including a notable collaboration with The China Exchange to create The Pure Land Series, which was a series of talks featuring A-listers such as Stephen Fry, Goldie Hawn, Emma Thompson and Bianca Jaggers, and many others. These influential guests were brought together into a global forum to discuss a wide range of topics, from mental health to the effects of war to the healing power of music. Today the Pure Land Foundation invites those affected by the mental health crisis in the Western world, particularly female Gen Z audiences, to engage with its forthcoming content channels to learn about how Buddhism-inspired spirituality and teachings can greatly improve their emotional, spiritual and mental wellbeing. The Pure Land Foundations educational content will be published here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePureLandFoundation https://www.instagram.com/thepurelandfoundation/ Wellington, New Zealand--(Newsfile Corp. - September 5, 2024) - New Zealand Energy Corp. (TSXV: NZ) ("NZEC" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following updates with respect to the upcoming drilling operations targeting the Company's flagship gas production and storage project at Tariki-5. The Tariki Joint Venture ("TJV"), comprised of the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, NZEC Tariki Limited (as to 50%) and L&M Energy Limited (as to 50%), has executed a gas handling and processing agreement with Cheal Petroleum Limited ("Cheal") for the export of gas to be produced from Tariki-5. The Cheal Facility, owned by Cheal, has the capacity to process up to 8.5 Terajoules/Day ("TJ/D") (or approximately 8 million cubic feet per day) of gas sourced from Tariki. The Company is investigating further upgrades in order to be able to process increased volumes of gas should the well prove to be capable of doing so. As previously announced, a Gas Sales Agreement with Genesis Energy has been executed by the TJV which provides for an upfront payment of NZ$2 million payable upon spudding of the well which is expected on or about 23 September 2024. All other contractual arrangements necessary to allow gas to be transported through the main New Zealand gas network and to allow gas to be delivered to Gensis have also been completed. All long-lead items, except the wellhead, are in the country with the wellhead expected to be available by 9 September 2024. The drilling operations contemplate completion and tie-in of the well by 11 November 2024. "The Tariki-5 gas production and gas storage opportunity is positioned to deliver critical and reliable energy to New Zealand that directly addresses the pressing domestic gas shortage. We look forward to the safe and successful completion of operations bringing online these badly needed resources," said James Willis, Chairman of NZEC. On behalf of the Board of Directors "James Willis" Chairman }New Zealand Energy Corp. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: the business of the Company and the Tariki Joint Venture, including future plans and objectives, the gas sales agreement, and the Tariki-5 well. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects NZEC's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to NZEC and on assumptions NZEC believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: NZEC's current and initial understanding and analysis of its projects and the development required for such projects; the costs of NZEC's projects; NZEC's general and administrative costs remaining constant; and the market acceptance of NZEC's business strategy. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NZEC to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; industry condition; volatility of commodity prices; imprecision of reserve estimates; environmental risks; operational risks in exploration and development; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting NZEC; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in NZEC's disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Although NZEC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of NZEC as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, NZEC expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222349 SOURCE: New Zealand Energy Corp. VALENCIA, Spain, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the IEEE PIMRC conference held on September 4, 2024, Dr. Tong Wen, Huawei Wireless CTO, presented his views on the development direction of the 6G industry. Titled with "The Architectural Framework for A-RAN and A-Core", Dr. Tong Wen pointed out, "6G will not be a simple upgrade of 5G, it should integrate AI revolution for the past 20 months, so to reshape the wireless industry and take it to the next height." 5G is a success and 6G is on track. Dr. Tong Wen shard the timetable of 6G standard. The first 6G standard discussion will start in 3GPP in 2025 and the first version of 6G standard will be frozen in 2030. In a nutshell, after 6 years, there will be a global 6G standard and the mobile industry ecosystem will rally to go to market. However, 6G is a long-term game plan, its technology and standard should support the innovations during the future decade from 2030 to 2040. From the investment point of view, 6G technology also should have a long-shelf time, which is not a replicate of 5G technology, but an incremental generation of wireless. At the conference, Dr Tong Wen elaborated on 6G Standardization Direction and Innovations Driving 6G Standardization. First, 6G is a true generational technology disruption. Currently, AI revolution is profoundly changing every aspect of our work and life, 6G for sure should consider the emerging AI revolution happed now and future. Therefore, we need to re-examine the new possibilities and potential for the mobile industry for the time-frame 2030 and beyond. Therefore, 6G standard, key technologies, and network architecture should be re-defined based on application scenarios and requirements from 2030 to 2040. The 6G standard needs to adopt the disruptive technologies to enable a true generational capability improvement. Specifically, in terms of core network, RAN, and terminals, the day-one 3GPP 6G standard must have the original technologies and major air interface features to drastically improve network performance and energy saving, to deliver 10 to 30 times better user experience, 3 times more intrinsic spectral efficiency and energy efficiency. In summary, 6G is not the continuation or upgrade of 5G technologies, it is also not another way to implement 5G. Instead, 6G is a new generation of capabilities, it should generate new values for the consumers. Second, 6G should embrace the AI revolution with an OOM Quantum Leap Twenty years ago, the Internet was an enabler of the latest technology. Wireless industry embraced the Internet and achieved great business success. Today, AI is becoming the enabler of the latest technologies. It is no doubt that 6G should embrace AI. Thus, the 3GPP 6G standardization process needs to fully digest the disruptive changes of the AI technologies. On the core network side, using Agentic-AI-based technology to re-architect 6G-Core to achieve full automation for the 6G-Core including generation, operation, and maintenance. 6G-Core is a new and beyond 5G SBA to support the primitive capabilities of 6G AI, Sensing and NTN. On the RAN side, AGI and embodiment-AI will be the mainstream AI applications in 2030-2040. The industry needs to further study AGI and embodiment-AI, not just the current Generative-AI. Therefore, it is too early to draw conclusions on the 6G air interface design about how to supports 6G AI. On the UE side, 6G UEs must support the "Full AI" function. The 6G transformation from 5G technologies will be difficult if 6G UE can not adapt to the rapid development of AI and sensing capabilities from 2030 to 2040. Third, 6G architecture should be a continuous innovation to create a bigger market 5G has proved its market success in the past years, and 5G technology is evolving into 5G-Advanced. In the next 5 years or more, 5G and 5G-Advanced can meet the customer requirements and will continue to deliver the value to the operators and protect their 5G investment. Therefore, 6G technologies should not overlap and duplicate with 5G, as well as to compete with the 5G market space and waste operators' investment. Instead, 6G technologies should create innovative industry values and expand the market space for the mobile industry. Simply reusing 5G network architecture without generational and fundamental innovation, will limit the mobile industry's aspiration and imagination to dive the innovation in the 6G era. In particular, to reuse the 5G core network will hinder the innovation in AI. Fourth, 6G user device calls for a breakthrough The breakthrough of terminal technologies is the key if not the only factor for mobile device evolution. In 2007, iPhones enabled the mobile broadband industry development with a phenomenal market success. It is hard to imagine that smartphone will continue to drive mobile industry beyond 2030. Therefore, new breakthroughs must be made in terminal technologies in the 6G, and 6G system must be prepared for terminals in the 6G era. In the end, Dr. Tong Wen further clarified the relationship between 5G and 6G: " 6G must be an innovative generational technology, instead of a simple extension of 5G technology. Now, 5G deployment is rolling out globally, and the current market demand and requirement can be met by 5G-Adavanced. This will protect the investment of operators, and continue to expand the market space. To duplicate 5G technologies for 6G, is essentially a pseudo-6G technology, which is not the best use of investment for operators. We should not underestimate the capabilities of 5G-Advanced for current market, and we should not underestimate the potential of 6G." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498236/huawei_wireless.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-tong-wen-6g-needs-real-innovation-to-reshape-mobile-industry-302240238.html Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host Global Health Exhibition (21-23 October 2024), a major international event at a venue double the size with over 100,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibiting companies and brands to join in Malham, Riyadh Event will host 500+ expert speakers across multiple healthcare disciplines showcasing frontier-pushing medical advancements alongside over 100 hours of accredited CME opportunities for medical professionals The Exhibition's Digital Health focus will provide attendees with first looks at radically evolved artificial intelligence (AI) solutions being introduced to healthcare services, designed to transform the global medicine landscape The 7th Edition of the Global Health Exhibition is poised to become one of the world's top three most-attended healthcare forums RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The organizers of the Global Health Exhibition today announced the opening of registration for the October event in Malham, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exhibition has more than doubled in size, providing attendees with access to world-renowned healthcare and medical experts who will discuss boundary-pushing trends in AI and digital technology set to transform the global healthcare landscape for the next decade. Global Health Exhibition, which takes place from Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 October 2024, will present the broadest range of issues and topics across the world of healthcare innovation and transformation of any global healthcare event, presenting international attendees with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and interact with some of the most frontier-pushing healthcare industry creators in the world today. The event will also feature over 100 hours of continuing medical education (CME) content for attendees across 12 educational tracks - a threefold increase in CME provision from the previous 2023 Exhibition. Comprised of four specific conferences under the same roof, Global Health Exhibition will deliver: A Leader's Summit which brings together the biggest names in healthcare research, policy, technology innovation and patient care to set the agenda for the next evolution in healthcare delivery which brings together the biggest names in healthcare research, policy, technology innovation and patient care to set the agenda for the next evolution in healthcare delivery A Medical Excellence Forum designed to deliver unique insights to attendees on future trends in clinical laboratory and diagnostics, personalized medicine and achieving excellence in the future workforce designed to deliver unique insights to attendees on future trends in clinical laboratory and diagnostics, personalized medicine and achieving excellence in the future workforce A new Digital Health Forum that will explore the transformative potential of AI, advanced analytics and information technology to assist healthcare providers in generating the best possible patient outcomes that will explore the transformative potential of AI, advanced analytics and information technology to assist healthcare providers in generating the best possible patient outcomes An Investor Forum which places the spotlight on Saudi Arabia as an emerging global hub for healthcare investment, technology development and a wide array of investment opportunities within the Kingdom Keynote speakers expected at the Exhibition include world-leading healthcare AI expert Dr Jose Pedro Almeida, Advisory Member of Intelligence Ventures, and former European Space Agency emergency medicine specialist Dr Beth Healey. "Healthcare is a key national strategic priority as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative. The country is pushing to localize healthcare and increase privatization from 25 per cent to 35 per cent, in line with the Kingdom's ambitious Healthcare Sector Transformation Program," said His Excellency Fahad bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Jalajel, Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "Through substantial Government investment and growth in the market, opportunities have opened up across vocational training, biotech, medical technologies and medical services to modernize and enhance the country's healthcare infrastructure. The Global Health Exhibition is a key part of this, bringing together the latest in healthcare innovation across the globe, and is expected to be the third most attended healthcare forum in the world." The Global Health Exhibition will offer a critical platform for global healthcare leaders, innovators, practitioners and stakeholders to discuss and explore the latest medical advancements and cutting-edge technologies. The event presents a unique opportunity for diverse collaboration to adapt best practices and explore innovative solutions for tackling disease prevention, encouraging accessibility to the best health services, and championing radical technology-driven innovation, all with the overall aim of accelerating transformation within global healthcare and driving improved outcomes for patients. "Global Health Exhibition in Saudi Arabia is establishing itself as one of the genuine 'must-attend' events in the global healthcare environment," said Mike Champion, Chief Executive Officer, Tahaluf, the event's organiser. "Beyond the unique opportunities for medical professionals on-site, one of the most exciting elements of the event is bringing investors to a huge array of Saudi Arabian and international healthcare companies who are pioneering breakthrough medical technology. The Exhibition has become a central hub for deal-making and investing, and we are excited to build on the wealth of memorandums of understanding, deals and investments we saw at the 2023 event, as we grow the exhibition to become the largest of its kind in the world." The rising demand for healthcare services in Saudi Arabia is fuelling a need for advanced medical and healthcare services, offering vast market potential for global companies. The country is focusing on adopting cutting-edge technologies such as a strategic hub for reaching other emerging markets in the region, driven by significant investments into healthcare infrastructure. Registration information for Global Health Exhibition 2024 can be found at the following link: Global Health Exhibition (globalhealthsaudi.com) View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/city-of-riyadh-gears-up-to-unveil-the-future-of-healthcare-global-health-exhibition-302239746.html Half-year sales of 3.3 million, exceeding 2023 full-year sales 20 implants of the Aeson artificial heart performed in the first half of 2024 17% cash-burn 1 reduction compared to the first half of 2023 reduction compared to the first half of 2023 2024 anticipated annual sales of 8 to 12 million Other 2024 operational objectives on track Active exploration of financing options to extend in the near-term the Company's cash runway beyond the end of September 2024 Regulatory News: CARMAT (FR0010907956, ALCAR), designer and developer of the world's most advanced total artificial heart, aiming to provide a therapeutic alternative for people suffering from advanced biventricular heart failure (the "Company" or "CARMAT"), today announces its results for the first half ending June 30, 20242, and provides an update on its progress and prospects. Stephane Piat, Chief Executive Officer of CARMAT, comments: "The outcome of the first half of 2024 is very positive. With sales of 3.3 million, we have in just 6 months, exceeded our 2023 full-year sales. Achieving 20 Aeson implants in the first half of the year is a very encouraging indicator for such an innovative device, which is still in its launch phase. In the second quarter of 2024, we performed twice as many implants as in the first quarter. But beyond these numbers, the feedback and numerous spontaneous testimonials from European physicians who have carried out Aeson implants, speak for themselves and give us confidence in the progressive development of our truly unique therapy, which meets a real need and literally "gives life back to patients". For the rest of the year, we anticipate a traction in implants, both in the EFICAS study and commercially, which should enable us to achieve annual sales of 8 to 12 million in 2024. In 2024, we therefore plan to multiply our revenue by 3 or 4 versus 2023. In addition, we anticipate several key catalysts in 2025, including the publication of significant clinical results, which should confirm these expert testimonials, and thus objectify the safety and efficacy of our therapy. These results should play a key role in accelerating our growth. Finally, in 2025, we also anticipate resuming our PIVOTAL study in Europe, with patients not eligible for heart transplant, with a view to eventually obtaining the destination therapy indication that has always been and remains CARMAT's ultimate goal. The development of a breakthrough therapy such as ours is necessarily an obstacle race. So far, we have overcome all hurdles, not without difficulty, but successfully. We therefore look forward to the next steps with confidence, resilience and the same winning spirit." First-half 2024 earnings Abbreviated Income statement (in millions of euros) 6 months ended June 30, 2024 6 months ended June 30, 2023 Revenue 3,3 0.6 Net operating expense (25.4) (25.9) Net financial expense (1.7) (1.7) Net non-recurring income 0.1 Research and innovation tax credit 0.8 1.0 Net loss (26.2) (26.7) CARMAT generated 3.3 million in revenue in the first half of 2024, corresponding to the sale of seven artificial hearts for commercial implants (in Germany, Italy and Poland) and 13 as part of the EFICAS clinical study in France. In the first six months of the year, CARMAT's efforts and resources were predominantly focused on: deploying and developing its business in Europe; - stepping up its EFICAS clinical study in France; - continuing discussions with the FDA with a view to starting up the second cohort of its EFS (early feasibility study) in the United States; - strengthening its financial structure. The Company continued to keep tight control over its operating expenses, enabling it to slightly reduce its net operating expense to 25.4 million in the first half of 2024 (versus 2023). After taking into account net financial expense of 1.7 million, net non-recurring income of 0.1 million and 0.8 million in income from the research tax credit, CARMAT ended the first half of 2024 with a net loss of 26.2 million (compared with a 26.7 million net loss in the first six months of 2023). Cash and financial structure Cash position and cash runway At June 30, 2024, the Company had 11.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, versus 8.0 million at December 31, 2023. The variation over the first half 2024 can be analyzed as follows: (in millions of euros) 6 months ended June 30, 2024 6 months ended June 30, 2023 Net cash used in operating activities (25.7) (30.7) Net cash used in investing activities (1.1) (1.6) Net cash from financing activities 30.3 4.7 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 3.4 (27.6) The cash burn used in operating and investing activities in the first half of 2024 decreased by 17% compared with that of the first half of 2023, in line with a planned trajectory that the Company is determined to continue during the rest of 2024 and in the coming years. In the first half of 2024, CARMAT obtained the following funds: an aggregate 32.5 million in proceeds from two capital increases (16.5 million in January and 16.0 million in May); and - 0.3 million corresponding to the final tranche of the total 1.4 million "CAP23" grant awarded to CARMAT as a winner of the French government's "Industrial Recovery Plan Strategic Sectors" call for projects. In addition, on July 5, 2024, i.e., after the half-year close, CARMAT set up a flexible equity financing line with Vester Finance3, involving the issue of up to 3,500,000 shares (corresponding to c. 8.2 million based on CARMAT's share price of 2.345 on June 30, 2024) over a 24-month period, with CARMAT immediately receiving 2.2 million. In view of all of these factors4, and based on its current business plan, CARMAT's confirmed financial resources should enable it to fund its business until end-September 2024. The Company is actively working on various financing options to secure in the very short-term, the financial resources it requires to continue as a going concern beyond that date5. The Company estimates its financing requirements over the next 12 months to be c. 45 million. Net debt On March 22, 2024, the Company reached an agreement with all of its lenders the European Investment Bank (EIB), BNP Paribas (BNPP) and Bpifrance (BPI) on new repayment terms for its bank loans6 Taking into account this agreement, CARMAT's net debt at June 30, 2024 was 47.1 million, breaking down as follows: (in millions of euros) June 30, 2024 Long-term financial liabilities (>12 months) 57.3 Short-term financial liabilities (<12 months) 1.2 Cash and cash equivalents (11.4) (Net cash)/Net debt 47.1 Short-term financial liabilities comprise: 0.2 million in interest due on tranches 2 and 3 of the EIB loan; and - an aggregate 1.0 million in principal and interest payments due on the government-guaranteed loans ("PGEs") taken out with BNPP and BPI. First-half 2024 highlights Marked acceleration in Sales Twenty Aeson implants were performed in the first half of 2024, versus respectively three and fourteen in the first half and in the second half of 2023. The rate of Aeson implants reached four per month in the second quarter, doubling from two hearts per month in the first quarter. In the first six months of 2024, CARMAT generated 3.3 million in revenue7, which means that it has already exceeded its full-year revenue for 2023 (2.8 million). Sales were generated for the first time in Poland, bringing the number of countries in which CARMAT has a commercial activity to three (Germany, Italy and Poland). A total of nine hospitals carried out their first Aeson implants in the first half of 2024 four in Germany, three in France and two in Poland. This very positive trend reflects the encouraging take-up of CARMAT's artificial heart therapy in Europe. Very good momentum for the EFICAS clinical study In the first six months of 2024, 13 Aeson implants were performed as part of the EFICAS clinical study in France, corresponding to a rate of more than two implants per month. This brought the total number of Aeson implants performed under this study to 24 at June 30, 2024, paving the way for the completion, in the short-term, of half of the target number of patient recruitments, which represents 52 patients in total. All of the French centers taking part in the study8, a total of 10, had already referred patients, and nine of them had performed at least one implant. As a reminder, EFICAS is the largest clinical study ever conducted by CARMAT and will allow the company to collect additional data on safety and performance of its Aeson heart, as well as medico-economic data to support its value proposition. The Company anticipates publishing the study results in the last quarter of 2025. This study is instrumental to report Aeson clinical results scientifically on a significant sample size of patients, and thus facilitate the communication and dissemination of these results across the medical community. In view of this, the Company believes that the publication will lead to a strong and sustained acceleration in the take-up of Aeson artificial hearts in Europe. EFICAS is a key study both for securing social security reimbursement of Aeson in France and for supporting CARMAT's application for Premarket Approval (PMA) (marketing authorization in the United States issued by the FDA Food Drug Administration), which the Company expects to receive in 2027. Continued international business development Europe and Middle East In the first half of 2024, CARMAT trained nine new hospitals to perform Aeson commercial implants, expanding its network to 42 centers in 14 different countries9. The Company is therefore well on track to meet its target of 50 trained hospitals by the end of 2024. Out of these 42 centers, three-quarters were active in first-half 2024, i.e., they had already submitted patient files to CARMAT to assess their eligibility for implantation. In addition, five countries in Europe (Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece) and one in the Middle East (Israel) were activated and therefore ready to perform implants. The Company plans to activate more countries in Europe in the second half of the year. United States Discussions with the FDA (the U.S. Food Drug Administration) continued during the period, with a view to commencing the second cohort of seven patients in the EFS10 Based on all of the information available, the Company expects this to happen in Q1 2025, and still foresees the commercial launch of Aeson in the United States taking place during the second half of 2027. Production ramp-up Thanks to its expanded production capacity, with a second production facility coming on stream at its Bois-d'Arcy site at the end of 2023, as well as its growing supplier base and the experience it has built up over the last few years, the Company had a continuous production output in the first half of 2024, enabling it to meet demand without any difficulties, while keeping up an inventory level of more than 20 Aeson hearts. CARMAT intends to continue to implement its industrial roadmap aimed at continuously improving its production processes, securing its supplies, gradually reducing the production cost for its artificial heart, and aligning its capacity development with demand. Changes in the Company's governance On June 24, 2024, Pierre Bastid, having served on the Company's Board as a director since 2018, was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors, replacing Alexandre Conroy, who resigned for personal reasons. A seasoned industrialist and entrepreneur, Pierre Bastid has subscribed for shares in each of the capital increases carried out by the Company since 2016 and holds 13.1% of CARMAT's share capital11 via the Lohas and Les Bastidons entities. CARMAT's Board has now 10 directors, including five independent directors. Strategy and outlook 2024 Objectives For the second half of 2024, the Company forecasts a sales trend which would reach a yearly turnover within a range of 8 million to 12 million, to be compared with revenue of around 14 million previously communicated. This forecast reflects a better understanding of the market access dynamics and seasonality, as well as two summer months during which the level of surgical activity remained limited across Europe. Regarding the other key objectives for 2024, the Company confirms it is on track to achieve them by the end of the year, namely: a patient recruitment rate of around 75% in the EFICAS clinical study, - c. fifty centers trained for commercial implants, - a c. 20% reduction in cash burn (operations and investments) versus 2023, - filing to resume the EFS study (United States). Key catalysts anticipated in 2025 to support short and medium-term development In 2025, the Company anticipates four key drivers to support its short and medium-term development: Q1 2025: initiation of the second cohort of patients in the EFS study in the United States, - H1 2025: publication in a scientific journal of the Aeson clinical results for patients previously under "ECLS12", - H2 2025: resumption of the PIVOTAL study in Europe for a cohort of patients not eligible for heart transplant, to target the "Destination Therapy" indication, - Q4 2025: publication of the results of the EFICAS study (52 patients). In the short term, continued development in Europe supported by scientific publications With over 70 patients having received an implant since Aeson was created, CARMAT has built up substantial clinical experience. This testifies to the technology's unique performance and safety profile, particularly given that the Company tends to treat patients at an increasingly severe stage of the disease. In the coming months, the Company intends to carry-on with the gradual spread of its therapy across Europe, in the bridge-to-transplant indication for which Aeson is currently approved, by building on this clinical experience, but also on the growing reputation of Aeson, supported in particular by a ripple effect between centers, and spontaneous positive communication by physicians and hospitals performing implants. Aeson sales' growth should then accelerate significantly following the publication of Aeson clinical results in patients previously under ECLS, anticipated in Q1 2025, and EFICAS study results in Q4 2025. In the medium term, heading towards the US market and the Destination Therapy In the medium term, the Company continues to target access to the US market, as well as the Destination Therapy (DT) indication (or so called "permanent implant"), which would allow patients to remain under Aeson support with no subsequent heart transplant. In terms of addressable market, the Destination Therapy represents one of the biggest opportunities in cardiology. The anticipated launch, in Q1 2025, of the second cohort of patients in the US EFS study, and the expected resumption in H2 2025 of the European PIVOTAL study with a cohort of patients not eligible for heart transplant, are important milestones to ultimately get Aeson approved for this strategic indication. About CARMAT CARMAT is a French MedTech that designs, manufactures and markets the Aeson artificial heart. The Company's ambition is to make Aeson the first alternative to a heart transplant, and thus provide a therapeutic solution to people suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure, who are facing a well-known shortfall in available human grafts. The world's first physiological artificial heart that is highly hemocompatible, pulsatile and self-regulated, Aeson could save, every year, the lives of thousands of patients waiting for a heart transplant. The device offers patients quality of life and mobility thanks to its ergonomic and portable external power supply system that is continuously connected to the implanted prosthesis. Aeson is commercially available as a bridge to transplant in the European Union and other countries that recognize CE marking. Aeson is also currently being assessed within the framework of an Early Feasibility Study (EFS) in the United States. Founded in 2008, CARMAT is based in the Paris region, with its head offices located in Velizy-Villacoublay and its production site in Bois-d'Arcy. The Company can rely on the talent and expertise of a multidisciplinary team of circa 200 highly specialized people. CARMAT is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris (Ticker: ALCAR ISIN code: FR0010907956). For more information, please go to www.carmatsa.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Name: CARMAT ISIN code: FR0010907956 Ticker: ALCAR Disclaimer This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, or the solicitation of an order to buy or subscribe, CARMAT shares in any country. This press release may contain forward-looking statements about the Company's objectives and prospects. These forward-looking statements are based on the current estimates and expectations of the Company's management, and are subject to risk factors and uncertainties, including those described in its universal registration document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) under number D.24-0374 and available on CARMAT's website, as updated in the Company's 2024 half-year financial report published today. Readers' attention is particularly drawn to the fact that the Company's current financing horizon is limited to the end of September 2024 and that, given its financing requirements and outstanding dilutive instruments, the Company's shareholders are likely to experience significant dilution of their stake in the Company in the short term. The Company is also subject to other risks and uncertainties, such as the Company's ability to implement its strategy, the pace of development of CARMAT's production and sales, the pace and results of ongoing or planned clinical trials, changes in technology and the competitive environment, regulatory developments, industrial risks and all risks associated with managing the Company's growth. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release may not be achieved due to these or other unknown risk factors and uncertainties, or factors which the Company does not currently consider material and specific. Aeson is an active implantable medical device commercially available in the European Union and other CE-marked countries. The Aeson total artificial heart is intended to replace the ventricles of the native heart and is indicated as a bridge to transplantation in patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure (Intermacs classes 1-4) who cannot benefit from maximal medical therapy or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and who are likely to benefit from heart transplantation within 180 days of implantation. The implant decision and surgical procedure must be carried out by healthcare professionals trained by the manufacturer. The documentation (clinician's manual, patient's manual and alarm booklet) must be read carefully to learn about the characteristics of Aeson and the information required for patient selection and proper use (contraindications, precautions, side effects) of Aeson. In the United States, Aeson is currently available exclusively as part of a feasibility clinical trial approved by the Food Drug Administration (FDA). ________________________________ 1 Cash flow from operating and investing activities 2 The interim financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on September 5, 2024; The statutory auditor's limited review procedures are currently in progress. The 2024 half-year financial report is published today and can be consulted on the Company's website. 3 See the press release published by the Company on July 5, 2024 about this equity financing. 4 Including the 2.2 million received in early July 2024 in connection with the Vester Finance equity financing line. 5 See Section 4.2.1 for the factors underlying the going concern principle used by the Board of Directors. 6 See the press release on the agreement published by the Company on March 22, 2024. 7 Including 1.1m in the first quarter and 2.2m in the second quarter. 8 AP-HP GHU Pitie Salpetriere, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, CHU de Rennes, CHU de Strasbourg, Hospices Civils de Lyon, CHRU de Lille, Hopital Marie-Lannelongue, CHU de Montpellier, CHU de Nantes and CHU de Dijon. 9 Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Greece. 10 The first cohort of seven patients was finalized in the second half of 2021. 11 At June 30, 2024. 12 ECLS Extra-Corporal Life Support View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905480690/en/ Contacts: CARMAT Stephane Piat Chief Executive Officer Pascale d'Arbonneau Chief Financial Officer Tel.: +33 1 39 45 64 50 contact@carmatsas.com Alize RP Press Relations Caroline Carmagnol Tel.: +33 6 64 18 99 59 carmat@alizerp.com NewCap Financial Communication & Investor Relations Dusan Oresansky Jeremy Digel Tel.: +33 1 44 71 94 92 carmat@newcap.eu VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 06, 2024continues to focus on advancing its uranium exploration projects in the Athabasca region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada and has made meaningful progress with its exploration initiatives. As reported in previous news releases, the Company has been actively advancing its exploration projects, particularly the Ubiquity Lake Uranium Project . Bedford is pleased with the initial results from its most recent exploration program, where the field team identified several promising targets. The Company is awaiting assay results from the samples collected during this program, which will provide further insight into the project's potential. In anticipation of favorable assay results, Bedford has already started planning its next exploration program at Ubiquity Lake. This upcoming program will be more clearly defined once the assay data is received, allowing the company to refine its focus and exploration strategies. Peter Born, President of Bedford , commented, "We are very pleased with the results we've seen so far from our exploration program at Ubiquity Lake. The project continues to show great potential, and we are excited to further advance our uranium projects. We remain committed to maximizing the value of these projects for our shareholders." Bedford remains focused on advancing its high-quality uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin and continues to explore and develop these assets to contribute to the growing global demand for uranium as a clean energy source. Bedford conducts all exploration activities with a focus on environmental stewardship and in close collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. The Company's goal is to develop our projects responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that our operations benefit the regions in which we operate. Dr. Peter Born, P.Geo., is the designated qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and the President of the Company and is responsible for and has approved the technical information in this release. About Bedford Metals Corp. Bedford Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company. We create value for our shareholders by identifying and developing highly prospective mineral exploration opportunities. Our strategy is to advance our projects from discovery to production. The Close Lake Uranium Project lies on the eastern side of the Athabasca Basin, adjoining claims held by Cameco Corporation, the largest uranium producer in the world. The claim is approximately 245 hectares and lies within the primary exploration corridor, which hosts the Keys Lake Mine, the Cigar Lake Mine, and the McArthur River Mine. Access to the property is done through a network of roads and trails. The Ubiquity Lake Uranium Project, covering 1382 hectares, lies just south of the bottom lip of the Athabasca Basin, adjacent to ALX Uranium's Carpenter Lake Project to the east. Situated near the Cable Bay Shear Zone, parallel to the Virgin River Shear Zone, which hosts Cameco's Centennial uranium deposit, the project holds immense potential. Furthermore, it is located 100 km west of Cameco's past-producing Key Lake uranium mine, underscoring the strategic significance of its location. The Sheppard Lake Uranium Project covers an area of approximately 2250 hectares and adjoins the Ubiquity Lake Project to the southeast. The project area is characterized by rocks of the Mudjatik domain, where uranium mineralization is typically basement-hosted, situated within shears or faults, and formed through hydrothermal redistributions of dissolved metals and subsequent redox reactions. For further information, please contact the Company at info@bedfordmetals.com or 604-622-1199 or visit the Company's website at www.bedfordmetals.com . On behalf of the Board, Bedford Metals Corp. "Peter Born" President Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. 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 or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. CONTACT: MRKT360 INC https://mrkt360.com Alex Zertuche alexz@mrkt360.com For E.S.T Office Hours, Call 1 416-477-0587 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9422ac8b-4451-4ca0-9a1a-8c9a25a7c90c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c105df67-cb3d-4f26-863c-5fb38e6da9f0 Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Allschwil, Switzerland, September 6, 2024 Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, announced today that sales of the antifungal Cresemba (isavuconazole) by its license partner Pfizer in Europe exceeded the threshold that triggered a milestone payment of USD 25 million to Basilea. David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea, said: "We are very pleased with the continued recognition of Cresemba in meeting the critical medical needs of patients with life-threatening invasive mold infections, and its strong sales performance in Europe, which has resulted in this milestone payment. We already announced several sales milestone payments from sales in Asia Pacific and China this year. The number of sales milestone payments triggered this year reflect Cresemba's ongoing success and sustained growth around the world." The license agreement between Basilea and Pfizer for Cresemba covers Europe (excluding the Nordic countries) as well as 16 countries in the Asia Pacific region and China. Cresemba is approved and marketed in more than 70 countries, including the United States, most EU member states and additional countries inside and outside of Europe. According to the latest available market data, total global in-market sales of Cresemba amounted to USD 489 million in the 12 months between April 2023 and March 2024, a 24 percent growth year-on-year.1 About isavuconazole (Cresemba) Isavuconazole is an intravenous (i.v.) and oral azole antifungal, commercialized under the trade name Cresemba. Basilea has entered into several license and distribution agreements for isavuconazole covering approximately 115 countries. In the 27 European Union member states, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, isavuconazole is approved for patients aged from 1 year of age and older for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and for the treatment of mucormycosis in patients for whom amphotericin B is inappropriate.2 Isavuconazole is also approved in the United States (US) and several additional countries in Europe and beyond, including the U.K., China and Japan.3 It has orphan drug designation in the US, Europe and Australia for its approved indications. About Basilea Basilea is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Switzerland. We are committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs to meet the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections. We have successfully launched two hospital brands, Cresemba for the treatment of invasive fungal infections and Zevtera for the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition, we have preclinical and clinical anti-infective assets in our portfolio. Basilea is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Basilea Pharmaceutica International Ltd, Allschwil Hegenheimermattweg 167b 4123 Allschwil Switzerland Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com (mailto:media_relations@basilea.com) investor_relations@basilea.com (mailto:investor_relations@basilea.com) This ad hoc announcement can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. References IQVIA Analytics Link, March 2024. In-market sales reported as moving annual total (MAT) in US dollar. European Public Assessment Report (EPAR) Cresemba, not yet updated to reflect recent extension to pediatric patients: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/cresemba (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/cresemba) [Accessed: September 6, 2024] The registration status and approved indications may vary from country to country. Attachment Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! KANAZAWA, Japan, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, develop a biosensor that improves sensitivity to 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) in urine by orders of magnitude without the need for sample purification. Metabolites are a common indicator of disease. In particular 1-MNA levels are increased by cancer, liver disease, obesity and metabolic disease. At present, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements are commonly used to measure quantities of metabolites in samples but they are expensive and complicated limiting their widespread use. Instead Masaya Ueno, Tomoki Ogoshi and Atsushi Hirao at Kanazawa WPI-NanoLSI use a type of pillararene molecule (Figs. 1 and 2) as a biosensor, getting around the need for high purification of other 1-MNA biosensing molecules while improving sensitivity and specificity. 1-MNA is produced in the body through the methylation of nicotinamide (Nam) by nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) during the metabolism of the vitamin B3 vitamer niacin. As such it provides a measure of NNMT activity, which is elevated in some cancers. There is evidence that 1-MNA levels correlate with the how aggressive the tumour is and suppressing the gene for NNMT diminished certain behavioral symptoms of disease. As such the researchers explain in their report "monitoring the NNMT expression and activity in patients by quantification of 1-MNA is important for elucidating and diagnosing their pathology." Previously they had demonstrated some potential for the molecule pillar[6]arene functionalized with 12 carboxylate anions (P6AC) as a 1-MNA sensor, since it binds to 1-MNA and inhibits fluorescence due to photo-induced electron transfer. However extensive sample purification was needed and even then, although the millimolar concentrations in murine urine could be detected, the P6AC biosensor lacked the sensitivity to detect the micromolar concentrations found in culture supernatants of human cancer cells. To find a biosensor with better sensitivity, the researchers investigated the binding between 1-MNA and pillar[6]arene functionalized with sulfonate groups (P6AS). They found that the binding affinity was 700 times greater than for P6AC, leading to a biosensor with sub micromolar sensitivity, even in unpurified human urine, although detection of the higher concentrations in mouse murine was better. However the researchers noted that detection in human serum was not possible due to the higher levels of autofluorescence. By comparison the detection sensitivity possible with mass spectrometry is nanomolar but the throughput is much lower. The researchers suggest that the high throughput of the P6AS biosensor could make it suitable for screening 1000s of potential NNMT inhibitors, which may help towards a treatment for diseases like liver disease and cancer. The researchers explain the higher sensitivity thanks to the stronger acidity of sulfonate groups compared to carboxylate groups. They conclude their report of the work, "Further improvement of our strategy will contribute to high-throughput screening of NNMT inhibitors, diagnosis of liver diseases, and imaging of human cancer cells in vivo." Related figures Fig. 1 https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Fig.-1-4.png Fig. 1 Caption: Chemical structure of Pillar[n]arene and 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA). Copyright 2024 Masaya Ueno Fig. 2 https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/eye-catch_Ueno.png Fig. 2 Caption: Pillar[6]arene with 12 sulfonate groups (P6AS) specifically forms complexes with 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA)-a niacin metabolite-and works as a biosensor even in unpurified biological samples. Copyright 2024 Masaya Ueno Glossary Pillar[n]arenes The pillar[n]arenes take their names from their pillar shapes and macrocyclic structures. The researchers were prompted to investigate the potential of P[6]AS as a 1-MNA detector following previous work by another group demonstrating the high binding affinity of P[n]AS for ammonium ions. Binding affinity The binding affinity refers to the strength of bond between the ligands on the protein and the candidate molecule, typically through intermolecular interactions such as ionic or hydrogen bonding or van der waals forces. The is a higher binding affinity when the attractive forces are higher. Mass spectrometry Mass spectrometers identify molecules based on their mass. The molecule is ionized and then accelerated through a field. The trajectory the molecule takes gives an indication of the charge mass ratio of the ion. Reference Masaya Ueno, Hiroki Sugiyama, Feng Li, Tatsuya Nishimura, Hiroshi Arakawa, Xi Chen, Xiaoxiao Cheng, Shinji Takeuchi, Yumie Takeshita, Toshinari Takamura, Sakae Miyagi, Tadashi Toyama, Tomoyoshi Soga, Yusuke Masuo, Yukio Kato, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Hiromasa Tsujiguchi, Akinori Hara, Atsushi Tajima, Moeko Noguchi-Shinohara, Kenjiro Ono, Kenta Kurayoshi, Masahiko Kobayashi, Yuko Tadokoro, Atsuko Kasahara, Mahmoud I. Shoulkamy, Katsuhiro Maeda, Tomoki Ogoshi, Atsushi Hirao A supramolecular biosensor for rapid and high-throughput quantification of a disease-associated niacin metabolite Analytical Chemistry 2024. DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02653 URL: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02653 Funding acknowledgments M.U. was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (23K06672) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, (MEXT), Japan. A.H. was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (19H01033) from MEXT and a Project for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) (19cm0106104h0004) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). T.O. was supported by the CREST program of the Japan Science and Technology (JST) agency (JPMJCR18R3) and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (22H00334) from MEXT. This work was supported by a WPI-NanoLSI Transdisciplinary Research Grant from Kanazawa University. NanoLSI is supported by the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), MEXT, Japan. This work was supported by WISE Program for Nano-Precision Medicine, Science, and Technology of Kanazawa University by MEXT. This work was also supported by MEXT Promotion of Development of a Joint Usage/Research System Project: Coalition of Universities for Research Excellence (CURE) Program (JPMXP1323015484). Contact: Kimie Nishimura (Ms) Project Planning and Outreach NanoLSI Administration Office, Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Tel: +81 (76) 234-4555 About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University Understanding nanoscale mechanisms of life phenomena by exploring "uncharted nano-realms". Cells are the basic units of almost all life forms. We are developing nanoprobe technologies that allow direct imaging, analysis, and manipulation of the behavior and dynamics of important macromolecules in living organisms, such as proteins and nucleic acids, at the surface and interior of cells. We aim at acquiring a fundamental understanding of the various life phenomena at the nanoscale. https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/ About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI Main WPI program site: www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel About Kanazawa University As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities. The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa - a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas. http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kanazawa-university-research-high-sensitivity-high-throughput-biosensor-measures-metabolite-levels-that-indicate-disease-302240362.html Nappanee, Indiana--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Serene Cabinetry has announced the expansion of its custom aluminum cabinetry line, setting a new standard for outdoor living spaces. This development reflects Serene Cabinetry's ongoing commitment to providing homeowners with the opportunity to design outdoor kitchens that are both functional and tailored to their specific needs. By offering a fully customizable product, Serene Cabinetry allows for the creation of outdoor kitchens that are as unique as the individuals who use them. At the core of Serene Cabinetry's offerings is the ability to design and manufacture each kitchen to order. This bespoke approach ensures that every project is a perfect fit for the space it occupies, allowing homeowners to maximize their outdoor areas. Whether dealing with a compact patio or an expansive backyard, Serene Cabinetry can create aluminum cabinets for kitchens that meet the exact specifications required. This focus on customization extends beyond just the physical dimensions of the cabinets. Customers can choose from an extensive range of colors and finishes, providing the flexibility to create an outdoor kitchen that perfectly matches their aesthetic vision. The customization options available are vast, encompassing everything from sleek, modern finishes to more traditional wood grain textures. These options enable homeowners to design outdoor spaces that reflect their personal style, whether they prefer a contemporary look or a more classic appearance. By offering such a wide range of choices, Serene Cabinetry allows customers to create a truly personalized outdoor oasis. This level of customization positions Serene Cabinetry as a leader in the field of outdoor living solutions, offering products that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Durability and quality are central to Serene Cabinetry's product offerings. Each cabinet is constructed with a robust 1" x 1" welded tube frame, providing a solid foundation that ensures long-lasting performance. The cabinets are further protected by a coastal powder coat finish, which is designed to withstand even the harshest environmental conditions. This finish prevents rusting and other forms of degradation, making Serene Cabinetry's aluminum cabinets for kitchens a reliable choice for outdoor spaces, regardless of the climate. The company's dedication to quality is reflected in its five-year limited warranty, which offers customers peace of mind knowing that their investment is built to last. All of Serene Cabinetry's products are proudly made in the USA, a fact that underscores the company's commitment to quality craftsmanship. The direct-to-customer sales model embraced by Serene Cabinetry allows for competitive pricing while ensuring that each client receives personalized service throughout the project lifecycle. This approach has been well received by customers, as evidenced by testimonials like that of Jennifer H. from Texas, who praised the company for its strong communication and attention to detail. Serene Cabinetry invites homeowners to explore the possibilities of creating their dream outdoor kitchen with aluminum cabinets designed to meet their specific needs. The straightforward design process includes layout planning, color selection, and choosing appliances and options, making it easy to transform any outdoor space into a functional and stylish area. By combining customization with durability, Serene Cabinetry offers a unique solution for those looking to enhance their outdoor living experience. For more information about Serene Cabinetry and its range of custom aluminum cabinets for kitchens, visit serenecabinetry.com or contact the team directly at 574-354-6037. Discover the difference that custom craftsmanship and exceptional service can make in transforming an outdoor space. About Serene Cabinetry: Serene Cabinetry specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling custom outdoor aluminum cabinetry. With a focus on quality and customer satisfaction, Serene Cabinetry offers products that are built to last and tailored to each customer's unique needs. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222228 SOURCE: Media Feature Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Splitwaters announces plans to develop a number of e-fuels facilities utilizing its state-of-the-art alkaline electrolyzers and Topsoe technology for the backend fuels and chemicals production. By leveraging modular design principles and managing the projects Splitwaters aims to streamline processes and potentially reduce CAPEX by up to 30%. Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director - The Americas of Topsoe, said, "We are excited to work with Splitwaters as the licensor of the process plant technology such as ammonia, methanol and other electrofuels including SAF. These energy transition projects are of very significant importance to both our companies." Deepak Bawa, CEO of Splitwaters, said, "Today's e-fuels market demands such innovative solutions benefiting the industry, developers, and investors alike. With Topsoe's expertise as the licensor and Splitwaters' innovative approach to manufacturing electrolyzers and providing tailored EPC services for green hydrogen and e-fuels facilities. Splitwaters will offer highly modularized solutions to produce ammonia, methanol and other electrofuels including SAF." Splitwaters To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8846/222227_1440fb57749a6b57_001full.jpg About Splitwaters: Splitwaters is a Houston, Texas-based electrolyzer manufacturer and engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning firm specializing in low-cost Green Hydrogen and e-Fuel plants. Splitwaters is working to create a cleaner, greener, safer world by building small-cap to large-cap projects, improving the resiliency of the world's infrastructure; getting us closer to net zero; tackling critical environmental challenges; and accelerating progress to make the world a cleaner, greener, safer place. To learn more, visit www.splitwaters.com. About Topsoe Topsoe is a leading global provider of technology and solutions for the energy transition. The company combats climate change by helping customers and partners achieve their decarbonization and emission reduction goals. Based on decades of scientific research and innovation, Topsoe offers world-leading solutions for transforming renewable resources into fuels and chemicals for a sustainable world, and for efficient and low-carbon fuel production and clean air. Founded in 1940, Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,800 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit www.Topsoe.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222227 SOURCE: Media Feature Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus. Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential. In diesem kostenlosen Report geben wir Ihnen Favoriten an die Hand, die aufgrund von Sondersituation die Chance auf eine Kursvervielfachung besitzen. Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (THE UNITED STATES), OR TO ANY US PERSON (AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933), OR IN OR INTO ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. SES S.A. announced the successful launch and pricing of a hybrid dual-tranche bond offering in which it has agreed to sell Deeply Subordinated Fixed Rate Resettable Securities for a total amount of EUR 1 billion. The transaction is composed of a EUR 500 million 30-year Non-Call (NC) 5.25-year tranche with a first reset date on 12 December 2029 and a EUR 500 million 30-year NC 8-year tranche with a first reset date on 12 September 2032. The NC 5.25-year notes will bear a coupon of 5.5% per annum and were priced at 99.473% of their nominal value while the NC 8-year notes will bear a coupon of 6% per annum and were priced at par. The successful outcome was the result of strong investor engagement and demand as evidenced by a sizeable order book which peaked above EUR 4 billion in total and allowed SES to price the notes competitively on both tranches. The instrument's credit ratings are expected to be Ba2 and BB+ with Moody's and Fitch respectively and will also rank pari-passu with SES outstanding EUR 625 million Deeply Subordinated Fixed Rate Resettable Securities, with a first reset date on 27 August 2026. The new hybrid bonds issued by SES are non-dilutive instruments that are expected to receive 50% equity credit by both rating agencies and be classified as financial liabilities under IFRS. The settlement is scheduled for 12 September 2024 and application has been made for the notes to be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The securities were placed with a broad range of institutional investors across Europe. Proceeds of the issuance will be used for general corporate purposes, including financing the acquisition of Intelsat and/or refinancing any existing indebtedness of the Group. Sandeep Jalan, Chief Financial Officer of SES, commented, "We are pleased to have secured this new hybrid offering. The success of this transaction demonstrates investors' confidence in SES's investment grade credit and strong cash-generation profile." Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley acted as Global Coordinators, together with BNP Paribas, Citi, HSBC and SMBC as Joint Bookrunners. Follow us on: Twitter Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on Earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless data connectivity services around the world. As a provider of global content and connectivity solutions, SES owns and operates a geosynchronous orbit fleet and medium earth orbit (GEO-MEO) constellation of satellites, offering a combination of global coverage and high performance services. By using its intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES delivers high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners around the world. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg and listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905028456/en/ Contacts: Richard Whiteing Investor Relations Tel. +352 710 725 261 richard.whiteing@ses.com Suzanne Ong Communications Tel. +352 710 725 500 suzanne.ong@ses.com Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Equipped with unique X-Core 3.0 system and features first 5-Star-Rated Fast and Safe Charging Certification by SGS EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Home Battery System : Offers seamless customization for power independence. EcoFlow RIVER 3 Series : Compact yet powerful batteries designed for outdoor use. EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank : Transforms on-the-go charging experiences. EcoFlow DELTA 3 Series: Tailored for diverse scenarios with industry-leading charging speeds. DUSSELDORF, Germany, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EcoFlow, a leader in portable power and renewable energy solutions, has launched the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Home Battery System at IFA, alongside three new portable power stations series: the RIVER 3 Series, RAPID, and DELTA 3 Series. Advanced X-Core 3.0 & World's First 5-Star-Rated Charging Certification These four portable power stations series, equipped with EcoFlow's latest X-Core 3.0 integrated architecture system, offer simple, flexible, and reliable power solutions for every lifestyle. With over 1,000 patents, X-Core 3.0 establishes new industry benchmarks in safety, charging speed, power, noise reduction, smart management, and more. Notably, EcoFlow has once again surpassed its own industry-leading fast-charging capabilities. The DELTA 3 Plus has achieved the world's first 5-Star Certification for Fast and Safe Charging from SGS, the premier testing, inspection, and certification company based in Switzerland. This achievement enables a full 1kWh charge in just 56 minutes, while preserving optimal battery health even with extensive use, further solidifying EcoFlow's position as a leader in the energy solutions industry. DELTA Pro 3: Achieve Home Energy Independence with Ease Easy and Flexible DIY Setup The EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Home Battery System includes solar panels, the DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station, and EcoFlow's PowerStream Microinverter. This DIY-friendly system requires no installers or electricians. Users simply connect the microinverter and DELTA Pro 3 with solar panels, link the microinverter to the home grid, and finally connect it to the DELTA Pro 3. Beyond its role as a solar home battery system, the DELTA Pro 3 can function as a standalone unit to power home offices, workshops, outdoor projects, and vanlife, offering versatile usage options. 24-Hour Power Supply for True Energy Independence The EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 achieves true energy independence with EcoFlow's DualCharge and DualPower Technology. DualCharge Technology supports simultaneous solar input from both the microinverter and the DELTA Pro 3, achieving a total of 3,400Wi solar input. This allows the system to generate up to 16kWhii of solar energy daily, meeting the energy needs of an average household. DualPower Technology enables a maximum output of 4,800Wiii, powering almost every home appliance, including heavy-duty devices like air conditioners, heaters, and well pumps. With a base capacity of 4kWh, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 is expandable to 12kWh as a standalone unit and 8kWh when used as a solar home battery system. It can power a refrigerator for three days with a single unit, ensuring continuous power supply even without sunlight. Enhanced Energy Management with Third-party Devices Using EcoFlow's smart plugs and app, users can monitor and control each appliance's energy consumption, track solar energy captured, and calculate savings. Additionally, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Home Battery System is compatible with Shelly 3EM, Shelly Pro 3EM, and Tibber Pulse, enabling automatic energy allocation. Family-friendly System with Safe and Quiet Experience The EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Home Battery System meets the industry's highest safety standards. Crafted with automotive-grade LFP cells, it features the industry's first IP65-rated battery pack, ensuring resilience against impact, water, dust, and fire risks. Its pioneering Cell-to-Chassis construction and advanced Battery Management System provide 24/7 monitoring and protection. With a noise level as low as 30 db, thanks to EcoFlow's X-Quiet technology, the DELTA Pro 3 offers peace of mind for every family. RIVER 3 Series: Compact yet Powerful Solutions for Outdoor Adventures The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Series includes the RIVER 3, RIVER 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Max, and RIVER 3 Max Plus, with capacities ranging from 245Wh to 858Wh. These models are 33% smaller than the industry average and offer a maximum output of 600W, making them the highest-rated portable power stations in their capacity range. Featuring EcoFlow's X-GaNPower technology, the RIVER 3 Series is the first portable power station to utilize GaN semiconductor materials for higher efficiency, delivering double runtime for appliances under 100W. RAPID: On-the-Go Charging Revolution The EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank is available in two variations: 5000mAh and 10000mAh. With Qi2-certified wireless charging that's twice as fast as Qi1, the RAPID Magnetic Power Bank can charge an iPhone 15 from 0 to 50% in 44 minutes. For even faster charging, the built-in fast-charging USB-C cable provides a maximum output of 65W, charging an iPhone 15 Pro Max from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes. RAPID supports multiple charging protocols, making it compatible with most portable devices, including Macbooks, iPads, Kindles, and fitness bands. DELTA 3 Series: For Any Scenario, Power Ready in 30 Minutes The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Series includes the DELTA 3 and DELTA 3 Plus. With a 5-Star-Rated Fast and Safe Charging certification by SGS, DELTA 3 Plus is the world's fastest charging portable power station. Utilizing EcoFlow's X-Stream technology, DELTA 3 Plus can charge its 1,024Wh capacity from 0 to 100% in just 56 minutes. With five industry-leading charging methods, including AC, solar, generator, car charge, and Multi-Charging (AC + Solar), a 1,800W output, and a compact design, DELTA 3 Plus offers a flexible power solution for any setting. Availability EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 will be available in the EU from September 6 at 3,299. It will be available in the UK later in Q4. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Series, RAPID Series, and DELTA 3 Series are scheduled for release in the EU and UK during Q4 2024. Pricing for these series will be announced on their respective launch dates. For more information, please visit the EcoFlow website or Amazon. About EcoFlow EcoFlow is a leading eco-friendly energy solutions company with the vision to power a new world. Since its founding in 2017, EcoFlow aims to become a reliable and trusted energy companion for individuals and families across the world, providing accessible and renewable power solutions at home, outdoors, and in mobile spaces. Today, with operational headquarters located in the USA, Germany, and Japan, EcoFlow has empowered more than 3 million users in over 100 markets worldwide. i 800W through the microinverter and 2,600W through DELTA Pro 3 ii Based on 6 hours of daily sunshine, with a 20% energy loss: 3400W 6h 0.8 = 16,320Wh iii Microinverter output: 800W; EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 output: 4000W Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2493968/EcoFlow_IFA2024_Portable_Power.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ecoflow-unveils-four-new-portable-power-stations-series-at-ifa-2024-highlighting-the-ecoflow-delta-pro-3-solar-home-battery-system-302236226.html RATINGEN, Germany, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe GmbH is excited to announce the compatibility between the high-end Ultrasound system ARIETTA 750 FF ENDO and the ultrasound endoscopes (EG-580UR, EG-580UT, and EG-740UT) as well as the linear ultrasound bronchoscope EB-530US. This allows physicians to fully utilize the benefits of FUJIFILM ultrasound endoscopes and bronchoscopes during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The ARIETTA 750 FF ENDO is equipped with FUJIFILM Healthcare's ultrasonic transmission and reception technology "eFocusing" and image processing technology "Carving Imaging" making it possible to render clear ultrasound images from superficial to the very deepest areas of the abdomen. In addition, the ARIETTA is equipped with various diagnostic applications such as "Real-time Tissue Elastography" (RTE), which uses colour to express variations in tissue elasticity; "Shear Wave Measurement", which can quantitatively evaluate the elasticity of the tissue; and the revolutionary Detective Flow Imaging (DFI) technology. With DFI, low-velocity blood flows can be displayed with higher resolution which used to be difficult to visualize previously. The compatibility not only applies to new ARIETTA 750 systems, but can also be provided to clinicians with an existing ARIETTA 750 system. This reflects FUJIFILM's commitment to continuously improve patient outcomes by expanding the capabilities of its endoscopic ultrasound systems and offering customers freedom of choice. Samiran Dey, Head of Pulmonology and Synapse 3D Surgical at FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe GmbH, said: "It is exciting news that FUJIFILM can now offer EBUS compatibility with the ARIETTA 750 system. This will allow current ARIETTA 750 users to utilize their platforms with the FUJIFILM EBUS scope. For those physicians who require a standalone system for EBUS, the FUJIFILM solution has arrived. Additional functionality such as elastography are on offer with the ARIETTA 750. EBUS ultrasound imaging of lymph nodes is vital for visual optimization ahead of needle aspiration for distinct diagnosis and staging of lung cancer." For more information about the ARIETTA FF Endo ultrasound systems and ultrasound endoscopes, please visit www.fujifilm-endoscopy.com. About FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe After the acquisition of Hitachi's diagnostic imaging business in 2021, the European headquarters of FUJIFILM's Medical Systems Business Unit became FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe in 2023 to maximise the value of the combined product portfolio. Alongside the formation of the new strategic regional headquarter, various local FUJIFILM subsidiaries followed the way of forming dedicated Healthcare entities with the aim of bringing together knowledge, passion and inspiration to create increased value for customers. More than 1.500 employees strive to support Healthcare Professionals in improving patients' quality of life by developing the most comprehensive and innovative med-tech solutions portfolio derived from FUJIFILM's core competence in medical imaging. For more information, please visit: fujifilm.com. Contact information Stefan Bachmeier Marketing Manager Europe Endoscopy Systems FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe GmbH Mail: stefan.bachmeier@fujifilm.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/848a52da-bbb7-43da-a938-91b738b271c0 EQS Newswire / 06/09/2024 / 09:15 CET/CEST SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 September 2024 - ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), one of the world's fastest-growing data centre colocation services provider headquartered in Singapore, today announced a significant investment of US$3.2 billion (INR 26,000 crores) to expand its data centre capacity in India by a substantial 550MW, nearly tripling the company's IT load capacity to meet the demands of India's thriving digital economy, over the next 5-6 years. This strategic investment reflects STT GDC's confidence in India and the growth of its digital economy, as well as aligning with the burgeoning demand for digital infrastructure, driven by the surge in data consumption, cloud computing, digital transformation, and growing adoption of AI applications. This investment also further solidifies our market leadership in India, where we already command about 28% of market share by revenue. STT GDC India is majority-owned by STT GDC in partnership with Tata Communications Ltd, which holds a minority stake in the company. STT GDC India's portfolio consists of 28 data centres across 10 cities throughout India. Today, its data centre portfolio has a total combined capacity of over 318MW of IT load, with a well-diversified portfolio of about 1,000 enterprise customers that include many Fortune 500 companies. More recently, STT GDC India was recognised as a Great Place to Work for the fifth consecutive year, as well as one of the Best Places to Work in Asia. "As we celebrate STT GDC's 10th anniversary this year, embarking on this ambitious expansion is a sign of our confidence in Digital India and the future of one of STT GDC's strategic and fastest growing markets globally. Prime Minister Modi's vision for Digital India has paved the way for opportunity; today the India digital economy's growth rate of almost three times overall GDP growth is putting the country on pace to achieve a US$1 trillion digital economy by 2027-20281. At STT GDC, we want to play an active role in co-investing and contributing to India's long-term success by investing in the foundational digital infrastructure that will help further accelerate Digital India. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and are confident in our ability to contribute significantly to India's digital transformation," said Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres. STT GDC, along with several other Singapore business leaders, participated in a Business Roundtable with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted by the Singapore Business Federation on 5 September 2024. ----- 1 India digital economy: India to be $1 trillion digital economy by FY28: IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com) Hashtag: STTelemediaGlobalDataCentres STTGDC EnablingOurDigitalFuture The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) is one of the fastest-growing data centre providers with a global platform serving as a cornerstone of the digital ecosystem that helps the world to connect. Powering a sustainable digital future, STT GDC operates across Singapore, the UK, Germany, India, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, providing businesses an exceptional foundation that is built for their growth anywhere. For more information, visit https://www.sttelemediagdc.com/ . News Source: ST Telemedia Global Data Centres 06/09/2024 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com A digital twin of the landmark economic simulator 'The Moniac', the FT Money Machine leverages Apple Vision Pro to deliver an immersive and interactive experience making economics education more effective and accessible LONDON, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, in collaboration with the Financial Times (FT), today announced the digital revival of a pioneering piece of economic history - the Monetary National Income Analogue Computer (MONIAC) - courtesy of a groundbreaking new virtual reality experience, the 'FT Money Machine'. Infosys and The Financial Times have taken economist Bill Phillips' original invention, a hydraulic analog computer created in 1949 that used water to model and study economic systems, as the foundation for a unique Extended Reality (XR) project which revolutionizes how we learn about economics and ensures education at scale. Emphasizing on 'learning by doing', the new XR app, accessible through Apple Vision Pro and available in the App Store, faithfully recreates the Moniac's functionality while adding new, interactive features. This approach bridges the gap between historical analogue computing and modern digital learning, offering an unparalleled educational experience to the global student community. Users of The FT Money Machine will not only experience the full operation of The Moniac but also can explore and create their own economic scenarios in free play mode. They will be able to interact with the machine using intuitive gestures such as eye tracking, hand movements, and voice commands, allowing them to adjust variables like consumption, taxation, and investment to see real-time impacts on the economy, as well as understand complex economic interactions, predict outcomes of various policy decisions, and enhance economic modelling techniques. The FT Money Machine also incorporates the academic backing of the London School of Economics (LSE) and Cambridge University, home to one of the last working original Moniacs. It leverages the creative design and build expertise from WongDoody , Infosys' human experience agency, where WongDoody helped ensure that the FT Money Machine app exceeds user expectations in a seamless blend of historical significance and cutting-edge technology. James Lamont, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Financial Times, added, "The FT has always been committed to fostering a deeper understanding of economics, and the FT Money Machine is a testament to that commitment. Our purpose combined with Infosys' strong technical expertise has helped not only revive an important piece of economic history but also will also redefine how we teach and learn about economics in a digital age." Ashiss Kumar Dash, EVP and Global Head - Sustainability, Services, Utilities, Resources and Energy, Infosys, emphasized, "At Infosys, we are committed to our purpose of leveraging technology to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses, and communities. Our collaboration with FT for this innovative project that bridges historical innovation with today's most advanced digital technologies to deliver education at scale aligns perfectly with our purpose. By recreating the Moniac as the FT Money Machine, we are providing users with a unique educational tool that makes the complexities of economic systems both accessible and engaging, enabling the exploration and understanding of how money flows through an economy." The FT Money Machine's three-dimensional interface will offer a comprehensive educational tool for students, educators, researchers, and economic enthusiasts, providing a hands-on learning experience that illustrates economic principles in a way that is both engaging and insightful. By embracing new immersive technologies, it will help transcend the limitations of traditional educational tools, making economic education more effective and accessible. As part of the launch, Infosys and the Financial Times will host an event at London School of Economics (LSE) on September 18 to celebrate the Moniac's contributions to economic theory and education. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance, are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, increased competition for talent, our ability to attract and retain personnel, increase in wages, investments to reskill our employees, our ability to effectively implement a hybrid work model, economic uncertainties and geo-political situations, technological disruptions and innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, our corporate actions including acquisitions, and cybersecurity matters. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/infosys-and-the-financial-times-unveil-the-ft-money-machine-through-immersive-extended-reality-experience-302240430.html BOSTON, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than one year after opening an office in Boston, MacPaw, a leading macOS and iOS software maker, is excited to announce the conclusion of its first student internship program in collaboration with the MIT-Ukraine program. A Vision of Mutual Growth and Innovation In response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, MIT has launched the MIT-Ukraine program to serve as a hub for its technological and humanitarian efforts. This program engages MIT students, faculty, and staff in global efforts to preserve and rebuild Ukraine. One of the program's key components is the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) internships, which enable MIT talent to work on hands-on projects supporting Ukraine. "The MIT-Ukraine program was established to harness MIT's engineering and technology expertise to support Ukraine during these challenging times," said Svitlana Krasynska, program manager of MIT-Ukraine. "While our major focus is on internships, the program also aims to engage the MIT community through collaborative research and by keeping the campus informed about the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Our goal is to establish long-term collaborations where our students can support companies like MacPaw in their efforts to contribute to Ukraine's recovery and growth." Hands-On Experience This program collaboration provided two MIT students with the unique opportunity to work closely with MacPaw's technological research and development team, which specializes in transforming research ideas into practical applications. The interns focused on identifying the most effective methods for highlighting important software updates for users, including the possibility of automating the update process. Over just 2.5 months, they conducted extensive research, chose the optimal approach, and organized data and ML models to enhance the update process. Their efforts show great improvement in how MacPaw manages software updates. "We aimed to fully integrate the students into our workflow and culture, ensuring they felt like integral members of our team," said Sergii Krivoblotsky, Head of the Technological Research and Development Center at MacPaw."We provided them with both comprehensive support and the freedom to suggest and implement changes. This approach offered them invaluable hands-on industry experience, allowing them to gain a deep understanding of our processes from within. This philosophy aligns closely with MIT-Ukraine's approach, which also aims to engage MIT students into real-world projects." Setting a Benchmark for Future Collaborations Following the success of this collaboration, MacPaw is exploring opportunities to deepen its relationship with MIT. The company remains committed to fostering the next generation of technology innovators and furthering its connections with interns and the higher education ecosystem, both in Boston and globally. MacPaw is committed to forming long-term partnerships with top universities worldwide to attract the brightest minds to the company. The Technological Research and Development team continuously seeks new talent and diverse perspectives to drive innovation, accelerate research, and deepen expertise. This strategic focus on collaboration with academic institutions ensures that MacPaw remains at the forefront of technological advancements. About MacPaw MacPaw develops and distributes innovative software for macOS and iOS that simplifies the lives of Mac users. Renowned for its meticulously crafted products, such as CleanMyMac X, CleanMyPhone, Setapp, and ClearVPN, and known for its Moonlock cybersecurity division, MacPaw is dedicated to enhancing and securing the Mac user experience. Founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, with a subsidiary office in Boston, MacPaw serves over 30 million users worldwide. With one in every five Mac users having at least one MacPaw app, the company is a trusted leader in the Mac software ecosystem. MacPaw has its own Technological R&D unit that works with software technology advances in human-computer interaction and related areas, transforming research ideas into practical applications in MacPaw products. About MIT-Ukraine The MIT-Ukraine program is committed to mobilizing MIT's scientific and technical expertise in support of Ukraine. While the program was launched to address the mounting challenges resulting from the ongoing Russian war, it intends to partake in designing creative solutions and innovation supporting Ukraine's reconstruction and democracy-building in the long-term future. Being a leading science, technology and engineering research university, MIT is perfectly positioned to mobilize students, faculty, and staff to participate in global efforts of preserving and rebuilding Ukraine. Media Kit Media Contacts MacPaw Kateryna Andriienko PR Specialist kathy.andriienko@macpaw.com pr_team@macpaw.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2497827/Main_Visual.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2497828/2_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/macpaw-concludes-successful-internship-program-in-collaboration-with-mit-ukraine-302239966.html In April 2024, the VOYAH brand of Dongfeng was grandly released in Milan, Italy, and officially entered the Italian market with the theme of "Designing Evolution". On the eve of the release, VOYAH held its brand debut in Palazzo Serbelloni, an ancient building in Milan, where the luxury brand released its "royal venue". The event saw a gathering of celebrities, marking a milestone as the most high-profile appearance for a Chinese automotive brand going global. VOYAH's exhibition at Serbelloni Palace spanned a full week, being open to the public and tourists in Milan, offering local consumers an unprecedented visual feast. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240906397611/en/ Dongfeng brand activities in Italian market (Photo: Business Wire) Since this year, Dongfeng has continued to carry out diversified marketing in the Italian market. To further enhance the brand's influence in Italy, VOYAH also sponsored the Macerata Opera Festival in Italy in 2024. In July, many models of VOYAH appeared on the streets of Macerata, which attracted the active attention of local celebrities, tourists and residents. In addition, Dongfeng actively promotes the expansion of Italian sales channels. In July this year, Dongfeng invited dozens of leading Italian dealership groups to participate in the event. At present, four top Italian automobile distribution groups have officially signed contracts with Dongfeng. On September 12th, Dongfeng will also take advantage of the Turin Auto Show in Italy to hold the DONGFENG DAYEUROPE brand event to showcase the new models that are about to enter the Italian market, including Dongfeng passenger vehicles, VOYAH, MHERO brand fuel, hybrid and pure electric vehicles, covering Sedan, SUV, MPV, off-road and other vehicles, aiming to provide Italian consumers with various needs such as family, urban commuting, VIP reception and off-road experience. The DONGFENG DAY brand events showcase Dongfeng Motor's firm confidence in deepening the European market and demonstrate Dongfeng brand's commitment to establish an international image of "Quality, Technology and Green Sustainability". In the future, Dongfeng will continue to develop "DONGFENG DAY" brand activities to elevate its global communication efforts to new heights. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240906397611/en/ Contacts: Company: China Dongfeng Motor Industry Imp. Exp. Co. Ltd Contact: Li Rongrong Email: lirongrong@dfmc.com.cn Phone number: +86157 0073 3121 Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@dongfeng_motor Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Genethon, a non-profit research organization and world leader in gene therapies for rare diseases, is marking World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day on September 7, 2024, by reiterating its 35-year commitment to the families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its determination to offer patients a solution to overcome this fatal disease. Genethon currently is developing a drug candidate that has demonstrated its efficacy in the first patients to be treated. Its characteristics make it the most promising gene therapy drug candidate currently in development to treat the thousands of children born each year with this disease. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the most common childhood neuromuscular diseases. Nearly 250,000 people mostly children are affected worldwide, and all are waiting for the treatment that will change their lives. Today, gene therapy is the most promising therapeutic approach, because it tackles the origin of the disease, not just its symptoms. Genethon has developed GNT0004, a drug candidate combining a microdystrophin and an AAV8 vector, currently being evaluated in a gene therapy trial being conducted in France and the UK. Safety and pharmacodynamic results from the first patients, presented at the Myology2024 congress in Paris in April, showed good tolerance of GNT0004, as well as efficacy data, both in terms of microdystrophin expression and functional improvement. Indeed, children treated at the therapeutic dose improved their ability to walk, even run, climb stairs and stand up on their own, with or without support. On the strength of the positive opinion of the IDMC (Independent Data Monitoring Committee), Genethon will begin the final phase of evaluation of the drug candidate with the dose that demonstrated its efficacy in the first phase of the trial. This dose is lower than those used in all other gene therapy trials currently being conducted for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and lower than the gene therapy product approved by FDA. This represents a major advantage in terms of patient safety (limiting side-effects), ease of production, and treatment cost. "After years of research, during which Duchenne muscular dystrophy has taken so many lives, hope is now tangible for families, and particularly for those whose young children are now diagnosed. Seeing children, who should inexorably lose their strength, making manifest progress running, climbing stairs one leg at a time is an incredible emotion. The fight goes on, stronger than ever! Our hearts go out to Genethon's researchers and experts in this final stretch, and we look to the future with great optimism," said Laurence Tiennot-Herment, President of AFM-Telethon (French neuromuscular dystrophy association) and mother of Charles-Henri, who died of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2003.See more including patient testimonials on the web site of the AFM-Telethon "This program is a real scientific and technological adventure, but also a human one for us, born of the determination of families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We are very proud of the results obtained by our gene therapy GNT0004 in the first patients treated and look forward to starting the pivotal phase of the trial in Europe. Genethon teams are more determined than ever to succeed and offer families an effective and safe treatment that changes the lives of children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy," said Frederic Revah, Chief Executive Officer of Genethon. About GNT0004 The GNT0004 gene therapy product is composed of an AAV8 (adeno-associated virus) vector and the optimized hMD1 transgene, a shortened but functional version of the gene encoding dystrophin, the protein deficient in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This vector is designed to be expressed in muscle tissue and also in the heart, thanks to a tissue-specific Spc5-12 promoter sequence. GNT0004 is administered by a single intravenous injection. It was developed by Genethon, in partnership with the teams of Prof. Dickson (University of London, Royal Holloway) and the Institute of Myology. About Duchenne muscular dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 5,000 boys, is a rare progressive genetic disease affecting all muscles in the body. It is linked to abnormalities in the gene responsible for the production of dystrophin, a structural protein essential for the stability of muscle fiber membranes and their metabolism. The absence of dystrophin leads to progressive degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles, loss of walking and respiratory capacity, cardiomyoapthy and death between the ages of 20 and 40. About Genethon A pioneer in the discovery and development of gene therapies for rare diseases, Genethon is a not-for-profit laboratory created by the AFM-Telethon. A first gene therapy drug to which Genethon contributed, was successfully marketed for spinal muscular atrophy. With over 220 scientists and professionals, Genethon aims to develop innovative therapies that change the lives of patients suffering from rare genetic diseases. Thirteen gene therapy products resulting from Genethon's research, or to which Genethon has contributed, are currently in clinical trials for diseases of the liver, blood, immune system, muscles and eyes. Seven other products are being prepared for clinical trials over the next five years. www.genethon.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240906996065/en/ Contacts: Opus Communication: Genethon: Stephanie Bardon +33 645159587 communication@genethon.fr Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: 5YY) ("Riverside" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that on September 4, 2024, it entered into a Letter of Intent with Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) ("Questcorp"), whereby the Company will grant an option (the "Transaction") to Questcorp for the acquisition of a one-hundred percent (100%) interest in the La Union project (the "Project") located in Sonora, Mexico. Riverside will receive $100,000 and 19.9% in the ownership of Questcorp upon Questcorp investing $5,500,000 into the Project over a period of 4 years from the date of completing the Definitive Agreement. Union is a large, carbonate-hosted gold district with high grade gold-zinc and a former mining operation of the Penoles Mining Company of Mexico. The Project has drive up access, private ranch surface ownership, and geologic features similar to the major carbonate replacement deposits located in Arizona and further east in Mexico. Union has past drilling and mining at multiple production centers which have been consolidated over the past 5 years by Riverside. Riverside now controls over 22 sq km with favorable limestone host rocks, large alteration footprint and many small mine workings which provide more than 8 drill ready target areas with the central former Union Mine and the Famosa Mine as two key immediate target areas. "We are excited to partner this top-quality Project, consolidated and worked up by Riverside. To now work with Questcorp to go forward with the exploration program and continued development is an excellent collaboration and fits both companies' business models." said John Mark Staude, President and CEO of Riverside. "Riverside has extensive operational capacity in Mexico and can rapidly move ahead with Questcorp to unlock the value of La Union Project. Riverside being a significant shareholder of Questcorp with an initial 9.9% on signing the Definitive Agreement aligns our interests to see success for Union and the companies." Transaction Details: In accordance with the terms of the Transaction, Questcorp can acquire a one-hundred percent (100%) interest in the Project in consideration for completion of a series of cash payments totaling $100,000, the issuance of 19.9% of the outstanding common shares of the Questcorp, and the incurrence of no less than $5,500,000 of exploration expenditures on the Project by Questcorp, as follows: Deadline Cash Payment Share Issuance Exploration Expenditures Entering into Letter of Intent (Paid) $12,500 Nil N/A Closing of the Transaction (Signing of the Definitive Agreement and conditions) $12,500 *9.9% N/A First Anniversary of Closing Nil *14.9% $1,000,000 Second Anniversary of Closing $25,000 *19.9% $1,250,000 Third Anniversary of Closing $25,000 *19.9% $1,500,000 Fourth Anniversary of Closing $25,000 *19.9% $1,750,000 Total $100,000 *19.9% $5,500,000 *Expressed as a cumulative total percentage of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as of the applicable payment date, and assuming Riverside has not previously disposed of any common shares **All dollar amounts in this news release are in Canadian dollars Riverside will remain the program operator for the Project during the term of the option using its local team based in Hermosillo, Sonora and with support from the Vancouver, Canada exploration office. Following exercise of the option, Riverside will retain a two-and-one-half percent (2.5%) net smelter returns royalty on commercial production from the Project. Exploration work by Riverside over the past 12 months has improved the geologic and structural contextual understanding of the past mines and overall potential areas of mineralization including possibilities for a deeper Laramide age porphyry Cu-Au target as found to the north at Ajo and eastward along the abundant Cu porphyry belt of Sonora- Arizona. Surface sampling recently completed by Riverside has continued to find gold and the tailings from the past mine operators, located in a number of locations on the property, have shown extensive gold zones in oxide ores. Completion of the Transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including the finalization of definitive documentation, completion of the Concurrent Financing by Questcorp for gross proceeds of no less than $1,500,000, receipt of any required regulatory, shareholder and third-party consents, approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Riverside has been paid the initial $12,500 and will be paid the second $12,500 upon signing the Definitive Agreement. Readers are cautioned that the Letter of Intent does not bind Questcorp to complete the Transaction. Should the Definitive Agreement not be done then the Letter of Intent will automatically terminate after forty-five days. The Transaction cannot close until the required approvals are obtained and the foregoing conditions satisfied. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Qualified Person: This news release was reviewed and approved by Freeman Smith, P.Geo., a non-independent qualified person to Riverside Resources, who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided within this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Riverside Resources Inc.: Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The Company has over $5 million in cash, no debt and less than 75 million shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets and royalties in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Mexico and Canada and leverages its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties. In addition to Riverside's own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has properties available for option, with information available on the Company's website at www.rivres.com. ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC. "John-Mark Staude" Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect"," estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222177 SOURCE: Riverside Resources Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (OTCQX: BKRRF) (FSE: AHZ0) ("Blackrock" or the "Company") will be attending the 2024 Precious Metals Summit (the "Summit") in Beaver Creek, Colorado being held on September 10-13, 2024. The Summit is the world's premier independent investment conference focused on explorers, developers and emerging producers of gold, silver and platinum group metals. This by-invitation-only event will bring together institutional investors, sell-side representatives and corporate executives from senior precious metals companies with management teams of close to 200 carefully selected, highly prospective issuers representing the world's mining and mineral exploration sectors. During the Summit, Blackrock's management team will be delivering a presentation outlining the findings of the initial Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the Company's 100%-owned Tonopah West Project located in Nye and Esmeralda counties, Nevada, United States ("Tonopah West" or the "Project") (see September 4, 2024 news). Blackrock's President & Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Pollard, will be presenting at the Summit on Tuesday, September 10th at 1:15pm MT. The presentation will be webcast live (and available for replay), in addition to 1-on-1 meetings with institutional investors and corporates throughout the conference. Andrew Pollard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: "Following delivery of our initial Tonopah West PEA, which established a robust production profile of 8.6 million AgEq ounces annually at $11.96 AISC's over a 7.8 year mine-life, management is excited to get in front of institutional investors, analysts, and corporates at the 2024 Precious Metals Summit in Beaver Creek where we have a fully-booked schedule of 1-on-1 meetings arranged. Our presentation, which will be webcast live and available for online replay, is our first opportunity to present our PEA results to investors, and with a 20,000m resource expansion and conversion program well-underway (see July 30, 2024 news), chart the exciting path ahead for our world-class discovery." To view the webcast (and replay) please visit: https://www.gowebcasting.com/conferences/2024/09/10/precious-metals-summit/ Highlights of the Tonopah West PEA (See September 4, 2024 news) (All amounts are in United States Dollars unless otherwise indicated) At the base case gold price of $1,900 per ounce and silver price of $23 per ounce, the Project commands an after-tax net present value discounted at 5% (" NPV 5% ") of $326-million on a low initial capex of $178-million (including $22-million contingency) with a payback of 2.3 years and an after-tax internal rate of return (" IRR ") of 39.2% ") of $326-million on a low initial capex of $178-million (including $22-million contingency) with a payback of 2.3 years and an after-tax internal rate of return (" ") of 39.2% At a gold price of $2,280 per ounce and a silver price of $27.60 per ounce (base case +20%), the economic profile of the Project escalates to an after-tax NPV 5% of $495-million and an after-tax IRR of 54.0%. of $495-million and an after-tax IRR of 54.0%. All-in Sustaining Costs (" AISC ") 1 of $11.96 per silver equivalent ounce basis. ") of $11.96 per silver equivalent ounce basis. Over the approximately 8-year life of mine (" LOM "), production from the mining and processing of approximately 4.1 million diluted tonnes of material containing 75.4 million silver equivalent (" AgEq ") ounces (silver/gold ratio of 90/1) which equates to 66.8 payable AgEq ounces at a head grade of 570 g/t AgEq. The mine is expected to deliver 424,000 payable gold ounces and approximately 31.8 million payable silver ounces generating $496-million after-tax LOM cash flow. "), production from the mining and processing of approximately 4.1 million diluted tonnes of material containing 75.4 million silver equivalent (" ") ounces (silver/gold ratio of 90/1) which equates to 66.8 payable AgEq ounces at a head grade of 570 g/t AgEq. The mine is expected to deliver 424,000 payable gold ounces and approximately 31.8 million payable silver ounces generating $496-million after-tax LOM cash flow. Significant expansion potential: PEA excludes NW step out deposit (12 million AgEq ounces) from the mine plan. 3 drills are at site on a 20,000 metre resource expansion and conversion program aimed at de-risking an initial 3 years of production and bridging a one kilometre mineralized strike potential to NW step-out zone that could bring additional ounces online. Tonopah West is situated on patented mineral claims (private land) and benefits from a stream-lined permitting process with only State and County regulators involved. A technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") on Tonopah West which includes the PEA and an updated mineral resource estimate for the Project (the "MRE") will be filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulators within 45 days of the September 4, 2024 news release. The technical report will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company's website (www.blackrocksilver.com). The results of the PEA are preliminary in nature and include inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them to be classified as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources estimated will be converted into mineral reserves. The quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources in the MRE are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as Indicated mineral resources. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to the indicated mineral resources category. Blackrock's exploration activities at Tonopah West are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 standards. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. About Blackrock Silver Corp. Backed by gold and silver ounces in the ground, Blackrock is a junior precious metal focused exploration and development company driven to add shareholder value. Anchored by a seasoned Board of Directors, the Company is focused on its 100% controlled Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold and silver mineralization located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada. Additional information on Blackrock Silver Corp. can be found on its website at www.blackrocksilver.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things: the Company's strategic plans; the results of the PEA; the economic potential and merits of the Project; the estimated amount and grade of mineral resources at the Project; precious metals prices; the PEA representing a viable development option for the Project; the timing and particulars of the development phases as identified in the PEA; estimates with respect to LOM, operating costs, sustaining capital costs, capex, AISC, cash costs, LOM production, mill throughput, NPV and after-tax IRR, payback period, production capacity and other metrics; the estimated economic returns from the Project; mining methods and extraction techniques; the exploration potential of the NW step out area and its inclusion in future mining studies; Project enhancement opportunities; the completion of further expansion drilling; the benefits of the Project to the local economy in Tonopah; and the timing of filing of a technical report in respect of the PEA. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; tonnage to be mined and processed; grades and recoveries; prices for silver and gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; reclamation estimates; reliability of the updated MRE and the assumptions upon which it is based; future operating costs; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); the availability of skilled labour and no labour related disruptions at any of the Company's operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled production; performance of available laboratory and other related services; availability of funds; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for operations are received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in silver and gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets; operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom the Company does business; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and indigenous populations; the ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in the jurisdictions where the Company operates; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political, legal or economic developments, including legal restrictions relating to mining and risks relating to expropriation; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the duration and effects any pandemics on the Company's operations and workforce; and those factors identified under the caption "Risks Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors Concerning Mineral Resources and Reserves This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum guidelines, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian public disclosure standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and information concerning mineralization, deposits, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained or referred to herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release uses the term "inferred mineral resources". U.S. investors are advised that, while such term is recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize it. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are not the same as those of the SEC, and may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part of an "indicated mineral resource" will ever be converted into a "reserve". U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred mineral resources" exist, are economically or legally mineable or will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Disclosure of "contained metal" in a mineral resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian securities laws. However, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade, without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. Non-IFRS Measures The Company has included certain non-IFRS financial measures in this news release, such as sustaining capital costs, total cash costs and AISC which are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. As a result, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other companies. Each of these measures used are intended to provide additional information to the reader and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. Non-IFRS financial measures used in this news release and common to the mining industry are defined below. Sustaining Capital Costs Sustaining capital costs are expenditures incurred during a production phase to sustain and maintain the existing assets so they can achieve constant expected levels of production from which the Company will derive economic benefits. Sustaining capital costs include expenditure for assets to retain their existing productive capacity as well as to enhance performance and reliability of the operations. Reclamation costs are accrued during the LOM and expended at the end of the mine life. Total Cash Costs Total cash costs are reflective of the cost of production. Total cash costs reported in the PEA include mining costs, processing, general and administrative costs of the mine, royalties and production taxes, reclamation and bond premiums and refining and treatment charges. All-In Sustaining Costs (AISC) Site-level all-in sustaining costs are reflective of all of the expenditures that are required to produce an ounce of silver from operations. All-in sustaining costs reported in the PEA include total cash costs, sustaining capital and exploration. 1 AISC is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standardized definition under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Please refer to "Non-IFRS Measures" at the end of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222310 SOURCE: Blackrock Silver Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce that it has acquired 100% of beloved Toronto-based QSR brand IQ Foods Co. ("IQ Foods") and all four IQ Foods locations. IQ Foods offers a variety of delicious, wholesome options like healthy bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and salads, along with other flavorful clean-eating dishes that the whole family can enjoy. iQ Foods 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/222367_fc13166734a00b34_002full.jpg "Today, we are pleased to announce the 100% acquisition of IQ Foods. Alongside our wholly owned Lettuce Love Cafe brand, and our binding acquisition agreement for Salus Fresh Foods announced on July 29th, we are taking our first steps in executing the next phase of our business strategy by consolidating emerging brands within sectors, in addition to developing emerging brands," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer. "This is a key moment in our company's growth as we embark on consolidating sectors, starting with the premium healthy and clean eating vertical. This approach aligns with our strategy, targeting a growth sector that is gaining market share and share of wallet amongst consumers, especially among health-conscious consumers in parts of Canada and the US. We see inspiration in category leaders like Sweetgreen in the US, which has grown significantly in business, store count, and achieved an impressive market cap of over $3.5 billion USD, not unlike how CAVA accelerated its expansion in the Mediterranean category by acquiring Zoe's Kitchen. Our acquisition of IQ Foods establishes our Happy Belly platform as a strong foundation for our sector consolidation strategy." IQ Foods is a cornerstone brand in Canada's premium healthy eating market and represents the largest single acquisition of corporate-owned stores that Happy Belly has made to date. Strategically situated in urban and central business districts, IQ Foods serves the needs of thousands of customers who are focused on health and wellness from local businesses while also expanding into catering services, which generates additional revenue in major metropolitan centers. This approach has built strong brand awareness and a loyal customer base through word-of-mouth and most importantly, happy and satisfied customers. As part of the acquisition Happy Belly takes ownership of four downtown Toronto locations: 100 King Street West (First Canadian Place) 18 York Street (Financial Centre) Providing food services to consumers in multiple business towers housing thousands of businesses, as well as surrounding densely populated commercial areas. These two strategic locations allow IQ Foods to efficiently cater to the daily needs of corporate clients, office workers, and professionals, offering everything from quick lunches and snacks to full-service meal options. At the same time, IQ Foods maintains a thriving catering business, delivering customized meal solutions for corporate events, meetings, and special occasions. This dual focus enables IQ Foods to reach a diverse, high-end customer base, enhance brand visibility, and capitalize on the high demand for convenient, premium quality food options in Toronto's active financial district. 199 Bay Street (Equinox Gym and Fitness Center) 55 Avenue Road (Yorkville Equinox Gym and Fitness Center) Offering a variety of pre- and post-workout smoothies and high protein baked goods to gym goers, with one location strategically located at street level in the heart of Toronto's financial district to attract additional foot traffic from office towers. This prime location not only caters to fitness enthusiasts seeking quick, nutritious options but also maximizes visibility to pedestrians, creating a dual stream of customers and enhancing brand presence. By positioning these IQ Foods locations in and near popular gyms and busy thoroughfares, IQ Foods aims to serve both the health-conscious gym community and those passing by, driving growth through convenient access to health-focused snacks and beverages. iQ Foods 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/222367_fc13166734a00b34_003full.jpg The sale of IQ Foods to Happy Belly has been approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) with the acquisition scheduled to close in September. The purchase price has been sealed by order of the Court until closing. Projected system sales across the four locations is $4.0M combined. The four locations have been experiencing double digit sales growth (10.3%) on a year-to-date basis. The restaurants continue to maintain a healthy gross margin and forecasted EBITDA is $300K after inclusion of corporate expenses. "With our current and prospective new locations, we aim to grow and scale IQ Foods operations into 2025 and beyond. Our Happy Belly footprint continues to grow with each M&A transaction and every new store opening. With the IQ Foods acquisition, we will have 36 restaurants operating within the Happy Belly portfolio, which will increase to 45 following the closing of the Salus Fresh Foods acquisition. Additionally, five of our brands currently have one or more locations under construction, significantly boosting our organic growth. This combination of accelerated organic and inorganic growth positions us well for continued expansion. We look forward to announcing several new openings throughout 2024 as we continue to sign franchise agreements and secure prime real estate locations for our franchisees across Canada." iQ Foods 3 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/222367_fc13166734a00b34_004full.jpg Dedicated to ensuring the successful opening of all 376 retail locations in the Happy Belly pipeline across established and emerging brands, the Happy Belly team is diligently sourcing and evaluating real estate, reviewing franchisee applications, and collaborating closely with our area developers to expedite the growth of Happy Belly's asset-light franchising model. We are just getting started. About Happy Belly Food Group Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leading consolidator of emerging food brands. Happy Belly Food Group To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/222367_fc13166734a00b34_005full.jpg Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include the future performance of Happy Belly and her subsidiaries. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222367 SOURCE: Happy Belly Food Group Inc. TCL's premium air conditioner solutions demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and bring the most innovative ACs to consumers across Europe BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TCL, a leading global consumer electronics brand, is excited to introduce the FreshIN 3.0 Inverter Air Conditioner at IFA 2024. The air conditioning industry is currently facing three main challenges: respiratory health concerns, energy consumption and providing a healthy environment. TCL's third generation of FreshIN Inverter Air Conditioner addresses these challenges and redefines what consumers can expect from their home cooling solutions by not only regulating temperature, but also improving air quality, optimising energy use and reducing noise. Please go to your nearest TCL point of sales for more information. FreshIN Technology Prioritises the Health and Well-being of Users by Improving Air Quality TCL's air conditioner technology goes far beyond creating comfortable living environments; it actively improves indoor air quality, making homes across Europe healthier and more relaxed. Featuring the patented design of liftable fresh air inlet - "FreshIN", the TCL FreshIN 3.0 air conditioner will let you know when the fresh air comes into your room and direct it through the top panel. Complementing this innovative feature is the industry-leading TVOC Detection System allowing you to monitor air quality at a glance. The system changes colour in real-time based on the level of air pollutants detected, allowing you to see instantly when the air is clean and safe, or when action is needed to improve air quality. The FreshIN 3.0 goes further with its Quadrupuri Filters-a four-layer filtration system that efficiently filter particles and refreshes indoor air with clean, fresh air, allowing you to enjoy fresh air even when the outdoor air conditions are poor. When the outdoor air is not ideal, the indoor air passes through the Quadrupuri Filters, including the preliminary filter, silver ion antibacterial layer, EPA efficiency filter and high-density filter, ensuring effective air purification meaning allergy sufferers can breathe easier and experience ultimate comfort in every breath. Additionally, the FreshIN 3.0 AC features a self-cleaning function that reduces allergens and bacteria, making maintenance effortless and keeping the air you breathe cleaner. To further enhance users comfort, the upgraded Four-fold Noise Reduction System, achieves a minimum of 16 dBs of quiet fresh air, reducing industry-standard noise levels by 10 dB(A) at the same airflow rate, ensuring a disturbance-free sleep while maintaining refreshing indoor air. Constant strong streams of air from traditional air conditioners can often lead to discomfort or even irritation, causing issues like dry eyes and a sore throat. TCL's FreshIN 3.0 addresses this problem with its innovative soft airflow technology, featuring over 1,000 micro-holes that disperse cool air gently to create a soothing, laminar Gentle Breeze. This ensures that harsh drafts are replaced with a soft, enveloping coolness for ultimate comfort. The FreshIN 3.0 is also designed to combat hypoxia and dryness by intuitively increasing oxygen and humidity levels, promoting a healthier indoor environment. Maximize Energy Savings with Smart Efficiency TCL's FreshIN 3.0 Inverter Air Conditioner is designed with super energy-saving features to optimise energy use and reduce waste. The Smart Big Data Model Algorithm intelligently adjusts compressor activity based on real-time indoor conditions, ensuring that the AC runs efficiently without compromising on comfort. This advanced technology helps the FreshIN 3.0 achieve an A+++ Energy Rating, making it a sustainable choice for households looking to minimise both their environmental impact and electricity costs. Additionally, the Electricity Consumption Monitoring feature on the TCL Home App allows users to track their energy usage in real-time, empowering them to make smarter decisions about their home's energy efficiency. TCL AC technology is designed to make your life easier. With app connectivity, you can control the AC even when you're not at home, ensuring a perfectly ambient temperature upon your return and alleviating any worry if you forget to turn it off before you leave. TCL is at the forefront of home comfort and air quality, combining sustainability with cutting-edge technology. TCL's FreshIN series, backed by state-of-the-art manufacturing, is designed to create healthier, smarter, and more comfortable living spaces worldwide. By enhancing air quality, integrating intuitive controls, and reducing environmental impact, TCL is setting new standards in air conditioning. Discover more products at https://www.tcl.com/eu/en About TCL Electronics TCL Electronics (1070.HK) is a fast-growing consumer electronics company and a leading player in the global TV industry. Founded in 1981, it now operates in over 160 markets globally. TCL specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of consumer electronics products ranging from TVs, audio and smart home appliances. Visit the TCL website at https://www.tcl.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498468/TCL_FreshIN_3_0_AC.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498469/TCL_FreshIN_3_0_AC_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tcl-introduces-the-freshin-3-0-inverter-air-conditioner-at-ifa-2024-redefining-air-quality-and-energy-efficiency-302240525.html The "Understanding EU Clinical Trial Regulation EU Filings Registrations" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This course covers the requirements for conducting Clinical Studies across the EU via the requirements of the EU Clinical Trial Regulation (for Drugs Biologics). The course also covers recent updates on EU-GCP associated with the new regulatory framework and highlights the new EU Pharmacovigilance Directive, as it relates to studies and helpful tips for working with European regulators. The seminar covers the impending changes coming with the EU Parliament's passage of the EU Clinical Trial Regulation, which will affect all trials conducted across the EU [new and ongoing]. This course also covers the various licensing methods (for Drugs, Biologics Combination Products) by which applicants can file for product licenses (Marketing Authorizations) in one or multiple Member States [and EEA], as well as fully across all Member States of the European Union. This course specifically outlines and discusses the structure of the regulatory agencies at the EU level and across the specific Member States. Course content will explain which procedures are available for which products and then will follow the license processing steps for each pathway. Learning Objectives How the EU and individual countries within Europe Interact Which registration procedure to use How regulations affect product development strategies Understanding the concerns/issues of European Regulatory Personnel How to negotiate with the regulators Information necessary for effective submissions Strategies for streamlining the registration application process for faster approval The advantages and disadvantages of various registration procedures How to efficiently initiate trials first patient, first visit How to link the strategy of Country Selection to an ultimate EU registration pathway How to stay compliant What can make the difference in your data passing Regulatory scrutiny Related area-GCP and PV-reporting updates Impending Changes of the EU Clinical Trial Regulation and Timing for Implementation Who Should Attend: Business Management Project Team Members Legal Team Members Clinical Operations Staff Quality Assurance, Monitors, CRAs Regulatory Affairs Investigators Site Study Staff CROs, Consultants, Insurers Key Topics Covered: Session 1: EU's New Regulation 535/2014 on Clinical Trials, 2022 (77 slides) Introduction Foundation of Science-based Clinical Trials Clinical Trial Basics EU Regulation 536/2014, recently implemented Trial subjects' concerns/rights Session 2: ICH Q7, API CGMPs and QMS (81 slides) ICH Q7 API CGMP Additional CGMP considerations Required Records Methods Validation Session 3: Risk Management in EU New Drug Development (53 slides) ICH Q9 Risk Management File Narrative Hazards List, FTA, D-, P-, U-FME[C]A's Review/Report; Use Session 4: Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs) (22 slides) EU Medicinal Products Requirements IMPs Session 5: EU Clinical Trials Application Process (36 slides) Application Process AMS, CMS Required documents. Review Q A Note: Times are approximate. Speakers: John E. Lincoln Principal Consultant J. E. Lincoln and Associates LLC John E. Lincoln is principal of J. E. Lincoln and Associates LLC, a consulting company, with over 33 years' experience in U.S. FDA-regulated industries and 20 years as a full-time consultant. He has worked with companies from start-up to Fortune 100, in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, China and Taiwan. He specializes in quality assurance, regulatory affairs, QMS problem remediation and FDA responses, new changed product 510(k)s, process/ product/ equipment including QMS and so+E6ftware validations, ISO 14971 product risk management files reports, design control design history files, and technical files. He's held positions in manufacturing engineering, QA, QAE, regulatory affairs, to the level of director and VP (R&D). In addition, Mr. Lincoln has prior experience in military, government, electronics, and aerospace. He has published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals, conducted workshops and webinars worldwide on CGMP subjects. He is a graduate of UCLA. For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a9huwn About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240906139494/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Resources help customers monitor energy use, manage bills and find financial assistance LITTLE ROCK, AR / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / Extreme heat can increase electricity use and costs, and the past two summers have brought record-level temperatures and higher electricity usage by our customers. Entergy Arkansas is committed to helping our customers stay cool and save money this summer with a variety of bill management tools and customer assistance resources. Entergy's newly launched online Bill Toolkit connects customers to bill management, energy efficiency and financial assistance resources. This new resource helps our customers explore simple ways they can lower their electricity use and costs. "In the face of extreme temperatures, we're doing all we can to keep costs down for customers with some of the lowest electricity rates in the country," said Ventrell Thompson, vice president of customer service for Entergy Arkansas. "We know our customers are seeing higher prices on their monthly purchases and expenses and we want to help where we can. Our customer bill toolkit can help them take control of their budget and save money this summer by monitoring their energy use, managing their bills and finding financial assistance." Besides the Bill Toolkit, another new offering by Entergy Arkansas is Single Stop, which builds pathways out of poverty by helping connect customers to existing resources available to them in a one-stop shop. It goes beyond just utility assistance. Its technology leverages existing financial resources with opportunities for education, counseling, training and support. Track your energy use Bill management tools like myAdvisor empower our customers to set electricity usage alerts and monitor how much energy they use each day. Tracking electricity use over time can help customers identify habits that contribute to higher use and budget their monthly expenses. With their myAdvisor dashboard, customers have access to usage and cost details, bill history, bill projections and analyzer tools and more. Manage your bills your way Entergy Arkansas offers several flexible payment options so customers can choose when, where and how they receive their bills. Pick-A-Date allows customers to pay their bills when it works best for them. Level Billing allows customers to "level out" seasonal energy use fluctuations, making their bills more consistent every month. PaperFREE billing allows customers to get their bills emailed as soon as they post and instant access to two years of billing history. AutoPay allows customers to avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having bills automatically deduct from their bank accounts. Entergy Arkansas encourages customers who may need additional payment options to reach out. To see if customers automatically qualify for deferred payment arrangements or payment extensions, they can visit our mobile app or myEntergy. Find financial assistance For customers needing assistance to pay their bills, Entergy Arkansas is here to help. Throughout this summer, Entergy Arkansas is implementing a series of measures through its "Beat the Heat" program focused on helping our low-income customers and communities stay cool and pay their bills. The program provides bill payment assistance, fans and energy efficiency kits and support from local community partners to help hundreds of residential customers across the state. In addition, Entergy Arkansas partners with local and state organizations to connect qualifying customers with financial assistance including: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides financial assistance for energy bills and other energy-related expenses. The Power to Care program provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities. Single Stop makes it easy for customers to quickly and confidentially check their eligibility for federal, state and local financial assistance. For more ways to save energy and money, customers can visit BillToolkit.entergy.com. About Entergy Arkansas Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Arkansas, visit the Newsroom and connect with @EntergyArk on social media. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Entergy Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Dryden Gold Corp. (TSXV: DRY) (OYCQB: DRYGF) ("Dryden Gold" or the "Company is pleased to announce that as a result of excess demand it is increasing the previously announced (August 26, 2024) non-brokered equity financing (the "Upsized Financing") of up to a maximum of 27,000,000 shares comprised of (1) flow-through common shares (the "FT Shares") and (2) charity flow-through units (the "CFT Unit") and (3) hard dollar units (the "HD Units"). The FT Shares will be offered at $0.13 per share. The CFT Units will be offered at a price of $0.15 per CFT Unit. Each CFT Unit will consist of one FT Share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant (a "Warrant") will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.18 per common share for a period of 24 months. The HD Units will be offered at $.11 and will consist of one common Share of the Company and one-half of one Warrant. The FT Shares, the CFT Units and the HD Units will combine for maximum aggregate proceeds of up to $3,500,000. The upsized offering is subject to compliance with applicable securities laws and the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Finders' fees of 6% cash and non-transferable Warrants equal to 6% of the number of FT Shares, CFT Units and HD Units sold under the Upsized Financing may be payable to eligible arm's length persons with respect to certain subscriptions accepted by the Company. Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Upsized Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period. The gross proceeds of the Upsized Financing will be used to fund drilling, re-logging, on the Company's Dryden Gold Property in northwestern Ontario and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of HD Units will be used for working capital and general and administrative expenses. The FT Shares and the CFT Units will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"). An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares and the CFT Units will be used to incur eligible resource exploration expenses which will qualify as (i) "Canadian exploration expenses" (as defined in the Tax Act), and (ii) as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act). The gross proceeds from the issuance of the HD Units will be used for general corporate purposes. The Upsized Financing will close in one or more tranches on completion of documentation and is conditional upon receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Exchange. The Company anticipates that insiders may subscribe for HD Units. The issuance of HD Units to insiders is considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(b) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATON INTO THE USA ABOUT DRYDEN GOLD CORP. Dryden Gold Corp. is an exploration company focused on the discovery of high-grade gold mineralization listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("DRY") and traded on the OTCQB ("DRYGF"). The Company has a strong management team and Board of Directors comprised of experienced individuals with a track record of building shareholder value through property acquisition and consolidation, exploration success, and mergers and acquisitions. Dryden Gold controls a 100% interest in a dominant strategic land position in the Dryden District of Northwestern Ontario. Dryden Gold acknowledges all Indigenous Peoples and that it is operating on the traditional homelands of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Eagle Lake First Nation. Dryden Gold's property package includes historic gold mines but has seen limited modern exploration. The property hosts high-grade gold mineralization over 50km of potential strike length along the Manitou-Dinorwic deformation zone. The property has excellent infrastructure, enjoys collaborative relationships with First Nations communities and proximity to an experienced mining workforce. For more information go to our website www.drydengold.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future development plans; future acquisitions; exploration programs; and the business and operations of Dryden Gold. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could affect actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements including, the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in Dryden Gold's and the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are conditioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Dryden Gold and the Company do not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from Dryden Gold's and the Company's expectations or projections. UNITED STATES ADVISORY. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), have been offered and sold outside the United States to eligible investors pursuant to Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, and may not be offered, sold, or resold in the United States or to, or for the account of or benefit of, a U.S. Person (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act) unless the securities are registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. Hedging transactions involving the securities must not be conducted unless in accordance with the U.S. Securities Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in the state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222371 SOURCE: Dryden Gold Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) (OTCQX: LSANF) ("Los Andes" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its CEO, Santiago Montt, has been invited by the Government of Chile to participate today as a panelist at the Chile Day Paris. The Chile Day is a public-private collaboration, sponsored by the Chilean Ministry of Finance, whose main objective is to position Chile as a highly attractive destination for foreign investment. It takes place 4 times a year in New York, London, Toronto and Paris. This year, Mr. Mario Marcel, the Minister of Finance of Chile, heads the delegation which includes several other high-level authorities. Los Andes has been invited to participate in a panel to discuss "Stimulating Investment and Growth: Accelerating Permits and Improving Regulation Benchmarks and Trends." The panel will be led by Francisco Saffie, the Economic Regulation Coordinator from the Ministry of Finance of Chile, and will include representatives of BHP, Eren Groupe, and Los Andes Copper. Santiago Montt, CEO of Los Andes, commented: "I am very pleased to have been asked to participate on this panel. The Chilean government is making important efforts to improve our current system of regulations and permitting processes, with the goal of securing the leadership position that the country has had as a destination for foreign investment, in mining, energy and several other industrial sectors. We are delighted to share our experience from the perspective of a greenfield project." About Los Andes Copper Ltd. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is an exploration and development company with an 100% interest in the Vizcachitas Project in Chile. The Company is focused on progressing the Project, which is located along Chile's most prolific copper belt, into production. Vizcachitas is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not controlled by the majors and the Company believes it will be Chile's next major copper mine. The Project is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 150 kilometers north of Santiago, in an area of very good infrastructure. An independent technical report for the PFS, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, is available on the Company's SEDAR profile. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is listed on the TSX-V under the ticker: LA. Qualified Persons Antony Amberg CGeol FGS, the Company's Chief Geologist, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. For more information please contact: Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), Securities Act (Ontario) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information. Such Forward Looking Information includes, without limitation, the timing of and ability to obtain TSX-V and other regulatory approvals and the prospects, details related to and timing of the Vizcachitas Project. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222364 SOURCE: Los Andes Copper Ltd. WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, today released its annual Global Cruise Industry Environmental Technologies and Practices Report, showing continued progress by the sector in advancing its environmental and sustainability agenda, including investments in ships and technologies for the uptake of transitional and alternative fuels. "Cruise lines are continuing to reduce their emissions at sea and at berth in pursuit of net zero emissions by 2050," said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association. "This year's environmental technologies report demonstrates their progress, with the industry investing in engine technologies with conversion capabilities that will allow ships to use more renewable energy sources as they become available and making important incremental steps to employ a range of other environmental technologies and practices to advance the industry's wider sustainability initiatives." Highlights from the industry's 2024 Environmental Technologies and Practices report include: Fleet Profile The CLIA-member ocean fleet includes 303 ships and a total capacity of 635,000 lower berths operated by 45 cruise line brands representing 90% of capacity - an increase of 3.6% and 3.34% respectively, compared to the prior year. Analysis of the current CLIA member cruise line fleet indicates that the majority of ocean-going ships operated by CLIA member cruise lines are small to mid-size ships, with ship size distribution across the fleet as follows: 35% of ships are small ships (fewer than 1,000 lower berths) 38% of ships are mid-size ships (1,000 to fewer than 3,000 lower berths) 26% of ships are large ships (upwards of 3,000 lower berths) Fuel Flexibility CLIA member cruise lines are investing in new ships and engines that allow for fuel flexibility. This includes capability to use renewable biodiesel, investments in the capability to use green methanol when available, and liquified natural gas (LNG). Ships designed with engines and fuel supply systems able to operate on LNG will be able to switch to zero and near-zero fuels such as bio or synthetic LNG in the future, with no engine modifications. 19 ships (representing 7% of the fleet and 13% of the fleet's global capacity) are using LNG for primary propulsion. LNG has virtually zero sulfur emissions and particulate emissions, reduces NOx emissions by approximately 85% and achieves up to a 20% reduction in GHG emissions. Multiple reports confirm that methane slip (small amounts of escaped methane) - an acknowledged issue with LNG engines - is on a path to be nearly eradicated, with some industry stakeholders claiming that slip values of less than 1% is achievable within the next few years. Selective Catalytic Reduction Technology (SCR) 71 ships, representing 25% of the fleet and more than 20% of global capacity, have SCR systems - an increase of 34% from 2023. Selective Catalytic Reduction technology (SCR) reduces particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions, thus helping ships to meet IMO Tier III classification standards for nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx). Onshore Power Supply (OPS)-also referred to as Shoreside Electricity (SSE) Capability Plugging in to OPS when ships are in port allows ships' engines to be switched off, achieving significant overall pollutant emissions reductions of up to 98%, depending on the mix of energy sources, according to studies conducted by a number of the world's ports and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Across the CLIA cruise line member fleet: 147 ships are able to connect to OPS (52% of the total number of ships and 61% of capacity) - 23% more than the prior year and 167% more since 2018. By 2028, 239 ships that are able to connect to OPS are expected to be in service (based on the number of ships scheduled to be retrofitted and new ships on the order book specified for OPS connectivity). This includes 64 ships currently in service and each of the 28 CLIA member cruise ships on the 2024- 2028 order book - all of which are specified for OPS connectivity. CLIA champions the advancement of onshore power infrastructure as an important component in the industry's work to reduce emissions and supports continued development of cost-effective infrastructure for clean shoreside electricity in cruise ports when the net impact delivers an overall emission reduction. Currently 35 of the ports worldwide where cruise ships call (fewer than 3%) have a cruise berth with OPS. 22 additional cruise ports are funded for OPS infrastructure and 16 cruise ports are planning to install OPS - a total of 38 ports. In 2022, CLIA announced that its ocean cruise line members made a commitment that all ships calling at ports capable of providing OPS will be equipped to either use shore power by 2035 or be able to use alternative low-carbon technologies, as available, to reduce emissions in port. As part of the EU's Fit for 55 decarbonization regulations, by 2030 major ports in Europe will be required to have shoreside power, which will further accelerate port infrastructure investment in that region. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems (AWTS) The majority of CLIA-member cruise ships sailing today utilize advanced wastewater treatment systems (AWTS), which are capable of exceeding MARPOL Annex IV requirements and perform better than shoreside treatment plants in some coastal cities. In addition, as part of their overarching sustainability focus, cruise lines have committed to not release untreated sewage anywhere in the world, during normal operations. Across the CLIA cruise line member fleet, 225 ships (80% of the total, representing 84% of global passenger capacity) are equipped with AWTS (an 11% increase from 2023 and a 65% increase from 2018). More than one-third of the ships equipped with AWTS are capable of meeting the more stringent wastewater release standards of the Baltic Sea Special Area. Freshwater production The majority of CLIA members produce their own fresh water onboard their ships, with 267 ships (representing more than 94% of reporting ships and 96% of global capacity) able to do so - of which 172, nearly 60% of the fleet, are capable of producing enough water to match their total consumption. About Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. On behalf of its members, affiliates and partners, the organization supports policies and practices that foster a secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise ship environment, promoting positive travel experiences for millions of travelers who cruise annually. This year, CLIA forecasts that the annual number of passengers will reach 35.7 million passengers- surpassing 2019 levels. The CLIA community includes the world's most prestigious ocean, river and specialty cruise lines; a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services; and highly trained and certified travel agent members that represent the largest network of travel professionals specializing in cruise travel. The organization's global headquarters are in Washington, DC, with regional offices located in North and South America, Europe and Australasia. For more information, please visit cruising.org or follow us on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter , and YouTube with our handle @CLIAGlobal-or on LinkedIn . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1081504/CLIA_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cruise-industry-annual-environmental-technologies-and-practices-data-shows-continued-progress-toward-environmental-sustainability-goals-302240413.html TCL's innovative refrigeration technology blends efficiency with flexible design, ensuring fresher food and enhanced convenience for European households. BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TCL, a leading brand in consumer electronics, is set to unveil its latest innovations at IFA 2024, including the TCL Combi Fridge and Free Built-In Fridge Series. These new additions to TCL's home appliance portfolio demonstrate a commitment to enhancing everyday living through advanced technology, versatile design, and energy efficiency. Please go to your nearest TCL point of sales for more information. TCL Combi Fridge: Maximising Storage and Freshness Designed to simplify and improve everyday life, the TCL Combi Fridge offers flexible storage options such as a bottle rack and shelf, flexible balcony, and large capacity, customisable storage solutions that adapt to your needs. Whether you're storing large items or want easy access to frequently used bottles, the Combi Fridge's adjustable compartments provide unparalleled convenience. The TCL Combi Fridge integrates Metal Cool, Humidity Slide Crisper, and T-Temp. technology to keep food fresher for longer. These features ensure precise temperature control and optimal humidity levels, preserving food's freshness. Moreover, the fridge's 99.99%* sterilisation rate offers peace of mind by virtually eliminating harmful bacteria, offering enhanced food safety for health-conscious households. Not only is the TCL Combi Fridge highly functional, but it's also built to last. With a 10-year warranty** on the compressor and Ultra Silence-35dB*** operation, this fridge combines durability with quiet efficiency. The inverter technology also highlights its environmentally friendly design, making it a smart choice for eco-conscious households by enhancing energy savings. The TCL Combi Fridge's combination of precise temperature control and humidity regulation creates an ideal environment for food preservation, keeping your fruits and vegetables fresher for longer, and reducing food waste. With ample storage capacity and flexible compartments, you can store a variety of food items with ease, ensuring that your kitchen is always organized and ready for any culinary adventure. TCL Free Built-In Fridge Series: Flexibility Meets Innovation The TCL Free Built-In Fridge Series introduces new flexibility to modern kitchens. Designed to fit seamlessly into any space, these fridges can be installed in various configurations, including one side embeddedagainst the wall, both sides against the cabinet, or as a freestanding unit. This versatility makes the Free Built-In Series perfect for both new homes and renovations, offering freedom in kitchen design. The Free Built-In Fridge with XL Large Capacity maximizes storage space, ensuring ample room for all your essentials without sacrificing style. The T-Temp. Drawer adds convenience by allowing you to adjust the temperature between -3C, -1C, and 4C, providing optimal storage conditions for different types of food. TCL's T-Fresh, the fourth-generation industry-leading sterilization technology, is at the heart of the Free Built-In Fridge Series, offering comprehensive protection with ion sterilisation and active dynamic cycle sterilisation. This advanced system prevents the formation of 99.99%* bacteria within your refrigerator by releasing billion-level plasma in all directions, forming positive and negative ion groups with twice the concentration of ordinary refrigerators. The T-Fresh system also features an effective odour elimination system, where the purification module absorbs and converts odours through the internal circulation system, ensuring the fridge and freezer remain fresh. Additionally, the Pure Air system in the freezer facilitates the organic decomposition of substances into CO2 and H2O, creating a healthier environment that keeps food fresher for longer, making it easier to maintain a healthy kitchen environment. With its flexible storage solutions and advanced temperature control, the Free Built-In Fridge adapts to your lifestyle, making it easier to organize your groceries and maintain the freshness of your food. Whether you're hosting a large gathering or storing everyday essentials, the fridge's customizable compartments ensure that everything has its place, making your kitchen more efficient and enjoyable to use. Delivering Convenience and Efficiency to Every Home Both the TCL Combi Fridge and Free Built-In Fridge Series are crafted with European consumers in mind, offering innovative solutions that enhance convenience, freshness, and sustainability. These appliances are built to meet modern life's demands and reflect TCL's ongoing commitment to sustainability and user-friendly technology. With their advanced features, flexible designs, and eco-conscious engineering, TCL's latest fridges are set to redefine home refrigeration. Experience the perfect blend of practicality and innovation with TCL at IFA 2024. Discover more products at https://www.tcl.com/eu/en * 99.99% from BV report. Tested bacteria represented were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. **The decibel data obtained by the test of TCL Home Appliances (Hefei) Co., Ltd. ***The inverter compressor's 10 years warranty need to be registered on TCL official website within 30 days of purchase. Media Contact eupr@tcl.com About TCL Electronics TCL Electronics (1070.HK) is a fast-growing consumer electronics company and a leading player in the global TV industry. Founded in 1981, it now operates in over 160 markets globally. TCL specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of consumer electronics products ranging from TVs, audio and smart home appliances. Visit the TCL website at https://www.tcl.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498475/TCL_Combi_Refrigerator.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498476/TCL_Free_Built_In_Refrigerator.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tcl-expands-its-home-appliance-lineup-with-the-launch-of-the-combi-fridge-and-free-built-in-fridge-series-at-ifa-2024-302240528.html New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - The demand for IT services is at an all-time high, with the industry's global market size expected to reach approximately 2.2 billion USD by 2032. DesignRush highlights the top IT service companies providing tech solutions that enhance business operations. A report by IMARC Group reveals that the IT services sector's increasing emphasis on cloud computing and escalating cybersecurity concerns are driving a compounded annual growth rate of 7.56%. The growing reliance on digital infrastructure requires robust solutions that ensure efficiency, scalability, and security. Because of this demand, DesignRush, a premier B2B marketplace, has identified the most capable IT services companies. These firms offer solutions that help businesses thrive in a digitally driven world, from cloud migrations to data management. The top IT service companies in September are: DevLogix - devlogix.com.pk Perigeon Software - perigeon.com TechOPS - techops.ro Cleveroad - cleveroad.com BSUITE365 - bsuite365.com Tres Astronautas - tresastronautas.com 8Peaks - 8peak.net Alpha Xperience Corporation - alphaxperience.io AWS Consultant - awsconsultant.in Saeculum Solutions - saeculumsolutions.com Maan Digital Solutions - maandigitalsolutions.com Go I.T. Pro - goit-pro.com The VP Techno Labs International - myvptechnolabs.com Kintek Cybersecurity - kintekcyber.com Routine Automation - routine-automation.com DHRP - dhrp.com.au Softellar - softellar.com Mindrops - mindrops.com Brands can explore the top IT service companies by location, size, average hourly rate, and portfolio on DesignRush. About DesignRush: DesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace and media platform connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222365 SOURCE: DesignRush Nextech3D.AI (the "Company") (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:1SS) is pleased to announce that further to the Company's press release dated August 16, 2024, the Company proposes to reprice the financing and complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") pursuant to which it will issue up to 28,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of C$0.10 per Unit, to raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$2,800,000. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"); with each whole Warrant exercisable to acquire one additional Share at a price of $0.15 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance thereof, provided that if the daily volume weighted average trading price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange exceeds $0.30 for ten consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to the date which is 30 days following the date upon which the Company provides notice of such acceleration to the holders of the Warrants. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company will pay a cash finders fee of 8% to eligible registrants assisting in the the Offering, and issue 8% broker warrants ("Broker Warrants") to such registrants, with each Broker Warrant entitling the holder to acquire one Share at $0.15 for a period of 24 months. The Offering remains subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. About Nextech3D.ai Nextech3D.ai or the "Company," (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:1SS), is a versatile augmented reality and AI technology company that utilizes its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) to craft immersive 3D experiences at scale for E-COMMERCE. The Company's primary focus lies in creating high-quality 3D WebAR photorealistic models for Amazon and various other online retailers. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , LinkedIn , and Facebook , or visit our website: https://www.Nextechar.com . For further information, please contact: Nextech3D.AI Evan Gappelberg CEO and Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information specifically include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to the anticipated size and timing of Offering, and the receipt of all applicable approvals in connection therewith. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of the Company. Such statements can generally, but not always, be identified by words such as "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "forecasts", "schedules", "prepares", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. All statements that describe the Company's plans relating to operations and potential strategic opportunities are forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and are reliant on assumptions made by the Company's management, and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking information, actual results could materially differ from those currently projected, and there is no representation by the Company that the actual results realized in the future will be the same in whole or in part as those presented herein. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. Readers are referred to the additional information regarding the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. For more information on the Company and the risks and challenges of its business, investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements and information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required by law. SOURCE: Nextech3D.AI View the original press release on accesswire.com Quito, Ecuador--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Metropolitan Touring, recognized for expedition travel in South America and the Galapagos Islands, has announced its operations have reached carbon-neutral status. This milestone is key to the company's broader commitment to environmental sustainability and protecting critical ecosystems. Jenny Sanchez To achieve this status, the company has adopted various emission reduction methods. One notable one is enhancing fuel additives and combustion filters to decrease CO2 emissions significantly throughout its fleet. Furthering its commitment, Metropolitan Touring has shared details on its environmental sustainability approach. The company notes that it measures emissions from its operations and travelers by implementing a compensation strategy and inviting guests to contribute to forest conservation. This effort supports the Choco Bioregion, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This conservation effort is part of a broader initiative to expand the Mashpi-Tayra Reserve from nearly 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) to approximately 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres). The goal is to create biological corridors that not only absorb CO2 but also facilitate species migration across the region. Paulina de Lara, CEO of Metropolitan Touring, explains, "Our carbon offsetting program rigorously adheres to the strict international guidelines established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations. We undergo audits per the ISO 14064 Standard, initially certified through Germany's TUV Rheinland, ensuring our commitments are promises and verified actions." This way, Metropolitan Touring prioritizes responsible travel, focusing on sustainable tourism practices. It plans to continue reducing carbon emissions, offsetting those generated by its travelers, and supporting local communities through collaboration and economic cooperation, aiming to provide meaningful travel experiences. About Metropolitan Touring: Founded in 1953, Metropolitan Touring is a pioneer in sustainable expedition travel across South America and the Galapagos Islands. The company operates luxury vessels like La Pinta and Isabela II, offering comprehensive Galapagos expeditions with activities including snorkeling, kayaking, and guided hikes. It also manages three award-winning Ecuadorian hotels: Mashpi Lodge, Casa Gangotena, and Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel. Committed to conservation and community welfare, Metropolitan Touring aims to provide impactful journeys that connect travelers with their destinations while promoting environmental sustainability. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222278 SOURCE: SMG Media Group Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Sanu Gold Corporation (CSE: SANU) (OTCQB: SNGCF) ("Sanu Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Placement" or the "Financing") of up to 100,000,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") at a price of C$0.05 per Common Share for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of up to C$5,000,000. Two new Strategic Investors have indicated their intention to make lead subscriptions to the Placement: AngloGold Ashanti plc ("AngloGold Ashanti") has indicated its intention to participate for 33,400,000 Common Shares in the Financing for aggregate gross proceeds of C$1,670,000. AngloGold Ashanti's strategic investment will represent an approximate 14% ownership post-Financing. If completed, AngloGold Ashanti will be acquiring these common shares for investment purposes and may increase or decrease its interest in the Company in the future as market and other circumstances may dictate. Capital DI Limited, the investment subsidiary of Capital Limited ("Capital"), has indicated its intention to participate for 24,000,000 Common Shares in the Financing for aggregate gross proceeds of C$1,200,000. Capital's strategic investment will represent an approximate 10% ownership post-Financing. "Adding two, large, new Strategic Investors highlights the prospectivity and high-quality nature of the Company's assets in Guinea, West Africa. AngloGold Ashanti, a top-tier global gold miner, has been producing 200,000 to 300,000 Oz of Gold/year from its Siguiri mine in Guinea for the last 25 years. Capital is a rapidly expanding international drilling and mining services provider, with deep operational roots in West Africa and Guinea. Capital is supporting the mining industry in Guinea with investments, drilling and laboratory services. We look forward to working with both AngloGold Ashanti and Capital on unlocking some potential major discoveries on both the Diguifara and Daina permits with up to 10,000m drilling" commented Martin Pawlitschek, President and CEO of Sanu Gold. The net proceeds of the Placement will be used to advance exploration, including ground geophysics and a 10,000m drilling program on the Company's Diguifara and Daina Gold Exploration Permits in Guinea, West Africa, the Company's other exploration permits in Guinea, West Africa and for general working capital purposes. The Placement is subject to regulatory approval and all securities issued pursuant to the Placement are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company may pay finders' fees in connection with the Placement, as permitted by applicable securities laws and the rules of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). Eventus Capital Corp. has been appointed as a finder in connection with the Placement. The Placement is subject to the Company's filing requirements with the CSE and the Company anticipates closing of the Placement as soon as practicable subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. In connection with the anticipated closing of AngloGold Ashanti's strategic investment, the Company will enter into an investor rights agreement, whereby, subject to certain conditions, including time and ownership thresholds, AngloGold Ashanti will have certain rights, including the right to participate in future equity issuances to maintain its ownership in the Company, participation and top up rights, a right of first refusal on certain asset-level transactions for Diguifara, and the formation of a technical advisory committee focused on the Diguifara project. Certain directors and/or officers of the Company may acquire securities under the Placement. Any such participation would be considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Placement will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any Common Shares issued to or the consideration paid by such persons will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Serigne Dieng, Ph.D., M.Sc., a Member (MAIG) of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), Exploration Manager of the Company and a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Sanu Gold Located within the Siguiri Basin, a world class gold district that is host to several operating mines and major new discoveries, Sanu Gold is exploring three high quality gold exploration permits in Guinea, West Africa. The Company has defined multi-kilometer long gold-bearing structures on each of the gold exploration permits, with multiple high-value drill targets and is targeting multi-million ounce gold discoveries. Sanu is operated by a highly experienced team, with successful records of discovery, resource development and mine permitting. Martin Pawlitschek President & CEO, Sanu Gold Corp. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicates", "opportunity", "possible" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated timing for completion of the Placement, the use of proceeds therefrom, the anticipated payment of finder's fees and potential participation of Strategic Investors and insiders in the Placement. Although Sanu Gold believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans for exploration on its properties and ability to execute on plans, ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, ability to maintain its material property agreements, mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop its projects; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associated with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of gold and other metals, changes in general economic conditions and local risks in the jurisdiction (Guinea) in which it operates, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, dependence on key management personnel; general competition in the mining industry availability of capital and financing; general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes; timeliness of regulatory approvals as well as those factors discussed in the Company's public disclosure record. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222370 SOURCE: Sanu Gold Corp. SIA Linas Agro, an indirectly controlled company of AB Akola Group, has agreed to acquire a company in Latvia - it is buying 100% of SIA Elagro Trade for a preliminary amount of EUR 22 million. The final transaction price will depend on the net working capital of the target company at the closing date. The shares are to be purchased from Agrolats Holding AS and three natural persons. The transaction, which is subject to the approval of the Latvian Competition Council, should be completed in 2024 or early 2025. SIA Elagro Trade is one of Latvia's leading grain, seed, crop protection, and fertilizer businesses, operating since 2010 and with around 15% of the total Latvian grain market. In 2023, SIA Elagro Trade exported EUR 103 million worth of products. The company has 73 employees. "The target company is a competitor of our company in Latvia, SIA Linas Agro, a strong grain trader and supplier of goods to farmers. This acquisition will bring efficiency in services to Latvian farmers and help us compete more vigorously in grain exports. At the same time, our existing infrastructure in Latvia will be supplemented, with increased grain and liquid fertilizer storage capacity, and additional area of warehouses for seeds, fertilizers and plant protection products. We expect to improve the Group's operational and financial performance: in 2023, SIA Elagro Trade's revenue was EUR 154 million, and its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) was EUR 2.1 million. We plan to borrow funds for the acquisition of the Latvian company," says Mazvydas Sileika, CFO of AB Akola Group. SIA Elagro Trade has grain intake stations and regional offices in all regions of Latvia. The infrastructure to be acquired will consist of grain silos in Eleja, Jekabpils, and Skulte, covered warehouses for seeds, fertilizers, and plant protection products, and liquid fertilizer storage facilities in Eleja and Jekabpils. "We want to future-proof our position in the Baltic region. The competition in the market is high. The company to be acquired is similar in size to our company SIA Linas Agro, so we expect to double our growth in Latvia. In 2023, SIA Elagro Trade bought 435 thousand tons of grain from farmers and exported 377 thousand tons of grain; revenue gained from supplying goods to farmers was EUR 32 million. Last financial year, our company, SIA Linas Agro, sourced 249 thousand tons of grain and sold fertilizers, seeds, and plant protection products for almost EUR 49 million. The acquisition would bring us over 2.1 thousand new customers and strengthen our infrastructure and capacity to serve farmers. The seed factory currently under construction in Latvia will also be part of that infrastructure. We will be able to serve the customers of both companies faster and more efficiently, offer them more attractive cooperation conditions, and create more value throughout the agricultural inputs and services chain. And the increased number of customers will also allow us to better represent our partners, producers of agricultural inputs, and to be more flexible when exporting Latvian products," says Jonas Baksys, Member of the Management Board of AB Akola Group and CEO of AB Linas Agro, which owns SIA Linas Agro. In the last financial year that ended 30 June 2024, companies owned by AB Akola Group sold 1.5 million tons of cereals and oilseeds for an amount of EUR 388 million. Almost EUR 246 million of last year's income came from the sale of seeds, plant protection products, and fertilizers. In the previous two years, the Group has been working to strengthen its position in Latvia, where it has been operating since 2003. In Latvia, five companies - SIA Linas Agro, SIA Dotnuva Baltic, SIA Linas Agro Graudu Centrs, UAB Geoface, and SIA KG Latvija - serve farmers. Dotnuva Seeds, established in 2023, is just getting ready to start and is building a seed factory in Iecava, Latvia, which should be operational by mid-2025 to produce seed for the local market. About AB Akola Group AB Akola Group owns a leading agricultural and food production group in the Baltics, employing 4.9 thousand people. The group operates along the entire food production chain from farm to fork, producing, preparing and marketing agricultural and food products, as well as supplying goods and services to farmers. The Group's financial year starts in July and its unaudited revenue for the last financial year was above 1.5 billion. For more information: Mazvydas Sileika, Chief Financial Officer, AB Akola group Mob. +370 619 19 403 E-mail: m.sileika@akolagroup.lt (mailto:m.sileika@akolagroup.lt) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) ("Omai" or the "Company") announces drill results from the Company's Omai gold project in Guyana. To date in 2024, ten diamond drill holes have been completed totalling 3,732 metres ("m") and drilling continues. A second drill commenced in late August. Assays have been received for seven holes and additional assays are pending. Highlights include: Hole 24ODD078 2.20 g/t Au over 43.7 m 3.13 g/t Au over 43.0 m Hole 24ODD-076 2.89 g/t Au over 22.0 m 1.48 g/t Au over 22.0 m Hole 24ODD-077 2.46 g/t Au over 18.9 m 1.01 g/t Au over 25.5 m 2.08 g/t Au over 10.8 m 4.19 g/t Au over 4.8 m Hole 24ODD-075 1.26 g/t Au over 21.5 m Elaine Ellingham, President & CEO, commented, "We are very pleased with these first results from our 2024 drill program and have doubled the size of the program to 10,000 m. Following completion of our Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wenot open pit deposit in April, and a C$13m financing in June we prepared plans to drill several high potential areas on the Omai property that we believe will move us towards our goal of significantly expanding the mine plan for Omai beyond our baseline PEA, with higher annual production, a longer mine life and enhanced economics. The April PEA incorporates only 45% of the property's Mineral Resource Estimate and much of our planned program is also targeting an expansion to our already substantial gold resources." The planned drill program for 2024-25 will test several areas, including extensions to Wenot to the east and west, splays identified to the northeast, at depth, and very importantly along the southern side of the Wenot deposit (Figure 1). The Wenot deposit is very large with a strike length of at least 2.4 km and with multiple subparallel gold mineralized zones spanning a 400+ m width (Figure 2). Additional targets on the Omai property will also be drilled as some are near surface and high grade that could bolster the grade profile in the early years of a production scenario. Figure 1. Omai Plan Map Showing Target Areas To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_001full.jpg Figure 2. Wenot Long Sections. Wenot has a 2.4 km strike length and remains open in both directions. It has multiple subparallel zones. Each long section illustrated is 50m wide. Many of the zones are far north and south of the past producing pit and were not mined previously or only to very shallow depths. Most zones on the flanks have seen little to no drilling. These multiple zones hold high potential for overall resource expansion. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_002full.jpg Assays have been received for seven diamond drill holes. Four holes were completed (24ODD-075 to -078), testing large gaps on the south, sediment side of the Wenot deposit that were included in the PEA pit as "waste" but have seen little to no drilling. Gold mineralization within these sediment-hosted zones along strike provides evidence of the potential for these to continue through the gap areas. Identifying gold mineralization within these areas could positively impact a future economic study by converting "waste" within the model to mineralized material. Holes 24ODD-075 and -076 were drilled 305 m apart from the south side of Wenot, also testing the gap zones (Figure 3, Figure 4). Hole 24ODD-076 was most successful, intersecting 2.89 g/t Au over 22.0m within the sediments. This intercept appears to correlate to a zone in 24ODD-077 drilled from the north that intersected 1.0 g/t Au over 25.5m and likely to an interval further west in hole 23ODD-071 that returned 2.26 g/t Au over 70m. Hole -076 also intersected 0.9 g/t Au over 11.7m in the central contact quartz feldspar porphyry ("QFP"), as well as a rhyolite dike within the northern volcanics grading 1.5 g/t Au over 22.0m. Of significance, this wide rhyolite-hosted zone would appear to correlate to a mineralized rhyolite zone intersected 120m above in hole 23ODD-065 where it assayed 1.83 g/t Au over 25.0m. Hole 24ODD-075 intersected only minor gold mineralization within the sediments, however the central QFP assayed 1.3 g/t Au over 21.5m. Holes 24ODD-077 and -078 were drilled in the same general area as -075 and -076 but from the north side of the Wenot deposit. Hole -077 exemplifies the Wenot deposit, intersecting 10 different gold zones. Most notable is the central QFP that ran 2.46 g/t Au over 18.9m. In the sediments on the south side of the contact shear, three distinct zones assaying 1.01 g/t Au over 25.5m, 2.08 g/t over 10.8 m and 4.19 g/t over 4.8m were intersected. This is a great example of the potential these southern sediments hold for additional gold mineralization. This area was all categorized as waste or low grade within the PEA pit and with additional drilling and an updated model, management expects that these will contribute to an expanded resource and positively impact the economics of an updated PEA. Hole 24ODD-078 also did not disappoint, intersecting 2.20 g/t Au over 43.7 m within the persistent corridor of volcanic-hosted felsic and diorite dikes, that was the focus of historic mining (Figure 5, Figure 6 - core photos). This zone appears to correlate to the interval in -076 grading 1.48 g/t Au over 22.0m, approximately 110m to the west, and possibly to the zone in 21ODD-002 approximately 210 m to the east which grades 3.65 g/t Au over 32.1m. Hole -078 also intersected a wide zone of significant gold mineralization around the central contact shear within the QFP and protomylonite assaying 3.13 g/t Au over 43.0 m. This included 11.01 g/t Au over 6.4 m in the QFP but also included a zone within the adjacent sediments to the south that ran 8.71 g/t Au over 4.5m. Again, this provides evidence of the gold potential of the sediments. Additional narrow zones of sediment-hosted mineralization were encountered further south. Based on these successes testing the "gap zones", additional holes have been planned and will proceed in the near-term. As per our operating methodology, a limited number of holes will be completed on specific targets and additional drilling on that each target awaits the assay results and interpretive work to optimize the effectiveness of the holes that follow. Holes 24-072 to 074 were drilled in the East Wenot area (Figure 7). Holes -072 and -073 tested a strong broad geophysics (IP) anomaly that was identified well south of the main Wenot contact shear, approximately 250 m east of the Wenot pit. An induced polarization geophysical survey was conducted in Q4 2023 and the best targets were selected for drill testing. Drill results to date are disappointing and the IP anomaly appears to be related to disseminated hematite (an iron oxide mineral). A felsic porphyry unit was intersected in hole -073 but without gold mineralization. Table 1. Recent Drill Results - Holes 24ODD-072- to 24ODD-078 Diamond Drill Hole From To Au g/t m 24ODD-075 Gap Zones 240.2 243.2 0.30 3.0 302.1 304.5 1.25 2.4 344.5 346.0 0.44 1.5 399.5 421.0 1.26 21.5 420.0 421.0 0.62 1.0 434.3 435.5 1.13 1.2 514.4 516.7 0.34 2.3 520.2 521.7 1.04 1.5 24ODD-076 Gap Zones 105.0 112.1 0.51 7.1 212.5 217.6 0.31 5.1 370.1 392.1 2.89 22.0 419.0 430.7 0.86 11.7 501.8 523.8 1.48 22.0 24ODD-077 Gap Zones 136.1 140.0 4.31 3.9 163.9 170.5 0.65 6.6 163.9 165.8 1.72 1.9 204.5 207.5 3.64 3.0 260.0 263.0 0.56 3.0 290.5 292.0 1.15 1.5 315.1 316.6 1.11 1.5 331.1 350.0 2.46 18.9 396.0 397.0 4.69 1.0 414.5 440.0 1.01 25.5 482.0 492.8 2.08 10.8 488.0 492.8 4.19 4.8 4ODD-078 Gap Zones 189.5 191.0 2.62 1.5 282.0 287.6 0.38 5.6 297.5 341.2 2.20 43.7 353.0 357.5 1.91 4.5 406.5 411.5 3.49 5.0 447.5 490.5 3.13 43.0 incl 462.0 468.4 11.01 6.4 & incl 486.0 490.5 8.71 4.5 523.5 525.0 1.51 1.5 534.0 537.0 1.53 3.0 24ODD-072 East Wenot IP No significant intercepts 24ODD-073 East Wenot IP No significant intercepts 24ODD-074 East Wenot 149.0 156.5 1.10 7.5 222.5 224.0 1.95 1.5 **True widths vary as mineralization at Wenot is generally hosted within stockwork vein systems with alteration halos, with an estimated true width range of 70-90%. Cut-off grade 0.30 g/t Au with maximum 3-4.5m internal dilution is applied. Hole 24ODD-074 was a single initial hole to test along a zone of near-surface gold mineralization intersected by a series of very shallow holes completed in the early 1990s, in the East Wenot area. One zone in hole -074 assayed 1.10 g/t Au over 7.5m at a depth of about 120m. Additional systematic drilling is warranted due to the very shallow nature of the gold mineralization identified in this area, however the gap zones are considered a greater priority at this time. Currently, a series of three 150-metre spaced drill holes is underway to test along the Wenot deposit at a depth of approximately 450m. Relative to other deposits in Guyana, the Wenot Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") of 834,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 1.48 g/t Au and 1,614,000 inferred ounces of gold grading 1.99 g/t Au is quite shallow, with 81% of the 1.9 million ounces within the PEA pit lying above a 330m depth. The very limited drilling below the 350m level presents significant potential to expand the Wenot deposit to depth along the full 2.5 km strike length. The deepest hole to date was 23ODD-064 which intersected multiple gold zones, with the deepest intersection of 5.18 g/t Au over 20.2 m (including 12.7 g/t Au over 7.9m) being at approximately 460m below surface. Drilling at Omai is expected to continue until early December at which time we expect to commence work towards an updated Mineral Resource Estimate. The most recent NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Omai property, dated May 21, 20241 includes a Wenot resource of 834,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 1.48 g/t Au and 1,614,000 inferred ounces of gold grading 1.99 g/t Au. For the adjacent Gilt Creek deposit, the NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate is 1,151,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 3.22 g/t Au and 665,000 inferred ounces of gold grading 3.35 g/t Au, prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. Quality Control Omai maintains an internal QA/QC program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with best practices. Certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates are entered at regular intervals. Samples are sealed in plastic bags. Samples from the Wenot drilling were shipped to ActLabs, a certified laboratory in Georgetown Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. Fifty grams of pulverized material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. For samples with visible gold two separate 1000g pulverized samples are prepared, with 50 grams of each fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, with assays above 3.0 ppm gold being re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications. Qualified Person Elaine Ellingham is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. Ellingham is not considered to be independent for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. 1 The NI43-101 Technical Report dated May 21, 2024 "UPDATED MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE AND PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE OMAI GOLD PROPERTY, POTARO MINING DISTRICT NO.2, GUYANA" prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc is available on SEDAR+. ABOUT OMAI GOLD Omai Gold Mines Corp. holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License that includes the past producing Omai Gold Mine in Guyana, and a 100% interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats Mining Permits. The Company announced a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on its Wenot Deposit at Omai in April 2024, showing an open pit operation to produce 1.84 million ounces of gold over a 13-year period, with an NPV5% of US$556 million at a US$1950/oz gold price. This baseline PEA incorporates only 45% of the property's MRE and management believes that with additional work the mine plan can be significantly expanded, the economics enhanced, and the open pit resources further increased. An updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") of 2.0 million ounces of gold (Indicated) and 2.3 million ounces (Inferred) reflects a notable increase as a result of 2023's successful drilling. Once South America's largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005. Mining ceased at a time when the average gold price was less than US$400 per ounce. As a brownfields project, Omai benefits from good road access and a wealth of historical data that provides knowledge of the geology and gold mineralization on the Property, as well as metallurgy, historical process recoveries and many other relevant mining parameters. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing of completion of exploration, trenching and drill programs, and the potential for the Omai Gold Project to allow Omai to build significant gold Mineral Resources at attractive grades, and forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the price of gold and copper; and the results of current exploration. Further, the Mineral Resource data set out in the Omai Gold news release are estimates, and no assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realized. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Figure 3. Plan Map of Wenot Gap Drilling (holes DDH 24-075 to -078) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_004full.jpg Figure 4. Cross-section for DDH 24ODD-076 and 24ODD-077 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_005full.jpg Figure 5. Cross-Section for Hole 24ODD-078 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_006full.jpg Figure 6. Core Photos for DDH 24ODD-078 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_009full.jpg Table 2. Drill hole coordinates for holes 23ODD-072 to 083 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_table2omai.jpg Figure 7. Plan Map of East Wenot Drilling (24ODD-072 to -074) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/222369_6bc520d9e45e6985_007full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222369 SOURCE: Omai Gold Mines Corp. SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Elegoo, a rapidly developing brand in global smart manufacturing, is excited to launch its Elegoo Day, a celebration of innovation and community with thrilling events and activities. This special day unites makers, creators, and innovators through a blend of online and offline festivities. It also marks a milestone in Elegoo's journey, from the debut of the Mars 3D printer to the latest in cutting-edge technology. To celebrate and give back, Elegoo's website will offer exclusive promotions from September 11 to September 17. Customers will have the chance to receive filaments, resins, and accessories with their purchases during this festive period. Share What Makes Your Day Debuting in 2019 after a year of development from prototype to final product, the Mars was the first 2K printer available at the $300 price point, empowering creators globally. To give back, Elegoo is launching the MakeMyDay contest from September 6 to October 20, 2024. Creators are invited to share their favorite projects, whether 3D printed or using other creative methods. Elegoo is also offering a Model Library for those new to 3D modeling. A jury of seven influential creators will review entries (in alphabetical order): Dr. D-Flo, Do3D, Pablo Inventos, ROGO minis, 3D Printing Nerd, Uncle Jessy, and WildRoseBuilds. With a prize pool of $15,000, participants can win 3D printers, filaments, and resin packs. For more information, fans can visit the Elegoo Day Page. Streaming Fun and On-Site Celebrations Elegoo's first online celebration will kick off with an exciting livestream party at 6:30PM (Pacific Daylight Time), on September 10. The livestream will feature sneak peeks into upcoming products and exclusive giveaways for those who tune in. Leading voices from the 3D printing community, 3D Printing Nerd and Uncle Jessy, will also join the livestream to interact with fans. For fans who prefer in-person events, Elegoo will host a special fan meetup in Tokyo on October 19. Attendees can interact with the Elegoo team, experience live demonstrations of the latest 3D printing technology, and receive exclusive Elegoo-branded gifts. In early October, Elegoo will collaborate with French distributors to launch exciting in-store promotions. Shoppers will have the chance to receive exclusive Elegoo gifts, and those purchasing Elegoo 3D printers will enjoy complimentary filament or resin. Aiming for the Stars Elegoo Day is more than a celebration of current achievements; it honors the journey and the passionate community supporting it. "Our community is the driving force behind success," says Chris Hong, CEO of Elegoo. "Elegoo Day is a way to thank the makers, creators, and dreamers who inspire daily. Celebrating this milestone offers an opportunity to continue pushing the boundaries of 3D printing." For details on Elegoo Day events, visit the Elegoo Day Page or follow Elegoo on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Discord, and Reddit. About Elegoo Founded in 2015, Elegoo is a rapidly developing brand in the global smart manufacturing industry, specializing in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of consumer-grade 3D printers, laser engravers, STEM kits, and other smart technology products. Located in Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of China, the company has sold millions of products to nearly 80 countries and regions. In 2023, the company's total sales revenue exceeded USD 200 million, with close to 700 employees and nearly 25,000 square meters of office and manufacturing area. With a focus on programming and 3D printing technology, Elegoo provides unique and smart creation spaces for diverse consumers to enhance personalized experiences. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498631/Elegoo_launching__MakeMyDay_contest_inviting_creators_share_favorite_projects.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2461229/ELEGOO__1_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/elegoo-celebrates-6th-anniversary-of-its-first-3d-printer-with-events-for-creators-worldwide-302240618.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / Duke Energy Youth Energy Academy proactively gains the interest of an emerging workforce by educating students about viable, good-paying jobs By Page Leggett | illumination Contributor Unless students have a family member who works at a utility, they may not think of Duke Energy as a viable career path. It's the sort of thing that motivates Melvin Philpot - both in his 43 years at the company and in his role as community outreach committee chair for the American Association of Black Engineers' (AABE) Florida chapter. "When middle schoolers walk down their streets and see lineworkers atop utility poles, we want them to think of the energy industry for potentially high-earnings jobs," said Philpot, products and services manager in Lake Mary, Fla. More than a decade ago, Philpot attended an AABE-sponsored youth career forum with Duke Energy Managing Director Malcolm Barnes; they liked the idea of introducing students from diverse neighborhoods to viable, good-paying jobs in the energy sector and wondered if Duke Energy could offer something similar. Michael Lewis, then-EVP of a Duke Energy predecessor company, encouraged them to add a craft and technical component to the curriculum for students who may not be college-bound. And with a $2,000 donation from AABE to help launch the new initiative, the Youth Energy Academy - YEA, for short - was born. Through hands-on activities and live demonstrations, YEA proactively gains the interest of an emerging workforce by educating young people about the opportunities that exist. The annual career readiness program also aims to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within the energy sector and related STEM fields by engaging eighth through 12th graders who may not have the same opportunities as other students. "When you're 15 and 16, you're sort of looking for someone to tell you what the future holds. That's where we come in," said Chiquita Clark, supervisor of South Coastal Work Management at Duke Energy's Clearwater Operations Center. "We can turn to our community's youth and say: We're people who look like you. Let us show you what we do, and if it looks interesting, we can help get you here." So many career paths Clark, a member of AABE Florida, helped plan the 2024 St. Pete Youth Energy Academy, hosted at a Duke Energy power plant in Bartow, Fla. Close to 60 students - the maximum - attended the two-day event. They heard, by video, from Erin Jackson, a former STEM student and speed skater from Ocala, Fla., who competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Jackson is a former AABE scholarship recipient who became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold in an individual sport in 2022; before that, she earned an engineering degree from the University of Florida. Other sessions included a plant tour, "A Day as a Line Tech" workshop, an electric vehicle (EV) demonstration and a career panel that brought together a diverse group of employees at all stages of their careers. The power of partnerships YEA started small; the first academy attracted eight students. Vice President of Operations Dave Maxon encouraged Duke Energy's African American employee resource group (ERG) to help develop the concept. Then Mikel Gordon, supervisor for energy efficiency services, joined the effort. Bringing in partners to provide financial or in-kind support has helped YEA expand. Duke Energy and other neighboring utilities have signed on to help, as have community colleges, schools and nonprofits across the state. Now it's grown geographically to include six regions, including Ocala and Tallahassee. Three years ago, an academy was started in Lake Wales, Fla., at the majority Hispanic McLaughlin Academy of Excellence - the only remaining public middle school in Polk County. "YEA would not have grown as it has - or been as successful - without its primary funder," Philpot said. "And that's the Duke Energy Foundation." Since 2016, Duke Energy and its Foundation have provided over $120,000 to AABE to support the academy. 'Their goals are attainable' At St. Petersburg College (SPC) - another YEA partner - more than 115 students in eighth through 12th grades have expressed an interest in STEM careers. Most are from underserved or low-income neighborhoods and are part of the College Reach Out Program (CROP), which aims to show these students they are college material, said Program Coordinator Keisha Blue. That message is reinforced for CROP students who attend the academy. "Our students are meeting people who look like them," Blue said. "They see themselves reflected back - and they get to see that their goals are attainable." Nearly all high school students who participate in CROP will graduate from high school, Blue said, and many will enroll at SPC. "We're dedicated to staying at the forefront of technology," said Professor Chad Mairn, founder of SPC's Innovation Lab. "We introduce artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, cybersecurity and many other emerging technologies to support and enhance the curriculum, which is relevant to contemporary STEM careers but also anticipates and prepares students for careers of the future - even careers that may not exist yet." It's what you know and who you know Some of the jobs YEA students may land after high school or college are unheard of now. Virtual reality developers, drone operators and sustainability managers didn't exist a decade or so ago, and all are in demand today. Bottom line: Students need to be ready for the STEM jobs that have yet to be created. And they need teachers, mentors, role models. Philpot knows that mentors matter. As one of seven siblings from a single-parent family, he was going to work on railroad cars until a counselor encouraged him to go to community college. He earned his degree at night while working in customer service - "the one job that gives you a full view of the entire company. "Working on the Youth Energy Academy has been gratifying because, I guess, I've helped to plant some seeds and be an ambassador for a great company," Philpot said. Clark, too, likes promoting Duke Energy. She joined the company as a contractor in 2014 and as a full-timer the following year. "From the beginning, it's been like a big family," she said. "The company is invested in developing employees. All you really have to do is have a desire to succeed." The department you start in, she'll often tell students, doesn't have to be the department you stay in. "At Duke Energy, you can start as an admin or office manager and progress to a community relations manager," she said. "We want students to understand just how many options they have here." When these students see a diverse workforce - and a diverse leadership team - they realize there's a place for them at Duke Energy, too. Perhaps as a lineworker. But not necessarily. "Many students assume a Duke Energy career refers only to lineworkers," Clark said. "And while we do talk about their indispensable work, we also showcase engineers, arborists, chemists, drone operators, helicopter pilots, the corporate communications team. While lineworkers play an essential role in keeping the lights on, there are so many other functions that help ensure our customers are served and our communities are thriving." View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Duke Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Duke Energy View the original press release on accesswire.com GoldenPeaks Capital and AB CarVal, an established global credit fund and part of AllianceBernstein's Private Alternatives business, have signed a bespoke junior financing facility. GoldenPeaks Capital, one of the fastest growing independent power producers in Eastern Europe, will use the funds to finance further acquisition and construction of Ready-to-Build solar photovoltaic assets in Poland. The flexible HoldCo debt facility allows GoldenPeaks Capital to accelerate the buildout of its portfolio by bridging the financing needs to acquire projects and fund their construction equity before attracting senior project finance debt. The facility has already paved the way for the acquisition of several solar PV projects across Poland with an aggregate capacity of more than 220 MW. The financing is an important part of GoldenPeaks Capital's plan to build more than 1 GW of solar capacity in Poland on an annual basis. Daniel Tain, President of GoldenPeaks Capital says: "This transaction marks another significant milestone in our goal to further accelerate Poland's path towards decarbonization." Jonathan Hunt, Managing Director of AB CarVal says: "We are delighted to work in partnership with GoldenPeaks Capital to support the global energy transition through our flexible financing solutions." About AB CarVal AB CarVal is an established global alternative investment manager and part of AllianceBernstein's Private Alternatives business. Since 1987, AB CarVal's team has navigated through ever-changing credit market cycles, opportunistically investing $149 billion in 5,765 transactions across 82 countries. Today, AB CarVal has approximately $16 billion* in assets under management in corporate securities, loan portfolios, structured credit and hard assets. AB CarVal has invested more than $5.5 billion in energy transition investments. For more information, please visit abcarval.com. *AUM is comprised of fee-earning AUM and fee-eligible AUM. Fee-earning AUM includes those assets currently qualified to generate management fees. Fee-eligible AUM includes capital that is committed to an AB CarVal Fund but is currently uncalled or recallable. The number represented here excludes assets under AB CarVal's management that are not generating management fees due to the maturity of the Fund but includes amounts that do not generate management fees solely due to AB CarVal's decision not to charge management fees. About GoldenPeaks Capital GoldenPeaks Capital, is a company specializing in the construction and operation of solar systems and one of the largest photovoltaic system owners in Poland and Hungary with over 15 years of experience in structuring energy projects globally. GoldenPeaks Capital will further increase the pace of shaping the industry of renewable energies in Eastern Europe by applying the seamless integration of all sectors of GPC, such as manufacturing, project development engineering, financing structuring, supply chain management, construction commissioning, asset operations, and commercial energy sales among others, ensuring an invaluable alignment of methodologies, ethics and goals. Disclaimer GoldenPeaks Capital: This press release was produced by and the opinions expressed are those of GoldenPeaks Capital as of the date of writing and are subject to change. It has been prepared solely for information purposes. Any reference to past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future. To the extent there are any forward-looking statements, these statements are based on the company's current expectations and projections regarding its business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. The information and analysis contained in this publication have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to be reliable but GoldenPeaks Capital does not make any representation as to their accuracy or completeness and does not accept liability for any loss arising from the use hereof. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240906555581/en/ Contacts: GoldenPeaks Capital Siro Barino E-Mail: media@goldenpeakscapital.com info@goldenpeakscapital.com www.goldenpeakscapital.com The team at Grey Bull Rescue is devastated by the tragic news of the brutal execution of American Citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin and the five other innocent civilians held as hostages while in the custody of HAMAS in Gaza. Hersh and these other innocent victims - Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino - committed no crime, took part in no war, and did nothing other than attend a music festival when they were taken from their families. On October 7th, 2023, at the hands of HAMAS and their affiliates, these innocent sons and daughters were taken from their families and held in captivity for almost 11 months as pawns to further HAMAS' political goals. Since that brutal day, where nearly 1,200 people were massacred and more than 250 hostages from 71 countries, including Americans, were taken, families have been destroyed, and thousands have been killed. Hersh's parents worked loudly, aggressively, and diligently to bring their son home. Ultimately, Hersh, who was severely wounded while being taken hostage, was summarily executed as Israeli Defense Forces closed in on his location. His death is yet another in an 11-month conflict where civilians are dying by the thousands. Hersh's execution by HAMAS highlights the cruel reality of hostage situations, as well as the incredible complexity and danger of rescue missions. The team at Grey Bull Rescue knows all too well through our work all over the world working with American families of hostages, those unlawfully kidnapped, and those unlawfully detained how painful the ordeal can be. Our hearts cry for the friends, family, and parents of Hersh and all the others who been taken and killed. The harsh truth is that when civilian hostages are taken by terrorists, they become pawns in a brutal game of political leverage where the hostages suffer in captivity. Their families are similarly tortured emotionally and psychologically and in this most recent incident where Hersh was executed, HAMAS, knowing they were close to losing that leverage as the IDF closed in, ordered the execution of these victims. This highlights two things, first the challenges and risks in conducting hostage rescue operations and second, the heinous nature of terrorists who take civilian hostages and their unforgiving nature. While we advocate and support any method, tactic, or operation that brings hostages home safely, HAMAS has clearly shown no genuine interest in negotiating in good faith for peace. It is apparent their goals are violence and death in exchange for headlines without a desire for actual peace or a ceasefire. This lack of mutual cooperation forces leaders of all countries to make difficult decisions, where the only way to make progress may be through force. It's a tragic calculus that underlines why this conflict is so intractable and complex. With more than 600 rescue missions under our belt, including multiple hostage rescues in enemy territory, we at Grey Bull Rescue understand better than anyone how high the stakes are and what success and failure look like. The unfortunate reality is that when the value of keeping hostages alive diminishes, their fate becomes perilous, and chances of survival decrease dramatically. As Hersh and the other hostage families have learned. Time is running out. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims during this unbearable time. We at Grey Bull Rescue will continue to honor their memory by doing everything in our power to rescue the remaining American hostages and those in danger, even as we acknowledge the heartbreaking difficulties inherent in these missions. Let Hersh's story remind us of the urgency and complexity of hostage rescues and the need for unwavering commitment to peace. ### About Grey Bull Rescue: Founded and led by Bryan Stern, Grey Bull Rescue is a veteran-led, donor-supported international rescue organization and filed 501(c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with global operations. Specializing in operations within "The Grey Space," in conflict zones where the U.S. Government does not have access or a presence, Grey Bull Rescue conducts evacuations and daring rescues of individuals impacted by conflict, war, and natural disasters worldwide. Notably, Bryan Stern, the Founder and formerly of Project DYNAMO, led the first air-rescue missions from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover and has conducted daring rescue missions behind enemy lines, rescuing numerous Americans from captivity, torture, and unlawful detention in countries including Sudan, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Haiti and Lebanon. These operations included the rescues of numerous American hostages including the first victim of war crimes alive since World War II. Additionally, the team executed lifesaving missions in the United States during the Maui wildfires and Hurricane Ian. To date, Stern and his team have conducted 617 missions worldwide and saved the lives of more than 7,000 men, women, children, babies and counting. Media Contact: Ashley Pontius Tel: 813.409.4091 Email: apontius@nspublicrelations.com pr@greybullrescue.org SOURCE: Grey Bull Rescue View the original press release on accesswire.com BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Just a week after unveiling the E20 Plus, Eureka has made waves at IFA 2024 with the launch of its flagship robot vacuum of 2024, the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra. Equipped with the industry's first self-cleaning base station and active detangling technology, 16,200 Pa powerful suction, and exceptional edge cleaning performance, the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra is set to make cleaning much easier. Industry's First Self-Cleaning Base Station The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra stands out by featuring the industry's first self-cleaning base station. In the past, while the base station could clean the robot, the tray of the base was often neglected, allowing dirt to accumulate and reducing the effectiveness of mop cleaning. The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra ingeniously includes a tray scraper, a debris collection area, and a separate tray debris collecting channel inside the base station. After each mop cleaning, a built-in scraper removes debris from the cleaning tray and pushes it to the collection area. Once there, the debris will be dried thoroughly and collected into the dust bag during the next cleaning cycle, making manual cleaning a thing of the past. Industry's First Active Detangling Technology Beyond its self-cleaning capabilities, the J15 Pro Ultra introduces Eureka's exclusive FlexiRazorTM technology. This feature addresses one of robot vacuum users' most common frustrations: hair tangling. FlexiRazorTM employs high-density blades that vibrate 400 times per minute, cutting the hair with a 4 mm amplitude. According to SGS certifications, this ensures that hair tangling is reduced by up to 99%*, allowing users to enjoy a hassle-free cleaning experience without the need for frequent manual maintenance. *The data provided is based on tests conducted by SGS Lab, and actual performance may vary. Powerful Suction Meets Exceptional Edge Cleaning Performance is at the heart of the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra, which is most evident in its suction power. Boasting an impressive 16,200 Pa vacuum suction, the J15 Pro Ultra achieves a household debris removal rate of 99%* *The data provided is based on tests conducted by Eureka Lab and actual performance may vary. Additionally, the J15 Pro Ultra is equipped with the ScrubExtend mop extension technology. Traditional robot vacuums often struggle with cleaning close to walls and furniture edges, leaving dirt and debris behind. The ScrubExtend system extends the mop when the vacuum detects corners or obstacles, ensuring that even the hardest-to-reach areas receive a thorough clean. The technology's effectiveness has been validated by TUV Rheinland, which confirmed a 98.95%* edge coverage rate and an edge extension distance of just 1.36 mm. *The data provided is based on tests conducted by TUV Rheinland and actual performance may vary. Price and Availability: The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra will be available in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain starting in late September 2024. Following its European release, the J15 Pro Ultra is scheduled to launch in the United States in November 2024. About Eureka Founded in 1909 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, Eureka offers a full line of vacuum cleaners, including uprights, canisters, sticks, handhelds, cordless, and robot vacuum cleaners. For over 100 years, Eureka continues to innovate and bring to market new and exciting products, making it a household name in North America and all around the world. For more information, visit www.eureka.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2496246/Eureka_J15_Pro_Ultra.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eureka-unveils-the-j15-pro-ultra-at-ifa-2024--featuring-the-industrys-first-self-cleaning-base-station-and-active-detangling-technology-302240105.html As part of Tampa General Hospital's Innovation Week's goal "to spark curiosity, creativity, and collaboration", AGFA HealthCare will present its latest AI innovation designed to streamline radiology workflows and enhance the delivery of patient care. TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / AGFA HealthCare, a world-class innovator in Enterprise Imaging technology, will be offering a fascinating peek into healthcare imaging's exciting future as it showcases its RUBEE Augmented Intelligence (AI) Packages at Tampa General Hospital's first TGH Innovation Week, taking place on September 10, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. This week-long event will present some of the most important - and promising - research and advancements in healthcare. AGFA HealthCare will be offering visitors a hands-on AI experience to demonstrate one of the newest and most sophisticated technologies, which offers radiologists and other diagnosticians better access to deeper anatomical and clinical details for faster diagnosis and more time for clinical decision-making. "We are thrilled and honored to be a part of this inaugural and inspiring event," says Mark Burgess, AGFA HealthCare President, North America. "AGFA HealthCare shares TGH's hard-charging spirit of innovation and embrace of technology's potential to improve healthcare. -and the working lives of those who deliver it. This is why we enthusiastically support TGH's mission to advance research, treatment, and education." SHOWCASING THE AI EXPERIENCE As part of AGFA HealthCare's AI experience, Tampa General Hospital's staff will be given opportunities to spot abnormalities within a medical image. Simultaneously, AGFA HealthCare's partnering AI algorithms will process those same images to determine which abnormalities. -or other clinical findings - are present. Throughout the day, AGFA HealthCare will be presenting field-proven technologies that expedite and enhance the analysis and interpretation of orthopedic, neurology, pulmonary, and women's health images. TRANSFORMING DELIVERY OF CARE For more information on AGFA HealthCare and its leading-edge enterprise imaging technologies, including its fully managed Enterprise Imaging Cloud software-as-a-service, please visit agfahealthcare.com. ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States ABOUT RUBEE FOR AI PACKAGES AGFA HealthCare's RUBEE AI Packages include a highly customizable toolkit that puts the real benefits of AI into radiologists' hands. With advanced visualizations, workflow optimization and automation, RUBEE reduces repetitive tasks, for faster diagnosis and more time for clinical decision-making. And it enables your healthcare organization to make the most of AI for medical imaging investments to enhance efficiency, productivity, and the patient experience. Advanced Visualizations Workflow Orchestration Automated Triage ABOUT AGFA HEALTHCARE At AGFA HealthCare, we are transforming the delivery of care - supporting healthcare professionals across the globe with secure, effective, and sustainable imaging data management. As a company, we are dedicated to our customers, and we have harnessed a value framework of Mission, Vision and Customer Delivery Principles into our routine operations. Through these principles, we commit a consistent high-yield code of conduct to our associates - channeling our experience and aspirations to all of our stakeholders. Our Empowerer profile supports our focus on creating an exceptional experience through the power of technology and is an integral foundation to our company standards. AGFA HealthCare is a division of the Agfa-Gevaert Group. For more information on AGFA HealthCare, please visit www.agfahealthcare.com. AGFA and the Agfa rhombus are registered trademarks of Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Belgium or its affiliates. RUBEE is a registered trademark of AGFA HealthCare NV or its affiliates. All rights reserved. All information contained herein is intended for guidance purposes only, and the characteristics of the products and services described in this publication can be changed at any time without notice. Products and services may not be available for your local area. Please contact your local sales representative for availability information. AGFA HealthCare diligently strives to provide as accurate information as possible but shall not be responsible for any typographical error. Contact Information Buse Kayar buse.kayar@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: AGFA Healthcare View the original press release on newswire.com. Atlanta, Georgia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Georgia School of Orthodontics, established in 2016, recently celebrated its sixth and largest graduating class of 40 residents from its 36-month Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The graduation ceremony took place this month at the InterContinental-Buckhead. "With this latest group of graduates, GSO is fulfilling its mission to educate talented dentists to become highly qualified specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics," said Randy Kluender, D.D.S., M.S., President & Chairman of the Board of Trustees. GSO's comprehensive curriculum provides residents with the opportunity to assist in providing orthodontic treatment to patients at the school's two patient clinics in Atlanta and Duluth. The recent graduates completed intensive didactic, clinical, and research components in GSO's state-of-the-art facilities, equipped with technologically advanced tools, research, and materials. GSO also collaborates with the renowned oral surgery program at Emory University, exposing resident doctors to unique and uncommon cases in their field. To enhance their success, residents also received instruction in the business aspects of operating an orthodontic practice. "Our curriculum encourages our graduates to promote diversity and offer affordable orthodontic care to underserved communities. We have treated over 12,000 patients and saved Atlanta communities more than $35 million* in orthodontic treatment costs," said Ricky E. Harrell, D.M.D., M.A., GSO's Program Director Emeritus, Clinical Professor, and Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO). Since opening in 2016, GSO has awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to its residents. The school has also provided over $250,000 in complimentary orthodontic treatment to veterans, children, and community heroes nominated by Atlanta residents. During the ceremony, GSO recognized 13 scholarship recipients. The Doctor Melvin S. Polk Professional Integrity & Academic Achievement Scholarship was awarded to outstanding third-year Chief Residents Dr. Ariel B. Banks and Dr. Leo Freitas. The Doctor Gasper Lazzara Diversity in the Field of Orthodontics Scholarship was also awarded to Dr. Ariel B. Banks. The Doctor Nathaniel Glover Leadership & Professionalism Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Hikmat Aboudan, Dr. Arash Afkham, Dr. Anas Aljumali, Dr. Ariel B. Banks, Dr. Daniel Escobedo, Dr. Leo Freitas, Dr. Anahita Javadpour, and Dr. Osama Younis. Two special awards were presented during the ceremony. Dr. Mason Childers received the Doctor John W. Stockstill Outstanding Research Award, while the President's Award was presented to three-term Georgia Senator and nationally renowned healthcare provider Dr. Lester G. Jackson III. Senator Lester G. Jackson III, who previously served as Chairman of the Georgia Senate Urban Affairs Committee and represented Georgia's 2nd District, delivered the keynote address. Dr. Jackson served in the Georgia General Assembly's House of Representatives for 10 years before being elected state senator. Before entering politics, Dr. Jackson served as a dental officer in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He later established the Jackson Dental Center in Savannah, GA. Dr. Jackson is an active member of the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, and the Georgia Dental Association. For more information about the Georgia School of Orthodontics Residency Program, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737. *Based on estimated median treatment costs as reported in the 2023 Journal of Clinical Orthodontics Practice Study (Oct-Dec 2023 JCO issue). About Georgia School of Orthodontics Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics offers an advanced speciality education program in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics. The 36-month residency program, the largest in the world, is structured to provide collaborative and evidence-based learning for residents while providing quality orthodontic care to patients in the school's two patient clinics in metro Atlanta. GSO's mission is to educate outstanding dentists to be proficient in the clinical speciality of orthodontics while providing Georgians with the highest level of patient care available. GSO faculty and staff are dedicated to diversity in both education and practice. For more information about GSO, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222306 SOURCE: Pinion Partners The Rise of the DIY Investor Has Changed the Investment Game TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / GRIT is excited to announce the acquisition of the rapidly growing "Rate of Return" newsletter - a go-to source for curated financial news, analysis, and commentary - as well as the naming of Austin Hankwitz as Head Analyst. GRIT x RATE OF RETURN GRIT Acquires 'Rate of Return' Newsletter and Names Austin Hankwitz as Head Analyst Launched in 2020, GRIT's mission is to democratize Wall Street insights traditionally held by the 1% and make them accessible to the 99%. From its humble beginnings with 5,000 subscribers, GRIT has grown rapidly to +245,000 free subscribers, thousands of paying members, and a social media following exceeding half a million. This impressive growth has been driven organically and through strategic acquisitions. GRIT and CEO Genevieve Roch-Decter have been featured in major media outlets, including Forbes, FOX, Business Insider, and Bloomberg/BNN, among others. Genevieve Roch-Decter, the CEO of GRIT, was nominated for the 32nd Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards in 2024 and earned a spot in LinkedIn's Top Voices, an invite-only group of experts representing less than 1% of members. She and GRIT have provided expert commentary alongside finance heavyweights like Morgan Housel (award-winning author of the bestseller "The Psychology of Money") in the award-winning documentary "This is Not Financial Advice," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023 and hit #3 on AppleTV. "We are thrilled to welcome Austin as our Head Analyst," said Genevieve Roch-Decter, CEO of GRIT. "His talent for making complex financial content engaging and understandable aligns perfectly with our mission. With the surge in DIY investors, Austin's expertise will be invaluable to the GRIT community." Austin Hankwitz is a renowned investor, influencer, and top podcaster in North America, with features in Bloomberg, CNBC, Business Insider, and The New York Times. With over one million social media followers, he co-hosts the Rich Habits Podcast, consistently ranking in the Top 10 Business Podcasts on Spotify, and has garnered over six million downloads in only 18 months. Additionally, he co-hosts "Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories" with iHeartRadio and Intuit QuickBooks (over one million downloads since its inception). Until recently, he also co-hosted "After Earnings" for Morning Brew & Stakeholder Labs where he interviewed C-suite execs at publicly traded companies like Affirm, Cava, Celsius, Elf Beauty, Monday.com, ServiceNow, Sprout Social, and many more. Joining him is his business partner Christian Blackwell who will act as the General Manager for GRIT. Blackwell was formerly a Management Consultant at PwC with a focus on Pricing and Profitability, as well as co-head of Creator Partnerships at MoneyLion alongside Hankwitz. In 2020, he co-founded Witz Ventures - an early-stage investment company and provider of advisory services to leading finance brands. Blackwell serves as the Executive Producer of the Rich Habits Podcast, leading business development and monetization throughout its rise to the top of the Spotify charts. Blackwell also co-authors the "Rate of Return" newsletter alongside Hankwitz. Hankwitz and Blackwell have worked with and consulted for numerous Fortune 500 companies and well-known fintechs including AARP, Betterment, Charles Schwab, Coinbase, Fundrise, H&R Block, Intuit, MoneyLion, NerdWallet, Public, TradingView, UnitedHealth Group, and more. In January 2023, Hankwitz launched an investing challenge to build a $2 million portfolio in eight years, sharing his journey through the "Rate of Return" newsletter. GRIT's acquisition of this newsletter will allow subscribers to benefit from Hankwitz's transparent and educational investment journey - sharing both the ups and the downs along the way. "When Christian Blackwell and I created 'Rate of Return' in August of 2021, we had no idea it would grow to the size it stands today," said Austin Hankwitz. "Since day one, our mission with 'Rate of Return' was to help shrink the wealth gap by introducing as many people as possible to the investor class - to not just be consumers, but also investors in the companies they consume from. Now that we're a part of the GRIT ecosystem, we'll be able to share actionable twice-weekly market news and analysis with over +245,000 subscribers. Together, we'll empower our community to navigate the investing landscape with confidence and clarity." The GRIT team is excited to "Relentlessly Chase ROI" alongside Austin Hankwitz and Christian Blackwell. ABOUT GRIT: GRIT is a financial media platform democratizing investment knowledge built by former +$100MM money manager Genevieve Roch-Decter. GRIT's mission is to democratize Wall Street insights held by the 1% and make them available to the other 99%. GRIT offers its subscribers detailed analysis on the stock market, with an attitude. Stripping away jargon and fluff, GRIT has a no-nonsense approach that its readers unapologetically love. Through special personalities, unique expertise, and an incessant drive to deliver ROI, GRIT is building the next global media powerhouse. We are focused on four core pillars: Content, Community, Creators, and Data. Ranked as a top free finance newsletter on Beehiiv, GRIT has +245,000 free subscribers, thousands of paying subscribers, and a social media following exceeding half a million. To find out more: Gritcap.io. Contact Information Grit Media info@gritcap.io SOURCE: GRIT View the original press release on newswire.com. BANGALORE, India, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Outboard Engines Market is Segmented by Type (Fuel-Oil Outboard, Electric Outboard), by Application (Personal Boat, Commercial Boat, Government Enforcement Boat): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2030. The Global Outboard Engines Market was valued at USD 4475.8 Million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 5528.7 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 3.0% during the forecast period 2024-2030. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-21I4249/Global_Outboard_Engines_Market Major Factors Driving the Growth of Outboard Engines Market: The market for outboard engines is expanding rapidly due to the rising popularity of fishing, boating, and other water sports. Small to medium-sized boats frequently employ outboard engines because of their great performance, adaptability, and ease of maintenance. Technological developments, such as the creation of more potent, ecologically friendly, and fuel-efficient outboard engines, are also helping the industry by meeting changing customer demands. Furthermore, as more people look for water-based recreational opportunities, the market for outboard engines is growing due to increased disposable incomes and the burgeoning tourist sector in coastal areas. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-21I4249/global-outboard-engines TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE OUTBOARD ENGINES MARKET: Because of their strong performance and dependability in maritime applications, fuel-oil outboard engines are widely used, which considerably contributes to the market growth of outboard engines. Fuel-oil outboard engines are the favored choice because of their exceptional torque, extended operating hours, and resilience, particularly in harsh situations. These engines are very popular for use in leisure and commercial boats, where long-range and reliable power production are essential. Fuel-oil engines are becoming more and more popular due to their efficiency in a variety of watercraft, which increases their acceptance and accelerates the market's overall growth for outboard engines. Furthermore, improvements in pollution management and fuel economy reinforce their market position. Personal boats, which include small recreational vessels like speedboats and fishing boats, are a major factor in the market's growth for outboard engines. The need for dependable and effective outboard engines is fueled by the growing popularity of recreational boating activities including fishing, watersports, and leisurely cruising. The need for outboard engines that are lightweight, easy to maintain, and have excellent performance is increasing as more people purchase personal watercraft. Due to their ease of installation and maintenance, as well as their adaptability in a variety of water conditions, outboard engines are a popular choice among personal boat owners, which has led to a considerable increase in the outboard engines industry. The market for outboard engines is expanding due in large part to the presence of commercial boats, such as workboats, passenger boats, and fishing vessels. Engines that can withstand heavy use and extended working hours and provide durability, dependability, and fuel efficiency are in high demand in the commercial sector. Because of their flexibility in installation, reduced initial costs, and ease of maintenance, outboard engines are becoming more and more popular in commercial applications. Strong and effective outboard engines are becoming more and more in demand as the commercial boating sector grows, especially in areas with booming tourism and fishing industries. The market expansion for outboard engines is mostly due to this tendency. The market for outboard engines is mostly driven by the commercial and recreational fishing sector. Small to medium-sized fishing boats frequently employ outboard motors because they can deliver the required power and agility in a variety of water conditions. Demand for robust and effective outboard engines has increased due to the expansion of the worldwide fishing sector, which is being driven by the rising demand for seafood and leisure fishing. The durability and fuel economy of these engines are especially appreciated, as they are essential for extended fishing excursions and help to drive the market's growth. The market for outboard engines is expanding due to the growing need for engines that are small and light. Boaters look for engines that are simple to install, use, and maintain, especially those who use smaller personal watercraft. One benefit of lightweight outboard engines is their mobility, which is especially useful for people who regularly need to move or store their boats. Manufacturers have responded to this desire by creating engines that are more compact and efficient without sacrificing performance or power. Convenience and simplicity of use are critical factors in the recreational boating market, where small engines are highly preferred. Buy Now: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-21I4249&lic=single-user OUTBOARD ENGINES MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS: The robust recreational boating culture in North America, especially in the United States and Canada, has made the area a leader in the outboard engine industry. There is a growing need for outboard-powered personal and commercial boats due to the abundance of lakes, rivers, and coastal locations that make boating a popular recreational activity. The market is also supported by the region's thriving tourist sector, which is particularly strong in coastal states like Florida and California. North America has the benefits of a thriving maritime sector, with major suppliers and manufacturers fueling the expansion of the outboard engines market. The market dynamics in this area are also influenced by the implementation of new engine technology and strict environmental restrictions. Purchase Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-21I4249/Global_Outboard_Engines_Market Key Companies: Yamaha Brunswick Deutz Honda BRP Suzuki Tohatsu Parsun Hidea Weimin Krautler Elektromaschinen Purchase Chapters: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-21I4249/Global_Outboard_Engines_Market SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. DISCOVER MORE INSIGHTS: EXPLORE SIMILAR REPORTS! - Outboard Electric Motors market size was USD 125 Million and it is expected to reach USD 214 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 8.0% during 2021-2027. - ICE Outboard Engines Market - Fuel-Oil Outboard Engines Market - Marine and Maritime Outboard Engines Market - Gas Powered Outboard Engines market was valued at USD 5993 Million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 7352 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 2.9% during the forecast period 2024-2030. - Fuel Injected Outboard Engines market was valued at USD 6500 Million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 8002 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 2.8% during the forecast period 2024-2030. - Outboard and Inboard Engines Market - Two-Stroke Piston Engine Market DISCOVER OUR VISION: VISIT ABOUT US! Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS: REACH OUT TO US! Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Blog: https://valuatestrends.blogspot.com/ Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/valuatesreports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valuatesreports6753 https://www.facebook.com/valuateskorean https://www.facebook.com/valuatesspanish https://www.facebook.com/valuatesjapanese https://valuatesreportspanish.blogspot.com/ https://valuateskorean.blogspot.com/ https://valuatesgerman.blogspot.com/ ???? Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/outboard-engines-market-size-to-grow-usd-5528-7-million-by-2030-at-a-cagr-of-3--valuates-reports-302240745.html Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of August 23, 2024, it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of units ("Units") for aggregate gross proceeds of $305,500. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share (a "Common Share") and one (1) common share purchase warrant (the Warrants) of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional Common Share of the Company at a price of C$0.075 for a period of 24 months following issuance. Certain insiders of the Company have acquired an aggregate of 550,000 Units in the Offering for gross proceeds of $27,500. Participation by insiders in the private placement constitutes a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101, Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. This participation is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the units subscribed for by the insiders, nor the consideration for the units paid by such insiders, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Common Shares and Warrants are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on the date that is four months and one day after closing. The Company anticipates completing a second tranche of the Offering within the next few weeks. The Offering, including the terms of the Offering, received the conditional approval of the Exchange prior to closing but is subject to the final approval of the Exchange. The net proceeds of the offering will be used for exploration expenses at the Company's highly prospective precious metals projects in Mexico, including the Pilar gold project and the EP gold project as well as for working capital. The Company also wishes to announce that it has sold its RC Drill Rig to a private company in Hermosillo Mexico for a total consideration of USD $395,000 which consisted of cash and drill credits. A portion of the proceeds is expected to be applied to an upcoming drilling program at the EP Gold Project where the Company intends to complete its first drilling program at the high priority San Perfecto target. The San Perfecto target area is characterized by variably to strongly altered volcanic and intrusive rocks and has a mineralized footprint of approximately 1,250m by 700m which remains open to the southeast. A total of 616 samples are reported from the San Perfecto target surface area (102 by Colibri and 514 historical) of which 315, approximately 50 per cent, have returned values greater than 0.10 g/t Au and 213, approximately 35 per cent, have returned assay values greater than 0.25 g/t Au. Ninety-one samples (approximately 15 per cent of the total) have returned Au assays greater than 1.00 g/t with the highest grades, up to 58.9 g/t Au being associated with strong silicification and veins in faults zones. A number of historical (artisanal) pits have been developed in the San Perfecto area including a larger production pit with a surface opening approximately of 35 m by 30 m. Only two exploration holes have been historically drilled in the area and both intersected significant mineralization. Supported by interpretation of magnetic and IP data sets, the Company has interpreted the San Perfecto area as being indicative of a well-developed, high-level orogenic gold system with the potential to host economically significant mineralization. Illustration 1: Samples map at San Perfecto Target To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/222416_cdf24b61f462ba63_001full.jpg QUALIFIED PERSON Jamie Lavigne, P. Geo and a Director for Colibri is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. The securities of the Company in this Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an available exemption from the registration requirement of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION: Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company holds four high potential precious metal projects: 1) 100% of EP Gold Project in the significant Caborca Gold Belt which has delivered highly encouraging exploration results and is surround by Mexico's second largest major producer of gold on four sides, 2) 49% Ownership of the Pilar Gold & Silver Project which is believed to hold the potential to be a near term producing mine, and 3) two highly prospective interests in the Sierra Madre (Diamante Gold & Silver Project and Jackie Gold & Silver Project). For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222416 SOURCE: Colibri Resource Corporation Melbourne, Victoria, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - In accordance with ASX Listing Rule 3.16.1 Besra Gold Inc. (ASX: BEZ) (Besra or the Company) advises that it has today appointed Mr Michael Higginson (who is independent of Quantum Metal Recovery Inc - Besra's largest CDI holder) as a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Since Mr Higginson's appointment as Company Secretary of Besra on 3 Aprill 2023, he has proven himself to be an exceptional and irreplaceable member of the Besra team and a tireless contributor. As such, the Besra Board welcomes Mr Higginson as a Non-Executive Director. In addition to his newly appointed Non-Executive Director role, Mr Higginson will continue with his role as Besra's Company Secretary. Mr Higginson has a Bachelor of Business degree from Edith Cowan University, majoring in both Finance and Administration and has over the last 36 years been providing his services, as a professional director and company secretary, to a number of Australian and international listed public companies. Commencing in 1985, Mr Higginson was an Executive Officer with the Australian Associated Stock Exchanges - Perth (now the ASX) and since his departure in 1987 has accumulated extensive knowledge and hands on practical experience in the operations and activities of mineral exploration, mining and mining project development companies, spanning a range of commodities. Mr Higginson's extensive experience in public company administration includes the ASX Listing Rules, the Corporations Act, capital raisings, public company listings, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting and due diligence. This announcement was authorised for release by the Board. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222417 SOURCE: Besra Gold Inc. Three-term Georgia Senator and renowned healthcare provider addresses graduates Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO), established in 2016, celebrated its sixth and largest graduating class of 40 residents from its 36-month Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The graduation ceremony was held this month at the InterContinental-Buckhead. Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO), established in 2016, celebrated its sixth and largest graduating class of 40 residents from its 36-month Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. "With this latest group of graduates, GSO is fulfilling its mission to educate talented dentists to become highly qualified specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics," said Randy Kluender, D.D.S., M.S., President & Chairman, Board of Trustees. GSO's extensive curriculum provides residents with the opportunity to assist in providing orthodontic treatment to patients in the school's two patient clinics in Atlanta and Duluth. The recent graduates underwent intensive didactic, clinical and research components taught in GSO's state-of-the-art facilities with technologically advanced equipment, research and materials. GSO also collaborates with the renowned oral surgery program at Emory University, which exposes the resident doctors to the most unique and uncommon cases in their field. And to increase their level of success, they were instructed in the business aspects of operating an orthodontic practice. "Our curriculum also encourages our graduates to promote diversity and offer affordable orthodontic care to underserved communities. We have treated over 12,000 patients and have saved the Atlanta communities over $35 million* in orthodontic treatment costs," said Ricky E. Harrell, D.M.D., M.A., GSO's Program Director Emeritus, Clinical Professor, and a Diplomate of the ABO. To date, GSO has given more than $2.5 million in scholarships to its residents since opening in 2016. The company has also provided more than $250,000 in complimentary orthodontic treatment to veterans, children and community heroes nominated by Atlanta residents. GSO recognized 13 scholarship recipients during the ceremony. The Doctor Melvin S. Polk Professional Integrity & Academic Achievement Scholarship, awarded to outstanding third-year Chief Residents Dr. Ariel B. Banks and Dr. Leo Freitas. The Doctor Gasper Lazzara Diversity in the Field of Orthodontics Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Ariel B. Banks. The Doctor Nathaniel Glover Leaderships & Professionalism Scholarship was awarded to deserving residents: Dr. Hikmat Aboudan, Dr. Arash Afkham, Dr. Anas Aljumali, Dr. Ariel B. Banks, Dr. Daniel Escobedo, Dr. Leo Freitas, Dr. Anahita Javadpour, and Dr. Osama Younis. Two special awards were presented during the ceremony. The Doctor John W. Stockstill Outstanding Research Award recipient was Dr. Mason Childers. The President's Award was presented to three-term Georgia Senator and nationally renowned healthcare provider Dr. Lester G. Jackson III. Senator Lester G. Jackson III, who previously served as Chairman of the Georgia Senate Urban Affairs Committee and represented Georgia's 2nd District, delivered the ceremony's keynote address. Dr. Jackson served in the Georgia General Assembly's House of Representatives for 10 years prior to being elected state senator. Before entering politics, Dr. Jackson was commissioned as a dental officer for the United States Navy. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander and then served as Detachment Commander of the Beaufort Marine Corp. Air Station Dental Clinic in Beaufort, SC., where he provided dental services to military personnel and their families. He later established the Jackson Dental Center in Savannah, GA. Dr. Jackson is an active member of the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, and the Georgia Dental Association. For more info about Georgia School of Orthodontics Residency Program, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737. *Based on estimated median treatment costs as reported in the 2023 Journal of Clinical Orthodontics Practice Study (Oct-Dec 2023 JCO issue). About Georgia School of Orthodontics Atlanta-based Georgia School of Orthodontics offers an advanced specialty education program in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. The 36-month residency program, the largest in the world, is structured to provide collaborative and evidence-based learning for residents, while providing quality orthodontic care to patients in the school's two patient clinics in metro Atlanta. GSO's mission is to educate outstanding dentists to be proficient in the clinical specialty of orthodontics, while providing Georgians with the highest level of patient care available. GSO faculty and staff are dedicated to diversity in both education and practice. For more information about GSO, visit GAorthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737. Media Contact: Lesley Gamwell Rountree Group 404.309.6915 lgamwell@rountreegroup.com SOURCE: Georgia School of Orthodontics View the original press release on accesswire.com Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (CSE: MLKM) ("Mayo") is pleased to announce that further to its press releases dated August 17, 2023, March 12, 2024, May 3, 2024 and July 25, 2024, it continues to work towards the completion of its proposed merger with WestMountain Gold Inc. ("WMG") in conjunction with a concurrent financing ("Concurrent Financing") of $7.5 million, the net proceeds of which will primarily be applied to an aggressive diamond drill program at WMG's Terra gold project. Mayo is currently assembling the necessary technical and financial information required to formalize the terms of both the definitive agreement and Concurrent Financing. All securities issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and corollary securities legislation. The proposed merger remains subject to the execution of a definitive agreement and the receipt of applicable regulatory and shareholder approvals. Mayo will issue a comprehensive press release upon the signing of a definitive agreement. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (Mayo) Mayo is actively engaged in the exploration and development of four precious metal projects in the Tombstone Gold (Plutonic) Belt of the Tintina Gold Province. The properties cover 190 square kilometres in the Yukon's Mayo Mining District and lie within the traditional territory of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on certain expectations and assumptions made by management of Mayo. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of Mayo. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could, and often do, differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, many of which are beyond the control of Mayo. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. BECAUSE MAYO AND WMG HAVE ONLY ENTERED INTO A NON-BINDING LETTER OF INTENT, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE WHATSOEVER THAT THE PROPOSED MERGER WILL OCCUR. FURTHER, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT MAYO WILL BE ABLE TO RAISE THE NECESSARY CAPITAL TO PROCEED WITH THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION. BOTH MAYO AND WESTMOUNTAIN HAVE LIMITED CAPITAL. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222429 SOURCE: Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. ParkerVision Resumes Decade-Long Legal Fight ParkerVision, Inc. (the "Company") (OTCQB:PRKR) announced today that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ("CAFC") has issued a favorable ruling in ParkerVision v. Qualcomm (Case No. 2022-1755). The CAFC upheld ParkerVision's position on each of the appealed issues and has sent the case back to the Middle District of Florida ("District Court") for trial. The CAFC opinion: Reversed the District Court's Daubert ruling, which had deemed ParkerVision's expert report inadmissible and likewise vacated the District Court's grant of summary judgement of non-infringement of the transmitter claims which was based on the exclusion of ParkerVision's infringement experts. The District Court had dismissed the evidence supporting ParkerVision's patent infringement claims because the expert did not create his own simulations of Qualcomm's accused radio frequency chips. However, the CAFC found that the District Court abused its discretion in excluding the testimony of ParkerVision's validity expert, stating "the district court should have left it to jurors to evaluate the correctness of facts underlying an expert's testimony". This reversal reinstates ParkerVision's expert report, allowing the Company to present its infringement claims against Qualcomm to a jury. Vacated the District Court's summary judgement ruling, which had barred ParkerVision from asserting its radio frequency receiver patents in this case. The lower court had based its decision on the argument that these patents are essentially the same as other ParkerVision receiver patents previously asserted against Qualcomm in 2011. The CAFC found that the District Court erred in its determination that the asserted receiver claims did not have a scope that is materially different from the claims at issue in the 2011 case and remanded for further consideration. Reversed the District Court's application of collateral estoppel, which prevented ParkerVision from defending the validity of its '940 patent using arguments it previously presented to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB") and the CAFC. These arguments had been successful in a prior inter partes review ("IPR") proceeding initiated by Qualcomm in 2015 which delayed the patent infringement case until 2019. The CAFC has remanded the case to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, ordering the reopening of the original case (Case No. 6:14-cv-00687). A copy of the CAFC opinion is available through the CAFC website at: https://cafc.uscourts.gov/home/case-information/opinions-orders/. The CAFC also awarded ParkerVision costs for the appeal. ParkerVision CEO Jeffrey Parker commented, "I am extremely pleased with the CAFC rulings, and we are eager to reopen this case in district court. This case was ready for trial nearly two and a half years ago, so I am optimistic that the district court will act swiftly to place it back on the docket. ParkerVision has prosecuted this case for over a decade, confident that Qualcomm has built its Smartphone wireless chip business on our proprietary technologies. Based on publicly available information, we estimate that our technologies have been integrated without our authorization into over 1.5 billion Qualcomm chips that have been made, used, or sold in the U.S. Qualcomm challenged patents through IPRs, but both the PTAB and the CAFC upheld certain claims as not invalid. The IPRs delayed the case from 2015 to 2019, a common tactic in the big tech playbook to delay justice. We are committed to bringing this case to trial as soon as possible." History of ParkerVision v Qualcomm: ParkerVision initiated this case against Qualcomm in the Federal District Court in Orlando, Florida, in May 2014 while awaiting a final decision on a separate 2011 patent infringement case involving different receiver patents (see ParkerVision v. Qualcomm-2011 below). The case experienced several delays due to Qualcomm's IPR challenges to patent validity and court closures caused by the pandemic. By May 2021, all final pre-trial motions had been filed. With courts reopening in 2022, the District Court held a pre-trial motion hearing in January 2022, signaling preparation for a near-term jury trial. However, in March 2022, the District Court issued orders in Qualcomm's favor on all motions, effectively barring ParkerVision from presenting the case to a jury. The court subsequently closed the case file. ParkerVision appealed three of the District Court's rulings to the CAFC, and by the end of 2022, both parties had submitted their appellate briefs and replies. In November 2023, the CAFC permitted oral arguments to support these briefs. However, in July 2024, the CAFC found that it lacked proper jurisdiction over the case because the District Court had not issued a final order on Qualcomm's counterclaims for invalidity. Subsequently, the parties filed a joint motion with the District Court. On August 1, 2024, the District Court issued an order dismissing Qualcomm's invalidity counterclaims, without prejudice, clearing the way for the CAFC to proceed with its ruling on the appeal. ParkerVision v. Qualcomm - 2011 ParkerVision filed its first patent infringement case in 2011, alleging that Qualcomm infringed on certain receiver patents. In 2013, a jury found that Qualcomm infringed all the patents in the case and determined that they were not invalid. The jury awarded ParkerVision over $170 million in damages for Qualcomm's past use of its technology. On the same day in May 2014 that ParkerVision filed its current case against Qualcomm, a hearing was held on final post-judgment motions from the 2011 case. During this hearing, the judge instructed the parties to negotiate an on-going royalty rate that Qualcomm would pay ParkerVision for continued use of the infringed patents, remarking that "there are certainly going to be on-going royalties". However, in July 2014, the judge reversed the jury's verdict and closed the case, ruling that ParkerVision's technical expert had provided testimony that undermined the jury's infringement findings. ParkerVision appealed the decision, but the CAFC upheld the lower court's ruling. About ParkerVision ParkerVision, Inc. invents, develops and licenses advanced, proprietary radio-frequency (RF) technologies that empower wireless solution providers to create and market state-of-the-art wireless communication products. ParkerVision is actively involved in multiple patent enforcement actions in the U.S. to safeguard its patented technologies, which it believes are being broadly infringed upon by others. For more information, please visit www.parkervision.com. (PRKR-I) Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated in this press release are forward-looking statements. The Company does not guarantee that it will actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in its forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary materially from these forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by its forward-looking statements, including those important factors set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and disclosures in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company may elect to do so at some point in the future, the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement and it disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Contact: Cindy French Chief Financial Officer cfrench@parkervision.com Tony Vignieri Communications Director tvignieri@parkervision.com SOURCE: ParkerVision, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com AMSTERDAM, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC 2024) will be held from September 13th to 16th at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam. As Europe's largest broadcast equipment exhibition, IBC exerts a wide-reaching and significant influence on the broadcast and media industries. PGYTECH, a leading brand in photography accessories, will make its IBC debut this year, marking its first engagement with European fans. PGYTECH will showcase its full range of products at Booth 12.C82, with a spotlight on the OnePro professional outdoor photography backpack, which achieved great success on Kickstarter. This series is the first in its category to incorporate a mountaineering-grade carrying system, offering robust storage capacity and protection. The OnePro has garnered widespread acclaim from photographers worldwide for its innovative design. Additionally, PGYTECH will feature other flagship products, including the highly popular OneMo 2 photography bag, Mantispods, and CreateMate High-speed Card Reader Case. These products, known for their superior quality and seamless user experience, have become essential gear for photography enthusiasts. The latest releases, including the CF-express Creatmate Card Reader Case, Camera Shoulder Strap Air, and MagFlex Phone Photography Stand, will also be on display, further enhancing PGYTECH's comprehensive lineup of professional photography accessories. To engage with fans, PGYTECH will host a raffle during the exhibition, giving attendees the chance to win exciting prizes. From September 13th until the end of the show, PGYTECH fans can also enjoy a 10% discount on all products using a special discount code available at the exhibition, applicable on the PGYTECH official website. About IBC IBC is one of Europe's most influential broadcast equipment exhibitions, attracting globally renowned brands such as Sony, Canon, and DJI. Exhibitors will showcase cutting-edge technology and industry trends, providing an excellent platform for professionals in the field to exchange ideas. About PGYTECH Founded in 2015, PGYTECH is committed to making photography more enjoyable with a focus on developing photography stands, bags, and peripheral products for cameras and drones. As of October 2023, PGYTECH has been awarded over 150 patents and has received international recognition, including the prestigious Red Dot and iF design awards. After nine years of steady growth, PGYTECH has become a global leader in photography accessories, delivering more efficient and enjoyable shooting experiences to photography enthusiasts in over 100 countries and regions, making creation easier. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2497881/Countdown_IBC_PGYTECH_Make_Its_Debut_Netherlands_OnePro_Series.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2278974/Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/countdown-to-ibc-pgytech-to-make-its-debut-in-the-netherlands-with-the-onepro-series-302240143.html BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 6, local time, the 100th International Consumer Electronics Show (IFA 2024) kicked off in Berlin, Germany. Since its inaugural event in 1924, IFA has witnessed a century of changes in the consumer electronics industry, becoming a brilliant beacon of global technological innovation. Each event heralds the infinite possibilities of future technology and lifestyle. As a regular exhibitor and leader in the industry, the iconic German brand METZ made a dynamic appearance at IFA 2024, showing its continued advancements in the consumer electronics field. METZ presented its extraordinary innovative strength, writing new chapters in the history of the home appliance industry. On the first day of IFA 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the METZ booth. He experienced METZ's innovative high-tech products and praised them highly. The product that particularly attracted the German Chancellor's attention was METZ's flagship product, the Primus OLED 77-a product combining top-notch picture quality, acoustic quality, and design. The Chancellor inquired about why the TV was named "Primus." "Because this TV is one of the best in terms of picture quality, acoustic quality, and design."Explained Dr.Kotzbauer, CEO of METZ. The Chancellor's visit highlighted METZ's influence in the high-end market, fueled excitement about future technological developments, and boosted METZ's confidence in exploring and expanding in the European market. METZ expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity to share this historic moment with the media and consumers. Starting with radio manufacturing, METZ has evolved into a comprehensive technology company encompassing TVs, IoT cameras, set-top boxes, smart appliances, XR, and more. METZ continues to lead the industry's development trends and is at the forefront of technological innovation. At IFA 2024, METZ Classic and METZ Blue made a strong impression, including the OLED series in collaboration with BMW, the Frame+ TV series with seamless wall-mounting, the world's best-selling 100-inch TV series, the best-sounding gaming TV series, the world's first AI Karaoke Google TV series, portable TVs, and more. The company also showcased white goods like refrigerators and washing machines, as well as personal care products like electric shavers, toothbrushes, high-speed hairdryers, and XR products. The diverse product range and smart interactive experiences provided a feast for the attendees. The successful holding of IFA 2024 not only reviews and honors the past century of technological development but also looks forward to future technological innovation and digital transformation. As a witness and participant in this historic moment, METZ will continue to lead with technological innovation, continually delivering "German Manufacturing" and "German Quality" to users. Upholding the German craftsmanship spirit, METZ will keep collaborating with global partners, inheriting German quality in the electronics industry's transformation, and creating globally influential products and services, contributing more "METZ wisdom" to the cause of sustainable human development. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498829/METZ_IFA.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498830/METZ_IFA_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2498831/METZ_IFA_3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/shining-at-the-centennial-ifa-exhibition-the-legendary-brand-metzs-cutting-edge-innovations-captivate-the-german-chancellor-302240882.html Cardston, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AMK) (OTCQB: ACKRF) (the "Company" or "American Creek") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement dated September 5, 2024 (the "Arrangement Agreement") with Cunningham Mining Ltd. ("CML") pursuant to which CML has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of American Creek (the "Shares") at a price of $0.43 per Share (the "Consideration"), in an arm's-length, all-cash transaction valued at approximately $207 million on a fully diluted basis (the "Transaction"). The Transaction will be completed by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA"). The Consideration represents a 274% premium to the $0.115 closing price of the Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") on June 5, 2024, being the last trading prior to the date that American Creek and CML entered into the previously announced non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") for the Transaction, which LOI has now been superseded by the Arrangement Agreement. In addition, the Consideration represents a 153% premium to the closing price of Shares on the TSXV on September 4, 2024 and a 155% premium based on American Creek's 30-trading day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") on the TSXV for the period ending September 4, 2024. Holders of outstanding options and warrants to purchase shares of American Creek will receive a cash payment for the "in-the-money" value, if any, in respect of all vested options and warrants of American Creek. The Company announced on August 6, 2024, that at that time it had received confirmation that CML has entered into a token subscription facility of up to US$153M for a 36-month term following a centralized exchange listing of the Cunningham Mining Token, the funds from which are expected to be used to fund CML's financial obligations under the Arrangement Agreement. Ryan Cunningham, President of CML, stated: "We are very excited to enter into this agreement to acquire American Creek. The indirect acquisition in the Treaty Creek Property complements our existing portfolio of assets in the Golden Triangle. We look forward to the positive impact that the addition of the Treaty Creek Property will have on our upcoming NGTGOLD Token." Darren Blaney, CEO of American Creek, stated: "We are pleased and excited to enter into this agreement with Cunningham Mining. I commend the team at Cunningham for recognizing the value of American Creek's 20% carried interest in the Treaty Creek Project, in particular the expanding Goldstorm gold and copper deposit, and the mineral potential of the Treaty Creek Project as a whole. We are also very pleased to have Eric Sprott's full support and endorsement of this transaction with Cunningham. We express our sincere appreciation for being able to associate with the Sprott team and for their significant and unwavering support through the years." Transaction Highlights All-cash offer providing American Creek shareholders with an immediate and attractive premium. All directors and officers of American Creek and American Creek's largest shareholder (being a company controlled by Eric Sprott), which collectively hold an aggregate number of Shares that represent approximately 15.5% of the currently outstanding Shares, have each entered into customary support and voting agreements (collectively, the "Voting Support Agreements") with CML pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote all of their Shares (including any Shares issued upon the exercise of any securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Shares) in favour of the Transaction. Board of Directors Recommendation The board of directors of American Creek (the "Board"), having received a unanimous recommendation from a special committee comprised of a majority of independent directors of American Creek (the "Special Committee") and after receiving outside legal and financial advice, has unanimously determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of American Creek and is fair to the shareholders of American Creek (the "Shareholders") and other securityholders (warrantholders and optionholders) (the "Other Securityholders") and unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. In making their respective determinations, the Special Committee and the Board considered, among other factors, the fairness opinion of RwE Growth Partners, Inc. The fairness opinion concluded that, as of September 2, 2024, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications contained therein, the Consideration to be received by the Shareholders and the Other Securityholders pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to such Shareholders and Other Securityholders. A copy of the fairness opinion will be included in the management information circular of the Company (the "Information Circular") to be mailed to the Shareholders in connection with the special meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") to be called to approve the Transaction, which Meeting is expected to be scheduled to take place in late October or early November, 2024. Transaction Details The Transaction will be implemented by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under Division 5 of Part 9 of the BCBCA (the "Plan of Arrangement"). Completion of the Transaction is subject to customary conditions, including, among others, court approval and regulatory approvals (including the approval of the TSXV), and will, among other things, require the approval of (i) at least two-thirds of the votes cast by the Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting, and (ii) a simple majority of the votes cast by Shareholders on a resolution approving the Arrangement, excluding for this purpose the votes attached to the Shares held by persons required to be excluded for purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary deal protection provisions, including non-solicitation covenants of American Creek, "fiduciary out" provisions in favour of American Creek and "right-to-match superior proposals" in provisions in favour of CML. The Arrangement Agreement provides for a termination fee of $6,286,125 payable by American Creek if it accepts a superior proposal and in certain specified circumstances. In addition, on or before September 30, 2024, CML will pay American Creek a cash signing fee of $300,000, which funds will be used for working capital purposes in the ordinary course of business (including reasonable expenses incurred by American Creek related to the Transaction). 50% of the signing fee (i.e. $150,000) will be repayable by American Creek to CML in equal monthly installments of $10,000 in the event that the required Shareholder approval is not obtained at the Meeting or the Transaction is terminated due to a non-curable breach of the Arrangement Agreement by American Creek. Each of American Creek and CML have made customary representations and warranties and covenants in the Arrangement Agreement, including covenants regarding the conduct of American Creek's business prior to the closing of the Transaction. Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, each outstanding option to purchase common shares in the capital of American Creek (each, an " Option") immediately prior to the effective time of the Arrangement will be, and will be deemed to be, unconditionally vested and exercisable and will be deemed to be assigned and transferred by such holder to American Creek in exchange for a cash payment from American Creek equal to the Option in-the-money amount. Each such Option will immediately be cancelled, and the holder will cease to be a holder of such Option. Each share purchase warrant of the Company (each, a "Warrant") issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Arrangement will be deemed to be assigned and transferred by such holder to American Creek in exchange for a cash payment from American Creek equal to the Warrant in-the-money amount. Each such Warrant will immediately be cancelled, and the holder will cease to be a holder of such Warrant. Subject to the satisfaction of all conditions to closing set out in the Arrangement Agreement, it is anticipated that the Transaction will be completed in late November or early December 2024. Upon closing of the Transaction, it is expected that the Shares will be delisted from the TSXV and that American Creek will cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws. The foregoing summary is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the respective documents. Copies of the fairness opinion, and a description of the various factors considered by the Special Committee and the Board in their respective determination to approve the Transaction, as well as other relevant background information, will be included in the Information Circular to be sent to the Shareholders in advance of the Meeting. Copies of the Information Circular, the Arrangement Agreement, the Plan of Arrangement, the Voting Support Agreements and certain related documents will be filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and will be available in due course on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under American Creek's issuer profile. About CML Cunningham Mining Ltd. (www.cunninghammining.com) has successfully completed the acquisition of the placer claims known as the 'Nugget Trap Placer Mine" in the British Columbia Mineral Title registry, covering 573.7 acres, along with the accompanying permits and authorizations. The property is situated within the Skeena Mining Division of British Columbia, Canada, in the area known as BC's Golden Triangle. The company intends to digitize this and future in ground deposits as well as operating mines and claims through the issuance of its Digital Asset Token, NGTGOLD Token (nuggettrap.com). Its registered office is located at 10026 Pacific Centre, 25th FL, Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1B3. About American Creek and the Treaty Creek Project American Creek is a proud partner in the Treaty Creek Project, a joint venture with Tudor Gold Corp. located in BC's prolific "Golden Triangle". American Creek holds a fully carried 20% interest in the Treaty Creek Project until a production notice is given, meaning that no exploration or development costs are incurred by American Creek until such time as a production notice has been issued. American Creek shareholders have a unique opportunity to avoid the dilutive effects of exploration while maintaining their full 20% exposure to one of the world's most exciting mega deposits. The Company also holds the Austruck-Bonanza gold property located near Kamloops, BC. ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN CREEK RESOURCES LTD. "Darren Blaney" Darren Blaney, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of applicable securities laws) which reflect American Creek's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe", "anticipate", "project", "expect", "intend", "plan", "will", "may", "estimate" and other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the proposed acquisition by CML of all of the Shares of American Creek and the terms thereof, CML's ability to finance the Transaction under its token subscription facility, the anticipated date of the Meeting, the anticipated filing of materials on SEDAR+, the expected date of completion of the Transaction, the expectation that the Shares will be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange and that American Creek will cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws and other statements that are not historical fact. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by American Creek including, without limitation: the Transaction will be completed on the terms currently contemplated, the Transaction will be completed in accordance with the timing currently expected, all conditions to the completion of the Transaction will be satisfied or waived and the Arrangement Agreement will not be terminated prior to the completion of the Transaction, and assumptions and expectations related to premiums to the trading price of the Shares and returns to the Shareholders. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what American Creek's management believes to be reasonable assumptions, American Creek cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Several factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the Transaction not being completed in accordance with the terms currently contemplated or the timing currently expected, or at all, expenses incurred by American Creek in connection with the Transaction that must be paid by American Creek in whole or in part regardless of whether or not the Transaction is completed, the conditions to the Transaction not being satisfied by American Creek and CML, currency fluctuations, disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets, results of operations, and general developments, market and industry conditions. Additional factors are identified in American Creek's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed or that it will be completed on the terms and conditions contemplated in this news release. The proposed Transaction could be modified or terminated in accordance with its terms. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, American Creek assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222461 SOURCE: American Creek Resources Ltd. Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc.'s Promotional Products Division Proudly Continues to Provide Merchandise to First Responders at Key Events MOUNT VERNON, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2024 / LogoTags www.logotags.com, the promotional products division of Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Ball Chain), is pleased to announce that it will exhibit at EMS World Expo at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 9th- 13th, 2024. Over the last 35 years the EMS World Expo has developed into the leading educational events for emergency medical service providers worldwide. This year there are expected to be over 6,000 attendees gathering in Las Vegas for the EMS World Expo. Dawn Milanese, LogoTags Division Manager, and Fire Chief Dave Goldsmith (Ret.), Independent Sales Representative, will exhibit LogoTags challenge coins at Convention Booth #2649 throughout the EMS World Expo. Attendees are encouraged to stop by the booth and learn about LogoTags' wide range of custom challenge coins and other promotional merchandise. LogoTags provides a wealth of custom promotional products, including custom challenge coins, military dog tags, bottle openers, race medals, metal tags, lapel pins, key chains, silicone bracelets, and scores of other custom products. Custom challenge coins and custom military challenge coins, which typically bear an organization's insignia or distinct logo, were originally displayed as proof of membership. LogoTags supplies custom challenge coins made of the highest quality brass with no set up charges. It also offers unlimited art changes and digital proofs free of charge, distinguishing itself from competitors. "Many of our returning customers are firefighters and rescue service professionals. We look forward to attending the convention and thanking them in person for their service. We are grateful that they continue to choose LogoTags for their challenge coins, custom medals, and other promotional product needs," states Dawn Milanese, LogoTags Division Manager. "I look forward to attending the EMS World Expo as a part of the LogoTags team. I am thrilled to represent a 4th generation family-owned and operated company. The quality of our challenge coins and the personal service of our sales representatives is what makes us stand out from other manufacturers," explains Chief Goldsmith. LogoTags provides many services on-site and has exclusive arrangements with suppliers and manufacturers around the world. In addition, the LogoTags customer service team prides itself on ensuring that each customer is treated with the greatest care and respect. For more information about custom challenge coins and other promotional products, visit LogoTags at www.LogoTags.com. More about Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. and LogoTags, a division of Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc.: Bill Taubner, the current company President, honors his great-grandfather and grandfather who started Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Ball Chain) in a small garage behind their home in the Bronx, NY. The company has been family-owned and operated since 1938. Ball Chain is now the world's largest manufacturer of ball chains, seen on military dog tags, ceiling fans, handbags, and light pulls, among many other goods. The company manufactures more than 4 million feet of product per week at its Mount Vernon, New York, factory (all ball chains are made in the USA). LogoTags, Ball Chain's promotional products division, provides custom dog tags, military challenge coins, bottle openers, lapel pins, charms and metal tags to name just a few items. LogoTags fabricates custom promotional products at its Mount Vernon, New York, manufacturing facility and works with longtime production partners overseas to bring customers the finest items from across the globe. Contact Information Bill Taubner President bill@logotags.com 914-664-7500 Justin Martorano Director of Marketing justin@ballchain.com 914-664-7500 SOURCE: LogoTags View the original press release on newswire.com. Toronto, Ontario and London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Britannia Life Sciences Inc. (CSE: BLAB) (FSE: L020) ("Britannia" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that on September 4, 2024, the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC"), the Company's principal regulator, issued an order revoking the failure-to-file cease trade order that it imposed against the Company on August 2, 2024 (the "CTO"). The CTO was imposed following the Company's failure to file its audited annual financial statements and related annual management's discussion and analysis for the financial year ended March 31, 2024, and related certifications of such filings by the Company's chief executive officer and chief financial officer, (collectively, the "Annual Filings") as required by July 29, 2024. The revocation order comes following the Company's filing of the Annual Filings, as further described in the Company's news release dated September 2, 2024, which are available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). Following the filing of the Annual Filings, the Company is up to date with its continuous disclosure obligations, and the Company is applying to the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") for the resumption of trading of the Company's common shares effective immediately. About Britannia Life Sciences Inc. Britannia Life Sciences Inc. is focused on introducing cutting-edge technologies into the traditional laboratory and regulatory platforms to power data-driven insights to improve the outcomes of its customers. Britannia's services, including product formulations, safety assessments, analytical and microbiological testing, global compliance, and consumer evaluations are offered to companies ranging from multinationals to startups particularly in the cosmetics, food, and wellness industries. Britannia also provides geochemical testing and analysis to the natural resources industry through its subsidiary Britannia Mining Solutions. Britannia Mining Solutions operates a geochemical laboratory in the United States and is in the process of rolling out 12 PhotonAssayTM machines globally, the first two of which have been installed and commissioned to-date. Britannia's head office is located at 120 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2400, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1T1. Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding Britannia and its business including, but not limited to, the delay in making its Annual Filings, the PhotonAssayTM being adopted by the world's largest and most respected mining companies; PhotonAssayTM becoming the future industry benchmark for mineral analysis; and the Company's ability to deploy additional PhotonAssayTM units worldwide over the next year. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", or intends", or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", or "could", "would", "might", or "will", be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Britannia assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a detailed description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's most recet management discussion and analysis and annual financial statements, copies of which are available on SEDAR+ under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222482 SOURCE: Britannia Life Sciences Inc Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Desert Gold Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTCQB: DAUGF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the implementation of a warrant exercise incentive program (the "Program") intended to encourage the exercise of up to 48,235,326 unlisted common share purchase warrants of the Company (the "Eligible Warrants") which were issued as part of the Company's private placements which closed on December 21, 2022, January 23, 2023 and February 2, 2023 (collectively "Financing 1") and the private placement which closed on March 26, 2024 and May 22, 2024 (collectively "Financing 2"). The Financing 1 and Financing 2 warrants had an exercise price of $0.08. Each Eligible Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company (each a "Common Share") at a price of $0.08 per Common Share. Pursuant to the Program, the Company is offering an inducement to each holder of Eligible Warrants ("Warrant Holders") that exercises Eligible Warrants during an early exercise period (the "Early Exercise Period") consisting of one new Warrant (the "New Warrant") in addition to the common share subscribed for. Each New Warrant is exercisable at $0.08 for 3 years. The Expiry Date of the New Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry if the shares of the Company trade on the TSX Venture Exchange at or above $0.20, for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days. To the extent that Warrant Holders of Eligible Warrants take advantage of the opportunity to exercise their Eligible Warrants early, this will fund exploration and development work at the Company's flagship SMSZ Project in western Mali. Eligible Warrants that remain unexercised following the completion of the Early Exercise Period (defined below) will continue to be exercisable for Common Shares on the original terms as they existed prior to the Program. Summary Information about Warrant Incentive Program The Early Exercise Period will commence one day after receipt of TSX Venture Exchange conditional approval and extend for 4 weeks. A follow up press release will be issued upon receipt of conditional exchange approval. The Incentive Warrants and any Common Shares issuable on the exercise thereof will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance of the Incentive Warrants pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The acceleration clause of the New Warrants will only begin after the four-month holder period has expired. Depending upon the number of Eligible Warrants exercised during the Early Exercise Period, the Company expects to: receive gross proceeds of up to $3,858,826.08; issue up to 48,235,326 Common Shares pursuant to the exercise of Eligible Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Eligible Warrants; and issue up to 48,235,326 Incentive Warrants to Warrant Holders pursuant to the exercise of the Eligible Warrants on or before the Early Exercise Expiry Date. The terms and conditions of the Program and the method of exercising Eligible Warrants pursuant to the Program are set forth in a letter which is being delivered to the last known contact of each Warrant Holder. Warrant Holders who wish to participate in the Program will agree to exercise their Eligible Warrants and deliver the other necessary documents in consideration of the issuance by the Company of the Incentive Warrants. The Program is subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and is subject to the receipt of all final regulatory approvals, including final approval of the Exchange. The number of Eligible Warrants to be exercised by insiders of the Company is limited to no more than 10% of the total Eligible Warrants and the Company will issue no more than 4,823,532 Incentive Warrants to insiders under the Program. Insiders presently hold 16.85% of the Eligible Warrants. Procedure for the Exercise of Warrants Upon commencement of the Early Exercise Period, registered holders of Eligible Warrants may exercise their rights to acquire the Common Shares and Incentive Warrants. All Eligible Warrants must be processed through the Company at the offices of the Company located at 4770-72nd St., Delta, British Columbia, V4K 3N3, Canada. Attention: Kul Manik Singh. To exercise Eligible Warrants during the Early Exercise Period, a Warrant Holder must: 1. Surrender the original Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants to the Company by hand or courier at the address noted above. The Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants must be submitted together with: (a) a duly completed and executed Subscription Form as attached to the Eligible Warrant Certificate, specifying the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise; and (b) a certified cheque, bank draft, bank wire or money order in Canadian dollars, payable to or to the order of "Desert Gold Ventures Inc." in an amount equal to $0.08 multiplied by the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise. All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered for full exercise will be cancelled by the Company and will be of no further force or effect. All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered together with a duly completed and executed Subscription Form, and payment of the applicable exercise price for the number of Eligible Warrants exercised will be deemed to be surrendered only upon personal delivery thereof to, or, if sent by mail or other means of transmission, upon actual receipt thereof by the Company. Any use of the mail to transmit Eligible Warrant Certificates is at the risk of the Warrant Holder. If such documents are to be mailed, it is recommended that registered mail, properly insured, be used with acknowledgement of receipt requested. Fractional Shares The Company will not be obligated to issue any fractional Common Shares, fractional Incentive Warrants or any cash or other consideration in lieu thereof upon the exchange of one or more Eligible Warrants. If any fraction of a Common Share or Incentive Warrant would otherwise be issuable, the number of such securities so issued will be rounded down to the nearest whole number without compensation thereof. On behalf of the board of directors, Jared Scharf President, CEO & Director About Desert Gold Ventures Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which controls the 440 km2 SMSZ Project in Western Mali containing Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 8.47 million tonnes grading 1.14 g/t gold totaling 310,300 ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 20.7 million tonnes grading 1.16 g/t gold totaling 769,200 ounces. For further information please visit www.sedarplus.ca under the company's profile. Website: www.desertgold.ca. This news release contains forward-looking statements respecting the Company's ability to successfully complete the Offering. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements, including the inability of the Company to successfully complete the Offering. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the capital markets, the price of gold; operational, funding, and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; and the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with mining operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such act. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222465 SOURCE: Desert Gold Ventures Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2024) - Highrock Resources Ltd. (CSE: HRK) ("Highrock" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its press release of August 20, 2024, it has acquired (the "Acquisition") all of the issued and outstanding shares of Liberty Uranium Corporation ("Liberty Uranium") from Atikokan Resources Ltd. (the "Vendor"). The Acquisition was completed in accordance with a share purchase agreement dated August 16, 2024, between the Company, Liberty Uranium and the Vendor. Liberty Uranium is a private company incorporated pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada and owns 100% undivided interest in the Dry Creek uranium project (the "Property"), located in the Uravan mineral belt, one of the most prolific uranium producing districts in the U.S.A, accounting for about 77% of all uranium production in Colorado, according to the Colorado Geological Survey. Commenting on the closing of the Acquisition, Derrick Dao, CEO of Highrock notes: "The closing of the acquisition of Liberty Uranium and the Property officially positions Highrock as an American uranium company and sets the Company up for further activity in the region." Strategic Rationale for the Acquisition: The Acquisition advances Highrock's consolidation strategy and positions the Company in the strategically important Uravan mineral belt. Mines in the Uravan have produced over 75 million pounds of uranium from ore averaging 0.24% and over 400 million pounds of vanadium [1] . Proximity to uranium mill infrastructure to process mine ore. Colorado is an Agreement State of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, providing the state with nuclear regulatory authority, resulting in more efficient permitting. Provides significant exploration upside. About the Property The Property is located approximately 60 miles northeast of the White Mesa Mill, located near Blanding in Utah. The Property has all the characteristics of historic mines elsewhere in the region that are host to multi-million pound uranium-vanadium resources, including the Sunday Mine Complex, the Topaz Mine, the Burro Mine Complex amongst others. This assessment is based on the Property's location, favourable sandstone characteristics, and proximity to an inferred major redox boundary. The Company cautions investors that mineralization hosted on nearby or adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Property. Historic and 2008 exploration drilling confirm the presence of U-V mineralization and favourable channel sandstones. Several exceptionally high vanadium mineral intercepts (13-22% V2O5) exist in the area based on historical proprietary assay data from Homeland Uranium Inc. Historic drill hole data within the Property includes over 20 holes drilled by Petro Nuclear and Union Carbide Corporation in the 1970s and early 1980s, and an additional 30 holes nearby. There are numerous historical small mines and prospects along the nearby faulted ridgeline to the south-southwest. The Dry Creek claims area, especially the northern part near the redox boundary, remains relatively underexplored, presenting significant exploration upside. Two holes drilled by Union Carbide each intersected almost 1 foot of uranium mineralization that was accompanied by very high-grade vanadium mineralization between 13% and 20%. In 2008, a further drill program was completed by Homeland Uranium Inc.[2] Terms of the Acquisition As consideration for Liberty Uranium, the Company: (i) issued the Vendor an aggregate of 6,000,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company; and (ii) made a cash payment of $100,000 evidenced by an unsecured promissory note in the amount of $100,000 in favour of the Vendor. All securities issued pursuant to the Acquisition are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the issuance thereof, as applicable, in accordance with applicable securities laws. Qualified Person Review The technical and scientific information contained within this news release have been reviewed and approved by James Pirie, P.Eng, a director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Property. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results. About Highrock Resources Ltd. Highrock Resources Ltd. (CSE: HRK) is advancing uranium assets in the USA and supporting North American nuclear energy security for a sustainable energy economy and a more technologically advanced tomorrow. This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. We caution investors that any such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience of the Company and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, and other factors management believes are appropriate. [1] Chenoweth, William L., US Department of Energy. The Uranium-Vanadium Deposits of the Uravan Mineral Belt and Adjacent Areas, Colorado and Utah, New Mexico GS Guidebook, 1991, p.165. [2] Technical Report on the Montrose and San Miguel Counties, Colorado and San Juan County, Utah, Holdings of Homeland Uranium, Inc. Feb 2008 SEDAR filings. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/222444 SOURCE: Highrock Resources Ltd. 24M, a Cambridge, MA-based battery innovations company, raised $87M in Series H funding, at $1.3 Billion valuation. The round, which brought the total amount to $500M, was led by Nuovo+, with participation from Kyocera Corporation, ASAHI Kasei, Dai Nippon Printing Company (DNP), Lucas TVS and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the commercialization and mass production of its offerings. Led by CEO Naoki Ota, 24M delivers battery innovations providing battery technologies and manufacturing methods through its chemistry-agnostic battery design, process, and platform, which reduce manufacturing costs while significantly improving safety, range, cost, performance, and recyclability. FinSMEs 06/09/2024 6K, a North Andover, MA-based leader in the sustainable production of engineered materials for lithium-ion batteries and additive manufacturing, closed $82M as part of its Series E funding round. The capital raised was an insider-led investment with investors Anzu Partners, Energy Impact Partners, LaunchCapital, Material Impact, and Volta Energy Technologies. The company intends to use the funds to scale up production for battery cathode active materials (CAM) and the expansion for additive manufacturing metal powders. In addition, Dr. Aaron Bent has transitioned out of the position of CEO, handing over to 6K COO Dr. Saurabh Ullal who assumes the role of CEO effective immediately. 6K produces and innovates with UniMelt microwave plasma technology for the localized production of critical materials. Its UniMelt technology is applied across a vast range of markets, from additive manufacturing (6K Additive) and essential battery materials (6K Energy) to future growth sectors (6K Next). The company is industrially operational and producing critical materials at scale today. 6Ks headquarters and the 6K Energy Battery Center of Excellence are located in North Andover, MA, with 6K Additives production facility in Burgettstown, PA, and a full-scale PlusCAM battery material manufacturing plant under construction in Jackson, TN. Incoming board members Beda Bolzenius and Dr. Jeff Chamberlain bring a wealth of real-world expertise to 6K as the company continues the expansion of its production capabilities. Beda Bolzenius has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles across the global automotive industry in Germany, United States, Mexico, South Africa, China, and Japan. Bolzenius has a deep automotive technical background with strong operational experience in engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management. He served as CEO of global manufacturer Marelli and held leadership positions in market-leading companies such as Bosch and Johnson Controls. He will bring corporate and operational expertise and automotive industry insights to his role on the board. Dr. Chamberlain is the CEO of Volta Energy Technologies, LLC, a venture capital firm launched out of Argonne National Laboratory. Jeff is a proven leader with a long record of industrial product R&D and commercialization success in energy, integrated circuit, and water treatment technology. Dr. Chamberlains industrial experience is complemented by his ten years leading the energy storage initiatives at Argonne National Laboratory. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Chamberlain led the effort to successfully transfer advanced battery technology from Argonne to organizations such as LG Chem, BASF, General Motors, Toda Kogyo, General Electric, and others. FinSMEs 06/09/2024 Wattnow, a Tunisia-based cleantech company, closed a multi-million dollar funding. The round was led by Lateral Frontiers and 216 Capital, with participation from Outlierz Ventures, Satgana, Octerra Capital, and a group of strategic angel investors, including InstaDeep founder Karim Beguir and Guillaume Amblard. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its global expansion plans and to refine its technological offerings. Founded in 2018 by Issam Smaali, Wattnow helps companies take control of their energy usage through the combination of its plug-and-play hardware and software solutions. Its service enables companies to visualise their energy usage in real time, control and automate certain loads, and receive alerts and notifications when something goes wrong. Its platform is already used by strategic private and public sector clients across a diverse range of industries, including municipalities, automotive and aeronautics, telecommunications, banking and insurance, transformative industries, oil and gas, construction, and retail. Wattnow had raised a $1.3M in pre-Series A funding round in 2022 led by Katapult Climate and 216 Capital, joined by other investors. FinSMEs 06/05/2024 The watchdog said Google is using this dominance to favour its own services, giving itself an unfair advantage over competitors. The findings come as Google faces similar scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and the European Commission read more The UK's Competition and Markets Authority "provisionally found that Google is using anti-competitive practices in open-display ad tech, which it believes could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers." File image Britains competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), on Friday (September 6) accused Google of using anti-competitive practices in the online advertising sector, according to provisional findings from an investigation. The CMA said Google is exploiting its dominance in open-display ad tech. The CMA has provisionally found that Google is using anti-competitive practices in open-display ad tech, which it believes could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, the regulator said. Advertisement CMAs concerns about Google The watchdog brought up concerns about Googles control in three key areas of the market: publisher ad servers, ad exchanges, and advertiser buying tools. It said Google is using this dominance to favour its own services, giving itself an unfair advantage over competitors. The CMA also raised issues with Googles ad exchange, AdX, accusing the tech giant of giving preferential access to advertisers using its Google Ads platform and manipulating bids to increase their value in AdXs auction compared to rival exchanges. The investigation follows a 2019 study into digital advertising, which revealed that advertisers were spending about 1.8 billion annually on open-display ads targeting UK consumers via websites and apps. Googles response In response to the CMA, Google has said it remains committed to creating value for our publisher and advertiser partners in this highly competitive sector. The core of this case rests on flawed interpretations of the ad tech sector. We disagree with the CMAs view and we will respond accordingly, the tech giant said in a prepared statement. The findings come as Google faces similar scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and the European Commission. Last month, Google lost a significant US antitrust case brought against its core search business that branded it a monopolist, with potential remedies that could force the company to spin off parts of its operations. Advertisement In December, Google also lost a case brought by Epic Games, which accused it of excluding competitors from its Android app Play Store by charging excessive fees. With inputs from agencies Indian Banks Association (IBA) chairman MV Rao said mutual funds can offer more than bank deposits as they do not have end use verifications and restrictions on priority sector or to the MSME or government schemes read more Indian Banks Association (IBA) chairman MV Rao said that banks are at a disadvantage to mutual funds because they have to face regulatory restrictions. For better returns, mutual funds have become a lucrative option over fixed deposits among savers and therefore, banks are facing trouble as money put in them, which help in the economy to grow, are now being pumped into the markets which could involve risk. Better rates in mutual funds (MFs) are pushing the savers away from fixed deposits, leaving banks worried. Indian Banks Association (IBA) chairman and CEO of Central Bank of India, MV Rao, explaining why fixed deposits cant offer mutual fund-like rates Advertisement 5 reasons on why FDs cant offer MFs like rates: 1 - Returns by mutual funds are higher, Indian Banks Association (IBA) chairman MV Rao said, who further mentioned that banks deployment of resources is regulated tightly and therefore, no one can get higher returns from the deployment. 2 - Rao said that unlike MFs, the end use of banks deployment of resources has to be ascertained at the end of every level and there is a restricted rate of interest for many of the asset products that banks are offering. 3 - Mutual funds do not have end use verifications and restrictions on priority sector or to the MSME or government schemes, and, therefore, Mutual funds can offer more than bank deposits. 4 - Explaining further, Rao said when a mutual fund invests in a AAA company they dont have to make any provisions but for a bank even for a AAA company it will have to make provisions of 20 per cent. 5 - There are a lot of differences in deployment and therefore, returns are less and banks are unable to pass it on to depositors. The remarks were made by Rao at a CEO panel discussion at the FICCI-IBA organised banking conference. Rao was, however, contradicted by HSBC India CEO Hitendra Dave who said it would not be right to say that because people put money in MFs there is less money for banks to tap as ultimately the liquidity is coming back into the system. Advertisement I think it will be good for IBA to actually do a study as to what typically causes deposit creation because if we keep blaming systematic investment plans and MFs we will be solving the wrong problem. In 2020 and 2021 the banking system had enormous pools of liquidity, so banks naturally went a little slow on liabilities. Banking books are slow to react but now that is happening you will see differently, Dave was quoted as saying by the Economic Times. Meanwhile, Bank of Baroda executive director Beena Vaheed said that most of the public sector banks are competing with others as everyone is after funds, especially the low-cost ones, that are available in the market. Ananya Panday jumps enthusiastically into the parodical realm with all gusto. She sportingly submits herself to the fluff and farce with a beaming smile. She could be essaying an exaggerated version of herself read more Cast: Ananya Panday, Mini Mathur, Varun Sood, Gurfateh Pirzada, Vir Das Director: Collin DCunha Language: Hindi The slang term Birkin is a word that is used to reference a Birkin bag. A Birkin is short for a Birkin bag which is an expensive handbag made by Hermes. Birkin means an expensive handbag produced by Hermes. Why am I writing this? Because somewhere right in the first episode of Call Me Bae that stars Ananya Panday whos named Bella, her mother played by Mini Mathur, tells her with a smiling face that in the world of fakes, be a Birkin. I quickly googled it and this is what I found. The series begins with a tragedy where Panday is thrown out of her husbands house and we then move to a flashback. Advertisement And since this is the world of Dharma, the family is not supposed to be rich, they are supposed to be extraordinarily wealthy. But now they could be filing for bankruptcy and thats when Baes mother asks her to hook up with a hunk to bail them out. Somewhere here is Vikas Bahls Shaandaar which was also produced by Karan Johar. In this show, director Collin DCunha attempts to make her protagonist embrace and enjoy her privilege and take digs at it together. Its like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kajol from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham infused into one actress at the same time. The result is hit and miss. Once you get the hang of what this is all about, youll understand the farce is intentional and so is the ham on display. There are subtle touches (or digs?) at endless pre-wedding celebrations, Lake Como, Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, and that viral Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra wedding. Panday also drops some truth bombs about social media, If its not here, it didnt happen na! The intent is right and the shots are distractingly colourful, the palette is gargantuan and the idea is to guffaw at the idiocy, but its also acquired taste. Call Me Bae chooses to walk the path of froth, but the emotions skim the surface too. Its okay if the laughs are borderline silly, the tears should be just the opposite. When the beloved bae is thrown out of her sprawling mansion, a hotel suite, she declares shell make it on her own. But the glitter and flashiness continues to hound and haunt the series even when the protagonist is at its ebb. Just like Ranbir Kapoor in Wake Up Sid, theres no trace of struggle for Panday. Things happen organically and the show proceeds with comical absurdity. Even the auto she sits in has carefully crafted pink seats and looks more like a claustrophobic set designed purely to add more style to the already overwhelming world of extravagance. Not all is fun and games though. We have Vir Das play 7867th caricature of Arnab Goswami but unlike most of the other films or series, we peep into the man behind the scenes. Hes as callous and visceral to his own as hes to his guests. Theres a hollow debate on facts and reality, news and sensationalism. Aziz Mirza did a far better job 24 years ago with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. That satirical drama was far from perfect, but nobody will take you seriously if your debate is preceded by a cameo by Orry thrown in solely for effect. Thats the thing with these supposed new age dramas that harp on milking the social media sensation for narrating stories. One video quickly goes viral and we have a star in the making. Unlike the timely Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, which also starred Ananya Panday, Call Me Bae is content with being funny. It fails to extract the harsh truth of how social media can be both powerful and puerile. Advertisement However, Panday jumps enthusiastically into the parodical realm with all gusto. She sportingly submits herself to the fluff and farce with a beaming smile. She could be essaying an exaggerated version of herself; the lines between truth and fiction are blurred even before we can see her, meet her, and know her. Spoof is a genre Bollywood has barely got right. The atrocity that the 2019 Arjun Patiala was comes instantly to mind. Call Me Bae is an attempt thats better. Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars) Call Me Bae is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video IN Mukerji said the BBC had approached him to direct an Indian adaptation of one of their shows but he refused as the filmmaker is not a fan of remakes' read more Director Srijit Mukerji says he fought with producers of Shekhar Home, inspired by literary works of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, to set the detective series in West Bengal at a time when the Indian web space is dominated by stories from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Mukerji said the BBC had approached him to direct an Indian adaptation of one of their shows but he refused as the filmmaker is not a fan of remakes'. Advertisement Instead, he pitched Shekhar Home to the British broadcaster as a potential adaptation of Sherlock Holmes in the Indian context. I conceived Shekhar Home around 2018-19. The BBC had pitched a series to me. Instead of doing that I pitched Shekhar Home to them, Mukerji told PTI in an interview. Citing the example of The Family Man 2, the showrunner said if viewers can enjoy some portions of the series in the Tamil language, theres no reason a pan Indian series cant be set in West Bengal. Unfortunately, India generally is dominated by UP and parts of Bihar in the web series space. I wanted to emphasise that there is more to India. In fact, I fought a lot with the producers because they were conscious about the show becoming too Bengali. I said if something doesnt look too Punjabi, UP or Bihari, and still be pan Indian, so even if it becomes too Bengali, the show can still be pan Indian because Bengal is a part of India, right? he reasoned. Bengali literature already boasts of popular detective figures like Satyajit Rays Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay which have been translated for screen across languages, ages and mediums. So, why adapt Sherlock for India? Mukerji a celebrated name in Bengali cinema with films such as Chotushkone and Baishe Srabon to his credit said hes a childhood fan of Conan Doyle and also loved the 2010 BBC adaptation, which made Benedict Cumberbatch an international star. Advertisement What also helped was that they faced little trouble in buying the rights to the British authors original works. The best thing was all the Sherlock Holmes stories were in the public domain so we didnt have to spend a lot on acquiring rights. That was another advantage, said the National Award winner, who directed the first four episodes of the show. Written by Aniruddha Guha and Niharika Puri with dialogues by Vaibhav Vishal, Shekhar Home stars Kay Kay Menon as the titular sleuth. The six-part series, streaming on JioCinema, is co-directed by Rohan Sippy. Sippy, known for films such as Bluffmaster and two seasons of Criminal Justice Indian version, said it was fun to join the show in the second part of its journey. Advertisement Primarily, my role was to shoot the last two episodes Credit to the actual creators which is the BBC, Voot, and Aniruddha and Srijit, they are the ones who did the initial work In that sense, it was just fun to take this on and find that tone where its Indian but the inspiration is still obviously Arthur Conan Doyle to keep it connected to both the author and to make it very natural in the Indian setting, he added. Sippy said being a part of Shekhar Home was akin to playing in a band where one has to look at what has been created while also trying to find out ones own interpretation of the musical composition. Advertisement You have all the freedom but sometimes the most interesting things are when you have some constraints and you still find a way to put a stamp on it. In the Indian take, Sherlock Holmes becomes Shekhar Home, Dr John Watson becomes Dr Jayvrat Sahni (Ranvir Shorey), Irene Adler becomes Iraboty Adhyo (Rasika Dugal), Mycroft Holmes becomes Mrinmoy Home (Kaushik Sen), and Inspector Lestrade becomes Inspector Laha (Rudranil Ghosh). It is set in a fictional sleepy town called Lonpur, a clever portmanteau of London, where the original Sherlock lives, and West Bengals city Bolpur, where they predominantly shot the Hindi series. Fans also get to do some fun sleuthing of their own about finding the original references to some Hindi derivatives. Episode four is titled Bhaskarvilla, a take on Conan Doyles another Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Advertisement Sherlock smokes a pipe, wears a deerstalker cap, and plays the violin. Shekhar wears vibrant Batik kurtas, something thats typically Bengali, and plays rabab, another stringed instrument. The deerstalker cap and pipe also make a brief appearance in the Hindi version. Initially, we thought of esraj (musical instrument) but its sound felt too melancholic. The sound of rabab has an element of intrigue which went well with the theme of the show. The idea was to have breadcrumbing throughout so that everything is like a small jigsaw piece that will somewhere go on and make some sense, Mukerji said. But the journey wasnt without challenges. Since technology plays an important role in detective work, Mukerji said they had to ensure they set Shekhar Home in a bygone era. I had to set it in a small sleepy town so that the investigative technique available to Shekhar would be primitive so that we could stress more on his psychological and mental deductive process than the more scientific and mechanical process. Thats where the 1990s came to their rescue. I had two decades in mind, 70s and 90s. After Ani (Guha) joined me when we were discussing, we thought that we had seen a lot of 70s, in fact, after Jubilee, we had seen a lot of 50s as well. We thought 90s is the decade which has not been explored that much in the Indian web space. Both Sippy and Mukerji are game for another season. I keep asking when we are starting season two whenever I meet someone from the team. The casting was bang on for a character driven show. Its designed in a way that you can have multiple seasons, said Sippy. Mukerji said if they get a chance at season two, he would like to adapt some of his hot favourites by Conan Doyle like The Speckled Band, Man with a Twisted Lip, and The Blue Carbuncle. With audience demand, we are going to come up with six more. The problem of having an extremely good ensemble cast is that everyones busy. I hope the dates match, he added. Shekhar Home is produced by BBC Studios Productions India. Malik Obama, a Kenyan African businessman and half-brother of former US President Barack Obama, has recently captured attention by announcing his support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for the upcoming elections. Calling his younger half-sibling a deep disappointment, Malik has been endorsing Trump since 2016 read more When GQ profiled Malik in 2013, Malik Obama claimed that he and his half-brother shared a knack for leadership because it is 'all in the genes.' Image courtesy: X/ @malikobama They say the family will always have your back. However, strife between siblings often plays out in the most unexpected ways. Such was the case with Malik Obama, half-brother of former US President Barack Obama, who has recently captured attention by announcing his support for Donald Trump for the upcoming November 5 election. Once Best Man at Baracks wedding, Malik is now aligning himself with his brothers rival political party. On X, he made his position clear: I am Malik Obama. Im a registered Republican and Im voting for President Donald Trump. Advertisement But why is Malik supporting Trump instead of his siblings political party? Lets take a closer look Who is Malik Obama? The Kenyan-American businessman and philanthropist was born in Kenya to economist Barack Hussein Obama Sr. and his first wife, Kezia Obama. Inspired by his younger brother Barack, Malik in 2013 attempted to run for governor in Siaya, Kenya in the district where their father was from. His campaign slogan was Obama here, Obama there in reference to his half-brother who was serving his second term as the President of the US. Despite his efforts, Malik received only 1 per cent of the vote. Nevertheless, his ambitions have continued across both continents. Malik currently serves as the lead ambassador at Puppet, a software configuration management tool, according to The Times of India. Previously, Malik has had a long career in the US which includes roles at notable organisations such as the American Red Cross, aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin, and the government-backed finance company Fannie Mae. The Kenyan-American businessman and philanthropist was born in Kenya to economist Barack Hussein Obama Sr. and his first wife, Kezia Obama. Reuters According to a 2016 New York Post report citing public records Malik maintains a residence in Maryland and was registered to vote in the state. Malik Obamas personal life is also marked by controversy. Reports from 2012 suggested he had twelve wives, though Malik has refuted this, claiming to have three. Malik, a practicing Muslim, also faces allegations of domestic abuse. He made headlines in 2011 when he married a teen girl as his third wife. His lifestyle and values often diverge from traditional American norms, contributing to his complex public image. Advertisement Barack is a deep disappointment Malik Obama, who once served as the best man at Barack Obamas wedding and received a similar honour in return, has witnessed several ups and downs in their relationship. When GQ profiled Malik in 2013, Malik Obama claimed that he and his half-brother shared a knack for leadership because it is all in the genes. He even visited Barack at the White House during his time in office. However, things soured between the two in the years that followed. In a 2020 interview with The New York Post, Malik revealed that their falling out stemmed from his decision to launch the charity named after their father in Virginia. Later, the foundation was caught in controversy in 2011 after it was exposed for failing to register in the state and falsely claiming tax-exempt status. Advertisement My brother didnt help me at all. He wanted me to shut it down when I set it up. He hasnt supported me at all, Malik said in the interview. He added, Honestly, Ill be happy when my brother is out of office, and I will finally be out of the limelight and be able to live like a human being. Malik Obama, who once served as the best man at Barack Obamas wedding and received a similar honour in return, has witnessed several ups and downs in their relationship. Image courtesy: X/@MalikObama Adding fuel to conspiracy theories once propagated by Donald Trump, Malik also claimed that Barack was not born in the US but in Kenya. He even shared a fake birth certificate in an attempt to support his claims, despite it being dated from before Kenya became a republic in 1964. Advertisement Calling his younger half-sibling a deep disappointment, Malik blamed his departure from the Democratic Party on 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton. In a New York Post interview in 2020, Malik claimed that his half-brother got rich and became a snob. What I saw was he was the kind of person that wants people to worship him. He needs to be worshiped and I dont do that," he added. In a New York Post interview in 2020, Malik claimed that his half-brother Barack, got rich and became a snob. Reuters Previously, Malik Obama has also expressed dissatisfaction with his brothers presidency, and his past friendship with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. I still feel that getting rid of [Gaddafi] didnt make things any better in Libya, he said in 2016. My brother and the Secretary of State disappointed me in that regard. Advertisement In 2022, he wrote in a post on X, I stuck with Barack Obama all through his presidency, until I realised he was all about himself. Thats when I ditched him for President Trump." Why is he endorsing Trump? Malik Obamas support for Donald Trump is rooted in several factors. A supporter of Trump since 2016, Malik attended a Las Vegas debate organised by the Trump campaign and has praised the Republican leader. I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart, he told the New York Post. Make America Great Again is a great slogan. In a Washington Post report, Malik has also expressed skepticism about allegations of sexual assault against Trump. He believes that the women whove accused the leader of sexual assault are lying, and questioned why they didnt come forward sooner. I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart, Malik Obama told the Malik is also strongly opposed to the expansion of LGBT rights, a cause championed by his brother, Barack Obama. His conservative stance on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion is clear, as he often shares his views on social media. After Trump promised free IVF treatments in his potential second term, Malik posted on X, We Want More Babies. My President. Malik Obamas support for Trump comes amidst a wave of political shoutouts and family drama dominating the headlines. As notable figures like Jeff Walz and Malik Obama make bold moves, their actions are sparking conversations and debates across the political spectrum, adding fuel to the ongoing political discourse. With input from agencies Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 after resigning as Bangladeshs prime minister. Now, with Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladeshs interim government, saying she should keep quiet until the country wants her back, questions are being asked if Hasina can be extradited. Lets take a look at the extradition treaty between the two countries, what experts say and what New Delhi has said publicly read more Can Sheikh Hasina be extradited to Bangladesh? Thats the question people are asking after Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladeshs interim government, said she should keep quiet until the country wants her back. Hasina fled to India on August 5 after resigning as Bangladeshs prime minister. No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it, he said. Advertisement It is not good for us or for India. There is discomfort regarding it, he added. Yunus was apparently referring to Hasinas statement on August 13 in which she demanded justice, saying those involved in recent terror acts, killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished. Thus far that is the only statement made by Hasina. It was put up on the X handle of her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Bangladeshs Hindu minority population has seen their businesses and properties vandalised and their temples destroyed during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Hasina. But can the former Bangladesh prime minister be extradited? Lets take a closer look: Can Hasina be extradited? As per The Conversation, Bangladesh could request her extradition. The two countries signed an extradition treaty in 2013. That treaty was later changed in 2016 to make the process simpler. According to Indian Express, the treaty states that the two nations are supposed to extradite individuals who have been proceeded against or have been charged with or have been found guilty of, or are wanted for committing an extraditable offence by a court of the requesting country. The piece noted that at the time, two of the convicts in the 1975 assassination of Hasinas father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were in hiding in India. Advertisement The Hasina government had wanted both men extradited so it could execute them. According to Indian Express, the treaty states that the two nations are supposed to extradite individuals who have been proceeded against or have been charged with or have been found guilty of, or are wanted for committing an extraditable offence by a court of the requesting country. It also calls for extradition to be granted if there is an attempt to commit or aiding, abetting, inciting or participating as an accomplice in the commission of an extraditable offence. The treaty allows for extradition for people charged with crimes in which the punishment is a minimum of one year in prison, as per The Conversation. Advertisement The offence must be punishable in both India and Bangladesh. The accusations against Hasina are prosecutable in India, and the punishments for her alleged crimes are also substantial, so she can be extradited on these grounds, the piece noted. Extradition is extremely easy under Article 10 of the treaty. A flag-seller stands on the periphery of a memorial site, overlooking the tainted mural of first president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the pier of a metro line, days after the anti-government protests that ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, near Dhaka University. PTI Article 10 says an arrest warrant from a court will suffice for extradition to be carried out and that no proof is required against the offender. However, its not that simple. As per Indian Express, the treaty has a provision which states that extradition can be denied if the offences are political in nature. Advertisement Such offences are also defined expansively to include murder, manslaughter or culpable homicide; assault; causing of an explosion; the making or possession of an explosive substance or weapons by a person intending to endanger life; the use of a firearm with intent to resist or prevent arrest; damaging property with intent to endanger life; kidnapping or taking of a hostage; incitement to murder; and any other offence related to terrorism. Another twist is that though Hasin can claim political asylum, some of the crimes she has been charged with including enforced disappearance, and torture are not covered by the provision. So will India have to send Hasina back? Advertisement Again, not necessarily. The newspaper quoted Article 7 of the treaty as stating that the request for extradition may be refused by the Requested State if the person whose extradition is sought may be tried for the extradition offence in the courts of that State. This is not applicable in Hasinas case. It also quoted Article 8 as laying out grounds to refuse extradition including in which an accusation has not been made in good faith in the interests of justice or for military offences which are not an offence under the general criminal law. What has India said? India has not publicly commented on the issue. Hindustan Times quoted External Affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying this was in the realm of hypothetical issues. As we stated earlier, the former prime minister of Bangladesh came to India at very short notice for reasons of safety. We have nothing further to add on that matter, Jaiswal added. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. ANI Experts say India will take its own interests into consideration before acting. Do our critical interests lie in handing over Hasina to Bangladesh? They dont. The legalese of the treaty does not matter. There are lawyers on both sides, a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer, who has dealt closely with Bangladesh, told Indian Express. The officer said a balancing act is not needed. There are enough interests in Bangladesh who would want to have good relations with India. The Awami League has not been finished. It has deep roots. It will rise again. There is an administration and a military that values Bangladeshs relations with India. So, we have a critical mass that favours good relations Then there are geographic realities. Bangladesh is surrounded by India. There are enough structural linkages between the two countries. The last word has not yet been written on the direction of these relations, he added. A former diplomat also added his voice. First of all, this is an interim government. Its statements should not bother India much. It is a regular government that India will look to engage with in the long term and thus pay heed to. Also, as of now, only FIRs have been filed. The case will have to be investigated, chargesheeted, and then the court will take cognisance following which the extradition process will start. A lot of water would have flown down the Teesta by then, he told the newspaper. Beyond diplomacy, having a treaty means its legal provisions have to be satisfied. Then there are multiple examples of relations between two countries being healthy despite pending extradition requests, he added. This isnt the first time Bangladesh has made such statements about Hasinas extradition. Bangladeshs foreign affairs advisor Mohammed Touhid Hossain, in August told Reuters TV that the country could ask India to extradite Hasina since there are so many cases against her Her staying in Delhi, in India, the question comes thatthere are so many cases (against Sheikh 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, he said. Hossain said if there is a demand from Bangladesh, 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. Hossein added that Yunus is very unhappy about Hasinas statements. So whatever actually is there, unless there are some, there are some secret points could be there. Otherwise, we want to make things public. And we have - I have just told him about the displeasure of the chief adviser and let us hope that they take care of it. With inputs from agencies Russian President Vladimir Putin turned heads by seemingly endorsing Kamala Harris for the US presidency, citing her infectious laugh. However, his remarks come as US intelligence continues to accuse Russia of supporting Donald Trump through disinformation campaigns. Is Putin genuinely backing Harris, or is this another calculated move to aid Trump, just like in 2016? read more During the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin stunned many with an unexpected endorsement of US Vice President Kamala Harris. Our favourite, if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. [Joe] Biden. But he was removed from the race, and he recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. Well, we will do so we will support her, teased Putin with a noticeable smirk. He continued, She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that she is doing well. His comments about Harris infectious laughter were interpreted by some as a mocking gesture, especially given former US President Donald Trumps frequent critiques of Harris public demeanor. Advertisement Putin also criticised former US president and now Republican nominee Donald Trump for placing so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia like no other president has ever introduced before him. This unusual endorsement of Harris comes in light of US President Joe Biden stepping aside from the 2024 presidential race and supporting his vice president. However, given Putins history with US elections, some question whether this endorsement is genuine or a veiled attempt to interfere in the election by associating Harris with the often-maligned Russian president. How did Donald Trump respond? Donald Trump was quick to respond to Putins comments, albeit with mixed emotions. I dont know if Im insulted or he did me a favour, Trump said during a campaign stop in New York. Despite Putins apparent praise for Harris, Trump remains a potential beneficiary of Russian interference. DONALD TRUMP: "Putin came out today. He endorsed Kamala." "Was I supposed to call him up and say thank you very much?!" "I don't know exactly what to say about that. I don't know if I'm insulted!" pic.twitter.com/r7uHy3E8Nz Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 5, 2024 Advertisement US intelligence agencies have long suggested that Moscow favours Trump, largely due to his opposition to sanctions against Russia and his ambivalence toward aid for Ukraine. Trump, during a question-and-answer session following his economic speech, criticised the continued use of sanctions against Russia. He argued that sanctions, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, can undermine the US economy and the strength of the US dollar. I want to use sanctions as little as possible, Trump declared, adding that he would prefer to negotiate a settlement between Russia and Ukraine rather than continue the current strategies. Advertisement President Trump on sanctions, Russia and Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/0Rzcj52Yq3 Colette Murphy (@Iammurphycolet) September 6, 2024 While US intelligence officials maintain that Russia is working to boost Trumps chances in the 2024 election, Putin has continued to play both sides. Earlier this year, Putin praised Biden as a more experienced and predictable leader, even as he has downplayed Russias involvement in the 2024 race. Advertisement What may be behind Putins endorsement? Putins endorsement of Harris echoes his actions during past US elections. In 2015, he praised Donald Trump as a bright and talented person, months before Trump secured the Republican nomination. Trump was also the target of Putins favour during the 2016 election, where Russian interference via the hacking of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails helped undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Putin, at the time, praised the email leaks as a service to the voters, saying, The important thing is the content that was given to the public. Russias President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump attend a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. File Image/Reuters Experts argue that Putins ultimate goal is to sow discord and undermine US democracy. By endorsing Harris, he may be employing a similar tactic as he did in 2016: appearing to back a candidate in a manner that could ultimately harm them. Advertisement In an interview with the media outlet Fourth Estate, exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, author of All the Kremlins Men, suggested that Putin sees US politics through the cynical lens of Netflixs political drama House of Cards, which he reportedly recommended to his ministers. In this view, his endorsement could be more about disruption than genuine support. Why now? While Putins remarks were lighthearted on the surface, they came amidst serious allegations of Russian interference in US elections. The Biden administration has accused Russia of running extensive disinformation campaigns to boost Donald Trumps candidacy. US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco confirmed that three Russian companies, allegedly under Putins orders, have used fake social media profiles to push false narratives in favour of Trump and against Democratic candidates. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors unsealed charges against two Russian citizens for running a $10 million campaign to sway the 2024 election. US authorities also seized 32 Russian-backed websites that were designed to promote Trumps campaign. Despite these allegations, Trump dismissed them as part of a recurring Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, claiming that the Biden administration is using these charges to interfere in the election. Also Read | Stop talking about our elections, period: US warns Putin after he endorses Kamala Harris The Kremlin, meanwhile, denies any involvement in US elections. Margarita Simonyan, head of Russian state broadcaster RT, mocked the allegations in a social media post, stating, They called from 2016 and want all their tired cliches back. US Treasury officials, however, have described Simonyan as a central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts. With inputs from agencies Boeings troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to attempt its long-awaited return to Earth today undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) without any astronauts onboard. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to release the BJP manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections read more This photo provided by NASA shows the Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module of the International Space Station, orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast, on June 13, 2024. File Photo/AP It is a busy end to the work week today (September 6). Boeings Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without its crew. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to release the BJP manifesto for J&K ahead of the Assembly elections. Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan will appear in Delhis Rouse Avenue Court in connection with a money laundering case. The Yettinahole project, aimed at providing water to seven districts in Karnataka, will be inaugurated today. Advertisement On International Vulture Awareness Day, WWF-India will launch the Vulture Count 2024 initiative focused on monitoring and conserving Indias vulture populations. Lets take a closer look: Boeing Starliner to return to Earth Boeings troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to attempt its long-awaited return to Earth today, undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) without any astronauts onboard. The six-hour journey back to Earth is expected to conclude with a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in the early hours of Saturday morning, NASA confirmed on Wednesday. The space agency said its teams are ready for Starliners uncrewed departure, as long as weather conditions remain favourable at its landing site in New Mexico. Initially meant to prove Boeings capability to safely transport astronauts, the mission ran into complications after launching NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on June 5. Reuters This marks the final phase of a high-stakes mission that didnt go as planned. Initially meant to prove Boeings capability to safely transport astronauts, the mission ran into complications after launching NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on June 5. Issues with several thrusters and a helium leak left the crew stranded in space for months, delaying Starliners return. Advertisement BJP to release J&K manifesto Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to release the BJP manifesto for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. During his two-day visit, he will also address public meetings in Jammu, aiming to give momentum to the partys campaign. According to sources, the BJPs manifesto is expected to focus on good governance and boosting tourism in Kashmir. A key announcement on the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits is also anticipated, alongside a firm stance on tackling stone-pelting incidents. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to release the BJP manifesto for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. On his first day, Shah will meet the BJPs core group in the state to review election preparations. The second day will see further discussions with party leaders to ensure a successful campaign. The Jammu and Kashmir elections are scheduled for September 18, 25, and October 1, with results set for October 8. AAP MLA Amanatullah Khans hearing in Waqf Board case Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan will appear in Delhis Rouse Avenue Court today in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal recruitments and other unlawful activities related to the Delhi Waqf Board. Advertisement Earlier, the 50-year-old Okhla legislator was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate for four days under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan. PTI file The central agency has accused Khan of overseeing illegal recruitment of staff during his tenure as Waqf Board chairman (2018-2022) and making illegal personal gains through unfair leasing of Waqf Board properties. Karnatakas Yettinahole Project to be inaugurated The ambitious Yettinahole project, aimed at providing water to seven districts in Karnataka, will be inaugurated today by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister DK Shivakumar, speaking to reporters, said, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, and Hassan districts have been eagerly waiting for this project. Many leaders fought for it, and all political parties cooperated. I took it as a challenge last year and ensured its completion on a war footing. Advertisement According to Shivakumar, the project had drawn a lot of criticism and there were some disputes pertaining to forest land, but the government is sorting it out. Once this land is handed over to the government, water will flow into main canals. Presently, water is being lifted from seven barrages and is temporarily discharged to Vani Vilas Sagar dam. WWF-Indias drive to protect vultures On International Vulture Awareness Day, WWF-India, in partnership with Bird Count India and eBird, will launch Vulture Count 2024, a citizen-science initiative focused on monitoring and conserving Indias vulture populations. Vultures in India have suffered a drastic decline, mainly due to ingesting toxic NSAIDs like diclofenac, used in livestock treatment, along with threats like habitat loss, electrocution, food scarcity, and human interference. The sharp decline has led to some species being listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Advertisement This census will play a key role in shaping conservation strategies and policies while increasing public awareness and support for vulture protection efforts. With inputs from agencies Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who was drugged and raped by over 70 unknown men after being drugged to sleep by her husband for over a decade recounted her horror upon learning of the abuse she endured. She testified before a court in Avignon in Frances most infamous rape case read more Demonstrators hold placards during a protest outside the courthouse during the trial of a man accused of drugging his wife for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in Mazan, a small town in the south of France, in Avignon. AFP A French woman who was drugged and raped by 72 unknown men after being drugged to sleep by her husband for over a decade recounted her horror upon learning of the abuse she endured. Dressed in a long orange dress, and white jacket, and sporting an auburn bob, Gisele Pelicot, 71, calmly stepped away from her three adult children to testify in the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon on day 3 of Frances largest rape case. During her trial, Gisele said she is a heap of ruins as she recalled the traumatic moment when police revealed the extent of horrific crimes committed by her husband of 50 years. Giseles powerful testimony of 90 minutes became a turning point in the trial, as she courageously faced a courtroom filled with those who had abused her, confronting the nightmare that had unfolded in her own home. Advertisement Heres what she said (Please note the report contains details that readers may find distressing) My world fell apart Taking the stand, Gisele recalled the moment in November 2020 when she was asked by police to attend an interview alongside her husband. I thought we were a close couple, she told the court. But he had recently been caught filming under womens skirts in a shopping centre, and Gisele told the court she believed the meeting with police was a formality related to that incident. The police officer asked me about my sex life, BBC quoted her saying to the court. I told him I had never practised partner-swapping or threesomes. I said I was a one-man woman. I couldnt bear any mans hands on me other than my husbands." But after an hour the officer said, I am going to show you some things which you will not find pleasant. He opened a folder and he showed me a photograph. I did not recognise either the man or the woman asleep on the bed. The officer asked: Madame, is this your bed and bedside table? It was hard to recognise myself dressed up in a way that was unfamiliar. Then he showed me a second photo and a third, Gisele said. A woman arrives at the courthouse before the trial of a man accused of drugging his wife for nearly 10 years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in the south of France. AFP According to reports, Between 2011 and 2020, Dominique had amassed 20,000 photos and videos documenting his wife being raped by different men while she was under heavy sedation. Some of these assaults lasted up to six hours, with Gisele completely unaware. Advertisement I asked him to stop. It was unbearable. I was inert, in my bed, and a man was raping me. My world fell apart," Gisele continued. I wanted to disappear Gisele further narrated her nightmare after she learnt of the incident and said the only thing she wanted was to disappear. I told myself: I am going to get in my car with my dog and end it all, she told the court, according to Daily Mail. But I had to tell my children their father was under arrest. I asked my son-in-law to stay next to my daughter when I told her that her father had raped me, and had me raped by others. She let out a howl, whose sound is still etched on my mind, she added. Advertisement When I told my sons about this, I dont think they really understood; they were withdrawn I think they were in a state of shock. They said: Dont say such silly things. [That] evening, the children called constantly saying dont disappear they were worried I might die. For me, everything is falling apart. Everything I have built up over 50 years, she told the court. However, Gisele said she is trying to keep on [her] feet for [her] children. But she warned her that behind her calm exterior hid inner torment. When people see me, they say: Shes a strong woman. The facade looks solid, but inside, its a pile of ruins. Everything needs to be rebuilt. Also read: Nudes of daughter, lurid chats: Inside the shocking trial of French man accused of inviting 50 men to rape wife Treated me like a rag doll Advertisement The accused rapists invited by her husband, all aged between 26 and 74 came from all walks of life, and included a local councillor, nurses, a journalist, a former police officer, a prison guard, soldier, firefighter and civil servant. According to reports in French media, these men were required to follow strict rules. They were instructed not to speak loudly, to undress in the kitchen, and to avoid wearing perfume or smelling of tobacco. In some cases, they had to wait up to an hour and a half in a nearby parking lot for the drug to fully sedate Gisele. I was sacrificed on the altar of vice, Gisele told the court. They treated me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag. Advertisement She added, When you see that woman drugged, mistreated, like a dead person on a bed of course, the body is not cold, its warm, but its as if Im dead. Gisele explained that rape was not a strong enough word for what she endured, calling it torture. Frankly, these are scenes of horror for me, she said. Take responsibility to recognise When asked by the judge if she knew any of the accused, Gisele said she recognised only one. He was our neighbour. He came over to check our bikes. I used to see him at the bakery. He was always polite. I had no idea he was coming to rape me. A court sketch shows Dominique P (right) during his trial in which he is accused of drugging his wife for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her. AFP Police have so far identified 50 rapists and are standing trial alongside Dominique, if convicted could face 20 years in prison for aggravated rape. I just think they should recognise the facts. When I think of what they have done I am overcome with disgust. They should at least have the responsibility to recognise what they did, Gisele said. Over the next few months, the defendants will appear in small groups before a panel of five judges, with Pelicot scheduled to speak next week. Psychologists, psychiatrists and computer experts will also testify, reported New York Post. After the shocking reality came to light, Gisele found that she was carrying four sexually transmitted diseases. I have had no sympathy from any of the accused. One who was HIV-positive came six times. Not once did my husband express any concern about my health, she said. According to the Telegraph, Gisele wanted the trial to be public, so she could raise awareness, as widely as possible, of what happened to her so that events like these never happen again, one of her lawyers, Stephane Babonneau, said. With input from agencies Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival celebrating Lord Ganesha, is here. One of the most popular deities in India, Bappa is also worshipped in several Asian countries in various forms. From Tibet, his popularity reached China and then Japan read more Indians are bringing Bappa home. Devotees are geared up to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival dedicated to one of the most popular deities in the country Lord Ganesha. He is among the few gods whose presence transcends Indian borders. Thailand also marks Ganesh Chaturthi around the same time as India. The elephant-headed god can also be found in different forms in other East and Southeast Asian countries. As per a Down To Earth (DTH) report, Ganesha travelled from Tibet to China and then Japan. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. Thailand Ganesha is a revered figure among Thai Buddhists. Ganesha sculptures came up in Thailand around 550600 CE, reported ThePrint. Known as Phira Phikanet, the deity is considered a symbol of success and remover of all obstacles. He is worshipped ahead of opening a new business or on the occasion of a wedding. The deitys influence can also be witnessed in Thai art and architecture. Shrines and statues for the elephant-headed god are found across the country. A man walks past a giant statue of elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha at a temple in Chachoengsao province, nearly 82 km eastern of Bangkok, September 8, 2011. File Photo/Reuters Cambodia Ganesha is worshipped across Southeast Asia, though his arrival in the region is unclear. According to the work on the deity by Professor of Indian and Southeast Asian art, Robert L Brown, the inscriptions and images of Ganesha in Southeast Asia can be traced back to 5th and 6th centuries. In Cambodia, he became a major god and was worshipped in temples from the 7th Century. The deity is believed to possess the power to grant moksha and ultimate liberation to his devotees, as per ThePrint. ALSO READ: From Thailand to Cambodia, how Ramayana spread across Asia Tibet In Tibet, Ganesha worshipped as a Buddhist deity has different forms such as Maharakta Ganapati and Vajra Vinayaka. As per the Indian Express report, Indian Buddhist religious leaders Atisa Dipankara Srijna and Gayadhara introduced the deity to Tibetan Buddhism in the 11th century AD. Advertisement A 17th-century legend associated with Ganeshas birth says he is the son of Ganga and Shiva. However, due to a curse by Uma, Shivas other wife, the newborn child loses his head. Ganga is then told to use the head of a dead body in place of her sons decapitated head. This is the origin story of the elephant-headed god. Dancing Ganesha in Central Tibet. Wikimedia Commons Tibetan mythology also links Ganesha to the birth of Lamaism, a form of Buddhism that originated in Tibet and Mongolia. The Tibetan Buddhist interpretation emphasised Ganeshas roles as protector of Dharma, destroyer of evil and remover of obstacles. Hence, relevant characteristics of the elephant were highlighted. Muscular arms and legs, armour, tusks, and weapons were displayed prominently, and similar to other Tibetan deities, a wrathful expression and bold colours (red, black, brown) are not uncommon, Lode Rosseels, a Belgian engineer and Japanologist, who researched on Ganesha in Tibet, China and Japan, told DTE in 2023. Advertisement China, Afghanistan In China, Ganesha assumes a darker tantric form, as per ThePrint. He is known as Huanxi Tian, who is depicted as an obstacle. A popular Ganesha sculpture, carved around the 6th or 7th century CE, is present in Gardez near Afghanistans Kabul. Known as Gardez Ganesha, he is worshipped as a god of wisdom and prosperity. ALSO READ: 10 dessert recipes to try this Ganesh Chaturthi Japan Along with Buddhism, Ganesha reached from India through Tibet and China to Japan, as per DTE. Referred to as Kangiten, he is associated with Japanese Buddhism and revered by merchants, gamblers, actors and geishas. The deity has evolved into a unique twin form in Japan, with male and female figures embracing. This version is popular as Embracing Kangiten. The Japanese Kangiten emphasises the gentle and strong nature of the elephant. The deity is shown as a couple of elephant-headed deities in an amorous embrace, often partially dressed and with silky white or light pink skin. In this version, prosperity is created through passion and goodness, rather than strength and violence. This is the most anthropomorphic representation of Ganesha, Rosseels was quoted as saying by DTE. Advertisement There are other versions as well. One of the depictions of Japanese Ganesha shows him with four arms holding a radish and a sweet, reported Indian Express. Indonesia On the island of Java in Indonesia, Ganesha was worshipped as a tantric deity who removes obstacles in magical rituals by King Kritanagara. This came as a blend of tantric Buddhism and Shaivism developed here by the 14th15th centuries CE, as per ThePrint report. Ganesha is also depicted wearing skulls and sitting upon thrones of skulls. A more Hindu version of Ganesha is also found in Java. A 700-year-old idol of Ganesha sits at the mouth of a volcano in Mount Bromo in Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java. Advertisement Mount Bromo, named after Lord Brahma, is one of the over 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Locals believe the idol protects them from the active volcano. With inputs from agencies The US, EU, and the UK have signed the first-ever legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence, aimed at balancing AI innovation with safeguarding human rights and democracy. This treaty, backed by over 50 nations, ensures accountability for harmful AI outcomes while promoting global cooperation read more The Framework Convention was signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, the United Kingdom as well as Israel, the United States of America and the European Union. Council of Europe The United States, European Union, and the United Kingdom have taken a landmark step by signing the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence (AI) during a Council of Europe conference held in Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday. This ground-breaking agreement, known as the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, marks a significant milestone in global efforts to regulate AI technologies, underlining the need to balance innovation with the protection of human rights and democratic values. Advertisement What does the treaty comprise? This AI convention is the result of years of negotiations between 57 countries, including key AI developers like the US, UK, and EU, along with other participants such as Japan, Canada, Israel, Australia, and several others. The treaty focuses on addressing potential risks posed by AI technologies while promoting responsible innovation. The Council of Europe, a Strasbourg-based international organisation established in 1949, spearheaded the initiative to ensure that AI systems align with fundamental human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Historic moment! The #CoE opens the first-ever legally binding global treaty on #AI and human rights. Signed by EU , this Framework Convention ensures AI aligns with our values. #HumanRights #Innovation #Democracy #GlobalTreaty Council of Europe (@coe) September 5, 2024 As noted by the Council of Europes Secretary-General, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them. She said that the treaty is an open and inclusive document with a potentially global reach, encouraging more nations to sign and ratify the agreement. She also stated that the text provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems, promoting innovation while managing risks related to human rights and democracy. Advertisement Why is the AI treaty a big deal? The treaty arrives at a moment when AI is becoming increasingly embedded in various sectors, raising concerns about privacy, discrimination, and the potential misuse of AI systems. This Convention is a major step to ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, like human rights and the rule of law, remarked Shabana Mahmood, Britains justice minister. Today in Vilnius, I joined the @coe to sign a historic AI convention ensuring new technology respects our oldest values - democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We must shape AI, not let it shape us. pic.twitter.com/WOB6Js83aJ Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) September 5, 2024 Advertisement The treaty is designed to ensure that AIs rapid advancement does not erode the democratic principles that have guided the international community for decades. One of the key aspects of the treaty is its requirement that signatories be held accountable for harmful or discriminatory outcomes resulting from AI systems. Furthermore, AI systems must respect privacy and equality rights, while those affected by AI-related human rights violations are entitled to legal recourse. Advertisement This creates an overarching framework for countries to monitor and regulate AI without stifling innovation, which is a concern voiced by many companies. Peter Kyle, the UKs Minister for Science, Innovation, and Technology, underscored the importance of the treaty in establishing a baseline that goes beyond just individual territories. What does the AI treaty secure? In addition to the US, UK, and EU, a diverse group of countries signed the treaty, including Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Moldova, San Marino, and Israel. Several non-member states, such as Argentina, Australia, Japan, and Mexico, were involved in drafting the treaty and are expected to sign soon. Advertisement This broad international participation highlights the treatys global significance, extending beyond the EUs recent AI Act, which regulates AI within the bloc. Also Watch: The treatys requirements apply to both public and private-sector AI systems. AI developers must ensure their systems are consistent with obligations to protect human rights. Democratic processes, such as judicial independence and the separation of powers, must not be compromised by AI applications. Moreover, the treaty mandates that measures be implemented to safeguard public debate and individual opinions in the context of AI-driven systems. As an open treaty, the document can accommodate more countries, encouraging global cooperation on AI governance. What does the AI treaty not include? Despite its ambitious goals, there are notable exemptions in the treatys scope. AI systems used for national security or research and development purposes are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as other sectors. This has sparked concerns, particularly among civil society groups like the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL). Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert with ECNL, told Reuters that the treaty had been watered down into a broad set of principles with overbroad caveats that limit its enforceability. She added, The formulation of principles and obligations in this convention is so overbroad and fraught with caveats that it raises serious questions about their legal certainty and effective enforceability." Whats next? Although hailed as a legally binding agreement, critics have pointed out that the treaty lacks provisions for punitive sanctions such as fines. Compliance will be ensured primarily through monitoring mechanisms, which some argue may not provide sufficient enforcement power. Still, the treaty is viewed as a critical first step in creating a cohesive global approach to AI regulation. Its the first [agreement] with real teeth globally, and its bringing together a very disparate set of nations, said Peter Kyle, expressing optimism about its potential impact. AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. Representational Image/Reuters The signing of the treaty also coincides with other global efforts to regulate AI. These include the EUs AI Act, which came into effect last month, the G7 AI pact agreed in October 2023, and the Bletchley Declaration, signed by 28 countries, including China and the US, in November 2023. The EUs AI Act has been particularly controversial, with some companies, such as Meta, opting not to roll out their latest AI products in the region due to stringent regulations. Vera Jourova, European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency, expressed her optimism about the treatys broader influence: I am very glad to see so many international partners ready to sign the convention on AI. The new framework sets important steps for the design, development, and use of AI applications, which should bring trust and reassurance that AI innovations are respectful of our valuesprotecting and promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law." Also Watch: With inputs from agencies Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to all nine federal tax charges on Thursday. This came after he failed to enter an Alford plea and forgo the trial. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years imprisonment and up to $1.3 million in fines read more Hunter Biden leaves federal court with his wife Melissa Cohen Biden after pleading guilty in his felony federal tax case, September 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. AP United States President Joe Bidens son, Hunter, pleaded guilty on Thursday (Septmeber 5) to all nine federal tax evasion charges. This has saved him from a second criminal trial. The last-minute guilty plea was announced before jury selection was about to begin at a Los Angeles court. The development comes three months after a jury found Hunter Biden guilty in a separate case related to gun possession and drug use. He will be sentenced for three gun felonies in November after the presidential election. Advertisement What is the tax case and why did Hunter Biden plead guilty? What next for him? Lets understand. Hunter Bidens tax crimes Biden, 54, is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes on time for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. It is also alleged he did not file tax returns on time in 2017 and 2018. Prosecutors claim the younger Biden showed money he paid sex workers as business expenses on his tax forms. Some other personal expenses allegedly disguised as business expenses included $43,693 for a stay at the popular Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, $30,000 for his daughters Columbia Law School tuition, $3,947 at a strip club and $1,727 for a Lamborghini rental, reported CNN. All of this allegedly happened during the period Biden was battling a drug addiction. As per The Washington Post, he has said he underwent addiction treatment and has been sober for five years. Prosecutors have accused Biden of spending nearly $5 million on everything but his taxes. He was charged with three felony tax offences and six misdemeanour offences in December. US President Joe Bidens son, Hunter, has been accused of tax evasion. File Photo/Reuters The indictment also mentioned how Biden earned more than $7 million between 2016 and 2020 from his foreign business dealings, as per the BBC report. Advertisement In each year in which he failed to pay his taxes, the defendant had sufficient funds available to him to pay some or all of his outstanding taxes when they were due. But he chose not to pay them, the indictment reportedly said. In Delaware last year, Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanour tax offences for failing to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time, reported CNN. However, the deal fell apart after scrutiny from a judge. Why has Hunter Biden pleaded guilty? Biden was set to go on trial on Thursday but in a surprising turn of events, he pleaded guilty. His guilty plea came hours after his lawyers proposed an Alford plea to give up trial. Advertisement The Alford plea is named after a 1970 US Supreme Court case involving one Henry Alford, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder to avoid the death penalty while claiming he was innocent, as per the Associated Press (AP) report. As per the US Justice Department, an Alford plea is when someone maintains his or her innocence with respect to the charge to which he or she offers to plead guilty. But prosecutors rejected the deal. I want to make crystal clear: The US opposes an Alford plea. Hunter Biden is not innocent, he is guilty, Leo Wise, an attorney with the special counsel, told the LA court judge. We came to court to try this case. Advertisement As per The Washington Post, Biden later consulted with his lawyers and entered a guilty plea. US District Judge Mark Scarsi asked Biden, Do you agree you committed every element of every crime? He replied, Yes. In a statement on Thursday, the younger Biden said, I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment and that prosecutors were focused not on justice but on dehumanising me for my actions during my addiction. According to Abbe Lowell, one of Bidens attorneys, his client wanted to avoid a trial so his family doesnt have to spend one more day talking about what happened when he was a man addicted to drugs, reported The Washington Post. Advertisement Biden will remain free on bond until his sentence is announced in mid-December. He and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, walked out of the courthouse, hand in hand, shortly after he entered a guilty plea, as per New York Times (NYT) report. What happens next? If convicted on all nine charges in the tax indictment, Biden could face up to 17 years in prison and fines of up to $1.3 million. This is in addition to the possible sentence of 25 years imprisonment after conviction in the gun case in Delaware in June. Bidens sentence hearing in the tax case is scheduled for December 16, over a month after the presidential election and a month before his father leaves the White House. As per The Washington Post report, defendants in tax cases usually get a less severe sentence than suggested by federal guidelines. Last years US Sentencing Commission report found that the average tax case sentence was 16 months in prison, much below the recommended 28 months. Biden paid all his tax debts after becoming sober in 2019. This could soften his sentence but Judge Scarsi will also keep in mind his Delaware conviction. Even if he is sentenced to a prison sentence, the US president could pardon him before leaving office. However, Joe Biden has ruled this out. After his sons gun conviction, he had said, Im not going to do anything. I said Id abide by the jury decision. I will do that. And I will not pardon him. His aides maintain the president would not pardon his son. As per NYT, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated on Thursday when asked about a possible pardon, Its still very much a no. However, the US president is famously protective of his son, noted CNN. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley told the American broadcaster, If Hunter Biden is found guilty, I cant imagine his father will want him in prison. He lost Beau to cancer. His other son going to prison would be a very inglorious way to end his presidency, filled with a lot of sorrow, pain and hurt. Most fathers would lean into the pardon, if they had that power. And if Joe Biden pardons his son, he would not be the first US president to do it for a family member. With inputs from agencies The first autopsies of four people who died after the Bayesian super yacht sunk off Sicily show dry drowning as the cause of death, authorities said Monday. It is a condition where water never really enters the lungs of a human being after being immersed in water. It is inhaled through the nose or mouth and can contract the vocal cords, restricting the airflow to the lungs read more Italian firefighter divers bring ashore in a plastic bag the body of one of the victims of a shipwreck, in Porticello, Sicily, southern Italy, Thursday, August 22, 2024. AP One of the worlds largest luxurious sailing superyachts, the 56-metre Bayesian, sank off the coast of the Sicilian port of Porticello last month. Seven victims were trapped alive inside the ships cabin as the vessel went down. According to the autopsies, four of them were killed because of dry drowning. New York City lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife, Neda, along with Morgan Stanley Bank International chair Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, all died of dry drowning, according to Italian outlet La Repubblica which cited tests conducted over the past two days. Advertisement What is dry drowning? Drowning is a significant injury from being immersed in water, according to USA Today, which quoted Dr Michael D Patrick, an associated professor of paediatrics at Ohio State University. On the other hand, in dry drowning, water never really enters the lungs, as per Detroit Medical Centre. Rescue personnel operate on boats on the sea near the scene where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, on August 20, 2024. Reuters File In such cases, a laryngospasm occurs when water is inhaled through the nose or mouth, causing the muscles around the vocal cords to contract. This contraction restricts airflow to the lungs and can even make it difficult to fit a breathing tube in the throat for rescue, Patrick explained. He noted that there is a misconception that the condition occurs hours after water exposure, but it is more likely that it would occur immediately after exposure to water. There is no medically accepted dry drowning condition. However, terms like atypical drowning, secondary drowning or delayed drowning are sometimes used to describe patients whose condition worsened after a drowning rescue or who had very little water in the lungs. Notably, the American Red Cross and other health bodies have recommended against using such terms as people may experience health impacts after being in water but may not be the same as drowning. Advertisement What does the report say? A spokesperson for the lawyer of the captain of the Bayesian said that the four victims had no water in their lungs, tracheas or stomachs. According to the local media reports, the cause of death for the first four victims points to the discovery of an air bubble in the cabin where the bodies of five victims were located. The victims absorbed all the oxygen in the air pocket before it became fatal due to carbon dioxide. Officials say the autopsies were performed on Wednesday at the Palermo Polyclinic Hospitals Forensic Medicine Institute. On Friday, autopsy results are anticipated for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, according to The Associated Press. Advertisement The autopsy of Recaldo Thomas, the ships chef, has not yet been scheduled because it is difficult to get in touch with his family in Antigua. Last Saturday, all seven victims bodies were examined to rule out any physical injuries that might have played a role in their tragic end. The results showed that no victims had broken bones or other injuries. In the upcoming days, toxicology reports for the seven victims are anticipated, according to CNN. Following the recovery of all the victims bodies, the prosecutor stated in a press conference that none of the crew members had undergone drug or alcohol testing. Initial suggestions that the victims had been looking for an air pocket were made earlier in August by the prosecutor handling the investigation. Advertisement Why has Italy launched a manslaughter probe? The ships machine engineer, Tim Parker Eaton, sailor Matthew Griffith, who was on watch the night of the disaster, and captain James Cutfield are all being investigated criminally for potential manslaughter and shipwreck. Being investigated does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow. They were allowed to leave the country by the prosecutor in charge of the investigation. Rescue personnel work next to the body bag containing the corpse of British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who died when a yacht owned by his family sank off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy. AP The disaster would be even more painful if the investigation showed it was caused by behaviours that were not aligned to the responsibilities that everyone needs to take in shipping, Cartosio said. Though the investigation continues, authorities say this doesnt mean they will be charged with any crime. Advertisement Cutfield, Eaton and Griffith were allowed to leave the country by the prosecutor in charge of the investigation. How did the yacht sink? The 56-metre yacht sank within 16 minutes of being struck by a downburst or tornado on the early morning of August 19. The sinking has puzzled naval marine experts who say a boat 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. The ship will have to be raised for the investigation and to ensure that the 18,000 litres of fuel onboard do not leak into the sea around the port of Porticello near Palermo. Bids have been sent out for the salvage, which will be paid for by the company of Lynchs wife Angela Bacares, which owns the yacht. With inputs from agencies French President Emmanuel Macrons appointment of Michel Barnier as prime minister has put the ball in rival Marine Le Pens court. While Le Pens party didnt win the recent election, its 142 lawmakers now hold the balance of power and Barniers potential government depends on the goodwill of the National Rally read more French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with then EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier as he visits the International Agriculture Fair (Salon de l'Agriculture) in Paris, France, February 23, 2019. File Image/Reuters President Emmanuel Macrons appointment of veteran politician Michel Barnier as prime minister on Thursday has handed Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Rally (RN) a significant opportunity. The political deadlock that followed the summers snap election now places the far right in an unusual position of influence. 73-year-old Michel Barnier is a member of The Republicans and the EUs former chief Brexit negotiator. As France braces for potential no-confidence motions and the looming challenge of passing a budget, all eyes are on how Barnier will navigate French politics at the apex. With Le Pens party holding significant sway, many are calling her the new kingmaker in French politics. Advertisement How has Marine Le Pen become kingmaker? The goal was clear: to break the gridlock that emerged following inconclusive elections where no party or coalition managed to secure the 289 seats required for a majority in the National Assembly. The left-wing New Popular Front, which won the most seats (193), had put forward Lucie Castets, a 37-year-old civil servant, as their candidate for prime minister, but Macron quickly dismissed her candidacy, citing concerns over her ability to stabilise the government. This led to widespread criticism from leftist leaders. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of France Unbowed, denounced the appointment as a denial of democracy, while Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure echoed the sentiment, declaring on X, We are entering a regime crisis. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of French far-left opposition party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed - LFI), delivers a speech on stage during a rally with members of the alliance of left-wing parties called the Nouveau Front Populaire (New Popular Front - NFP), at the Place de la Republique after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections in Paris, France, June 30, 2024. File Image/Reuters Barniers coalition, consisting of Macrons pro-centrist group and the conservative Republican Right, controls only 213 seats well short of a majority. This means Barniers government is now dependent on the goodwill of Le Pens National Rally, which holds 142 seats. As Le Pen remarked, The National Rally has 142 lawmakers, you cant ignore them. Will Marine Le Pen support Barnier? Despite coming third in the elections, Marine Le Pen and her National Rally now find themselves in a powerful position. While the left has sworn to support any no-confidence motions against Barniers government, the National Rallys tacit backing is essential to prevent the government from being toppled before it even begins. Advertisement National Rally leaders have made their demands clear: they want policies focused on immigration, security, and purchasing power, as well as the introduction of proportional representation in parliament. Election posters of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party with pictures of their leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella are seen near the RN party headquarters, in Paris, France, July 5, 2024. File Image/Reuters Le Pen has also stressed the importance of respect for far-right lawmakers. In her own words, Barniers nomination meets at least one of their criteria: someone who would respect different political forces and be able to speak with the National Rally. However, the support of the National Rally is far from unconditional. Le Pen and her party have signalled that they will be watching closely to ensure Barniers government aligns with their priorities. We reserve all political means of action if this is not the case in the coming weeks, warned Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally. Advertisement What challenges does Barnier face? While Barnier has experience as a skilled negotiator, his political journey is fraught with challenges. The task of balancing the demands of the far right, the centre-right, and the pro-Macron centrists, all while trying to pass necessary legislation, is a daunting one. Macrons former prime minister, Gabriel Attal, had resigned two months ago, leaving the country in political paralysis for more than 50 days an unprecedented situation in the Fifth Republics 66-year history. France outgoing Prime minister Gabriel Attal delivers a speech next to newly appointed Prime minister Michel Barnier during the handover ceremony at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, September 5, 2024. File Image/Reuters Barnier is expected to focus on key issues like security, healthcare, and jobs, but his greatest challenge lies in addressing Frances ballooning debt and deficit, among the largest in the eurozone. Advertisement Also Read: 3 political challenges Macron faces even after nominating a new PM Alarmed lawmakers have already warned that passing a budget will be complicated without a clear governing majority. Brussels will also be watching closely, as France has been criticised for breaking EU financial discipline rules. In this context, compromise will be essential. Le Pen herself acknowledged this, stating, Compromises will be needed to solve the budget situation. However, while the far right could topple the government, some analysts believe its not in their best interest to trigger another crisis so soon. How has Macrons party taken to his latest move? The decision to engage with Le Pens National Rally has sparked unease within Macrons own party. For years, Macron has positioned himself as a bulwark against the extremes of both the left and the right. But now, faced with a fractured parliament, he has little choice but to court the far right in order to form a functioning government. Advertisement Some centrist lawmakers have expressed discontent with this approach. Politico quoted a lawmaker who described Barniers fate as held by the National Rally. Others see this move as a betrayal of the Republican front, a traditional pact among mainstream parties to keep the far right out of power. French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) party leader Marine Le Pen at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2019. File Image/Reuters Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, accused Macron of cozying up to the far right, claiming that he went looking for a figure who was further and further to the right. Despite these tensions, Macron remains focused on achieving stability. His government, according to a statement from the presidency, aims to serve the country and the French people by rallying as much support as possible. However, the growing anger against Macrons leadership, particularly after his decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, looms over the political landscape. What next? As Barniers government faces a likely no-confidence vote when parliament convenes, the question remains: how long can his administration last? If the far right withdraws its support, or if the lefts demonstrations gather enough momentum, Barniers tenure could be short-lived. With Macrons term-limited presidency set to end in 2027, the political climate is already shifting. Edouard Philippe, one of Macrons former prime ministers, has announced his candidacy for the next presidential election. Le Pens position as a kingmaker gives her and her party a critical role in shaping Frances political future. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday released BJPs manifesto for with as many as 25 promises for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Heres a look at key promises in the manifesto read more Home Minister Amit Shah during an event to release the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in J&K on Friday. ANI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday released BJPs manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The document details the partys pledges and future strategies to enhance development, security, and economic growth in the region. #WATCH | Jammu, J&K | Union Home Minister Amit Shah releases BJP's manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections. Jammu & Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina and other party leaders are also present. pic.twitter.com/frZ6HQ5mHu ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024 Advertisement After releasing the BJPs manifesto, known as Sankalp Patra, Shah highlighted the BJPs dedication to fostering stability and progress in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that Article 370 has become history and will never make a comeback in the Union territory. #WATCH | Jammu, J&K | Union Home Minster Amit Shah says, "I have seen the NC's (National Conference) agenda. I have also seen Congress silently supporting NC's agenda. But, I want to say to the country that Article 370 is history, it will never return, and we won't let it happen. pic.twitter.com/nXJhBNYClS ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024 Addressing a press conference in Jammu later, the senior BJP leader said the last 10-year period will be written in golden letters in the history of the country and J&K, and urged people to vote his party to power to continue good governance. Jammu and Kashmir will go to polls in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, 2024. The results will be declared on October 8. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Advertisement Heres a look at key promises from the BJPs manifesto: #WATCH | Jammu, J&K | Union Home Minster Amit Shah says, "We have decided that we will bring 'Ma Samman Yojana' to give Rs 18,000 to the eldest lady of every family, each year... We will give two free cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme, per year. Under Pragati Shiksha Yojana, we pic.twitter.com/0BcHv0EJCy ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024 White paper will be issued to fix the responsibility of those involved in the emergence of terrorism in J&K Rehabilitation scheme for Kashmiri Pandits. Amit Shah said scheme to rehabilitate Kasmiri Pandits will be very detailed. We will look for complete rehabilitation. Many Kashmiri Pandits and people from the Sikh community who left when the terrorism was at its peak were forced to sell their properties. We have already started working in this regard - either returning their properties or providing the amount for their properties. We are towards the completion of rehabilitation of 6000 people, Shah said Ma Samman Yojana to give Rs 18,000 to the eldest lady of every family, each year Two free cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme, per year Under Pragati Shiksha Yojana, Rs 3,000 travelling allowance to college students per year Providing assistance via the state government for Women SHGs on the issue of interest on bank loans Through the Atal Housing Scheme, land will be allotted free of cost to landless beneficiaries. Old age, widow, and disability pensions will be increased three times Provide 10,000 to the farmers of the state under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Reduce electricity rates for agricultural activities by 50% Generate 5 lakh employment opportunities for the youth Ensure a fair and just recruitment process Add 1,000 new seats in medical colleges to improve the education system Complete all important tunnel projects Construct 10,000 km of new rural roads Initiate metro services in Jammu and Srinagar Rebuild and renovate Hindu temples and religious places Ayushman Bharat Sehat Yojana will provide an additional Rs 2 lakh in healthcare coverage on top of the Rs 5 lakh already provided Transform Jammu and Kashmir from a terrorist hotspot to a tourist spot With inputs from agencies As fraudsters prey on the allure of quick wealth, police efforts struggle to stem the tide of financial scams read more Like a creeping vine, the online trading scam in Assam has spread its tendrils into every corner, choking off all in its path. Drawn by the promise of quick riches, many fall victim to elaborate financial traps, ignoring the glaring signs of deceit. Assam, in particular, has become a hotbed for both online and offline financial fraud, despite persistent warnings. As the Assam Police intensifies its crackdown on the Rs 2,220 crore online investment and stock trading scam, with the state CID now taking charge of the investigation, more culprits are expected to surface soon. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hinted on Thursday at the possible formation of a Special Investigation Team to dismantle the growing fraud nexus and bring the perpetrators to justice. This move follows a surge in fraudulent online investment schemes across the state. Advertisement Recently, Chief Minister Sarma revealed that 38 individuals have been arrested in connection with a major online trading scam, with authorities now pursuing additional suspects. Among those apprehended are notable figures such as Bishal Phukan, Swapnanil Das, Ranjit Kakati and Hemen Rabha, whose lavish lifestyles and extensive fraud schemes have captured significant attention. Phukan, hailing from Dibrugarh, is accused of scamming investors by guaranteeing a 30 per cent return within 60 days, using falsified documents to support his claims. He faces serious charges under sections 316 (Criminal Breach of Trust) and 318 (Cheating and Deceit) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The investigation has also targeted Assamese choreographer Sumi Borah and her husband, Tarkik Bora, both of whom are currently evading arrest. Authorities are also on the lookout for her brother Rajib Bora and his wife. Additionally, Swapnanil Das, the owner of Trading For A Living (TFAL), is implicated in a scheme that siphoned off crores through fraudulent trading activities. On September 4, Kakati was arrested by Dibrugarh Police for allegedly defrauding several victims through the Trading FX online platform. Rabha, from Sonitpur, was detained on the same day for running a Rs300 crore scam through a fictitious trading company named Gini Capital, which had offices in both Guwahati and Tezpur. In another incident, police arrested nine individuals in Sonitpur related to financial fraud involving Fino Payment Bank, Ujala Amrit Nidhi Ltd, and the Tridix trading app. They are among the 38 arrested so far. The scams have claimed many victims. In August, a Guwahati doctor lost Rs 2 crore to a Facebook-based scam, tricked over three months into paying taxes on fake returns. Scammers eventually cut off contact, leaving the doctor to report the case to Guwahatis Cyber Police Station. Advertisement Earlier, in June, 10 individuals were arrested in Morigaon district for financial frauds involving fake SIMs, PAN cards and Aadhaar cards. Over the past 18 months, Morigaon has become a hub for financial scams, with over 225 arrests made. This alarming surge in financial fraud in Assam reflects a broader trend driven by the rise of digital transactions, which has opened new avenues for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerable individuals. In 2023, Assam reported 7,621 complaints of financial fraud, amounting to Rs34.42 crore. The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting Management System, launched under I4C, aims to provide immediate reporting and intervention to curb fraud. Advertisement A long history of financial fraud Assam is all too familiar with the anguish caused by financial frauds. Despite the arrests and ongoing investigations, the persistent issue of financial fraud in Assam highlights a deeper systemic vulnerability. These investigations are symptomatic of a larger problem rooted in both online and offline fraudulent activities. Before the rise of digital transactions, offline scams devastated countless individuals and households, preying on the hopes of those seeking a better life. The unscrupulous enriched themselves through deceitful means, draining innocent people of their hard-earned money, whose only fault was daring to dream of a brighter future for their families. Advertisement These scams capitalise on the promise of quick riches, targeting individuals who often lack financial literacy and a clear understanding of risk. The infamous Ponzi schemes, such as Saradha and Rose Valley, highlight a persistent pattern of deception that has haunted Assam for years. The failure to curb these frauds stems in part from gaps in financial education and sluggish regulatory responses. The ongoing surge in fraud cases underscores the pressing need for stronger financial literacy initiatives and more effective safeguards to protect vulnerable investors. According to a report in The Sentinel, even before digital platforms became the core for financial transactions, thousands of unsuspecting investors in Assam have been left lamenting their losses after chit fund companies such as Jeevan Suraksha, Rangdhali, Unipay 2U, Rising East, Mudra, Daffodil and Basil Intertiol abruptly closed their operations and vanished. The fact that these dubious, fly-by-night agencies could operate unchecked in Assamflouting RBI and SEBI regulations with impunityis astonishing. Advertisement A few years ago, the infamous Saradha chit fund scam defrauded thousands of small investors in Assam and other states, siphoning off Rs2,500 crore. Although the Saradha scam is primarily associated with West Bengal, it had significant repercussions in Assam as well. In Assam, the Saradha Group lured a large number of investors with promises of high returns. Many individuals were drawn to the scheme, investing substantial sums. When the group failed to deliver on its promises, it left investors facing considerable financial losses, leading to widespread disillusionment and hardship. The scams impact even spilled into the political arena. Allegations surfaced that local politicians and officials in Assam may have been involved in either facilitating or turning a blind eye to the operations of the Saradha Group. Another Ponzi scheme that shook Assam was the Rose Valley Group scam, which allegedly defrauded over one lakh small investors of more than Rs 10,000 crore. Led by Gautam Kundu, the Rose Valley scam had a devastating impact on Assam, similar to the earlier Saradha scam. The Rose Valley Group enticed a significant number of investors in Assam with promises of high returns. Many individuals, lured by the prospect of lucrative gains, invested substantial sums of money. However, when the group failed to fulfill its promises and defaulted on payments, the investors in Assam faced severe financial losses, triggering widespread distress and outrage. The Rose Valley Group launched several fraudulent schemes, including one called Ashirwad, which promised small investors a plot of land, and a Holiday Membership plan, where instalments were collected for stays at group hotels. These schemes were orchestrated through a vast network of around 880 branches, funnelling collections to 21 regional offices and four divisional offices, with the groups headquarters in Kolkata overseeing operations. The scandal also had significant political and administrative ramifications in Assam. Allegations surfaced that certain local politicians and officials might have been involved in either facilitating or turning a blind eye to the activities of the Rose Valley Group. Even before that the Sahara Ponzi scheme, led by Subrata Roy, turned out to be one of Indias most notorious financial scandals, significantly impacting states like Assam. The Sahara group illegally collected over Rs24,000 crore from millions of small investors across the country, including Assam, by offering debentures and bonds with promises of high returns. These financial products were sold without proper regulatory approval, attracting a large number of investors, particularly from rural and semi-urban areas. SEBI intervened, ordering Sahara to refund the money to investors with interest. The Supreme Court of India upheld SEBIs order, leading to the seizure of Saharas assets. However, the implementation of the courts orders has been slow, leaving many investors, particularly in Assam, in financial distress. Reports from the region highlighted tragic incidents, including cases where some investors allegedly committed suicide due to the losses incurred. Despite legal orders, many investors in Assam are still waiting for refunds. Too little, too late Despite the Assam Polices efforts to tackle financial fraud, the issue remains widespread. Chief Minister Sarma has urged the people of Assam to stay vigilant and avoid falling prey to fraudsters and illegal share market schemes that jeopardise their hard-earned money. At the heart of the problem is a significant lack of financial literacy. While the internet has made financial services more accessible, it has also facilitated a rise in fraudulent activities. Unless individuals actively educate themselves and take steps to protect against financial scams, and unless the government implements more proactive measures, the world of financial fraud in Assam will continue to operate unchecked and efficiently. A tissue paper with bomb on airplane written on it was found in the toilet. All 247 passengers and crew were safely evacuated, and the plane was thoroughly inspected read more Mumbai-Frankfurt Vistara flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Turkey. File image/Reuters A Vistara flight going from Mumbai to Frankfurt made an unscheduled landing in eastern Turkey on Friday (September 6) due to a bomb alert. A tissue paper that had the words bomb on airplane scribbled on it was discovered in the toilet while the flight was mid-air, according to a report by Times of India. The flight had a total of 247 people onboard. Flight UK27 from Mumbai to Frankfurt has been diverted to Turkey (Erzurum airport) due to security reasons and has landed safely at 1905 hours, Vistara posted on X. Advertisement #DiversionUpdate: Flight UK27 from Mumbai to Frankfurt (BOM-FRA) has been diverted to Turkey (Erzurum airport) due to security reasons and has landed safely at 1905 hours. Please stay tuned for further updates. Vistara (@airvistara) September 6, 2024 Moneycontrol quoted a spokesperson of the airline as saying that The aircraft has safely landed at the Erzurum Airport. As per protocol, the relevant authorities were immediately alerted and we are fully cooperating with the security agencies to complete the mandatory security checks. The spokesperson said that the crew onboard the flight noted a security concern and after that the relevant authorities were informed. Turkish media reported the governor of Erzurum province, Mustafa Ciftci, as saying that 247 passengers and crew were on board, and all flights in and out of the airport had been suspended. The passengers were removed from the plane and individually searched before being allowed into the airport terminal. A bomb detection squad inspected the plane and its luggage hold, as stated by the governor. Whether the threat was a hoax or not remains unclear. With inputs from AFP The ED raid at Kolkata residence of Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a 31-year-old doctor was brutally raped and murdered on August 9, was as part of the agencys investigation into an alleged financial scam at the state-run health facility read more The Supreme Court on September 6 refused to entertain RG Kar Medical College and Hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh's plea challenging a Calcutta High Court decision that ordered a CBI investigation into his alleged financial irregularities. Source: PTI. Security agencies are leaving no stones unturned in their investigation into the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in West Bengal government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. On Friday morning, a team of the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at the residence of Sandip Ghosh who is the former principal of RG Kar Hospital. The ED raid was as part of its investigation into an alleged financial scam at the state-run hospital. Advertisement #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Enforcement Directorate raid underway at the residence of former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh; latest visuals from his residence. pic.twitter.com/JSKSRNXzHS ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024 Ghosh, who as per BJP, had issued a letter on August 10 ordering renovation near the Seminar Hall where the young doctors body was found after being raped and murdered a day ago (August 9), is currently in the custody of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Ghosh served as the principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from February 2021 to September 2023. In October last year, he was transferred, but within a months time, he was brought back to the position which he held until the day the young trainee doctor was raped and murdered in the facility. On Monday, the CBI arrested 53-year-old Ghosh alongwith three others - his security guard Afsar Ali, and hospital vendors Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara. They were arrested in connection with the alleged financial irregularities at the RG Kar Hospital. On Tuesday, a court in Kolkata remanded Ghosh and others to CBI custody for eight days. The agency had requested a 10-day custody, citing a large nexus in the corruption case that required further investigation. Advertisement SC refuses to hear Sandip Ghoshs plea On Wednesday, Ghosh, had filed a plea with the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court decision that ordered a CBI investigation into his alleged financial irregularities. However, on Friday (September 6), the apex court refused to entertain Ghoshs plea and said he doesnt have locus to intervene in public interest litigation alleging financial irregularities. CBI grills Sandip Ghosh The CBI has been questioning Ghosh since August 16 regarding the rape and murder of the trainee doctor and accusations of financial misconduct during his tenure. The rage and anger among doctors and people at large against Ghosh intensified after the heinous crime at RG Kar Hospital and when he was produced in a court on Tuesday, he was assaulted. Advertisement A crazy crowd today ganged up on to beat former RG Kar Principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh while he was being presented by CBI. One even slapped him. pic.twitter.com/yJBmbZxZDi Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) September 3, 2024 #RGKarCollege Ex Principal detained by CBI Anti Corruption Branch. So much things related to mismanagement of Funds & #KolkataDoctorDeath can be revealed from this man if CBI gives him proper Treatment. #RGKARmedical #SandipGhosh #KolkataDeathCase pic.twitter.com/O4v96BMIOu Mrutyunjaya Swain (@Mrutyunjayaswa9) September 3, 2024 Advertisement Protests for justice in Kolkata enter 5th week A number of protests have been carried out across the country following the brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Mamata Banerjee governed state. There has been clamouring for justice and resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the crime on August 9. In Kolkata, protests and agitations have entered its fifth week on Friday (September 6) with more and more number of people participating calling for speedy justice in the RG Kar rape and murder case. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. The Ola auto driver slapped the Bengaluru woman in front of bystanders who remained passive and even threatened to beat her with his slippers read more The Bengaluru Police have 46-year-old Ola auto driver R Muthuraj for verbally abusing and slapping a woman after she canceled her ride and chose another auto. Source: @DCPWestBCP Do you avail or resort to app-based rides and your find them safe? Different people have different perception and experiences. Recently, a video is going viral on social media where a woman and her friend had a distressing encounter with an Ola autorickshaw driver in Bengaluru after she booked two autos for a quicker journey but later cancelled one. The incident, captured on video by the victim, showed the driver behaving aggressively, threatening, abusing and slapping her. Advertisement Ola auto driver followed Bengaluru woman On Wednesday, September 5, during peak hours, the woman booked two autos through Ola. After getting into the first one, she canceled the second ride. The other auto driver followed us, furious. Despite explaining the situation, he started shouting and hurling abuses, she posted on X. Abused & made derogatory comments The driver went on to verbally abuse us and make derogatory comments. I began recording, which enraged him further. When I mentioned reporting him, he challenged me, showing no fear of consequences, she further said. The woman described the situation, stating, Our only fault was booking two autos to ensure my friend didnt miss her class. In Bangalore, autos often cancel rides or demand extra money. The argument could have been tolerated, but the drivers threats and assault crossed a line. Tera baap deta hain kya gas ke paise When the woman asked the agitated Ola auto driver why he was shouting, he furiously responded, Tera baap deta hain kya gas ke paise? (Does your father pay me for the gas?). The woman further said that she has never felt so unsafe in Bangalore, she added that the situation escalated when the driver attempted to snatch her phone. Advertisement Ola auto driver slaps woman, threatens to beat with slipper I resisted, and he slapped me in front of my auto driver, who did nothing, and bystanders who remained passive. Despite this, he continued his threats, saying hed beat me with his slippers too, she recounted. Yesterday I faced severe harassment and was physically assaulted by your auto driver in Bangalore after a simple ride cancellation. Despite reporting, your customer support has been unresponsive. Immediate action is needed! @Olacabs @ola_supports @BlrCityPolice pic.twitter.com/iTkXFKDMS7 Niti (@nihihiti) September 4, 2024 Advertisement Olas disappointing response She had also revealed that while the driver managed to get them away from the situation, Olas response was disappointing and despite reporting the issue, they only received automated responses. Meanwhile, Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police Traffic and Road Safety, addressed the incident, stating, Such behavior is unacceptable. (A) few people like him give (the) auto drivers community a bad name. Have informed the concerned to take appropriate action." Advertisement Bengaluru police have detained auto driver R Muthuraj for verbally abusing and slapping a woman after she canceled her ride and chose another auto. The 46-year-old Ola driver was apprehended by the Magadi Road Police, with legal action underway. The Auto Driver has been apprehended by Magadi Road Police.Action is being initiated for the offence committed as per law. pic.twitter.com/YpHgql69Xf DCP West Bengaluru (@DCPWestBCP) September 5, 2024 Following the social media attention, DCP West Bengaluru had earlier commented, The auto driver has been apprehended by Magadi Road Police. Action is being initiated for the offence committed as per law. Both in the Russia-Ukraine war and the West Asian conflict, Iran and the US have chosen to assist their respective allies implicitly through drone technology rather than engaging directly in these conflicts read more In recent years, the United States and other Western powers have faced significant threats from Iran through the ominous rise of technological developments in military systems, especially in terms of the proliferation of deadly drones and missiles. The accelerated advancement of Kamikaze drones should be considered as part and parcel of Irans larger strategy of proxy warfare. Drones are just a means and medium to weaken their enemies and ultimately serve their interests in the region. Advertisement The Kamikaze is a family of drones, comprising Shahed-129, Shahed-131, Shahed-191, and Shahed-238, that remains a potential threat, though not a nightmare for US defence mechanisms. Kamikaze literally means a divine wind that employs an unprecedented lethal attack on its enemy. Shahed-136 is the most widely used among them. This family of drones has attracted special attention among policy elites due to its unique traits such as precision, concreteness, the feature of self-destruction after attacking the target, and most importantly, its cost-effectiveness. Reflecting on the broader conflicts unfolding in the West Asia region as a whole, the delivery of drone technology and assistance provided to Russia by Iran shows its desire to settle the score with the US. It has been reported that Iran has supplied their Shahed-136 suicide drones to Russia, which Russians call Geranium 2. It has been reported that Iran has supplied its Shahed-136 suicide drones to Russia, which the Russians refer to as Geranium-2. This Iranian position can be essentially connected with Kautilyas Rajamandala theory, which says that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. This situation presents a paradox: while Iran is widely regarded as a champion of the Islamic world, given its verbal and material support for the Palestinian liberation struggle, it has simultaneously been abetting and aiding Russias sustained, massive airstrikes on Ukraine. Despite both Tehran and Moscow officially denying this arms deal, numerous reports indicate that Iranian drones have assisted Russia in efficiently executing targeted attacks on infrastructure, power stations, and buildings in the Kharkiv region since September 2022. This apparent contradiction in Irans foreign policy stancesupporting one groups struggle while aiding in the assault on another nationhighlights the complex and often inconsistent nature of international relations in the region. Advertisement Interestingly, in parallel, as per the reports, the US has transferred hundreds of Switchblade drones and Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones to Ukraine to support its defence against Russia. This dynamic creates a scenario that could be interpreted as an implicit proxy war between the US and Iran, with each supporting opposite sides of the conflict without directly engaging each other. Shahed drones operate through salvo launch that allows launching a few missiles, rockets, and drones simultaneously. Since these drones fly at low altitudes, the defensive mechanism of the opposing country often fails to identify and destroy the drones immediately. Though these drones are not multipurpose, they serve well for targeted precision attacks. Nevertheless, Shahed drones have some limitations, including relatively low speed and noise, which attracts enemy attention easily. The use of sensors for detection, interceptors, simple anti-air guns, and other counter-drone technologies is found efficient in ensnaring the attack-prone Shahed drones. While Shahed drones are capable of fulfilling their purpose temporarily, considering their limitations, its highly likely that Iran will further advance the technology in the near future. Irans hesitancy in sharing drone technology and information with neighbouring countries adds strength to such suspicions. Advertisement Renowned classical realist scholar Fareed Zakaria stated, Nations expand their political interests abroad when their relative power increases. This idea resonates with Irans relentless attempts to become the most influential and powerful state in the region. Iran, close to becoming a nuclear power, now tries to augment production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), missile technology, and drone machinery rapidly. Irans project of developing drone technology can be traced back to the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war. The smart brains in the engineering sector, skilled labour, and efficient use of resources helped Iran produce indigenous and self-reliant drones quickly. The United States Institute of Peace once conveyed that several of Irans drones were modelled on captured US drones, including the Predator, Reaper, Sentinel, and ScanEagle, as well as the Hermes drone by Israel. This demonstrates Irans ability not only to utilise its skills and resources but also to cleverly modify and develop existing technologies. Advertisement Irans military-industrial complex has augured the development of a myriad of indigenous drones serving the objectives of surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat against its targets. Great powers sometimes take up issues, show courage to take sides, and attack their opponents. The same applies to Iran. Irans assertive stance and aggressive attitude towards Israel and the US in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict is quite evident in their approach of organising and assisting militias like Hashd al-Shaabi, Hezbollah, and Hamas against its regional rivalries. While expanding its drone industry to other countries in the region, the Tehran Times reported that Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) chief Yahya Rahim Safavi said, A new era has begun. We are now witnessing great changes in new technology, wealth, power, and global order. This will deeply influence everyone throughout the world. Iran launched a retaliatory air attack using approximately 300 drones and missiles in response to the April 1 strike on its consulate in Syrias capital. This attack was largely thwarted with the support of two US warships, namely the USS Carney and the USS Arleigh Burke, stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Advertisement What does it say about the future of the conflict in the region? There is neither rocket science to understand nor complex puzzles to solve. The heat of conflicts in the West Asia region is standing out clearly. The region is now experiencing new forms of warfare that deviate from conventional ones, which I would like to call the emergence of a new but indirect form of Drones Race between the US and Iran. Both in the Ukraine-Russia war and the West Asian conflict, Iran and the US have chosen to assist their respective allies implicitly through drone technology rather than engaging directly in these conflicts. According to the Tehran Times, the newly elected Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkians statement resonates with the legacy of the former Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian by remembering him as a true embodiment of resistance diplomacy. The statement indicates his unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and Irans consistent and committed stance against the Zionist regime. Thus, it is undisputed that recent events such as frustration over the assassination of Qassem Suleimani and Ismail Haniyeh, the attack on Irans top military commanders at the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the US response to Iran-backed militias attacking ships in the Red Sea, and the US unwavering support for Israels actions against Palestinians would further escalate the Iranian urge to rapidly increase their production of drone machinery by maximally utilising their limited resources. Sun Tzu, in his book Art of War, opined that If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Iran is well aware of itself and its enemies, which makes them a tough competitor to the US. In crux, it is quite evident that Irans intense rhetoric against the US and Israel will not be mere posturing without action. The author is a Masters student of politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Our neighbours will want to benefit from what we do, but will also resist a tight embrace to preserve their version of strategic autonomy read more Indias relations with its neighbours, with their ups and downs, is always a subject of internal debate. The regime change in Bangladesh has triggered a fresh one on how we handle our neighbourhood. The argument is again being made in our foreign policy circles that Indias growth and the major role that it aspires to play internationally require that we have, and work for, friendly ties with our neighbours. It is being assumed that we can, with the right policies, create a friendly neighbourhood. Advertisement No doubt a friendly neighbourhood is an asset. Generally speaking, countries put the neighbouring countries in the first concentric circle of foreign policy priorities. Our policy of Neighbourhood First means this. A country with stable ties with neighbours is obviously less distracted by problems nearer home when acting on the international stage. In theory this is fine. In reality, however, a country is more likely to have more problems with neighbours than with distant countries, as neighbours impinge on each other much more and are likely to have more friction. All the more so when a big country is surrounded by much smaller neighbours. In Indias case, not only is India far bigger than its neighbours, the neighbouring countries have a common border with India but not with each other, which adds to their sense of vulnerability to Indias size and power. Indias neighbours are also connected to India ethnically, culturally, religiously, and, indeed, by civilisational roots. So as not to be overwhelmed by India they tend to emphasise their separate identity as independent states, with policies and approaches that makes Indias task of handling them more complex. What adds to the complexity is that despite the gap in size and power with India, the neighbours are prepared to threaten Indias security. Pakistan claims Indian territory, continues to internationalise its claims, does hostile propaganda against us constantly, and seeks to mobilise pan-Islamic sentiments against us, especially on the Kashmir issue. It has used terror as an instrument of state policy towards India for almost four decades. This is not to mention earlier military aggressions against India. Having acquired nuclear weapons, it has felt more emboldened to promote terrorism in India. It has not abandoned that policy completely even now. Advertisement Bangladesh, despite greater vulnerability to Indian power, has in the past given safe havens to anti-Indian insurgents, aggressively raised water sharing issues, refused cooperation to control illegal migration into India, and pursued policies to deny us easier access to our northeast to impede our efforts to promote their development. Nepal is ultra-sensitive about its sovereignty, has for long refused to cooperate with us in developing its water resources, nourishes grievances against us, and cultivates a political narrative of Indias interference in its internal affairs. The India Out campaign in Maldives that brought President Mohamed Muizzu to power there with an agenda of diluting ties with India is another example of our neighbours not being deterred from challenging India. Advertisement The smaller neighbours of a big country would naturally look for a big external power to balance the weight of their large neighbour. To counter Indias weight in the subcontinent, all our neighbours, barring Bhutan, have long encouraged Chinas role in the region. They played the China card against us even when China was not as strong and resourceful as it is today. China now has a much more active policy of competing with India for influence in the subcontinent. It has sought to neutralise India strategically by sharing nuclear and missile technology with Pakistan. It is the biggest defence partner of Pakistan and also Bangladesh. Nepal has forged military ties with China, and so has Muizzu in Maldives. Sri Lanka has aided, and is aiding, Chinas maritime strategy in the Indian Ocean by giving it port construction contracts and opening its ports to visits by Chinese research vessels and submarines, which is vital for sustaining Chinas naval presence in the Indian Ocean. Advertisement India has to live with these realities. A Neighbourhood First policy of India is not reciprocated by a Neighbourhood First policy of our neighbours, barring Bhutan. In the case of Bhutan too, China is following an insidious policy of wooing and bullying Bhutan at the same time, which is placing some pressure on us in managing our essentially very friendly ties with that country. The fact is that all big countries have problems with their neighbours and we are not an exception. Chinas relations with its neighbours are full of tensions because of history and contemporary developments. Some of them, such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, are US allies. The US military is present in the region to counter Chinas expansionism. There is an effort to enhance deterrence against China in other ways, such as promoting the Indo-Pacific concept, the Quad and AUKUS. Advertisement Russia has huge problems in managing its neighbourhood. NATO has progressively extended towards Russias borders. The conflicts in Georgia and now in Ukraine flow from this. In the Central Asian states, once part of the Soviet Union, Russia has to contend with increasing Chinese influence, as also the US presence in some of these states. The US has long sought to control its neighbourhood, without lasting success. It has had to intervene militarily and in other ways to maintain its hegemony. Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are some examples of tiny countries that have resisted US power. The point in noting all this is that the US remains a preeminent global power despite its neighbourhood failures. China has emerged as the worlds biggest manufacturing power and a peer competitor of the US even in the area of technology, despite its unstable neighbourhood. Russia is recovering as a great power despite its neighbourhood challenges. In Indias case, the opening up of its economy, the 1998 nuclear tests that changed the equation with the US and led to the nuclear deal, its steady economic rise to the point of becoming the fifth largest economy in the world and the third largest by the end of this decade has occurred during a phase when it was wracked by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism against us, Chinas de-stabilising entry into our region, the virtual collapse of SAARC, etc. No doubt, a more supportive and friendly neighbourhood would have been helpfully internationally, but the success of our G20 presidency and our role as the voice of the Global South show that even without it Indias quest to be a leading power and have more say in international governance continues unabated. This does not mean that India should in any way give up efforts to deepen its commitment to the closest possible ties with our neighbours. Pakistan will remain an exception as it is hard wired to be inimical to India. We will have to wait and watch whether the new political forces in Bangladesh will want to reverse some of the vital gains both sides have made under Sheikh Hasinas leadership or whether the realities on the ground will eventually dictate a more mature and realistic approach as in the case of President Muizzu. We have to adjust our strategy to the reality of Chinas challenge to our interests in our region. Our neighbours will continue to play the China card against us. We are ourselves trading with China, and this undercuts any advice we may give to our neighbours to limit Chinas presence in the subcontinent. Chinas trade and development activities in the region inevitably have security implications for us, given the state of our relations with China. The leaders of our neighbouring countries should ideally be sensitive on their own to our concerns and pursue responsible policies, but as some of them are ideologically oriented or play internal politics to achieve power, India-baiting becomes a political option for them. We must of course underline to them our red lines, as friends. Our longer term approach has to be to continue to help our neighbours develop, create connectivity links, expand levels of bilateral trade, and people to people contacts. As our own economy grows, we will have more resources to devote to achieve our objective to increase the stakes of our neighbours in good relations with us. Our neighbours will want to benefit from what we do, but will also resist a tight embrace to preserve their version of strategic autonomy. Kanwal Sibal is a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He was Indias Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. After recent engagements with visiting Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Malaysia, PM Modi has just completed a successful visit to Brunei and Singapore read more Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent interactions in his third term show that the pace is being picked up in engaging with countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with a view to enhancing the Act East Policy, now in its 10th year. After recent engagements with visiting Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Malaysia, Modi has just completed a successful visit to Brunei and Singapore. This would have included a visit to Thailand, had the change of government not taken place there. This also prevented the holding of the BIMSTEC Summit, which Thailand was to host. Despite that hiccup in Thailand, Modi decided to continue with his visit to Singapore and Brunei so that the momentum of an early re-engagement with ASEAN countries in his third term is not lost. Advertisement The visit to Brunei is the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM since Bruneis independence in 1984 and the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. An earlier visit by Manmohan Singh was in the context of the East Asia Summit and related meetings in 2013. This is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and was thus a good initiative to have a bilateral visit. The success of the visit saw the India-Brunei relationship raised to an Enhanced Partnership, which means there will be more intensive engagement in a variety of areas. This included trade, gas, space, and capacity building. Brunei hosts a satellite tracking station for Indias space programme. The visit to Singapore can be called another landmark, and next year it will be the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The partnership is now raised to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It is Modis first visit to Singapore in his third term. His visit in 2018 as PM is still remembered because of his famous speech at the Shangri-La dialogue, where he laid out the contours of Indias Indo-Pacific policy. In the second term, Modi made no visit to Singapore. The current visit was an early engagement with the new Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong. Modi also met the two former PMs with whom India had good relations. Singapore had been the country coordinator for India in ASEAN for the last three years. India had invited Singapore as a guest for the G20 in 2023. Both PMs agreed to further intensify the strong human, spiritual, and cultural linkages between India and Singapore. Modi appreciated Singapores harmonious multicultural society that has provided opportunities for all communities, including the Indian community, to be part of Singaporean society. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pointed out that during Modis tour, the visit to the semiconductor testing facility was one aspect while the establishment of a Thiruvalluvar centre was another, both showing the modern and traditional aspects of engagement with Singapore. Advertisement Singapore is now quite openly appreciative of Indias potential and dynamism. Their leadership and business community were appreciative of the reforms undertaken in India. They expressed enthusiasm to enhance cooperation with India in this phase of development. The visit to Singapore was well prepared with the unique 4X4 ministerial engagement (formally called India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR))held as a preparation for the summit. At that meeting, Indian ministers of finance, external affairs, commerce, industry, IT, and railways participated; from the Singapore side, the Deputy PM-led delegation had ministers of finance, foreign affairs, home affairs, law and digital development, among others. They identified six pillars for bilateral cooperation, and an ambitious plan is underway. From this year, advanced manufacturing (especially semiconductors) and connectivity were added as two new pillars. Advertisement Clearly, the agenda from the Singapore side is also being diversified, including to cover areas where India has had concerns over recent years with the diaspora in Singapore. The visit built upon the fact that Singapore is one of the steady partners India has in the region and the largest economic partner in ASEAN. 90 per cent of investment exchanges between India and ASEAN take place with Singapore. Singapore has become a good conduit, though much of the flows also emanate from Singapore. Indian companies find Singapore comfortable and the place to start their access into a wider region. In recent years, Indian companies have started to move from the growing localisation and costs of operating out of Singapore to other locations like Indonesia and Malaysia, which are bigger markets for them. Advertisement Four MOUs on digital technologies, semiconductors, health cooperation, and skill development were signed during the visit. The most important of them is on semiconductors. Singapore has got a strong semiconductor base. India seeks a surge in chip making and semiconductor manufacturing to expand its partnership and participation in the global economy. Besides Taiwan in South Korea, with whom India is engaging more deeply, it is Singapore, which is now the focus of this segment. For chip production, Singapore intends to support Indias capacity, and India will facilitate Singaporean companies and the development of supply chains in its large market. Singapore has 10 per cent of global chipmaking production and 20 per cent of semiconductor-related production. It leads in specialty chips important for cars, phones, and similar production. Advertisement Singaporean analysts have generally been critical of Indias unrealised potential and appreciative of the opportunities that China has provided them. This led to a thought imbalance in their perceptions of China and India. However, post-pandemic, Singapore thought leaders realised that there are limitations to the Chinese opportunity, and Chinese economic constraints are limiting Singapores access. While Indias story remains work in progress, there is a much more positive appreciation that India is now the main growth leader among major economies. With a faster rate of growth than many and its potential better realised, reforms initiated over the last few years have shown the intent and the promise that can be harnessed. Singapore now perhaps intends to show greater intent to be a consistent participant, at a more rapid pace in Indias growth story. India does not ask Singapore to choose between India and China; India seeks to provide Singapore with a great opportunity for which it is happy to collaborate. In this, the China plus one syndrome is coming to the fore as Singapore too chases varied supply chains. Strategically, Singapore avoids riling China. In the joint statement, it did not hesitate to mention the South China Sea and the need for an early and fair Code of Conduct keeping UNCLOS in view. For the first time, an ASEAN country acknowledged the role of Quad formally by appreciating Quads support for ASEAN centrality and its Indo-Pacific agenda. India and Singapore are now heading to a more determined and focused partnership that will go beyond the ASEAN principles and adopt a modern outlook to become a part of the Indian development narrative. The author is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. While China has become largely successful in influencing international opinion to favour its narrative on Xinjiang, the world community has failed miserably to set Beijing right for its follies read more The Chinese government has made all-out efforts to muzzle international media, including social media, and to thwart academics and activists who oppose the Chinese move against Uyghurs and support the human rights and freedom. Image: REUTERS A report titled The Assessment of Human Rights Concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Peoples Republic of China, which was published under the auspices of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), completed two years on August 31, 2024. The OHCHR had spent a lot of time (almost five years since late 2017), money, and energy on fact-finding investigations and rigorous deliberations over the reports, documents, and pieces of evidence provided by various governments, civil society organisations, individual researchers, think tanks, media, etc, to publish this report. Advertisement The organisation analysed thoroughly the testimonies of some Uyghurs who were released or had escaped from the detention centres in Xinjiang after having harrowing experiences for years. While highlighting serious human rights violations in Xinjiang in the garb of the Chinese Central governments so-called counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies, the 48-page report rapped China left and right in addition to prescribing a long list of recommendations for China to adhere to. The horrors of hundreds of detention camps inside Xinjiang, which Chinese authorities romanticise as re-education camps, came to light in 2016. China has reportedly incarcerated over a million Uyghurs in these camps. Several governments, human rights organisations, Uyghur diaspora organisations, academics, think tanks, freelancers, and activists have prepared and published many online and offline reports on this issue. One of the eye-opening reports on the situation in Xinjiang is by the Human Rights Watch, which describes the Chinese excesses against Uyghurs as crimes against humanity. Similarly, the US government passed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act in 2020, which imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations in Xinjiang. However, Beijing has categorically denied and outrightly rejected the reports described above. It does not pay any heed to the global communitys concern for Uyghurs imprisoned in Xinjiang. It has yet to follow nor implement the OHCHR recommendations. Instead, China has reactivated its propaganda machine to disseminate the message worldwide that the situation in Xinjiang is stable and peaceful, and the Uyghurs are leading a prosperous life. Accordingly, it has strategised methodically and honed its diplomatic efficacy to counter the international communitys concerns about the Uyghurs. Advertisement The Chinese government has circulated several counter reports, White Papers, etc, to mobilise international opinions against the Uyghurs and those who extended them continuous moral and material support. As part of its propaganda drive, the State Council Information Office of China has published (between 2019 and 2021) six White Papers on overall human rights developments in the country and eight White Papers on the situation in Xinjiang. As the latest countermeasure, the Standing Committee of the 14th Xinjiang Regional Peoples Congress passed a resolution last month (August 2024) opposing a series of American sanctions related to Xinjiang since 2022 under the ambit of the Uyghur Force Labour Prevention Act. Advertisement Besides, China has exhibited its sheer power of money and diplomacy to silence critics all across the globe. The Chinese government has built a strong rapport with the leadership in Islamic nations so that they do not show solidarity with their brethren in Xinjiang. Chinese government strategy includes visits by foreign dignitaries (politicians, diplomats, media people, scholars, activists, etc) from like-minded friendly countries for state-sponsored guided tours in Xinjiang. The Chinese authorities also facilitate visits by YouTubers from different parts of the globe to showcase the marvels China has done in Xinjiang without showing anything about the Uyghurs woes. China ensures that these dignitaries give positive feedback about Xinjiang and share their experiences in all news media while parroting the Chinese lines. Advertisement Early this year, several political leaders from Arab countries and journalists from Pakistan visited various cities in Xinjiang and enjoyed seven-star Chinese hospitality. In lieu of this Chinese largesse, the visiting dignitaries eulogised Chinese policies towards the Uyghurs. Earlier, this author had highlighted in a couple of publications how the Uzbek Premier and Turkish Foreign Minister had yielded to Chinese pressure during their visits to Xinjiang and subsequently subscribed to the Chinese narrative on Uyghurs. Last year (2023), as many as 30 Islamic scholars from over a dozen countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa not only visited Xinjiang but also heaped full praise on the Chinese policies towards Muslims in the country in general and Uyghurs in particular. Advertisement At present, the condition of Uyghurs in Xinjiang beggars description. Nobody has any clue about what is happening inside the detention camps and with the Uyghurs. The Chinese government has made all-out efforts to muzzle international media, including social media, and to thwart academics and activists who oppose the Chinese move against Uyghurs and support the human rights and freedom of the Uyghurs. Because of the surveillance in the region, it is difficult for anyone to pass on news from Xinjiang to the outside world. It is a worldwide fact that everything in Xinjiang is on the Chinese governments radar. The state security apparatus persecutes anyone who holds an anti-government or anti-China stand. In recent years, the Chinese strategy has been to disclose only information about Xinjiang, which does not harm its position in the region. It means China has effectively made the world believe what it says about Xinjiang and the Uyghurs. Keeping in view the endeavours made by the international community to persuade or pressurise China for the grave mistake it has committed in Xinjiang, it is imperative to deduce that while China has become largely successful in influencing international opinion to favour its narrative on Xinjiang, the world community has failed miserably to set China right for its follies. Beijing has been daring enough to ignore the OHCHR findings and the sanctions by the Western countries, especially the US, and thereby keep on continuing its campaign against Uyghurs. The US Department of State has expressed disappointment over the Chinese not complying with the global bodys report. It is high time the world understood the gravity of the problem and clamped down stricter measures to cut the arrogant and aggressive China to size. All conscientious nations and their leaders should make a combined endeavour to compel the Chinese government to stop excesses against the minorities in the country, especially Uyghurs, and to provide them with fundamental freedom. Mahesh Ranjan Debata teaches at the Center for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. On Friday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov took to his Telegram channel and said that he is still trying to understand what happened in France read more Durov maintains that his mission with Telegram is not driven by financial gain. He has repeatedly emphasised that his primary goal is to promote freedom and provide a platform where users can express themselves without interference. Image Credit: Reuters, Pexels In his first statement following the arrest in France, Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov said that the detention was misguided. He insisted that the French authorities should have first approached his companies with their complaints instead of arresting him over the matter. On Friday, Durov took to his Telegram channel and said that he is still trying to understand what happened in France. The statement came weeks after the Russian-born billionaire was arrested in France and was charged for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the messaging app. Advertisement I'm still trying to understand what happened in France. But we hear the concerns. I made it my personal goal to prevent abusers of Telegram's platform from interfering with the future of our 950+ million users. My full post below. https://t.co/cDvRSodjst Pavel Durov (@durov) September 5, 2024 While commenting on the matter, the Telegram CEO denied that his app was an anarchic paradise. He insisted that the arrest was surprising since the French authorities already had access to a hotline," he had helped set up, through which they could have directly contacted Telegrams EU representative at any time. If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself, he wrote. Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach," the tech mogul furthered. Durov defends his app While admitting that Telegram was not perfect, Durov defended his app from all the criticisms. He went on to deny any abuse associated with the app. The claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue, he wrote. We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day. Advertisement You have to take into account technological limitations. As a platform, you want your processes to be consistent globally, while also ensuring they are not abused in countries with weak rule of law. Weve been committed to engaging with regulators to find the right balance. Yes, we stand by our principles: our experience is shaped by our mission to protect our users in authoritarian regimes. But weve always been open to dialogue, the 39-year-old billionaire explained. I hope that the events of August will result in making Telegram and the social networking industry as a whole safer and stronger. Thanks again for your love and memes, he concluded. Advertisement What were the charges? According to the statement released by the Paris prosecutor involved in the case, the charges placed by the French authorities against Durov are as follows: Complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable illicit transactions by an organised gang Refusal to communicate with authorities Complicity in organised criminal distribution of sexual images of children It is pertinent to note that in France if a person is put under investigation that does not necessarily mean that he is guilty of the crime he has been charged with. It also does not result in trials always. It just means that the judge who is overseeing the case believes that there is enough of a case to proceed with an investigation. Durovs case is unprecedented when it comes to the owner of a social media platform being arrested because of the way the platform is being used. In the past, tech bosses have been lectured by lawmakers about their practices and failings, but they have never been detained in such a manner. With inputs from agencies. Kenya President William Ruto called the fire at the primary school horrific and devastating, and has ordered an investigation read more The fire in Nyeri county's Hillside Endarasha Academy broke out at around midnight. Source: Hillside Endarasha Academy / Facebook. At least 17 students died after a primary boarding school in central Kenya caught fire, police said, who further informed that the toll could increase as more than a dozen others have been undergoing treatment in hospital with severe burns. Investigation has been launched to find out the cause of fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county that broke out around midnight and engulfed rooms where children were sleeping. There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries, a report by AFP quoted national police spokesperson Resila Onyango as saying. Advertisement The school is located around 170 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi, in Nyeri county. Burnt beyond recognition Onyango further said that the bodies recovered at the scene were burnt beyond recognition. Students aged between 5 and 12 As per the agency report, the primary school in central Kenya, where the fire broke out, caters to some 800 students, aged between roughly five and 12. The cops informed that the average age of the victims was around nine years old. More bodies likely to be recovered Onyango informed that several others were injured, 16 of them seriously, and had been rushed to a nearby hospital. More bodies are likely to be recovered once (the) scene is fully processed, she said. Those responsible will be held to account Kenya President William Ruto expressed his condolences for those killed. Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy This is devastating news, Ruto said in a post on X. I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account, the Kenyan President further said. Advertisement Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news. We pray for speedy recovery to the survivors. I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 6, 2024 In a broadcast on Kenyas Hot 96 FM radio, Onyango said that more rescuers were on their way to the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri. Authorities have cordoned off the school. The Kenya Red Cross said it was on the ground assisting a multi-agency response team. In a post on X, the Kenya Red Cross said it has been providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families. Deadly school blazes in Kenya There have been several school fires in Kenya and across East Africa over the past few years. As many as nine students were killed by a fire at a girls high school in the Kibera neighbourhood of Nairobi in 2016. Advertisement In 2001, 67 students were killed by an arson attack on their dormitory at the Kyanguli Mixed Secondary School David Mutiso in Kenyas southern Machakos district. Two students were charged with the murder, and the headmaster as well as deputy of the school were convicted of negligence. Back in 1994, 40 school children were burned alive and 47 injured in a fire that broke out in the Shauritanga Secondary School for Girls in the northern region of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. With inputs from AFP. Forming a stable government will be French President Macrons first major challenge as the Left has rejected his PM candidate Barnier and the Far-Right has made its support conditional. read more After a long delay of 50 days, Frances President Emmanuel Macron finally named the European Unions Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday as the countrys next prime minister. The decision came as a compromise and also as part of a political strategy to break the post-election political stalemate that plagued Macrons administration. He was functioning with a caretaker government, unable to forge a sustainable coalition to form a stable cabinet in France. Advertisement In a statement, the Elysee Palace said that Barnier had been tasked with forming a unifying government to serve the country and the French. At 73, Barnier is the oldest person to become the prime minister in modern France. The context of Macrons move Following a setback in the European Union election, Macron went for a snap legislative poll, which didnt go the way he might have anticipated. The French parliamentary election didnt give a majority to any of the parties and threw the national politics in a governing gridlock. The Left wing sprang a surprise, emerging as the largest faction with the New Popular Front (NPF) winning 188 seats in the 577-member National Assembly. Macrons centrist coalition Ensemble got 161 seats while the Far-Right coalition, the National Rally, got 142. Macrons then-PM Gabriel Attal announced resignation on July 16, a week after the electoral setback. The French president asked Attal and his ministers to continue in the caretaker government as the country was hosting the Summer Olympic Games followed by the Paralympic Games. Now, Barnier has replaced Attal, but the national parliament remains divided and hung as no new long-term coalition has been formed. Barnier is a veteran in French politics and has held several key posts in the French government in the past, and has also been the EU commissioner. A staunch pro-European, Barner became Macrons choice after he considered and rejected a string of prime ministerial candidates since the legislative election results were announced. And he is likely to win the support of a majority of the legislators despite the Left wing announcing to vote against him. The Far-Right members are expected to tilt the parliamentary vote in his favour. Advertisement But Macron still faces three big challenges Barnier the conservative Les Republicains lawmaker, a four-time cabinet minister and a two-time European commissioner has the first task of forming a government that must not collapse immediately after its formation. Here lies the first major challenge that Macron faces as his next government takes some form. With allies, the Les Republicains party has 213 parliamentary seats far below the 289-mark that is required for a majority in the 577-member National Assembly. The New Popular Front (NFP) coalition, the largest faction, has vowed to oppose Barnier during the vote. It says the Macron administration must choose a prime minister from the Left-wing coalition, accusing the French president of ignoring the mandate of the people. This means Macron has no option but to rely on the Far-Right National Rally party to see his prime ministerial pick win the confidence of the legislature. Advertisement As an individual party, the National Rally is the single-largest party in Frances National Assembly, but its support would not come without conditions. It has already started to make political noises, with National Rally leader Jordan Bardella saying that the party would not block Barniers appointment, if the next prime minister does not address their concerns and meet demands on key issues such as the cost of living, security, immigration, the party would torpedo his government. A budget and confidence motion by next month With the stability of the government almost always under threat, Macron has to ensure that his administration gets the national budget for 2025 passed by next month. This is his second biggest challenge. Advertisement A failure to determine the national budget could trigger a no-confidence vote against Macrons government. If French politics comes to that pass, both the National Rally and the NPF would be in a position to play kingmakers. This prospect assumes significance against the background that he dismissed the Lefts PM candidate, 37-year-old economist Lucie Castets, arguing that she would not be able to garner support for the vote of confidence. This soured his relations further with the NPF, which denounced Macrons actions with caustic remarks. Left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said, The election was stolen from the French people. Another Left leader Mathilde Panot described Barniers appointment as an unacceptable democratic coup. Advertisement Can Macron stop Le Pen? Having antagonised the Left, and banking on the support of the Right for the survival of his government, Macron is most likely giving a boost to the political career of Far-Right icon Marine Le Pen, who is expected to emerge as the kingmaker for future French governments. The emergence of Le Pen is Macrons third big challenge going ahead. Now 56, Le Pen has come a long way in French politics. He made it through to the second round of presidential elections in 2017 and 2022, and is already being considered a strong contender for the 2027 French presidential election if Macron lasts his full tenure. In his second term, 46-year-old Macron cant contest the next election, about which his former prime minister Edouard Philippe claims that it may happen as early as next year. Philippe, a right-from-the-centre leader, this week announced that he was preparing for the next presidential election. Having had a complicated equation with Macron, Horizons party leader Phillippe also made a startling claim that Macron would be forced to step down before the end of his mandate in 2027. Phillippe said he is, in fact, preparing his troops for a presidential election in 2025. In an interview with a French weekly, Phillippe said, I am preparing ideas that I will suggest to the French. What I will propose will be massive. The French will decidePeople often say that when it comes to the presidential election, [candidates] must want it and nothing else. I believe in that. This puts Phillippe in a direct clash with Le Pen, who saw her graph rising sharply in the European Union election as the Far-Right coalition outperformed others and as Macrons attempt to nip her rise in the bud with a snap poll failed miserably. Macron may leave the French political stage, in 2027 or 2025, with his biggest ideological rival, Le Pen, in the most formidable position on the national scene. Palestinians walk on a damaged road following an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin on Friday. AP A Turkish-American female activist was shot dead Friday during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank town of Beita, where the army acknowledged opening fire. Turkey identified the woman as Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, saying she was killed by Israeli occupation soldiers and condemning her murder. The mayor of Beita and the Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported that she was killed by Israeli soldiers. Eygi, in her mid-20s, arrived at the Rafidia hospital in Nablus with a gunshot in the head, and we announced her martyrdom around 14:30 (1130 GMT), hospital director Fouad Nafaa told AFP. Advertisement US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called Eygis death tragic, without immediately assigning responsibility. He said Washington was urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more. Eygi was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian organisation, and was in Beita to take part in a weekly demonstration against Israeli settlements, said Neta Golan, the groups co-founder. Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where some 490,000 people live, are illegal under international law. The United Nations considers them an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace. Beita mayor Mahmoud Barham told AFP the incident occurred after a weekly Friday prayer performed in protest against an Israeli settlement outpost in the area. He said he was later told that a soldier from the (Israeli) army had fired two shots towards those who remained at the (demonstration) site, including the foreign activist, and that one of the bullets hit her in the head. In a statement the Israeli army said its forces responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them. The army is looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired, it added. Surging violence Advertisement The governor of Nablus, Ghassan Daghlas, told reporters that Eygis death was an example of American bullets killing an American, a reference to Washingtons military support for Israel. The Israeli occupation and the occupation government are fully responsible for everything thats happening, as well as the unjust world that supports the occupation government, he said. Since Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 661 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. At least 23 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the territory during the same period, according to Israeli officials. Advertisement Last month a US citizen told AFP he was shot by Israeli forces and wounded in the leg during a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, as the Israeli military confirmed it fired live rounds to disperse the gathering. Palestinian medics said at the time that a foreign activist was shot during the demonstration in the town of Beita, while the Israeli military said he was accidentally injured. Responding to Fridays incident, Hamas said in a statement it strongly condemned the crime committed by the Zionist occupation army resulting in Eygis death. We consider this heinous crime to be an extension of the deliberate crimes committed by the occupation against foreign activists in solidarity with the Palestinian people, which have claimed the lives of dozens, most notably Rachel Corrie, who was crushed under the tracks of an occupation bulldozer in 2003, the statement said. Advertisement Corrie, 23, was killed in Gaza while she was acting as a human shield with a group of activists from the International Solidarity Movement to prevent troops from demolishing a Palestinian home. Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation executive committee, said on X that he extended condolences to Eygis family. Another crime added to the series of crimes committed daily by the occupation forces, which require that their perpetrators be held accountable in international courts, he said. Eastern Ukraines Pokrovsk is a strategic city whose control will allow Russia to make further gains in the region with ease read more Russia has launched a heavy attack on Eastern Ukraine, around the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk. Image used for representative purpose/Reuters After weeks of encouraging updates from Russias Kursk where Ukraine has made rapid gains, it is now time for grim news. Even as Ukraine has captured more than 1,000 square kilometres of territories in Russias Kursk province, it may be about to lose a very significant city. The Russian forces are nearing the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk province. It is a very strategic city which is logistical hub, an industrial powerhouse, and is considered the gateway between eastern and central Ukraine. If the city falls, Ukraine not just loses supply lines in the entire region but Russian forces acquire a launchpad for mounting assaults deeper in Ukraine and controlling other strategic cities. Advertisement Along with Luhansk, the Donetsk province comprises the eastern Ukraines Donbas region whose control remains the primary objective of Russias war. If Pokrovsk falls, Ukraines grips on the entire region is threatened. Has the gamble with Kursk incursion failed? From the onset, the idea behind the Kursk incursion was to ease the pressure on Ukrainian forces in other theatres of the war. As Russia has not just continued to press towards Pokrovsk but has also deployed more personnel, the basic premise of Kursk incursion stands shattered. While Russia has continued to press towards Pokrovsk, Ukraine has been starved of some of its best soldiers. Estimates suggest that around 10-15,000 soldiers have been pressed into the overall incursion into Russia, which has spread to the second Russian province of Belgorod. These soldiers include special forces personnel, mechanised units, and are some of the best-trained the country has. At a time when Russia is threatening Ukraines hold over large swathes of Donbas region, Ukraine does not have some of its best soldiers. In an article in Foreign Affairs, Michael Kofman and Rob Lee noted that these 10-15,000 soldiers would have served as an important reserve to stem Russian momentum if they were not withdrawn. Even though the incursion was hailed as a bold offensive taking the war to Russias turf and winning large tracts of land to use a bargaining chip, Kofman and Lee noted that any real success was doubtful from the onset. Advertisement The offensive has yet to draw significant Russian forces from Ukraines eastern regions, and it remains unclear how Ukraines leaders intend to translate this tactical success into strategic or political gains. The offensive offers opportunities, but also carries considerable risks and costsUkraines military leadership also hoped the incursion would divert Russian forces from its frontlines in the east; however, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that Russia has instead intensified its efforts and deployed its most combat-ready units to the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk, noted Kofman and Lee. They further highlighted that the Kursk incursion also does not change the fundamental differences between Ukraine and Russia in any way. They flagged that Russia continued to have an advantage in terms of numbers, equipment, and ammunition. Advertisement Even though such an advantage has not always translated in operational breakthroughs, Russia has steadily gained around 1,200 square kilometres of territory inside Ukraine since October 2023 and has continued to gain even after the Kursk incursion began, write Kofman and Lee. Separately, Polish military strategist Muzyka told The Kyiv Independent that its absolutely clear that the situation in Kursk is eating up a lot of resources that Ukraine would otherwise be able to send to Donetsk. Why Russia wants to control Pokrovsk Major railway lines and roads run through Pokrovsk which connect different parts of Ukraine. These roadways and railways are not critical arteries for connectivity for Ukraine but are also key to supply lines to Ukraines forces fighting against Russia. If the city falls, these supply lines get severed. Advertisement Moreover, Pokrovsk also has a major railway station and has Ukraines largest coal mine, which produce coke used by the countrys industries. Moreover, Pokrovsk is engaged in also engaged in metallurgy and machine-building and is adjacent to another mining town, Myrnohrad, which is even closer to the frontline and is coming under fierce bombardment, according to BBC News. The fall of such a logistical and industrial hub could be a disaster for Ukraine. The importance is such that the city is known as the Gateway to Donetsk. The Kyiv Independent noted that Russia has always strived to control higher grounds like Pokrovsk from where they can operate drones and conduct artillery strikes. Advertisement The control of Pokrovsk would also boost Russias campaign to capture the city of Chasiv Yar, which sits on higher ground and would offer opportunities to capture an even wider area, according to Sky News. We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said read more Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared at a meeting of Ukraines international supporters in Germany on Friday (September 6), urging Western allies to provide more weapons, including long-range missiles capable of striking targets inside Russia. The meeting, hosted by United States defence chief Lloyd Austin at Ramstein Air Base, southwest of Frankfurt, follows a devastating Russian missile attack in Poltava that killed 55 and wounded 300. The Kremlin has said conditions for peace talks with Ukraine do not now exist. But Putin has named China, India, and Brazil as potential mediators. Advertisement We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, Zelenskyy said. US to ship long-range weapons to Ukraine? His appeal comes amid reports that the US is nearing an agreement to supply Ukraine with Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), which could extend Kyivs reach deep into Russian territory. Ukraine having long-range missiles could pose a major threat to Russia. Reuters An announcement is expected this autumn, though a final decision has not yet been made, Reuters quoted three sources as saying. Poland could be at risk Meanwhile, Russias Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, suggested that the invasion of Ukraine could extend to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) member Poland, depending on the type of Western weapons provided to Kyiv. According to Russian state-owned news agency TASS, Medvedev said Obviously, we need to create a buffer zone for the future to ensure that nothing flies in. Its size is anyones guess, but it should be sufficient. If they [Ukrainians] wish to get long-range means of attack, such as cruise and ballistic missiles, then this buffer zone should stretch as far as Poland. Advertisement Could Nato get involved? Poland has been a member of Nato since 1999. According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an attack on one Nato member is considered an attack on all members. This collective defense principle would likely lead to a military response from Nato to support Warsaw if Moscow were to violate Polish territory or engage in any military action that threatens it, Firstpost had previously reported. With inputs from agencies Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladeshs interim government, claimed that the attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh are more political than communal read more Bangladesh desires to have a good relationship with India, said Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim government, urging New Delhi to abandon the narrative that Dhaka will turn into another Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina at the helm. Yunus also slammed Hasina for making political remarks about Bangladesh from India and said that she must remain silent as her comments are not good for Bangladesh or for India." The Nobel laureate also urged India to work towards improving ties with Bangladesh. Advertisement India needs to come out of narrative The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative, Yunus said. India needs to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is just another neighbour, he said. Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh more political than communal Yunus remarks came amid ongoing tensions between Bangladesh and India, with New Delhi expressing concerns over the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country. Yunus claimed that the attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh are more political than communal and questioned Indias portrayal of these incidents. These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we cant do anything; we have said that we are doing everything, he said. India-Bangladesh should work to improve strained ties We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is now at a low, Yunus said, expressing a desire for strong ties with India and calling for greater cooperation to improve the strained relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Condition for India if it wants to keep Hasina Advertisement Yunus further conveyed to India that Hasina must remain silent until Bangladesh requests her extradition. If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet, he said. Hasina talking is problematic She is there in India, and at times, she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it, Yunus further said. The head of the interim government further said that the comments of Hasina are not good for Bangladesh or for India." Advertisement There is discomfort regarding it, he added. Bangladesh wont be at peace if Hasina not brought back Yunus further said that the interim government led by him has conveyed its stance to India verbally and quite firmly. Everyone understands it. We have said quite firmly that she should keep quiet. This is an unfriendly gesture towards us; she has been given shelter there, and she is campaigning from there. It is not that she has gone there on a normal course. She has fled following a peoples uprising and public anger, he said. Yes, she has to be brought back, or else the people of Bangladesh wont be at peace. The kind of atrocities she has committed, she has to be tried in front of everyone here, Yunus further said. Advertisement On August 5, facing intense backlash for anti-quota protests in her nation, Hasina resigned and fled in a C-130 transport aircraft from Bangladesh. After a few hours of suspense, she landed at the Hindon Air Base in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad, closer to national capital New Delhi. Shortly after her exit, Bangladesh Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman announced the formation of an interim government headed by Yunus. Hasina had ruled Bangladesh since 2009. With inputs from PTI. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Dominican Republic for a one-day visit after landing in neighboring Haiti on Thursday to support a UN-backed mission led by Kenya to fight rampaging gangs there read more US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader hold a joint news conference at the National Palace in Santo Domingo, on Friday. AP The US secretary of state and the leader of the Dominican Republic held private talks Friday on a range of issues, from human rights, economic prosperity and regional security. However, the crisis in violence-wrecked Haiti dominated the discussions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Dominican Republic for a one-day visit after landing in neighboring Haiti on Thursday to support a UN-backed mission led by Kenya to fight rampaging gangs there. Advertisement Blinken said he spoke with Dominican President Luis Abinader about the latters concerns regarding Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Abinader told reporters that his administration is concerned over the apparent lack of resources for the mission and the thousands of inmates who escaped after gangs raided Haitis two biggest prisons earlier this year as part of a coordinated attack. Haitis crisis has caused a surge in migrants trying to enter the Dominican Republic, Abinader said, adding that theyre overwhelming schools and hospitals. Abinaders administration has been criticized in recent years for its treatment of Haitian migrants and those born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents. The government has largely closed the airspace to Haiti and is building a wall along the border between the two countries. Blinken said the United States has seen some improvement in Haiti after the arrival of nearly 400 Kenyan police in recent months to crack down on gangs that control 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince. The foundation for progress in Haiti has to be security, Blinken said. This has to be something that the authorities, the state and ultimately the Haitian people control, not the gangs. Both Blinken and Abinader said they are pushing to normalize relations between the Dominican Republic and its neighbor. We have a strong interest in trying to help Haiti succeed, Blinken said. Advertisement Blinken noted that the Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean and one of the fastest growing in Latin America. In a boost to that growth, Blinken announced the first phase of a $3 million supply-chain investment via USAID to improve workforce training and build industrial parks in the Caribbean country. On Thursday, Blinken announced an additional $45 million in humanitarian assistance for Haiti and said he supported creating a U.N. peacekeeping operation as a way to secure funding and resources for fighting the gangs and restoring security to Haiti. Blinken is expected to return to the US late Friday. The decade of 1990 saw the launch of the one-child policy in China to address the issue of overpopulation.This led to an increase in the flow of children in state orphanages which eventually opened doors for international adoptions read more China announced on Thursday that it is ending its international adoption programme, an initiative that saw tens of thousands of Chinese-born children join families in the US and other countries since the 1990s. The confirmation came from Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry at a daily press briefing. During the presser, Mao said that China would no longer allow intercountry adoption of children who are Chinese citizens, with the only exception for blood relatives to adopt a child or a stepchild, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Chinese official did not give any further explanation on the matter and noted that the decision was in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions. Advertisement Following the news, the United States sought clarification on how the decision would affect hundreds of American families who have pending adoption applications. During a phone call with a US diplomat, Beijing made it clear that it will not continue to process cases at any stage other than in cases of exceptions as mentioned earlier. The US State Department maintained that the US embassy in Beijing is still seeking clarification in writing from Chinas Ministry of Civil Affairs We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoption, and we sympathise with their situation, the State Department said in a statement. Why it matters for US Over the years, US families have adopted over 80,000 children from China, most of any foreign nation. International adoption from China had been on a decline for years and one of the key reasons was that the process was largely on hold during the pandemic. In recent years, many nations have tightened restrictions regarding international adoptions amid concerns over the adoption of children who had been stolen from their parents. Beijings decision also reflected Chinas shifting stance in recent decades from overpopulation to sharply slowing birthrates. A US consulate issued 16 visas for adoptions from China from October 2022 through to September 2023, the first in more than two years, the State Department report said. However, it still isnt clear if more visas have been issued since then. A decades-old programme The decade of 1990 saw the launch of the one-child policy in China to address the issue of overpopulation. Under this policy, Beijing also tightened rules to stop arrangements where parents placed children born outside the policy with relatives or other families. This led to an increase in the flow of children in state orphanages which eventually opened doors for international adoptions. Advertisement Government coercion sits at the centre of Chinas international adoption program, wrote Kay Johnson, a professor of Asian studies at Hampshire College, in her 2016 book Chinas Hidden Children. Interestingly Johnsons daughter was one of the first adoptees from China. Given the rise in numbers, China formally approved overseas adoption in 1992 and it soon became a leading country of origin for adoptions. According to the data released by Newcastle University, between 2004 and 2022 over 89,000 children from China were taken in by families in some two dozen nations. The peak of such adoption in the US was in 2005 when more than 7,900 Chinese children were adopted by American families. However, the very next year, Chinese media documented the trial of a trafficking ring that had been selling babies to six orphanages in Hunan province. The court overseeing the case, eventually found that foreigners had made donations of up to $3,000 to adopt a child from the orphanages, Xinhua reported at that time. Advertisement The suspects said that they were doing good work to save the abducted children from death. However, we found that they paid more to buy children when there was demand, Lei Dongsheng, the then-local police chief, told Xinhua. Following the revelation, the Chinese administration tightened international adoption rules and punished local officials. It is pertinent to note that China is not the only country to halt international adoption. In May this year, the Netherlands announced that it would no longer allow citizens to adopt from abroad following a two-year freeze. In 2024, Denmarks only adoption agency also said that it would end foreign adoptions. Similar initiatives are also recommended by the regulatory bodies in Norway. The Norwegian authorities recommended a pause amid allegations of wrongdoing were investigated including allegations that children were taken from families that didnt want to give them up. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Canadas surtax on Chinese electric and some hybrid passenger cars, trucks, buses and delivery vans will come into force from October 1 and will be collected on top of existing import duties of 6.1 percent. read more China has taken Canada to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Ottawas new restrictions on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium products, according to reports. Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed 20 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and 25 percent on Chinese steel and aluminium products, citing concerns that China is not adhering to the same environmental and labour standards as other countries. China has denounced these measures as unfair and, in an apparent act of retaliation, has launched anti-dumping investigations into Canadian exports of canola and chemical products this week. Advertisement And on Friday, Beijings commerce ministry said it had requested consultations with the Canadian side at the WTO regarding Ottawas additional tariff measures. Canada has ignored WTO rules and violated its commitments at the WTO, a ministry spokesperson said in an online statement. (This) is a classic unilateral and trade protectionist act that seriously damages the rules-based multilateral trading system and disrupts global industrial and supply chains for EVs as well as steel and aluminium products, it said. China fully opposes this We urge Canada to abide by WTO rules and immediately correct its erroneous practices. Its steel and aluminium surtax will be effective from October 15. Beijings commerce ministry said on Tuesday that it planned to start an anti-dumping investigation into canola imports from Canada, after Ottawa moved to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, lifting prices of domestic rapeseed oil futures to a one-month peak. More than half of the canola exported by Canada makes its way to China, the worlds biggest oilseed importer. Canola, also called rapeseed for certain variants, is used as a cooking oil and in a wide range of products including renewable fuels. The Canola Council of Canada said it was confident that Chinas probe would show that Canadian producers were playing by the rules. In a statement, it said Canadian exports of canola to China last year totalled C$5.0 billion ($3.7 billion). Advertisement Another Chinese probe will target relevant Canadian chemical products, based on applications by domestic industries, the commerce ministry said. Trade disputes have proliferated between China and Western countries in recent months. The United States and the European Union have respectively slapped tariffs of 100 percent and 36 percent on Chinese EVs, arguing that Beijing unfairly subsidises domestic producers whose products then flood foreign markets and undercut local competitors. China has denied the allegations and announced a suite of investigations of its own. Beijing said last month it had appealed to the WTOs dispute settlement mechanism over the EUs tariffs on its imported EVs. With inputs from agencies. Shanghai-based Guotai Junan Securities is set to acquire its cross-town rival Haitong Securities via a share swap. The deal is subject to regulatory and shareholder approval read more Cars travel past a display showing Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes near the Shanghai Tower and other skyscrapers at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China. Source: REUTERS/File photo. The merger of two state-backed brokerages in China to create a sector leader with $230 billion in assets is part of Beijings drive to consolidate the $1.7-trillion industry amid challenging markets, and the move is set to gather pace, analysts said. Shanghai-based Guotai Junan Securities is set to acquire its cross-town rival Haitong Securities via a share swap, the two companies said late on Thursday. The deal is subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. Advertisement The combined entity, with 1.6 trillion yuan ($226 billion) in total assets, will overtake Citic Securities as Chinas largest brokerage. Trading in shares of Guotai Junan and Haitong was suspended on Friday. Both Haitong and Guotai Junan are controlled by companies running state assets for the Shanghai government. Under the deal, Guotai Junan plans to issue new shares to investors in Haitongs mainland China and Hong Kong listed shares. Guotai Junan will also issue new shares in the onshore market to raise funds for the deal, exchange filings showed. The consolidation of Chinas brokerage industry is expected to accelerate, with the focus on firms backed by the state shareholders, Huatai Securities said in a research note. Beijing has dialled up rhetoric about the need for reform in the brokerage sector, with new directives to encourage mergers and acquisitions and restructuring in an industry in which more than 140 Chinese and foreign players compete. Chinas securities regulator said in March that it aimed to develop about 10 leading institutions in about five years, with two to three internationally competitive investment banks and institutions by 2035. Advertisement Since the end of last year, there have been announcements about M&A between six pairs of smaller brokerages, including, according to official Shanghai Securities News, the merger of Ping An Securities and Founder Securities. The latest announcement comes three months after Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining urged Guotai Junan to march toward becoming a globally competitive and influential investment bank during a visit to the brokerage. The deal would also fuel market expectations of more mergers and acquisitions, including potential deals between CICC and Galaxy Securities, according to Xu Kang, an analyst at Hua Chuang securities. Other possible mergers include a combination of Citic Securities and China Securities, Xu said. Advertisement Spokespersons for CICC, Galaxy Securities, Citic Securities, and China Securities did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Shares jump Shares of Chinese brokerages jumped on Friday on the merger news. An index tracking China-listed brokerages opened 2 per cent higher, while the CSSW Securities Index rose as much as 2.2 per cent. Shanghai-listed shares of CICC leapt as much as 8 per cent, while Galaxy Securities rose as much as 10 per cent to a two-month high. Market volatility and dwindling initial public offerings and other capital market deals in a slowing economy have been weighing on the sectors earnings. The latest merger could send a positive signal to the market that the supply-side reform in the sector was about to take place due to challenging market cycles and a tightened regulatory landscape, Morgan Stanley said in a research note. Advertisement In the near term, we believe the announced deal could revive some investor interest in broker stocks generally, especially those with potential M&A stories, analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote. ($1 = 7.0921 Chinese yuan) Senior Filipino officials have landed themselves in a controversy by posing for photographs with a former small-town mayor accused of spying for China as they escorted her back home from Indonesia read more Philippine Secretary of Interior and Local Government Benhur Abalos, left, stands beside dismissed Bamban town Mayor Alice Guo, rear right, during a press conference after Guo arrived at a private hangar in the City of Pasay, Philippines, early Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, following her deportation from Indonesia. AP Senior Filipino officials have landed themselves in a controversy by posing for photographs with a former small-town mayor accused of spying for China as they escorted her back home from Indonesia. According to a BBC report, Alice Guo is seen beaming and flashing a peace sign in the photographs alongside the smiling interior minister and the chief of the Philippine National Police. These images were reportedly taken before they boarded a private jet to Manila from Jakarta late Thursday, added the report. Advertisement Guo, who was apprehended just outside Jakarta on Wednesday following a weeks-long manhunt, has a complex story. Her involvement in illegal scam centres, questions about her citizenship, and a dubious account of her childhood, has captivated the Philippines for months. According to the report, authorities have accused Guo of shielding scam centers and human trafficking rings that operated under the guise of online casinos or Philippine Online Gaming Operations (Pogos) while she served as mayor of Bamban. Her case has revealed how online casinos catering to mainland Chinese clients have long been a front for organised crime, reported BBC. Lawmakers have also accused of forging her Filipino citizenship and being a Chinese national, allowing her to run for public office and win on her first try, despite being a political novice. Her case has captured public attention, particularly as Manila remains embroiled in ongoing disputes with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea. One of the officials under fire, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, said he had the photo taken with her for documentation. She requested to speak with me and the (national police) chief because she had been receiving death threats. I told her she had nothing to fear because the police will protect her, BBC quoted Abalos as saying at a press conference in Manila. Advertisement We wanted to document it so that everything is clear. I couldnt see what she was doing because I was looking at the camera, he added. During the same press conference, Guo was questioned about the photo. She confirmed that she had informed Abalos and PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil about the threats to her life. I asked for their help. I was also happy that I saw them. I feel safe, Guo was quoted as saying. By that time, Guo had changed into an orange detainee shirt. At the Jakarta airport, she had been dressed casually in a white striped t-shirt and jeans, and she was not wearing handcuffs. Advertisement Another photo released by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation showed Guo smiling with authorities in the backseat of a vehicle. This image quickly sparked criticism on social media. We want answers, NOT a photoshoot. Alice Guo, the fake Filipino, has a lot of explaining to do, BBC quoted Sen Risa Hontioveros, who is leading an inquiry in parliament on Guos case, as saying. The Philippine justice system is a circus, one X user was quoted as saying. Probably one of the most disturbing clips in the news right now. How can Alice Guo manage to still smile and wink like a movie star? another X user said. Advertisement Another X user said the interior secretary and the police chief had posed for a photo with someone that is symbolic of their own failure. With inputs from agencies Around 200 billion euros of Russian assets have been frozen across the 27-nation European Union since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. Around 90 percent of them are held in Belgium, where the international clearinghouse and securities depository Euroclear is headquartered. read more France will use a share of 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in revenues from frozen Russian assets to finance the purchase of military equipment for Ukraine, the defence ministry said Friday. Alongside other (EU) member states, the ministry will take part in implementing the new support measure for Ukraine from the European Peace Facility, it said in a statement. The European Commission in Brussels had given the go-ahead for swift procurement of priority material from French industry including ammunition, artillery and air defences, the ministry added. Advertisement EU member states agreed in May to use the interest generated by seized assets belonging to the Russian central bank to support Kyiv. A first tranche of 1.5 billion euros was green-lighted in July. The interest revenue is expected to amount to between 2.5 and 3.0 billion euros per year to arm Ukraine and cover the costs of post-war reconstruction. Russia has denounced the EU decision as illegal. At a June meeting, G7 leaders reached a political agreement on a similar arrangement at a meeting in Italy. Canada on Friday announced it latest military aid package for Ukraine, comprising tens of thousands of rocket motors, a few surplus warheads, and the decommissioned chassis of nearly 100 armored vehicles read more Canada on Friday announced it latest military aid package for Ukraine, comprising tens of thousands of rocket motors, a few surplus warheads, and the decommissioned chassis of nearly 100 armored vehicles. The announcement was made at the at the 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany hosted by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. According to CBC News, Canada Defence Minister Bill Blair said that an additional 80,840 rocket motors and 1,300 warheads will be sent to Ukraine through Poland in the coming months. Advertisement Canada will also donate the decommissioned chassis from 29 M113s and 64 Coyote LAVs, previously used by the Canadian Army. These vehicles will be dismantled by Ukrainians for spare parts, added the report. It will also provide 960 C6 machine guns and 10,500 9mm pistols from its arsenal. Canada announced a new military aid package for Ukraine! The package includes:80,840 additional CRV-7 rocket motors 1,300 CRV-7 warheads970 C6 machine guns10,500 9mm pistols29 M113s decommissioned chassis 64 Coyote LAVs decommissioned chassis 50 ambulances, Defense of Ukraine also posted on X, sharing the details of the aid package. Canada announced a new military aid package for Ukraine! The package includes: 80,840 additional CRV-7 rocket motors 1,300 CRV-7 warheads 970 C6 machine guns 10,500 9mm pistols 29 M113s decommissioned chassis 64 Coyote LAVs decommissioned chassis 50 pic.twitter.com/4ILpSRUMul Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 6, 2024 While several countries have donated M113 armored personnel carriers to Kyiv, maintenance remains a significant concern. Blair also announced details of Canadas plan to contribute to F-16 pilot training for the Ukrainians a $389 million investment by the federal government that will be spent over five years. Advertisement The funding was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the NATO summit in Washington last July. Minister of @NationalDefence of Canada, @BillBlair, announced that this week, AFU pilots arrived in Canada to begin fighter-lead-in-training (FLIT). Canada has taken over leadership of the FLIT element of the UDCG Air Force Capability Coalition, backed by an investment of $389 million over five years in F-16 pilot training for Ukrainian personnel, Defense of Ukraine added. We are grateful to our Canadian friends for their unwavering support. Together, we are stronger! the post further said. This announcement is the latest in a series of donation pledges by the federal government and coincides with a meeting of allied defence ministers in Ramstein, Germany, where they are reviewing military support for Ukraine. Under political pressure from the Opposition Conservatives, the Liberal government has agreed to donate surplus CRV-7 air-to-surface rockets, of which tens of thousands are no longer used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Advertisement These rockets, dating from the 1980s, were previously in storage and set for disposal. The Department of National Defence has stated that only the motors were in sufficient condition for donation, with over 2,100 already shipped, reported CBC News. Meanwhile, addressing the meeting of allied defence ministers in Ramstein, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised concerns about western partners policies and the pace of deliveries. Im grateful to all partners for the fact that the Nato summit in Washington was marked by decisions on air defence systems for Ukraine. However, many systems have yet to be delivered, The Guardian quoted him as saying. Long-range capability. Im glad that the US, the UK, and France are represented here. Thanks to our joint courage, we have implemented very important operations, in particular in Crimea. Advertisement These operations allowed us to return security to the Black Sea and our food exports. Now we hear that your long-range policy has not changed, but we see changes in the Atacms, Storm Shadows and Scalps a shortage of missiles and cooperation, he added He again called for restrictions on the use of long-range Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia to be lifted. This applies even to our territory, which is occupied by Russia, including Crimea. We think it is wrong that there are such steps. We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace, added the Ukrainian President. Advertisement The meeting at the base southwest of Frankfurt is being hosted by US defence chief Lloyd Austin, who announced that Washington will provide $250 million in new military aid for Ukraine. With inputs from agencies Serious legal and technical incoherencies were found in the first seven cases examined by the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), while an additional eight case had broken regulations on when it could start operating. read more German authorities said Friday that they had stopped delivering carbon credits to several companies suspected of creating phoney Chinese emission reduction projects. Inquiries were opened following press reports of a vast system of carbon credit fraud involving German oil companies taking part in climate projects, some of which never actually existed. In other cases, the announced CO2 reductions did not correspond to the actual savings. Serious legal and technical incoherencies were found in the first seven cases examined by the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), while an additional eight case had broken regulations on when it could start operating. Advertisement The refused credits represent emission reductions equal to the equivalent of 215,000 tonnes of CO2 that the groups were planning to reflect in their climate balance sheets. The names of the companies were not revealed. The alleged malpractices concern a scheme suspended since July allowing German oil companies to comply with legally prescribed climate targets through environmental projects in China. Out of a total of 69 projects, 40 must still be investigated by the UBA, with 21 of them strongly suspected of wrongdoing. Berlin prosecutors in July raided the offices of environmental auditing firms that may have been complicit in the alleged fraud. By embellishing their climate balance sheet, the companies avoided fines adding up to as much as 4.5 billion euros ($5 billion), according to estimates by the German biogas federation. The United States has indicted Russian state-run RTs two staffers and slapped sanctions on top editors for interference in the 2024 US presidential election read more In a tit-for-tat move, Russia is set to impose restrictions on US media organisations operations in Russia, said Kremlin on Friday. The Joe Biden administration of the United States indicted Russian state-run RTs two staffers and slapped sanctions on top editors for interference in the 2024 US presidential election. It is part of the efforts to check foreign interference in US politics. In a retaliation against the US action against Russian propaganda outlets, the Kremlin said since there is no state-run news organisation in the United States, the operations of US media organisations will be hit. Advertisement A symmetrical response is not possible. There is no state news agency in the US, and there is no state TV channel in the US, but there will certainly be measures here that will restrict their media disseminating their information, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to state-run RIA Novosti news agency. This is the latest in Kremlins crackdown on free speech and medias independence in Russia. For almost 25 years, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has ruled the country with an iron fist and his regime has presided over a systemic crackdown of free speech. Independent outlets have either been shut, tamed, or forced to flee. A new set of laws were introduced after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to formalise the agenda. Peskov justified the measures. In the state of war that we are in, restrictions are justified and censorship is also justified, said Peskov in separate remarks to the TASS news agency. Even as Peskov said Russia will go after US media organisations, he did not outline how they will be affected. Russia has already gone after US media organisations. Russia in March 2023 arrested Evan Gershkovich, a US journalist with The Wall Street Journal. Russia later convicted in a trial held as sham and jailed him for 16 years. He was released in a prisoner swap last month. Advertisement Russia has also frozen the funds of the Googles Russia subsidiary to fund its propaganda outlets operations related to the Ukraine War. Some other companies whose assets Russia has seized in recent years include agricultural group AgroTerra, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and Commerzbank, according to Reuters. The Palestinian authorities have said that at least 39 Palestinians have been killed in the 10 days of Israeli military operations in West Bank read more After a weeklong operation in the West Bank, Israeli forces appeared to have withdrawn from Jenin on Friday. It was the largest operation in the West Bank since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023. For the past 10 days, Israel has been operating in the West Bank in what it has dubbed Operation Summer Camp. The fighting has largely been concentrated in the towns of Jenin and Tulkarem. The Palestinian authorities have said that 39 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the attack 21 of them in Jenin. Israel has maintained that at least 30 of them were terrorists. Advertisement In the operations, Israel has claimed to have scored multiple successes. In Jenin, Israel claimed to have located and dismantled an explosives lab hidden under a mosque. It also claimed to have killed Wassem Hazem, the Hamas commander for Jenin, along with two terrorist associates. Even as the Associated Press reported no military presence inside Jenin on Friday morning and Israeli armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were seen leaving the region the previous night, the Israeli military in a later statement said the operations would continue for as long as required. The Israeli military said that troops are continuing with the operation until its objectives are achieved, according to The Times of Israel. At a time when the war in the Gaza Strip has already devastated the Palestinian enclave, there are concerns that the ongoing Israeli military actions in the West Bank, coupled with the violence of extremist Jewish settlers in the region, may ignite the West Bank as well. During the ongoing fighting, water and electric services have been cut, families have been confined to their homes, and ambulances evacuating the wounded have been slowed because of Israeli searches in the region, according to AP. In the latest settler violence, the Kan broadcaster reported on Friday that Jewish settlers in West Bank set a car on fire in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Abu Falah and wrote revenge in Hebrew. In South Korea, there is deep-seated resentment towards how Japans past actions, and how its leadership is currently dealing with those atrocities. Kishidas statement, void of a fresh, direct apology, was just not enough read more Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on August 14, 2024. Reuters Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas visit to Seoul less than a month before stepping down was intended to solidify a legacy of improved relations with South Korea. As a part of that effort, Kishida reaffirmed sympathy for South Korean victims of Japans colonial-era crimes, including forced labour. Instead, his gestures fell short, sparking vehement criticism from South Koreans. Heres a look at why things went wrong for Kishida. No fresh apology for slave labour Kishida, meeting with conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, expressed his sorrow for the victims of forced labor during Japans 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Advertisement Grievances stemming from Japans brutal occupation of the Korean Peninsula in this time period had led to wrangling over Koreans forced to work for Japanese companies. They had resulted in South Korea and Japan imposing economic restrictions on each other. Since early last year, Kishida and Yoon have worked together repair ties frayed by historical oppression and injustices. As a result, the two countries revived high-level talks and withdrew the economic restrictions they had imposed. However, Kishida reaffirming his sympathy for Korean colonial victims appeared to ring hollow. According to Yoons office, Kishida said I have strong pains in my heart, over the suffering of victims of forced labour, a statement mirroring comments he made last year. But for many South Koreans, this did not go far enough. Critics pointed to his failure to issue a fresh apology for Japans horrid colonial rule. Lack of financial responsibility, reparations Many South Koreans also view Japans lack of direct responsibility in this matter as unacceptable. Yoon, who has made repairing ties with Japan a priority since assuming office, has faced fierce criticism at home. His decision to create a South Korean corporate fund to compensate former forced laborers without securing contributions from Japanese companies has triggered a backlash from opposition leaders and parts of the public. Advertisement If President Yoon is truly the president of the Republic of Korea, he must not let the visit become an occasion to advertise Kishidas achievements, said Han Min-soo, a spokesperson for the main liberal opposition Democratic Party. Our people will no longer tolerate the Yoon Suk Yeol government undermining national interest with a subservient diplomacy toward Japan. Memory of Yasukuni shrine offerings Also fresh in peoples mind might be the memory from April, when Kishida recently made religious offerings at the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. The Yasakuni Shrine in Tokyo is seen as a symbol of Japans wartime atrocities by Seoul and Beijing. Reuters The shrine honours the spirits of Japanese people who died fighting for the Emperor since 1853. Of the 2.5 million people named there are also 14 convicted war criminals from the World War II era, held responsible for allowing slave labour, massacres, mass rapes, and other atrocities. Advertisement Seoul had protested Kishidas offering to the shrine, expressing deep disappointment about the same. South Korea had urged Japanese leaders to show repentance for the countrys wartime past. Clearly, there is deep-seated resentment towards how Japans past actions, and how its leadership is currently dealing with those atrocities. In his last few days in office Kishida will have to do a lot more if he wants to preserve his legacy as the prime minister who ushered in a new era of cooperation with South Korea. With inputs from agencies The prediction came after Lichtman previously warned Democrats about the side effects of US President Joe Bidens exit from the 2024 presidential race read more Nostradamus of US presidential elections Allan Lichtman has predicted that US Vice President Kamala Harris will win the 2024 US Presidential Elections. AP As the race for the White House intensifies, Allan Lichtman, the historian dubbed the Nostradamus of US presidential elections predicted that Vice President Kamala Harris will win Novembers polls. The prediction came after Lichtman previously warned Democrats about the side effects of US President Joe Bidens exit from the 2024 presidential race. In the video for The New York Times, the American historian, nevertheless predicted that the new Democratic presidential nominee will win the polls. He insisted that Harris is on course to beat former US President Donald Trump, despite the fact that the Democrats had effectively surrendered the valuable key of presidential incumbency. This is one of the 13 keys Lichtman has been using to determine the likely outcome of the presidential polls. Advertisement Kamala Harris will be the next president of the United States at least thats my prediction for the outcome of this race, the 77-year-old concluded in the seven-minute-long quirky video. But the outcome is up to you. So get out and vote," he concluded. MY PREDICTION IS IN! Will it be Harris or Trump? Check out @nytopinion for my pick! pic.twitter.com/YFwldAkHZ3 Allan Lichtman (@AllanLichtman) September 5, 2024 The stellar success rate of Allan Lichtman The professor at the American University has been accurately forecasting US presidential election results since 1984. Over the years, Lichtman claimed to have predicted all but one George W Bushs contested triumph over Al Gore in 2000. The results of the close election were ultimately determined by the US Supreme Court, a month after the November polls. In the past, Lichtman accurately forecast Trumps unheralded 2016 election triumph over Hillary Clinton at a time when major opinion polls suggested otherwise. He also correctly forecasted that Trump would be impeached during his presidency. The former reality TV star was impeached twice from the Oval Office How the candidates fare in Lichtmans 13 keys Advertisement Lichtmans predictions are based on a set of true/false propositions on 13 keys which he developed in 1981 with geophysicist Vladimir Keillis-Borok. The keys do not take into account polling trends. In The New York Times video, the American historian stated that False would mean points for Trump and True would work in Harris favour. Heres a look at how where the candidates stand in Lichtmans 13 keys: Midterms Gains | False - Lichtman stated that the Democrats did better than expected in the 2022 midterms. However, they still lost House seats. Hence, the key is false and in favour of Trump. Incumbency | False - The polling Nostradamus still believed that Bidens decision to end his re-election bid would cost Democrats that key. Primary Contest | True - The Democrats avoided a primary contest and united heavily behind Harris. Hence, this made the key True and in favour of the US VP. Presence of Third Party | True - After RFK Jrs exit, there is no other third-party candidate which is anywhere close to the 10 per cent polling threshold. Hence, this key will also work in favour of Harris. Short-Term Economy | True - Despite all speculations, the US economy under the Biden administration is not in recession. This will work in favour of Harris. Long-Term Economy | True - Growth during the Biden administration has been at least as good as the last two terms, helping Harris in the race. Policy Change | True - Major policy changes such as the CHIPS bill and making the US rejoin the Paris Accord will also work in the Democrats favour, this election. Social Unrest | True - While there have been sporadic protests across the country. The Biden administration did not witness a sustained social unrest. With Harris entry into the race, people are still accepting her stance on the ongoing Gaza crisis. White House Scandal | True - While there have been some scandals regarding POTUS son Hunter Biden. The White House remained untainted by scandals, Harris herself did not get into any scandals as well. Incumbent Charisma | False - While Harris has broken several glass ceilings throughout her career and might create history if she wins the polls, Lichtman believes that Harris has still not attained the standard to turn the key in her favour. Challenger Charisma | True - After surviving an assassination attempt, Trump did gain major popularity. However, he continues to appeal to a narrow base. Foreign Policy Failure | Unanswered Foreign Policy Success | Unanswered Before the answers to the final two keys were revealed, Lichtman concluded that Harris would still have 8 out of 13 keys in her favour, indicating that she had a solid chance of winning the 2024 US presidential election. Hence, it will be interesting to see if the Nostradamus of US presidential elections will be right again or not. Despite the plans termination, however, accommodation funded by the UK remains in place in Rwanda, with some facilities reportedly ready to house migrants. Germany has seen an opportunity here read more An official has suggested using facilities built by UK to deport illegal immigrants in Germany to Rwanda. Image used for representative purpose/AFP The United Kingdoms Rwanda deportation plan the one where the government would pay the African nation to send around 200 immigrants there was scrapped by the new Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The controversial plan, originally devised by the Conservative government of Rishi Sunak, aimed to deter illegal migration by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. However, it faced multiple legal challenges and was never implemented. Despite the plans termination, however, accommodation funded by the UK remains in place in Rwanda, with some facilities reportedly ready to house migrants. Advertisement None other that Germany has seen an opportunity here. The country may use facilities funded by the UK in Rwanda to process some asylum seekers, according to Joachim Stamp, the countrys migration agreements commissioner, BBC reported. Stamp, a member of the Free Democratic Party, proposed that accommodation originally intended for individuals deported from the UK could be repurposed for Germanys asylum processing needs. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously expressed scepticism about processing asylum applications in third countries, raising doubts about the proposals future. Scholz, in November, stated that while he would examine the possibility of outsourcing asylum applications, significant legal concerns persist. Germany, like the UK, faces increasing pressure to address illegal migration, particularly after the far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party made electoral gains. Speaking on the Table Briefings podcast, Mr. Stamp noted that while no third country other than Rwanda had come forward, the scheme could target migrants crossing the EUs eastern borders and be supervised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Despite the lack of formal discussions, Conservative politicians in the UK have criticised Labour for scrapping the Rwanda plan. Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said, Labours first move in government was to scrap the Rwanda plan. Now Germany wants to use the facilities we built. He argued that Labours immigration policies benefit smugglers and EU states at the UKs expense. Advertisement The UK government has previously indicated that it would explore options to recoup some of the 220 million paid to Rwanda as part of the scrapped agreement, though Rwandas government insists it is under no obligation to return the funds. A 29-year-old Albanian man carrying a machete attacked a German police station on Friday, with investigators probing a possible radical Islamist motive read more A 29-year-old Albanian man carrying a machete attacked a German police station on Friday, with investigators probing a possible radical Islamist motive. The attacker entered the station in the western town of Linz am Rhein at 2:40 am local time (0040 GMT), Koblenz prosecutors said in a statement. The man shouted Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) and said he wanted to kill police officers, prosecutors said. Officers on site locked the entrance door and a door leading to the inner courtyard of the police station, leaving the man trapped. Advertisement The accused is said to have tried to open them by force but was unsuccessful, prosecutors said. Special forces were alerted to the situation and neutralised the attacker using a taser. Initial enquiries revealed evidence of a radical Islamist motive, prosecutors said. During a search of his home, investigators found the emblem of the Islamic State group drawn on the wall. The Albanian suspect remained under arrest and investigations were ongoing, prosecutors said. German security services have been on high alert for Islamist attacks since the Gaza war erupted on October 7 with the Hamas attacks on Israel. Germany has been hit by several such attacks in recent years, with the most deadly being a truck rampage at a Berlin Christmas market in 2016 that killed 12 people. On Thursday, a man was shot dead by police after opening fire on officers in what was being treated as a suspected terrorist attack on the Israeli consulate. Three people were also killed last month in a suspected Islamist stabbing at a festival. Iran is more active than in past cycles, stepping up its efforts to sway voters leading up to the presidential and congressional election. read more U.S. officials told a Senate committee in May that an increasing number of foreign actors, including non-state actors, are seeking to influence U.S. elections, and Russia, China and Iran, while the most significant, are far from alone. Image- FP Russia is currently the most active foreign country engaged in efforts to influence the upcoming November 5 US presidential election, Reuters quoted a senior US intelligence official as saying. In contrast, Chinas primary focus is on exerting influence over lower-level contests, such as down-ballot races. According to the report, the official also noted that Iran has significantly escalated its attempts to shape voter opinion in the lead-up to the presidential and congressional elections, demonstrating a heightened level of activity compared to previous cycles. Advertisement The US intelligence community is increasing the use of private warnings to targets of foreign influence operations, the official added in a briefing to reporters. The briefing followed US money-laundering charges against two employees of Russian state media network RT on Wednesday for what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 presidential election. Justice Department officials said the two employees used shell companies and fake personas to pay $10 million to an unidentified Tennessee company to produce online videos aimed at amplifying political divisions in the United States. U.S. officials told a Senate committee in May that an increasing number of foreign actors, including non-state actors, are seeking to influence U.S. elections, and Russia, China and Iran, while the most significant, are far from alone. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday that Putin should stop talking about the upcoming elections. His statement came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow wanted Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to win the US elections. Advertisement Mr. Putin ought to stop talking about our elections, period. He shouldnt be favoring anybody one way or another, Kirby said. His comments came a day after the US Justice Department charged two Russian media executives over an alleged illegal scheme to influence the November election with pro-Russian propaganda. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he supported Kamala Harris in Novembers US presidential election, an apparent wry remark a day after the United States issued indictments accusing Moscow of vote interference. Putin often comments on political and social issues in the United States, often in a mocking way. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he supported Kamala Harris in Novembers US presidential election, an apparent wry remark a day after the United States issued indictments accusing Moscow of vote interference. Advertisement Putin often comments on political and social issues in the United States, often in a mocking way. With inputs from agencies. The Russian dependence on China is such that last year Moscow imported around 90% of all high-priority goods from Beijing, according to a study by the Takshashila Institution read more Since the beginning of the Ukraine War, Russia has become economically and strategically dependent on China, according to a new study. In a new research paper published by the Takshashila Institution, China researcher Amit Kumar notes that even as there is a degree of symmetry in some aspects of the Russia-China relationship, the overall relationship is now highly asymmetrical in favour of China. Such asymmetry has left Russia with little strategic leverage over China and has made it highly dependent on China, according to Kumars paper titled China-Russia Relationship: Assessing the Power Asymmetry. Advertisement The paper comes at a time when Russia and China are working in tandem at the world stage to undermine the United States and the West. They have hailed their no limits friendship and have built an anti-West bloc along with fellow authoritarian regimes of Iran and North Korea. These regimes have linked their economies and trade practices such that they bypass the Western institutions to the fullest and fulfil mutually-beneficial objectives. Since the beginning of the Ukraine War, as sanctions hit Russia and it lost market access to the West, China came its rescue. Now, more than two years later, the Russia-China relationship has become highly unequal. China rescued Russia and dominated it along the way As of 2023, China accounted for 30.4 per cent of overall exports and 36.6 per cent of overall imports of Russia. For Russia, China has effectively replaced Europe in terms of both imports and exports, notes Kumar, a Staff Research Analyst with Takshashilas Indo-Pacific Studies Programme. The breakdown of the imports and exports further provides insight into the dependent and unequal nature of the Russia-China relationship. Russias economy is highly dependent on the energy sector. Gas and crude oil remain central to the Russian economy. For the past decade, energy revenues have comprised up to 30-50 per cent of total federal budget and oil and gas have contributed to around 20 per cent of Russias annual gross domestic product (GDP). Advertisement Not only are Russias exports to China dominated by energy, but a majority of Russias global exports are also concentrated in China, says the study. Kumar notes that this gives China considerable leverage over Russia, which China has not been hesitant to use. China has helped Russia cushion the impacts of mounting Western sanctions. Beijing on the other hand, has benefited from heavy volumes of cheap and discounted energy imports from Moscow. However, despite witnessing a symmetric gain in bilateral trade ties, China holds greater leverage over Russia owing to the shrinking export markets for the latter, notes Kumar in the paper. Russia dependent on China for Ukraine War Advertisement Russia is dependent on China not just economically but also to maintain its war-waging capacity. Russia imports the vast bulk of dual-use technology and machinery from China which is used in making arms and ammunition. The dual-technology goods that China sells to Russia include spare parts that can be used in missiles and semiconductors used in weapon systems. The goods also act as raw material for ammunition and artillery shells. Kumar in his research found that Russia in 2023 imported around 90 per cent of high-priority goods from China and imported nearly all of critical machine tools from China. He said China therefore provided Russia with a lifeline. Advertisement China has emerged as Russias major supplier of critical machinery tools and dual-use goods, thereby sustaining its military-grade industrial capacity in the backdrop of stringent sanctions and stretched domestic capabilities, noted Kumar. Russia strategic autonomy for India is shrinking Even though Russia does hold some levers, as Chinas military depends on Russia for some of the most sophisticated systems, the overall nature of the relationship is such that Russia is dependent on China, according to Kumar. This has a direct impact on India as even though Russia remains an old partner and India-Russia exchanges are high, the convergences between India and Russia are reducing by the day whereas the convergences between Russia and China are increasing by the day. Moreover, China is much more relevant to Russia than India. Advertisement Despite all the goodwill that exists in the India-Russia relationship, Kremlins geopolitical goals align more closely with Beijings than New Delhis. Further, trade between India and Russia constitutes only a miniscule percentage of the expanding China-Russia trade, noted Kumar in the paper. Previously, Firstpost has reported how India differs from China and Russia in global outlook. While both sides seek a multipolar world, India seeks a non-West world order whereas Russia and China seek an anti-West world order. While India uses forums like the BRICS and G-20 presidency to give more space and voice to the Global South at the world stage and become a bridge between the developed and the developing worlds and help fasten the progress of the developing countries, Russia and China seek to weave the developing nations into an anti-Western bloc. In his paper, Kumar noted that considering how dependent Russia has become on China and how closely their geopolitical ambitions are aligned, Russias strategic autonomy regarding India has considerably shrunk. Kumar notes, Indias lack of convergence on key geopolitical issues with Russia, and its inability to rival Chinas economic appeal for Russia threatens cooperation between Kremlin and New Delhi. As the power asymmetry between China and Russia rapidly expands, the room for Russias strategic autonomy vis-avis India shrinks at an equally rapid pace. Hence, the question is no longer about Russia willingness, but its capability to resist Chinas pressure. As Japans topless health checkups in schools come under fire, students and parents alike are calling for a reassessment of the balance between medical necessity and personal privacy read more In Japan, the practice of requiring students to strip to the waist during routine health checkups has sparked significant controversy and discomfort among students, parents and educators. A report by The Guardian on September 6, 2024, sheds light on this issue, revealing that many students, some as young as 13, are subjected to health exams where they are asked to remove their shirts and, in some cases, bras. The emotional and psychological toll of these practices is profound. A survey highlighted by The Guardian found that 95.5 per cent of middle school students expressed dissatisfaction with having to undress for health examinations indicating a widespread sentiment of discomfort and embarrassment. Advertisement The testimonies of students underscore the distress associated with these exams. One 13-year-old girl recounted feeling exposed and humiliated during her school health checkup, while another described the anxiety of being instructed to lift her top and bra. Such experiences reflect the broader discomfort and trauma that many children face in this context. Inconsistencies in policy and practice The lack of a unified policy on whether students should undress for health checkups has led to a patchwork of practices across Japan. Local education boards, in collaboration with visiting health professionals, determine the procedures for these exams. As a result, practices vary widely: some schools mandate that children, including those in senior high schools, remove their shirts and bras, while others allow students to remain clothed. The inconsistency in implementation has fuelled frustration among parents and advocacy groups. For example, in some western Japanese cities, high school students are required to be topless during health exams. This variation in practices raises concerns about the adequacy and fairness of the procedures being used. Medical association and expert opinions The Japan Medical Association has defended the practice of topless health checkups, arguing that removing clothing is necessary for a comprehensive examination. However, this stance has been challenged by medical experts who question the necessity of such practices. According to The Guardian, Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University Hospital, has voiced scepticism about the medical justification for requiring students to undress. Iwata acknowledged that while removing clothing might slightly improve the clarity of heartbeat sounds, it is not essential for accurate health assessments. His comments reflect a growing concern among healthcare professionals about the balance between medical practices and patient comfort. Advertisement Government response and recommendations In response to the mounting criticism, Japans Ministry of Education issued a notice on January 23, 2024, aimed at addressing privacy concerns during school health checkups. A report in The Mainichi said a notice from the ministry advised local education boards to avoid requiring students to undress if it does not compromise the accuracy of the examination. It suggested alternatives such as allowing students to wear gym clothes or use towels to cover their bodies. The notice also recommended measures to ensure privacy and respect during the exams, including conducting separate examinations for boys and girls and using partitions or curtains. Advertisement Despite these recommendations, the implementation of these guidelines has been inconsistent across different regions and schools. The discrepancy between the ministrys recommendations and the actual practices observed in some schools has led to continued criticism and scrutiny. Inconsistent implementation and continued criticism The implementation of the Ministry of Educations guidelines has not been uniform leading to continued issues and complaints. For instance, a report by The Mainichi on June 3, 2024, highlighted a case in Yokohama where students were required to undress from the waist up during health checkups. This situation prompted concerns about privacy and the adequacy of the measures in place to address students discomfort. Some students expressed their unease about having to undress, and parents criticised the lack of sensitivity towards their childrens feelings. Advertisement The situation in Yokohama points out to the broader issue of inconsistent application of guidelines and the need for more concrete and uniform policies. Despite the education ministrys efforts to address these concerns, local variations in practices continue to affect students experiences. Similarly, there were shockwaves in India in a 2020 incident in India where female trainee clerks at the Surat Municipal Corporation were allegedly made to stand naked in a group for a medical examination. This incident highlighted significant concerns about privacy and the respectful treatment of individuals during medical procedures. Calls for reform and consistency The ongoing controversy over topless health exams in Japanese schools highlights the need for comprehensive reform and consistent application of policies. Experts like Satoshi Kodama, a professor and medical ethics specialist at Kyoto University, have called for more specific guidelines from the education ministry to ensure uniformity across schools and regions, The Mainichi said in a report. Kodama emphasises the importance of science-based evidence and clear communication to address concerns about privacy and respect during health checkups. Advertisement The debate has also prompted a broader discussion about the balance between medical practices and respect for personal privacy. As Japan continues to grapple with these issues, it is crucial for policymakers and educational authorities to prioritise the comfort and rights of students while ensuring that health checkups are conducted effectively and respectfully. A previously unseen Hamas document, approved by the terror groups leader Yahya Sinwar personally, has revealed details about the psychological warfare campaign carried out by the group since it kidnapped 251 hostages during its October 7 massacre in southern Israel, according to a report read more A previously unseen Hamas document, reportedly written in the Spring of 2024 and having been personally approved by the terror groups leader Yahya Sinwar, has revealed details about the psychological warfare campaign carried out by the group since it kidnapped 251 hostages, mostly civilians, during its October 7 massacre in southern Israel. According to a Times of Israel report, citing German newspaper Bild, the document reveals that Hamas is abusing the Israeli hostages held in Gaza to improve its position in hostage-ceasefire negotiations and put pressure on the enemy. Advertisement The Hamas document was found on Sinwars computer, added the report. However, the report does not mention details as to how the document was passed on to the German publication. Continue to exert psychological pressure on the families of the prisoners, both now and during the first phase (of the ceasefire), so that public pressure on the enemy government increases, the report quoted Bild as saying from the Hamas document. Since October 7, the terror group has on regular basis released videos of hostages criticising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government and pleading for his help in securing their release. During the negotiations for the second phase, Hamas will allow the Red Cross to visit some of the prisoners as a gesture of goodwill and to convey messages to their relatives, the document is quoted as saying. The report, citing Bild, notes that the document does not address the Philadelphi Corridor along Gazas border with Egypt, which is believed to be a sticking point in ongoing indirect negotiations. The document also indicates that Hamas is not aiming for a quick end to the war in Gaza but is deliberately prolonging hostage-ceasefire negotiations to intensify pressure on the government and exhaust the military, added the report. Advertisement According to The Jerusalem Post, citing Bild, Hamas has listed significant demands for Israel, including the release of 100 prisoners and terrorists serving life sentences in Israeli prisons. The report further notes that many of the documents key points focus on strategies to influence the international community and advance the reconstruction of Hamas military capabilities. The document references a political maneuver, suggesting that Hamas negotiators should propose that Arab forces be stationed along the eastern and northern borders with Israel. This is intended to serve as a buffer to prevent the enemy from entering Gaza after the war ends until they (Hamas) have reorganised their ranks and military capabilities, added the report. Advertisement Hamas is reportedly insistent that Israel should be blamed for the failed negotiations. The document states that if Israel rejects a deal proposed by the US, the media must be made aware that Hamas agreed, but that the deal failed due to Israels stubbornness. Hamas should not be held responsible for the failure of an agreement, the report quotes the document as saying. With inputs from agencies The provocative remarks from Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump came during his speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas read more While belittling the Jews who are supporting US Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections, former US President Donald Trump claimed that his Democratic presidential rival would abandon the community and the Israeli cause. The provocative remarks from Trump came during his speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas. Trump attempted to appease Jewish donors by saying that he would ban refugee resettlement from terror-infested areas such as Gaza and assured that he would arrest pro-Hamas thugs," who cause vandalism in US colleges if he came back to power. While laying out his Middle East policy, Trump took potshots at Harris and claimed that her presidency would be harmful to Israel. Advertisement Youre going to be abandoned if she becomes president. And I think you need to explain that to your people Youre not going to have an Israel if she becomes president, Trump said without providing evidence to substantiate his claims. He insisted that American universities would lose federal support for, what he called, spreading antisemitic propaganda. Colleges will and must end the antisemitic propaganda or they will lose their accreditation and federal support, he furthered. Trump belittles Jews supporting Harris During his address to over 1,000 Jewish donors, Trump attempted to belittle Jews who are still supporting Harris in the November polls. I dont understand how anybody can support them and I say it constantly if you had them to support and you were Jewish, you have to have your head examined, he averred. Trump told the coalition that the US President Joe Bidens administration and Harris herself have been very bad to you. The Harris campaign is yet to respond to the provocative remarks made by the Republican presidential nominee. While Harris has reiterated Bidens strong support of Israel and rejected calls from some in the Democratic party that Washington rethink sending weapons to Israel, she has been a strong advocate of an immediate ceasefire in the region. Not only this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his apprehensions with Harris after the vice president told him that she wont be silent on the Gaza crisis, during their bilateral talks. Israel has a right to defend itself and how it does so matters. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, told reporters in remarks after her meeting with Netanyahu. Advertisement It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination, she said at that time. During the address, Trump reiterated his claims that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war would not have started if he was still in the Oval Office. I will support Israels right to win, Trump told the RJC. Its a war on terror, and we will win fast. You have to win and you have to win fast, he added. Advertisement It is pertinent to note that despite Trumps disdain for Palestinian refugees, both he and Biden have similar numbers of Palestinians being admitted as US refugees. According to the Department of State, the US accepted 114 Palestinian refugees from 2017 to 2020, when Trump was the president. On the other hand, 124 Palestinian refugees were admitted to the US under the Biden administration. With inputs from agencies. Vances remarks came a day after 14-year-old Colt Gray was arrested for killing four people during a shooting rampage at Apalachee High School in Georgia read more Former US President Donald Trumps Vice Presidential pick JD Vance called school shootings a fact of life. The outrageous remarks from the Ohio Senator came on Thursday when he was calling for the need to strengthen security measures in public schools. Vances remarks also came a day after 14-year-old Colt Gray was arrested for killing four people during a shooting rampage at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Vance was conducting a rally in Phoenix, Arizona when a journalist from CNN asked what he would do to prevent school shootings. The Republican Vice Presidential nominee called the incident an awful tragedy that should have never happened. I dont like that this is a fact of life, but if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realise that our schools are soft targets. he later said, adding that gun restriction is not the effective way to prevent school shootings. Advertisement We have got to bolster security in our schools." he averred instead. Vance went on to claim that he was reluctant to support increased security measures in schools but that is increasingly the reality we live in." Harris-Walz campaign calls Vance out The comments from Trumps running mate immediately attracted backlash from the Democrats. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz know we can take action to keep our children safe and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, said in a statement on Thursday. Donald Trump and JD Vance will always choose the N.R.A. and gun lobby over our children. That is the choice in this election," the campaign furthered. Harris herself addressed the Georgia school shooting during a rally in New Hampshire. Weve got to stop it, and we have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all, she said. You know it doesnt have to be this way. In the past, Harris has called for universal background checks and an assault weapon ban. With inputs from agencies. The man, identified as 27-year-old Thomas Birley, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life during last months far-right riots read more Rioters throw a garbage bin on fire outside a hotel in Rotherham, Britain, on August 4, 2024. Image: Hollie Adams/Reuters A British man was jailed for nine years on Friday for arson at a hotel housing asylum seekers last month, by far the longest sentence imposed over a wave of anti-Muslim riots. Thomas Birley, 27, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life after stoking a fire in a bin by an entranceway to a hotel near Rotherham in northern England on Aug. 4. Prosecutor Elisha Kay said Birley added wood to an already-flaming industrial bin which had been placed in front of a fire door of the hotel while staff and guests sheltered inside. Advertisement Kay said hotel staff barricaded themselves in a panic room and thought they were going to burn to death. Birley, who also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Jeremy Richardson, who said Burleys actions were suffused with racism from beginning to end. Richardson said Birley had been encouraged to join the disorder by malicious and ignorant posts on social media. You were a leading participant in ignorant, racist attempts at mob rule, the judge said. The hotel was targeted by about 400 people during days of rioting involving violence, arson and looting as well as racist attacks after three young girls were killed in the northern English town of Southport on July 29. The attack was initially falsely blamed on an Islamist migrant following online misinformation, and a suspect born in Cardiff in Wales has since been charged with murder. A protest in Southport the day after the killings turned violent, and riots spread across the country, leading to about 1,300 arrests and around 200 people being jailed. The longest sentence over the riots had until Friday had been six years for violent disorder. Others have been charged for inciting racial or religious hatred online. The Ukrainian leader pressed his nations case to allies meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Washington unveiled a new $250 million in military aid. read more Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov attend a meeting with Western allies in Germany on Friday.Credit...- Image- AFP President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged to Western military leaders on Friday to lift restrictions on the use of weapons against Russian territory, saying that it was wrong to tie his Ukraines hands in countering Russias forces. Speaking at a US-led forum of nations providing arms to Kyiv, he said that Ukraines defensive capabilities against strikes and enabling the country to launch counterattacks on Russian targets would be crucial in exerting military pressure on Moscow. Advertisement Zelenskyy also said that restrictions on using long-range missiles and rockets provided by Western nations to strike targets within Russia remain in place. He explicitly stated that the policy regarding long-range strikes has not been revised, highlighting his desire for a more robust response to Russian aggression. We need more weapons to drive Russian forces off our land, said Zelensky, who also met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and was to head to Italy for talks. The gathering comes as Moscows forces advance in the Donbas region, with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declaring that capturing the eastern area was his primary objective in the conflict. Zelensky urged Kyivs supporters to follow through on previous commitments, saying: The number of air defence systems that have not been delivered is significant. The Ukrainian leader again called for restrictions to be lifted on the use of long-range Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia. We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, Zelensky said. At the meeting at the US base in Germany, US defence chief Lloyd Austin announced that Washington will provide $250 million in new military aid for Ukraine. The package will surge in more capabilities to meet Ukraines evolving requirements, Austin told the meeting. The assistance is expected to include ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers, artillery rounds, anti-tank and anti-air weapons, a US defence official said on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Zelenskyy has long singled out allies who have supplied long-range weapons but told Kyiv they cannot use them deep inside Russia for fear of instigating a direct conflict between the West and Russias President Vladimir Putin. The talks in Germany, with representatives from some 50 nations, were to focus on areas including bolstering Ukraines air defences and encouraging allies to boost their defence industries, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said ahead of the meeting. With inputs from agencies. While the voting in the US presidential election is on November 5, those voters who have opted to cast mail-in ballots cast their votes earlier read more The United States is set to formally enter the election mode on Friday as the first batch of mail-in ballots are being sent out to voters. While the voting in the US presidential election is on November 5, those voters who have opted to cast mail-in ballots cast their votes earlier. The counting of the votes cast at polling booths as well as mail-in ballots takes place together. Ushering the United States into election mode, the swing state of North Carolina was expected to send out around 130,000 voting slips on Friday, according to AFP. Advertisement Early voting starts in some states as soon as September 20. North Carolina is among a handful of swing states that both Democratic Partys nominee Kamala Harris and Republican Partys nominee Donald Trump have been criss-crossing to woo the voters. While Harris has flipped the lead in polls in her favour since taking over from Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, Trump is still ahead of her in polls when it comes to the most important electoral issue of economy. Overall, however, Harris remains ahead of Trump in polls. The Harris campaign on Friday announced that it raised $361 million in August, around the triple of Trumps fundraising. In just a short time, Vice President Harriss candidacy has galvanized a history-making, broad, and diverse coalition with the type of enthusiasm, energy, and grit that wins close elections. As we enter the final stretch of this election, were making sure every hard-earned dollar goes to winning over the voters who will decide this election, said campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, as per AFP. Will Harris maintain her lead? Even though Harris has been consistently ahead of Trump in polls so far, the question is that whether she would maintain it or its just a honeymoon phase so far. The first set of ballots are being sent out just ahead of the Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Trump on ABC News. Advertisement The debate may set the tone for the final stretch of the election campaign. This may end up being the only debate between the two candidates as while Harris is not enthusiastic about Fox News hosting a debate, the Trump campaign has already accused the news channels hosting the debate as being biased. The campaign has also accused the polls of being fake a continuation of the yearslong tirade against media being against Trump. As per the latest CNN-SSRS battleground states poll, Harris was leading in Wisconsin and Michigan whereas Trump was ahead only in Arizona. The contest in Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania was too close to be called. Advertisement Overall, Harris was ahead of Trump by 3.1 per cent in polls, according to the aggregator of FiveThirtyEight. While USs John Kirby said that both sides are heading closer to a deal, the White House official gave a vague response in regards to what stage the negotiation process is currently at read more As the tensions in Gaza escalate, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the Biden administration believes that the US-proposed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is 90 per cent agreed upon. While he said that both sides are heading closer to a deal, the White House official gave a vague response in regards to what stage the negotiation process is currently at. Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated, Kirby said during a press briefing on Sunday. However, he maintained that several detailed issues still remain to be resolved, adding that thats when things get difficult. Advertisement You call that optimistic. I call that accurate. Thats how close we believe we are. Thats where we have gotten to. The basic framework of the deal has been agreed to, Kirby explained. What were talking about now is the implementing details and specifically the exchange of prisoners. And now that calculus is different because of what happened over the weekend, he said referring to the bodies of six hostages recovered by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in Gaza. Not that close Kirby insisted that there is currently a lot at play right now. Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated, and the things that are still in play right now are very, very detailed issues and thats when things get difficult, he said. Meanwhile, Hamas lead negotiator told Al Jazeera that the US should press Israel for a truce in Gaza. If the US administration and its President Biden really want to reach a ceasefire and complete a prisoner exchange deal, they must abandon their blind bias towards the Zionist occupation and exert real pressure on Netanyahu and his government, Qatar-based Khalil al-Hayya said in a statement. Hamas maintained that it still supports the July 2 proposal backed by Biden and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). We confirm our adherence to what was agreed upon after President Biden-backed proposal at the end of May, and UN Security Council Resolution No 2735, which the movement agreed to on July 2, al-Hayya averred. We warn against falling into the trap of Netanyahu who uses negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people, he added. With inputs from agencies. The plan, which has been broadly agreed but requires a final go-ahead from both capitals and an announcement date, would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026, according to a report, citing sources read more US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, on July 23, 2024. Reuters File The United States and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The plan, which has been broadly agreed but requires a final go-ahead from both capitals and an announcement date, would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026, the sources said. We have an agreement, its now just a question of when to announce it, a senior US official said. Advertisement The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown. An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israels war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details, the sources said. The sources include five US officials, two officials from other coalition nations, and three Iraqi officials, all speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Several sources said the deal could be announced this month. Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said technical talks with Washington on the coalition drawdown had concluded. We are now on the brink of transitioning the relationship between Iraq and members of the international coalition to a new level, focusing on bilateral relations in military, security, economic, and cultural areas, he said. He did not comment on details of the plan and the US-led coalition did not respond to emailed questions. The agreement follows more than six months of talks between Baghdad and Washington, initiated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in January amid attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups on US forces stationed at Iraqi bases. Advertisement The rocket and drone attacks have killed three American troops and wounded dozens more, resulting in several rounds of deadly US retaliation that threatened government efforts to stabilize Iraq after decades of conflict. The US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighbouring Syria as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to combat Islamic State as it rampaged through the two countries. The group once held roughly a third of Iraq and Syria but was territorially defeated in Iraq at the end of 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Iraq had demonstrated its ability to handle any remaining threat, Alaaldin said. Advertisement The US initially invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling dictator Saddam Hussein before withdrawing in 2011, but returned in 2014 at the head of the coalition to fight Islamic State. Other nations, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, also contribute hundreds of troops to the coalition. Under the plan, all coalition forces would leave the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025. U.S. and other coalition troops are expected to remain in Erbil, in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region, for approximately one additional year, until around the end of 2026, to facilitate ongoing operations against Islamic State in Syria. Advertisement Exact details of troop movements are being kept secret due to their military sensitivity. The drawdown would mark a notable shift in Washingtons military posture in the region. While primarily focused on countering Islamic State, US officials acknowledge their presence also serves as a strategic position against Iranian influence. This position has grown more important as Israel and Iran escalate their regional confrontation, with US forces in Iraq shooting down rockets and drones fired towards Israel in recent months, according to US officials. Prime Minister al-Sudani has stated that, while he appreciates their help, US troops have become a magnet for instability, frequently targeted and responding with strikes often not coordinated with the Iraqi government. Advertisement The agreement, when announced, would likely present a political win for al-Sudani as he balances Iraqs position as an ally of both Washington and Tehran. The first phase of the drawdown would end one month before Iraqi parliamentary polls set for October 2025. For the US, the two-year time frame provides breathing room, allowing for potential adjustments if the regional situation changes, a US official said. The State Department and US Embassy in Baghdad did not respond to requests for comment. The Council of Europe has announced that the US, Israel, the UK and the EU among others have signed the International AI treaty it adopted last year. Its different from the EUs AI Act that came into force earlier this month. read more In a significant development concerning the use of artificial intelligence systems, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and others signed the Council of Europes International AI treaty on Thursday in Lithuania. The Council of Europe, a France-based human rights body, said the agreement was the first international legally binding treaty on the use of AI systems. Israel, Georgia, Norway, Iceland, Andorra, Moldova and San Marino also signed the treaty. Some others involved in negotiating the treaty were Japan, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica and the Vatican. Advertisement The Council of Europe, a 47-member body including the 27 EU nations, originally adopted this International AI treaty in May 2023. Prepared against the backdrop of fast evolving AI technology and growing concerns about their misuse such as deep-fakes, the treaty sets out a legal framework to govern the entire lifecycle of AI systems and address the risks they may pose while promoting responsible innovation. The Council of Europes treaty is different from the EUs Artificial Intelligence Act that was enforced early this month. The CoE treaty is open for even non-European members, and that it governs the use of AI systems for public and private sectors with different models of complying with its principles and obligations when regulating the private sector. The EU law regulates the use of AI in high-risk sectors. The Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach. I hope that these will be the first of many signatures and that they will be followed quickly by ratifications, so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible, Council of Europe Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric said in a statement. We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them, she said as the US, the EU, the UK and Israel among others joined the treaty. Russia last week unleashed its largest air attack on Ukraine since the full-scale war began early in 2022 read more The British government said on Friday it would provide Ukraine with 650 lightweight multi-role missiles worth 162 million pounds ($213.13 million) to help protect the country from Russian drones and bombing. Russia last week unleashed its largest air attack on Ukraine since the full-scale war began early in 2022. Ukraine has made repeated requests for more air defence support to defend itself from missile and drone attacks. The new supply of missiles was announced as British Defence Minister John Healey attended the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an ad-hoc coalition of some 50 nations, at a U.S. air base in Germany. Advertisement The Ministry of Defence said, in keeping with the new governments commitment to speed deliveries of aid to Ukraine, the first batch of missiles announced on Friday were expected to arrive by the end of the year. This new commitment will give an important boost to Ukraines air defences, Healey said in a statement. The Ministry of Defence said the missiles made by Thales have a range of more than 6 kilometres (3.73 miles) and can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea, and air. Last Monday, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide in what Kyiv called the wars most massive attack. CCTV: The FOCAC Beijing Summit was concluded today. Can you further brief us on the event and its outcomes? Mao Ning: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi together with foreign ministers of the current and upcoming co-chairs of FOCAC met the press yesterday and elaborated on the Beijing Summit of FOCAC and its outcomes. Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted it is yet another friendly gathering of the big China-Africa family in Beijing after six years, and the event is of great significance and influence. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of FOCAC and delivered a keynote speech. The clear political consensus of enhancing all-round cooperation between China and Africa was reached by the two sides and the Summit was a great success. China has established strategic partnership with all African countries having diplomatic ties with China. During the Summit, China forged or elevated strategic partnership with 30 countries. The overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. The decision determined a clearer characterization for and added more dimensions to the relations. China and Africa affirmed that the two sides should jointly advance modernization characterized by six features and formulated the blueprint for future cooperation. The Summit adopted the Beijing Declaration and the Beijing Action Plan. President Xi Jinping announced 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to advance modernization in the next three years. China and Africa compared notes on strategies regarding international situation and global governance. The two sides agreed to firmly support each other on issues bearing on each others core interests, jointly practice true multilateralism, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally-beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, break small yard with high fences, reject discrimination and bias, correct historical injustice, and bring the benefit of modernization to all people. The Summit sends a strong message of China and Africa seeking common development, demonstrates the firm determination of the Global South working together in solidarity, and sets the Global South as a stellar example in jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind. AFP: The US Commerce Department announced yesterday tighter export controls on quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing, and other technologies, citing national security considerations. What is Chinas comment? Mao Ning: China is opposed to the US turning trade and tech issues into political issues and weapons. Obstructing normal cooperation on tech and trade and economic exchange violates the principle of market economy, destabilizes global industrial and supply chains and serves no ones interest. China News Service: Four Chinese irrigation projects were included in the 11th batch of World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS 2024) unveiled days ago. The inclusion of the Karez Wells in Turpan, Xinjiang, the ancient Weirs consisting of the Huizhou Weirs in Anhui and the Wuyuan Weirs in Jiangxi (joint application), the Fengyan Terraces in Hanyin, Shaanxi, and the Jufeng Weirs in Xiushan, Chongqing, brought the total number of Chinese irrigation sites on the list to 38. Chinas time-honored water conservancy meets peoples needs in their life and production activities, and is significant globally. Whats your comments? Mao Ning: Congratulations on the inclusion of these four projects in the World Heritage Irrigation Structures. China has an age-old tradition of water governance and well-known water conservancy projects such as the Dujiangyan irrigation system, the Karez Wells and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Since New China was founded, Chinas water conservancy has borne fruitful results, lent stronger support to socioeconomic development and peoples better life, and more importantly, provided valuable experience for the global response to water challenges. As you may all follow the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC closely these days, water conservancy cooperation is also part and parcel of China-Africa cooperation. As climate change worsens, Africa urgently needs to enhance its capacity-building in using, managing and governing water resources. China has deepened water conservancy cooperation with African countries and actively shared with them Chinas experience and practical know-how through capacity-building, joint research and project cooperation. Chinese companies have helped run a good number of signature programs and small and beautiful projects of water supply, flood control, irrigation and hydropower station in Africa, and offered Chinas solution to Africas integrated management and sustainable use of water resources. Going forward, China will continue working with African countries and other parties to enhance international cooperation and promote the sustainable use of global water resources. Reuters: Yesterday, Chinese leader pledged to support infrastructure projects in Africa. And were just trying to understand should that be interpreted as a renewed signal for support of big-ticket infrastructure? And how does that square with the emphasis on small and beautiful projects that you just referred to? Mao Ning: I dont see any contradiction between the two. The cooperation between China and African countries is carried out under the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and what projects to be implemented will be determined by the two sides through discussion. On the afternoon of September 4, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping pointed out that half a century ago, the elder generation of leaders of China and Gabon had the vision to jointly forge a friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries. Today, this relationship has developed into a model for China's relations with Africa and other developing countries. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Gabon. China is ready to work with Gabon to keep in mind the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations, continue the traditional friendship and seize the opportunities of the times to create a brighter future for the China-Gabon comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Xi Jinping emphasized that China and Gabon should draw strength from their traditional friendship and firmly support each other. Projects such as the upgrading of the power grid in Gabon's capital and the vocational education center jointly implemented by the two sides have been welcomed by the Gabonese people. China is ready to take the FOCAC Beijing Summit as an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, health, digital economy and other fields to help Gabon's economic diversification and transformation. China is also ready to strengthen cooperation with Gabon in counter-terrorism and security to promote domestic stability and regional peace and security. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema thanked President Xi Jinping for inviting him to attend the FOCAC Beijing Summit in China and for taking the time to meet with him, which fully reflects the friendship between the people of Gabon and China and the stability of bilateral relations. Gabon and China enjoy close relations in various fields. China is Gabon's most important cooperation partner and has contributed to Gabon's national development in various ways. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema also thanked China for supporting Gabon's political transition process. Gabon firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is ready to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation, and continuously consolidate and deepen the Gabon-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. During the summit, China and Gabon will sign a number of bilateral cooperation documents in investment and economic cooperation, infrastructure development and other fields. Wang Yi was present at the meeting. On the afternoon of September 5, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two heads of state announced the elevation of China-Ghana relations to a strategic partnership. Xi Jinping noted that Ghana is the second sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 64 years ago, the friendship between the two countries has remained strong and enduring, regardless of changes in the international landscape. China is ready to carry forward the deep friendship forged by the elder generation of the leaders of the two countries with Ghana to constantly enhance political mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields and be good friends who trust each other, good partners for common development, and good brothers with close cooperation. China is ready to strengthen the synergy of development strategies with Ghana and continue providing assistance to the best of its ability to Ghana in developing the economy and improving people's livelihood. China is ready to expand cooperation with Ghana in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, energy, mineral resources and infrastructure, and hopes that Ghana will continue to offer relevant support and convenience to Chinese enterprises and citizens. China supports Ghana in its work as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term and is ready to enhance strategic coordination with Ghana on international and regional issues. Xi Jinping stressed that the FOCAC Beijing Summit summarizes the historical experience of China-Africa friendship, clarifies the direction and path for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization and leads the way for the Global South. China is ready to work with Ghana to jointly follow through on the various results of the Summit. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said that it is a pleasure to come to China to attend the FOCAC Beijing Summit and he wishes the summit a complete success. Ghana was one of the first batch of African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the PRC. China has been Ghana's most trustworthy friend and partner for over 60 years. Ghana highly cherishes its friendship with China, firmly pursues the one-China policy and supports China's stance on human rights and others. He thanked China for its long-term support to Ghana, saying that the investment and cooperation of Chinese enterprises has greatly promoted Ghana's economic and social development. Ghana hopes to further expand cooperation in electricity, mineral resources, new energy and other fields and is willing to provide convenience for Chinese enterprises. He thanked President Xi Jinping for proposing at the opening ceremony of the summit in the morning the ten partnership actions for Africa and China to jointly advance modernization. Some of the proposals are very forward-looking. Ghana is ready to work actively with China to implement these actions and remain steadfast as good friends and partners. Wang Yi was present at the meeting. ASUS introduced the ExpertBook P series along with the latest Zenbook and Vivobook laptops, and the ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI Copilot+ mini PC at IFA 2024. ExpertBook P5 (P5405) The ExpertBook P5 (P5405) stands out as the flagship model, designed for executives and business owners needing top performance and portability. It features a 14-inch 2.5K display and is powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor (Series 2), offering up to 47 NPU TOPS for enhanced AI capabilities. With its sleek metal design, it delivers up to 28 hours of video playback or 20 hours of productivity, making it ideal for professionals on the move. Quick specifications: ExpertBook P5 (P5405) ExpertBook P3 (P3405/P3605) The ExpertBook P3 models (P3405/P3605) come in 14-inch or 16-inch sizes, balancing performance with affordability. Tailored for information workers, these models offer ASUS AI features and a lightweight, full-metal design for durability and mobility. ExpertBook P1 (P1403/P1503) The ExpertBook P1 (P1403/P1503) is a budget-friendly option featuring 14-inch or 15-inch FHD displays. It is designed with a plastic build, focusing on essential performance for administrative tasks. Key Features AI Integration : The ExpertBook P series includes ASUS AI ExpertMeet for enhanced virtual meetings, offering real-time translation and meeting summaries, and ExpertPanel to optimize system performance based on usage patterns. : The ExpertBook P series includes ASUS AI ExpertMeet for enhanced virtual meetings, offering real-time translation and meeting summaries, and ExpertPanel to optimize system performance based on usage patterns. Performance and Efficiency : The ExpertBook P5 delivers up to 120 total platform TOPS with 40% lower SoC power consumption than previous models, supporting demanding AI tasks and multitasking. : The ExpertBook P5 delivers up to 120 total platform TOPS with 40% lower SoC power consumption than previous models, supporting demanding AI tasks and multitasking. Security : Features BIOS-level protections, Secure Boot, TPM, and a one-year McAfee+ subscription. The ExpertBook P5 offers exclusive AI-powered deepfake detection in select regions (US, UK, Australia). : Features BIOS-level protections, Secure Boot, TPM, and a one-year McAfee+ subscription. The ExpertBook P5 offers exclusive AI-powered deepfake detection in select regions (US, UK, Australia). Business Support : Includes on-site repairs, dedicated technical assistance, 24/7 customer support, extended warranties, and global service centers. : Includes on-site repairs, dedicated technical assistance, 24/7 customer support, extended warranties, and global service centers. Design : The series boasts a sleek, durable design starting at 1.29 kg, featuring a high-refresh-rate display, ergonomic keyboard, extra-large touchpad, and ExpertCool thermal structure. : The series boasts a sleek, durable design starting at 1.29 kg, featuring a high-refresh-rate display, ergonomic keyboard, extra-large touchpad, and ExpertCool thermal structure. Durability: Complies with US MIL-STD-810H standards and emphasizes environmental sustainability with increased use of recycled materials. ASUS plans to expand the ExpertBook P series with new desktops and all-in-ones in 2025. Zenbook S Series (S 14 and S 16) ASUS unveiled the Zenbook S 14 (UX5406), its thinnest 14-inch ultraportable laptop at just 1.1 cm thick and 1.2 kg. It features a unique Ceraluminum lid combining ceramic warmth with aluminum durability, and a keyboard with 2,715 CNC-machined vents for optimal cooling. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor (Series 2), it offers up to 48 NPU TOPS for advanced AI experiences. The laptop includes a 3K 120 Hz Lumina OLED display, a four-speaker sound system, AI noise cancellation, and an FHD AiSense IR camera with AI effects. Additional features are a 72 Wh battery, diverse I/O ports, advanced security, and a larger 16:10 touchpad with smart gesture support. The Zenbook S 16 (UX5606) provides a larger 16-inch screen with the latest Intel Core Ultra processor. Quick specifications: ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) Vivobook S 14 The Vivobook S 14 (S5406SA) is a sleek 1.3 kg laptop with a 1.39 cm all-metal chassis and ASUS IceCool thermal technology featuring dual 97-blade fans for peak performance. It includes a 16:10 3K 120 Hz display, an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2) with up to 47 NPU TOPS, and a dedicated Copilot key for AI assistance. The 75 Wh battery supports up to 27 hours of use. Additional features are an ErgoSense keyboard with customizable RGB backlighting, an ultra-large touchpad, ultrafast Wi-Fi 7, various I/O ports, and Harman Kardon-certified Dolby Atmos audio. Quick specifications: Vivobook S 14 (S5406SA) Vivobook 14/16 Flip The Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407) is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop with a 360 hinge for laptop, tent, stand, or tablet modes. It has a 14-inch FHD NanoEdge touchscreen and supports ASUS Pen 2.0. At 1.7 cm thick and 1.5 kg, its compact and lightweight, ideal for students and professionals. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2) with up to 47 NPU TOPS, it ensures smooth AI performance. Features include a 70 Wh battery, WiFi 7, multiple I/O ports, and Dolby Atmos audio. The Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607) offers a larger 16-inch 3K OLED display for a more expansive viewing experience. Quick specifications: Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407) Quick specifications: Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607) Availability & Pricing ASUS Zenbook S 14 Pre-orders start September 6, 2024, in Canada via the ASUS Store, with shipping beginning September 24, 2024. Intel Core Ultra 5, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage: CA$1,799 (USD 1332 / Rs. 1,11,890 approx.) (ASUS Store and Best Buy) Intel Core Ultra 7, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage: CA$1,999 (USD 1480 / Rs. 1,24,329 approx.) (ASUS Store and selected retailers) Intel Core Ultra 7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB storage: CA$2,199 (USD 1629 / Rs. 1,36,768 approx.) (ASUS Store and Best Buy) ASUS Zenbook S 14 & S 16 ASUS Zenbook S 16 : Available in Q1 2025. : Available in Q1 2025. ASUS Vivobook S 14: Starting at CA$1,599 (USD 1184 / Rs. 99,451 approx.), featuring Intel Core Ultra 7, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage. Available early Q4 2024 ASUS ExpertBook P1/P3/P5 ASUS ExpertBook P1 and P3 : Available in Canada from early 2025. : Available in Canada from early 2025. ASUS ExpertBook P5 : Available in October 2024 on the ASUS Store, configurations include: Intel Core Ultra 5, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB storage: CA$1,299 (USD 962 / Rs. 80,792 approx.) Intel Core Ultra 7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB storage: CA$1,699 (USD 1258 / Rs. 1,05,670 approx.) : Available in October 2024 on the ASUS Store, configurations include: ASUS Vivobook 14 Flip and 16 Flip To be announced soon You can find more information at asus.com. At Lenovo Innovation World 2024 in Berlin, Lenovo introduced several new products aimed at advancing professional computing and artificial intelligence. Lenovo Aura Edition In collaboration with Intel, Lenovo revealed the Aura Edition series, including the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition. This laptop is notably lighter, weighing under 1kg for the 14 model. It incorporates AI-enhanced features for a more personalized and efficient user experience. Key features of Lenovo Aura Edition laptops include: Smart Modes: Adapts to user needs, optimizing performance for work, play, and creativity. Shield: Enhances security with Privacy Alert, Privacy Guard, and automatic VPN launch on public Wi-Fi. Attention: Reduces distractions by managing notifications and setting attention timers. Collaboration: Improves virtual meetings with video optimization and customizable settings. Wellness: Encourages better digital health with posture alerts and eye fatigue reduction reminders. Power Mode: Provides quick access to settings for balancing performance and power consumption. Smart Share: Enables seamless AI-enabled photo transfer between smartphones and laptops via a simple tap, supporting both iOS and Android devices. Smart Care: Offers access to Lenovos support tools, including live chat with engineers and enhanced Premier Support Plus services. ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition features the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor, delivering three times the AI performance of previous models. It includes Intel Arc Xe2 graphics and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with over 45 TOPS of AI power. The laptop has a 14-inch 2.8k OLED Dolby Vision display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a premium Haptic TouchPad, and a classic three-button TrackPoint. Supporting Microsofts Copilot+ PC features with a dedicated Copilot key, it offers more than 18 hours of battery life and weighs under 1kg, making it the lightest ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It supports Wi-Fi 7, optional 5G sub-6GHz, and includes 2x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, and 1x HDMI ports. Built with 90% recycled magnesium and plastic-free packaging, it holds EPEAT Gold and ENERGY STAR 9.0 certifications. Quick specs: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC Proof of Concept Lenovo has announced the Auto Twist AI PC proof of concept, featuring a unique Auto Twist design with Dual Degree of Freedom automatic rotation for adaptive use. It includes AI-powered features that track user movements for optimal display visibility and offers voice command integration to switch between modes like close laptop and tablet mode. The smart lid closes automatically when the laptop is unattended, enhancing security and promoting ergonomic use to reduce strain. This concept aims to set a new standard for intelligent, user-centric devices. ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD is designed for modern professionals, featuring AMD Ryzen AI processors that provide three times the performance of previous models. It features Zen 5 cores and AMD Radeon graphics for smooth multitasking and content creation. Enhanced with AMD PRO technology for security and deployment, the laptop boasts a redesigned thermal system, 400-nit display brightness with 3M DBEF5 technology, and a new Communications Bar with a 5MP camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, 5G sub-6GHz, and various ports. With a 16:10 display, an 88% screen-to-body ratio, and weighing 2.86 lbs (1.3 kg), the laptop combines sleek design with sustainability, using recycled materials and plastic-free packaging. It supports future Copilot+ PC features and offers up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory and more than 17 hours of battery life. It holds EPEAT Gold, TCO, and ENERGY STAR 9.0 certifications. Quick specs: ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ features the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor with up to 50 TOPS of AI capability and AMD Radeon 880M graphics for detailed visuals. It includes a sleek metal design, a 16-inch 3.2K display, and an 85Wh battery for over 17 hours of 1080p video playback. The laptop supports AI-enhanced tools and provides robust security with hardware protection and Microsoft Plutons chip-to-cloud technology. It features a large ForcePad, a full range of I/O ports, dedicated AI keys, and tactile keyboard markers. The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ aims to improve productivity and creativity with its advanced technology and design. Quick specs: ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is a high-performance Copilot+ PC laptop designed for enhanced productivity and creativity. It features the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor with a dedicated NPU delivering 45 TOPS of AI capability and includes on-device tools like Meeting Assistant. The laptop offers strong performance and energy efficiency, with multi-day battery life and specialized hardware for AI and camera processing. It has a 16mm thin design, a large TouchPad, a 16-inch display with a 91.3% screen-to-body ratio, and Lenovo Pro Sound with Dolby Atmos. It also includes an 84 Whr battery, reliable connectivity, and robust security features like hardware protection and Microsoft Plutons chip-to-cloud technology. Quick specs: ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 AI PC Fast Start and Lenovos ThinkShield solutions Lenovo has introduced AI PC Fast Start, a service that helps organizations swiftly adopt AI-ready devices through AI-powered advisory and lifecycle services, enhancing technical readiness, deployment, and ROI. Alongside, Lenovos ThinkShield solutions offer comprehensive security with AI-powered endpoint protection, Supply Chain Assurance, and now, enhanced protection through the integration of SentinelOnes Singularity Platform, ensuring robust security and productive hybrid work environments. Pricing and Availability ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: Available November 2024 in the UK, Germany, France, Nordics, and Switzerland, starting at 2,699 (USD 3000 / Rs. 2,51,815 approx.) (excl. tax). ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD: Available November 2024, starting at 2,199 (USD 2444 / Rs. 2,05,165 approx.) (excl. tax). ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+: Available December 2024, starting at 999 (USD 1110 / Rs. 93,205 approx.) (excl. tax). ThinkBook 16 Gen 7: Available October 2024, starting at 819 (USD 910 / Rs. 76,410 approx.) (excl. tax). You can find more information on Lenovo.com. On Thursday, Lenovo introduced new Yoga and IdeaPad models at Lenovo Innovation World 2024. These additions, including updates to the Lenovo Copilot+ PC and ThinkPad series, aim to boost productivity and creativity with AI technology. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (15, 9) The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (15, 9) is equipped with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, an 8-core hybrid setup, a high-performance GPU, and an NPU providing over 45 TOPS for advanced AI tasks. It supports up to 32GB of 8533MHz RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, with a 70WHr battery for extended use. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thunderbolt 4. The laptop is certified carbon-neutral and includes a 2-month Adobe Creative Cloud membership. Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 (14, 9) AMD The Yoga Pro 7 (14, 9), designed for demanding workflows, features an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor with up to 50 TOPS of NPU capability for high-performance AI tasks. It includes Lenovo X Power Software Accelerate for faster previews and rendering, and X Power Hardware Boost for system cooling. The laptop has a 14-inch PureSight Pro OLED display with 2.8K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and full Adobe RGB, P3, and sRGB coverage. It also offers a Soft Touch-coated keyboard, dual speakers, four microphones with noise cancellation, and an FHD IR camera. Connectivity options include USB 4.0, USB 3.2, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. It weighs 1.54 kg and measures 15.6 mm thick. Quick specs: Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition and Yoga Pro 7 Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (14, 9) The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (14, 9) is a convertible laptop powered by the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor with a 45 TOPS NPU for efficient AI tasks. It features 16GB of Dual-Channel LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The 14-inch 16:10 WUXGA OLED touch display provides 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a 60Hz refresh rate. Weighing 1.49 kg and 17.5 mm thick, it is portable, meets MIL-STD-810H durability standards, and has a metal A-cover. It includes an FHD RGB camera with a privacy shutter, a fingerprint reader, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, an audio jack, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (14, 9) The IdeaPad Slim 5x (14, 9) is a laptop designed for portability, power, and durability. It features a Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor with up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of TLC 2242 SSD storage for fast AI-enhanced performance. The optional 14-inch 16:10 WUXGA OLED display provides high color accuracy. With a full-metal chassis, the laptop meets MIL-STD-810H durability standards, is 16.9 mm thick, and weighs 1.48 kg. It includes a 57WHr battery, an FHD RGB camera with a privacy shutter, two full-function USB Type-C ports (DP 1.4, PD 3.0, data transfer), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, an audio jack, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3. An optional backlit keyboard is available for low-light use. Quick specs: Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 and IdeaPad Slim 5x Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 Series The IdeaPad Slim 5 Series comes in 15-inch and 13-inch models, both powered by AMD Ryzen 7000 processors. The 15-inch model supports up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of M.2 SSD storage, while the 13-inch model offers up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Both models feature a Copilot key for quick access to Copilot features. The laptops have an ultra-thin, all-metal design with Lenovos silk aluminum, making them lightweight yet durable. The 13-inch model weighs 1.15 kg and has a 54Whr battery, while the 15-inch model weighs 1.49 kg and has a 70Whr battery. Display options include a 15-inch 2.5K OLED screen with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a 13.3-inch WUXGA display with 100% sRGB coverage. Both models include FHD IR cameras with privacy shutters, USB Type-C, USB Type-A, HDMI, a microSD card reader, an audio jack, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. Quick specs: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 Series Lenovo Creator Zone Lenovo has announced the Lenovo Creator Zone, a new application designed to enhance creativity by generating and editing images. This tool, first introduced at CES 2024, utilizes a specialized version of Stable Diffusion 3.0 from Stability AI to transform user inputs into images quickly and efficiently. Key Features Text-to-Image: Users can input a text description and receive four generated images based on that text, facilitating quick visualization of ideas. Users can input a text description and receive four generated images based on that text, facilitating quick visualization of ideas. Sketch-to-Image: By sketching an image and adding a brief text description, users can generate four images that combine both elements, streamlining the development of visual concepts. By sketching an image and adding a brief text description, users can generate four images that combine both elements, streamlining the development of visual concepts. Image-to-Image: Providing a reference image along with a text description allows Lenovo Creator Zone to produce four variations of the reference image, useful for exploring different styles and themes. Providing a reference image along with a text description allows Lenovo Creator Zone to produce four variations of the reference image, useful for exploring different styles and themes. Advanced Image Editing: The application includes comprehensive tools for modifying images, such as background changes, image merging, and color adjustments, offering a complete solution for refining visual content. Lenovo Creator Zone will be available as an optional download for Lenovo Yoga devices with discrete GPUs, starting with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i in October. Support for additional Lenovo Yoga devices will follow. Additional Software and Services Lenovo Vantage and Lenovo Smart Performance will further enhance Lenovo Yoga and IdeaPad laptops by offering device optimization, performance monitoring, and improved security. In case of issues, the Premium Care Plus service provides expert technician access, fast repairs, accidental damage protection, and software support. Availability and Pricing Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (15, 9): Available from September 2024, starting at 1399 (USD 1555 / Rs. 1,30,530 approx.). Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 (14, 9): Available from September 2024, starting at 1699 (USD 1888 / Rs. 1,58,520 approx.). Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (14, 9): Available from September 2024, starting at 999 (USD 1110 / Rs. 93,205 approx.). Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (14, 9): Available from September 2024, starting at 899 (USD 999 / Rs. 83,875 approx.). Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (15, 10): Available from October 2024, starting at 699 (USD 777 / Rs. 65,215 approx.). Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (13, 10): Available from October 2024, starting at 699 (USD 777 / Rs. 65,215 approx.). Lenovo Creator Zone: Expected in October 2024, initially supporting Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, with other Yoga models to follow. You can find more information on Lenovo.com First decent length towing trip with my 2024 7.3 My truck is a 2024 F-350 Lariat Ultimate CCLB 7.3L / 4.30 with 18 wheels and the Camper Package. The truck is completely stock except for a 2-wheel-drive front valance and Diamondback bed cover. I know this is amateur stuff for some of you, but I completed a 1,097 mile round trip towing, a pretty good shakedown for the truck which had just over 2k miles at the start of the trip. I recently purchased a 2015 Sandstorm 27 toyhauler which came with an Equalizer brand weight distribution hitch, 31 overall counting the tongue. I didnt get a chance to weight it, but according to the sticker the trailer weights 7,100 pounds empty, so Ill guess it was around 8 to 8.5k as loaded. Before the trip I installed the Yaw sensor, tire pressure sensors and backup camera on the trailer. Im used to towing my 40 17k 5th wheel with my 1999 V-10 / 4R100 / 4.30, so the power difference with this setup was amazing. I left my house in central Arizona and took the back roads through Parker to my daughters house in California. Most of roads through Arizona were 55 mph, but some areas were as low as 35 or as high as 65. Arizona has very heavy traffic enforcement so I never went more than a couple mph over the posted limit. The only issues that arose are that while driving around 60 mph in 10th gear when pulling a small grade theres a really annoying droning noise from the exhaust thats hard to speak over. Ive never heard this while driving empty, only while towing. Locking out 9th and 10th, or driving faster, makes it go away. One thing that surprised me, the gas mileage was worse than I anticipated, averaging 6.2 mpg over 300 miles according to the screen. There were lots of hills along this drive, but still. Once in California I followed my daughter and son-in-law through Apple Valley and Palmdale on a camping trip to Carpinteria State Beach. There was plenty of in town driving and side roads along this route which became an issue for the trailer routing settings for the navigation. It was defaulted to avoid low bridges, narrow roads, and tight turns or something like that. It went berserk with warnings and alerts, and finally shut off with a message that I needed to turn off trailer routing, which I did. Im originally from California and know the speed limits are more a suggestion than anything, with little enforcement. Along most of this drive we ran 70 to 75 mph. The truck ran flawless and pulled the trailer effortlessly at that speed. I was passed by a bunch of 18 wheelers who were running 80 plus and the truck and trailer were rock steady. When driving around 55 to 60 the 10 speed shifts a lot, but at higher speeds it shifts much less and the truck is smooth and quiet. The surprising part is the displayed mileage and miles to empty kept increasing while driving faster. After a while I was up to a whole 7.6 mpg. I know that will make you Diesel guys jealous Being able to turn on the rear view trailer camera at any time with the dash button is a great feature, makes changing lanes and merging much safer. Even used it for parallel parking while stopping for lunch and it worked great. Being able to check the trailer tire pressure and temperature while driving gave peace of mind. I used tow haul mode for the entire trip and it held the speed very well on downgrades. I did learn that using the regular adaptive cruise control the transmission will downshift to hold speed, but while using the speed recognition cruise control it will only use the brakes and will not downshift. Once at the campground I discovered a few issues with the camera system. The campground has 21 and 30 sites, so I booked a 30. When I was checking in the campground host asked how long my trailer was and I told him 30 feet, (close enough to the actual 31 length I figured.) He exclaimed there was no way my trailer was going to fit into the site I booked and gave the impression I shouldnt even try. He paced off my trailer and again stated, aint no way this is going to fit. Ive been camping and towing trailers over 40 years so there was no way I wasnt at least going to give it a try after driving 550 miles to get there. When I saw the site I realized what I was up against. The neighbors to my left had one RV and about 20 people on the site, with chairs, bicycles and whatnot set up to the very edge, and the awning out to the line. The 5th wheel on the other side had the slide out right to the line, and the motor home in front of me was too long and stuck out a couple feet. I asked the neighbors to the left if they could move their chairs while I backed in. They literally moved them 3 inches and sat back down. It was now that I got to experiment with the various camera views. The default view in reverse is the tailgate camera on the truck. This makes sense when not towing, but not so much with a trailer connected. Each time I pulled forward to straighten up I would have to go back into the menu and select the auxiliary trailer camera. I also discovered that when the truck is in reverse the front views are locked out. I was inches from the neighbors in their chairs, and inches from motor home in front of me, so I would have to shift into drive to activate the front camera to see how much room I had left, even though I was trying to swing the front end over while backing up, then I would have to shift back to reverse, select the trailer camera again, and on and on. Even so, the camera was extremely helpful and it was much better than constantly getting out to check how close I was, and I got into the site without damage or embarrassment. The neighbors next to me turned out to be complete loud, obnoxious a-holes, but luckily we spent most of our time on the beach or at my daughters RV with my grandson, so it turned out to be a great trip and Im looking forward to next year. Luckily the neighbors left before me so getting out was a breeze, but somehow they smashed my brand new sewer hose flat. By the time I returned home I logged 1,097 miles and averaged 7.6 mpg according to the screen. Occasionally I would reset the Trip 2 meter on mostly level ground at 65 and I would show just over 9 mpg. I live at 4,800 feet in AZ and went over 6,100 feet on one of the passes, so there was lots of elevation change to and from sea level along the trip. It was the proverbial uphill both ways trip. Overall, I love this truck and power train. On my V-10 truck with the 4R100 I have to rev it for all its worth to pull the next gear when towing. The 7.3 is a beast and the 10 speed / 4.30 is geared perfectly for towing. It pulls and accelerates easily and is relaxing in comparison. Hopefully Ford will update the software so the default rear view camera can be changed to the trailer camera. Oh, and fix the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist so it will work with a weight distribution hitch. I tried showing my wife how to hitch up, only to discover the hitch assist only works with a regular hitch shank. It sees a weight distribution hitch as an obstacle in the way and stops the truck. Other than that I have little to complain about. BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China and Africa have been more closely bonded in their pursuit of modernization as Chinese President Xi Jinping announced here on Thursday an upgrade of China-Africa relations and unveiled 10 partnership actions. In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xi proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations. He also proposed that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. MODERNIZATION VISION FOR GLOBAL SOUTH Xi underlined modernization as "an inalienable right of all countries" in his speech, saying there will be no global modernization without the modernization of China and Africa. Xi said that the joint pursuit of modernization by China and Africa will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South and open a new chapter for building a community with a shared future for humanity. He stressed jointly advancing modernization that is just and equitable, is open and win-win, puts the people first, features diversity and inclusiveness, is eco-friendly, and is underpinned by peace and security. Xi's remarks were well received by the audience. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the need for China and Africa to work in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. "China has a long history of friendship and solidarity with the people of Africa over many centuries. And we thank China for continuing to expand and develop this spirit of cooperation and collaboration with our continent," he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said China's partnerships with the African continent are a main pillar of South-South cooperation. "China's remarkable rapid development, including eradicating poverty, provides a wealth of experience and expertise. Africa can maximize the potential of China's support in areas from trade to finance and technology," said Guterres. CONCRETE PARTNERSHIP ACTIONS To materialize the modernization vision, Xi proposed 10 partnership actions to be implemented in the next three years, which cover areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, green development and common security. For mutual learning among civilizations, Xi said China stands ready to work with Africa to build a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network for development, and 25 centers on China and Africa studies. China will invite 1,000 members of African political parties to China to deepen exchanges of experience in party and state governance. For trade prosperity, Xi said China will voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider and has decided to give all the least developed countries having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. This has made China the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a step, which will help turn China's big market into Africa's big opportunity. To strengthen industrial chain cooperation, China is willing to push forward the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, and launch an empowerment program for African small and medium-sized enterprises. A China-Africa digital technology cooperation center will be jointly built, and 20 digital demonstration projects will be initiated to embrace together the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, Xi said. In terms of partnership action for connectivity, China is prepared to carry out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa and promote together high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he said. As for development cooperation, China is ready to release a joint statement on deepening cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative with Africa, and implement 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects, said Xi. Regarding the partnership action for health, Xi said China is ready to establish with Africa a hospital alliance and joint medical centers, send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa, and launch 20 programs of health facilities and malaria treatment. To improve agriculture and livelihoods, China will provide Africa with 1 billion yuan (about 140 million U.S. dollars) in emergency food assistance, send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance. Efforts will be made to encourage two-way investment for new business operations by Chinese and African companies, enable Africa to retain added value, and create at least 1 million jobs for Africa. In terms of people-to-people exchanges, China will establish an engineering technology academy and build 10 Luban Workshops with Africa. About 60,000 training opportunities will be provided to the African people, mainly for women and young people, Xi said. As for green development, China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, create a China-Africa forum on peaceful use of nuclear technology, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. To ensure common security, China is willing to build with Africa a partnership for implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and make it a fine example of the GSI cooperation. The country will also give Africa 1 billion yuan of grants in military assistance, Xi said. To implement the 10 partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide 360 billion yuan of financial support through the next three years, he said. A declaration on jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era and an action plan of the FOCAC for the next three years were adopted Thursday at the summit. The new practical measures announced by President Xi are further proof of his constant determination to raise China-Africa cooperation to a higher level, said Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Larry Robinson/The Daily Sentinel Scott Trainor, current Fountain city manager and candidate for the open Grand Junction city manager position speaks to members of the public during a meet and greet for the two finalist candidates for the position Thursday at the Grand Junction Convention Center. Trainor, who grew up in Grand Junction, said he has been a city manager for 27 years in three different communities, and can bring a variety of experiences to the position on Grand Junction. Fri Friday 85 /55 Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks Announcing Charges Against Russian Military Officers Thursday, September 5, 2024 Location Baltimore, MD United States Remarks as Prepared for Delivery Thank you joining us this afternoon. I am Matt Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice. I am joined today by the U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. Today, we are announcing a superseding indictment against five officers of the Russian military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and one civilian Russian cyber-criminal for their campaign to conduct cyber intrusions. The superseding indictment adds to charges made public in June of this year against the Russian civilian, Amin Stigal. As alleged, the defendants are responsible for, among other malicious cyber activity, carrying out the series of destructive computer attacks, commonly referred to in the cybersecurity community as the "WhisperGate" campaign, which targeted computers in Ukraine shortly before Russia's invasion in February 2022. More generally, the indictment alleges conspiracies related to cyber intrusions targeting victims in the United States, in Ukraine and elsewhere. This WhisperGate campaign included the targeting of civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems wholly unrelated to the military or national defense, including government agencies responsible for emergency services, the judiciary, food safety and education. Seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public, the defendants also stole and leaked the personal data of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including by posting individual patient heath information and other sensitive private data for sale online, and then taunting their victims. They attempted to cover their tracks by pretending to be criminals engaged in ransomware attacks a leaving behind ransom notes demanding Bitcoin payments to return data from victim systems that the perpetrators knew had been destroyed and could not be recovered. Indeed, Stigal's involvement demonstrates the Russian government's continued willingness to provide a haven for cybercriminals in exchange for such criminals being "on call" to provide support and deniability for its military and intelligence services. These conspirators did not limit their activities to Ukraine. They targeted computers around the world and used computer infrastructure of an unwitting U.S.-based company to conduct the WhisperGate attacks. The conspirators went on to target computer systems in other nations supporting Ukraine in its fight for survival, such as one alleged instance of targeting a European country's transportation infrastructure. Ultimately, their targets included computer systems in 26 NATO partners, including the United States. Before I turn it over to U.S. Attorney Barron to discuss this case in more detail, I will note that we are announcing today's charges alongside the concurrent actions of our partners. The U.S. Department of State is offering a Rewards for Justice reward of up to $10 million for information on the defendants. Over a dozen domestic and foreign partners have issued a joint cyber security advisory regarding the group's cyber activities. And Estonia also has announced criminal charges against several individuals involved in the same hacking activity, including two of the same defendants. The Justice Department stands united with our partners and allies in supporting the Ukrainian people in the wake of Russia's unlawful and unjust invasion. The National Security Division will continue to use every tool in the department's arsenal - including our private and international partnerships - to identify the individuals, take down the infrastructure and expose the tools and techniques propping up the Russian Government and carrying out its wide-variety of malicious and destabilizing activities. When it comes to countering Russia's cyber-enabled malicious activities, National Security Division prosecutors are operating as a force multiplier for prosecutors and agents throughout the country. They are emphasizing prevention and, since Russia's invasion, have conducted multiple court-authorized takedowns of the GRU's and other Russian botnets and malware networks. This includes the April 2022 Cyclops Blink operation to remove the GRU's malware from infected C2 devices, successfully dismantling the GRU botnet and remediating thousands of infected devices, which Russia could have otherwise deployed against Ukraine and its allies. In May 2023, they executed the court-authorized removal of the FSB's "Snake" malware from hundreds of computer systems in at least 50 countries, undermining the FSB's global espionage apparatus. And, just a few months ago, the National Security Cyber Section spearheaded the court-authorized takedown of a network of hundreds of compromised routers that the GRU had set up as the successor to Cyclops Blink. Even as our cyber adversaries evolve and adjust tactics, we are rising to counter them every step of the way. We are also bringing this proactive posture to disrupting cyber-enabled foreign malign influence operations as well. Just yesterday, the Attorney General announced the department's "Doppelganger" takedown operation to seize 32 internet domains used by the Russian government and its proxies to impersonate legitimate U.S. and foreign media organizations and perpetrate a covert campaign to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This followed an action a few months ago to take down a Russian intelligence-operated, AI-enhanced bot farm that was similarly used to disseminate disinformation and sow discord in the U.S. and elsewhere. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Barron and the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, and the FBI's Baltimore Field Office, Milwaukee Field Office and Boston Field Office. Their dedication and partnership in disrupting this serious activity illustrates the department's commitment to meeting national security and cybersecurity threats with action. Speaker: Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General Topic: National Security Components: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - Maryland NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Estonia names Russia's military intelligence in a first-ever attribution of cyberattacks Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05.09.2024 Today 5 September, Estonia attributed the 2020 cyberattacks against Estonia to the members of Unit 29155 of Russia's military intelligence (GRU). It is the first time in history that Estonia has attributed cyberattacks against the state to the perpetrator of the attacks. The Prosecutor's Office sought the arrest of three GRU officers and they are wanted internationally based on the arrest warrant issued by the Harju County Court. Estonia's security agencies also provided support for an US investigation in connection with more extensive cyberattacks. "Estonia condemns any malign activity, including cyberactivity that threatens our institutions, our citizens and our security. Both a national and an international investigation that included 10 countries showed that Russia's aim was to damage national computer systems, obtain sensitive information and strike a blow against our sense of security," Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, adding that Russia's actions were malign and premeditated and Russia must be held accountable. "Estonia was not the only target, unfortunately our Allies and partners, including Ukraine, were also hit. One of the main aims of Russia has been to destroy Ukraine, both in cyberspace as well as on the conventional battlefield, and deter Ukraine's supporters," Tsahkna said. He affirmed that we will remain unmoved by this and in cooperation with our international partners, we will continue reinforcing our safety, security and values. "Estonia also advocates for all states respecting international law in cyberspace. An open, stable and secure cyberspace is the foundation of the success story of Estonia's digital society," the minister said. Tanel Sepp, Director General of the Cyber Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that with this attribution, we are sending a clear signal that cyberspace is not lawless by nature. "Attribution in cyberspace is not an easy task but today we can clearly show that we can to this and we will continue identifying the perpetrators of attacks against us in the future," Sepp said, adding that our cooperation with partners will be equally effective. Joint press release by the Prosecutor's Office, Estonian Internal Security Service, and the Police and Border Guard Board: : https://www.prokuratuur.ee/en/news/gru-military-unit-launched-cyberattacks-against-estonian-authorities Statement by the United States of America on the cyberattacks: Office of Public Affairs | Five Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian Government | United States Department of Justice BACKGROUND: In November 2020, three Estonian ministries were hit by cyberattacks and they were processed by the Prosecutor's Office and other relevant agencies. The Information System Authority of Estonia identified three criminal attacks against Estonia's national IT infrastructure, and one involved the servers of the Foreign Ministry's external websites www.MFA.ee and www.vm.ee and their services. The attribution of the cyberattack comes from the decision of an attribution working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informed by the results of an international and national investigation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US warns Russian hackers: 'We are onto you' By Jeff Seldin September 05, 2024 The United States has charged five Russian intelligence officers and one Russian civilian in connection with a major cyberattack, described by U.S. prosecutors as the first shot in the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. The Justice Department unsealed the superseding indictment Thursday, accusing the Russians of carrying out the January 2022 "WhisperGate" malware attack that sought to debilitate Ukraine's civilian infrastructure ahead of the Russian invasion the following month. "The WhisperGate campaign included the targeting of civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems wholly unrelated to the military or national defense, that include government agencies responsible for emergency services in Ukraine, the judiciary, food safety and education, seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public," said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen. The attack "could be considered the first shot of the war," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno, speaking alongside Olsen during a news conference in Baltimore, Maryland. DelBagno said the WhisperGate campaign also targeted the United States and dozens of NATO allies, going as far as to infiltrate a U.S. government agency based in Maryland while simultaneously accessing U.S. bank accounts. "The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners and allies, will relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats," he said. "This type of cyber warfare will not be tolerated. The scope of Russia's crimes cannot be ignored." Thursday's superseding indictment, the result of an FBI operation named "Toy Soldier," builds on charges first filed in June against 22-year-old Russian Amin Stigal, a civilian accused of leveraging malware to aid Russian intelligence ahead of the invasion of Ukraine. As part of the attack, Stigal and the agents with Unit 21955 of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, or GRU, used the cyberinfrastructure of some U.S.-based companies to launch what first appeared to be ransomware attacks, but which were actually designed to wipe out critical data. The new indictment names Stigal's Russian GRU accomplices as Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Yuriy Denisov, Dmitriy Goloshubov and Nikolay Korchagin. FBI officials said the GRU unit has also operated under the names Cadet Blizzard, Ember Bear and Dev-0586, carrying out cyberattacks on critical infrastructure across Europe, Central America and Asia. In addition to the new charges, U.S. officials said they are offering a reward of up to $10 million for each of the Russians named in the criminal complaint. The officials said they are also working with Interpol to serve notices that could help lead to the arrest of the six Russians. "They are marked people," Olsen said. "We know who they are. There's a reward on their head, and we're going to pursue them relentlessly." "The message is clear," he said. "To the GRU, to the Russians, we are onto you." In addition to the charges, the FBI and its partners on Thursday issued a cybersecurity advisory telling organizations and companies to fix known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by the GRU's Unit 21955. The Russian Embassy in Washington has yet to respond to a VOA request for comment. A key Ukrainian official praised the U.S. indictments and the multinational work that helped make it possible. "This is a very vivid example of how cooperation, international joint work will and actually can facilitate in this effort to struggle with such a strong and unfortunately quite big enemy as Russia," said Ivan Kalabashkin, the deputy head of Cyber for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Kalabaskin, speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Washington Thursday, said Ukraine is suffering from between 10 and 15 major Russian cyberattacks a day, warning the threat is unlikely to diminish. "The Russians are working very thoroughly on building their offensive [cyber] capacities," he said. "They are teaching their students at the university, the civil universities, how to attack systems ... how to attack infrastructure." Meanwhile, some U.S. allies announced their own plans to crack down on Russian intelligence. Estonia on Thursday announced it has attributed a 2020 cyberattack on three of its government ministries and is seeking the arrest of three members of the GRU's Unit 21955. "Russia's aim was to damage national computer systems, obtain sensitive information and strike a blow against our sense of security," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement. "Estonia condemns any malign activity, including cyberactivity that threatens our institutions, our citizens and our security," Tsahkna said. Thursday's charges by the U.S. against Russian agents are the latest in a series of measures by Washington to crack down on what it describes as Moscow's malign activity. Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department charged a U.S. television presenter for Channel One Russia and his wife with sanctions evasion. On Wednesday, the U.S. charged two Russian nationals employed by the Kremlin-backed RT media outlet with funneling almost $10 million to a U.S.-based media company to spread pro-Russian disinformation. The Justice Department on Wednesday also announced the takedown of 32 internet domains linked to what officials described as a separate Russian operation aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election. VOA's United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Who is alleged Chinese agent Linda Sun? By VOA News September 05, 2024 Linda Sun, the Chinese American political aide accused this week of acting as an agent of Beijing, rose rapidly in New York state politics on her way to a job as deputy chief of staff to Governor Kathy Hochul. She climbed the ladder with stints as public relations director to a Taiwanese American member of Congress and an assignment as the deputy chief diversity officer in the office of the previous governor. But according to the indictment made public this week, she used her position to tamp down public criticism of China's treatment of its Uyghur minority and to prevent interactions between Taiwanese government officials and senior New York state officials. In return, the indictment alleges, Beijing rewarded her with millions of dollars in bribes and business deals. Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested Tuesday, accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by illegally acting as agents of the Chinese government. Other charges include visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. Hu was also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and abuse of identification. Court appearance The two naturalized U.S. citizens made their first appearance in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn on Tuesday. During the arraignment, they pleaded not guilty and were released on a combined $2 million bail. They are not allowed to travel outside New York, New Hampshire and Maine. In a statement shared with VOA Mandarin, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu dismissed the allegations. "I am not aware of the specific details. But in recent years, the U.S. government and media have frequently hyped up the so-called 'Chinese agents' narratives, many of which have later been proven untrue," he said. He added that "China requires its citizens overseas to comply with the laws and regulations of the host country, and we firmly oppose the groundless slandering and smearing targeting China." Barnard graduate Sun was born in China in 1983 and moved to the U.S. with her parents at age 5. She is fluent in Chinese. She got her undergraduate degree in political science from Barnard College in 2006. According to a campus magazine, she first got involved in public service at age 8 by translating forms and filing tax returns for her parents. She obtained her master's degree in education from Columbia University in 2009, but her path turned to politics. In 2008, she met Grace Meng, the U.S. representative for New York's 6th Congressional District. Meng was campaigning at the time and was said to be impressed by Sun's energy and initiative. Sun joined Meng's campaign as public relations director and then became chief of staff for the Taiwanese American congresswoman. In 2012, Sun became the director of Asian American Affairs and Queens regional representative in the governor's office. She also served as the deputy chief diversity officer in former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration from 2018 to 2020 and then was deputy chief of staff to Hochul from 2021 to 2022. Alleged effort to silence As a deputy chief diversity officer, she called on ethnic minorities to have a seat at the table through government programs. However, according to the indictment, Sun sought to silence voices in the U.S. speaking out for China's Uyghur Muslim minority, whom the Chinese government has long been accused of oppressing. She allegedly had an argument with Hochul's speechwriter, who had insisted the then-lieutenant governor should mention the Uyghur situation in China in a Lunar New Year speech to the Chinese American community. The indictment said Sun successfully prevented Taiwanese government officials, including former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, from interacting with senior New York state officials, while facilitating Chinese delegations' trips to the U.S. with fraudulent invitation letters. In return for Sun's political assistance, the indictment says, the Chinese government financially rewarded her with millions of dollars and aided Hu's commercial activities in China. Using the illegal funds, the couple is alleged to have bought a 2024 Ferrari, a $2.1 million apartment in Hawaii and a $3.55 million Long Island single-family home. Sun and Hu are scheduled to next appear in court on September 25. Adrianna Zhang and Adam Xu contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Doppelganger The Justice Department announced 04 September 2024 the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as "Doppelganger," in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws. Among the methods Doppelganger used to drive viewership to the cybersquatted and unique media domains were the deployment of influencers worldwide, paid social media advertisements (in some cases created using artificial intelligence tools), and the creation of fake social media profiles posing as U.S. (or other non-Russian) citizens to post comments on social media platforms with links to the cybersquatted domains, all of which attempted to trick viewers into believing they were being directed to a legitimate news media outlets website. As alleged in an unsealed affidavit, the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of the Russian Presidential Administration, and in particular First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, used these domains, among others, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election. KIRIYENKO has been sanctioned and described by OFAC as the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office and reportedly Putins domestic policy curator. KIRIYENKO is frequently referred to in Russian and Western media as Putins right-hand man. Documents from the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA) reveal that SDA extensively monitors and collects information about a large number of media organizations and social media influencers. One document revealed a list of more than 2,800 people on various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Telegram, spanning 81 countries, that SDA identified as influencers, including television and radio hosts, politicians, bloggers, journalists, businessmen, professors, think-tank analysts, veterans, professors, and comedians. When referring to politicians, the list often mentioned which US state and/or political party they represent and the position they hold in Congress. The US-based influencers accounted for approximately 21% of the accounts being monitored by SDA. On another list of over 1,900 anti-influencers from 52 countries, the USbased accounts comprised 26% of the total accounts being monitored by SDA.Th FBI assessed that antiinfluencer indicates that the account posts content that SDA views as contrary to Russian objectives. SDA required a large number of perishable accounts to disseminate this content because of enforcement efforts by U.S. social media companies to identify and deactivate accounts associated with Doppelganger. SDA records revealed another influence campaign aimed at avoiding detection and mitigation by U.S. social media companies by creating and developing a network of 200 accounts in Twitter, four in each of the 50 states: two active and two dormant ones. SDA actively sought to eliminate the possibility of detection of the Russian footprint in the proposed project, a multi-level protection of the infrastructure will be built. It will contain VPN services, physical servers located in the United States, etc. The fake Russian fact-checking website War on Fakes, 52 Case 2:24-mj-01395 Document 4 Filed 09/04/24 Page 53 of 277 launched a few hours after Russia invaded Ukraine. Quickly identified for its role in legitimizing the Russian special military operation and discrediting the Ukrainian State, War on Fakes has also been amplified by at least 65 official Facebook pages and official Twitter accounts of the Russian diplomatic network. Moreover, War on Fakes the administrators login page has been set up to redirect traffic to rrussianews.com, thereby establishing a technical link between the two websites. In July 2023, the European Union (EU) sanctioned seven Russian individuals and five Russian entities for their role in Doppelganger. Among the entities and individuals sanctioned by the EU were SDA, STRUCTURA, GAMBASHIDZE, and ANO Dialog. In so doing, the EU explained: "Russian actors have conducted a digital information manipulation campaign named RRN (Recent Reliable News) aiming at manipulating information and disseminating propaganda in support of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. That campaign, in which government bodies or bodies affiliated to the Russian State have participated, relies on fake web pages usurping the identity of national media outlets and government websites as well as fake accounts on social media."" On July 19, 2023, the Viginum Agency (VIGINUM), a French government agency tasked with vigilance and protection against foreign digital interference, which operates under the authority of the Secretariat-General for National Defense and Security, highlighted Doppelgangers creation and operation of cybersquatted domains: "Since February 2023, VIGINUM has noticed an increasing number of impersonations of major French and foreign media outlets, in order to publish pro-Russian articles linked to the war in Ukraine. . . The appearance of typosquatted websites is in every way similar to that of the media outlets they are impersonating, the only difference being the visited URL. " Mandiant, an American cybersecurity firm and a subsidiary of Google, tracks the Doppelganger Information Operations Campaign and publishes a monthly report with updates to the state of the campaign in a document Mandiant calls a Narrative Tracker. In their April 2024 report, Mandiant noted in addition to the continued use of cybersquatted websites, the Doppelganger campaign had begun using other domains to target American audiences. Spicy Conspiracy describes itself as Uncovering the truth behind the veil. Your source for in depth coverage of conspiracies, secret agendas, and hidden realities. Election Watch focuses on U.S. elections, including the 2024 U.S. presidential election, political candidates, purported corruption, and polling results. Truth Gate and Shadow Watch are English language websites that focused on disseminating corruption and conspiracy disinformation targeting the U.S. Artichoc io is a French language website with a tagline that translates to Art that Shocks. In conjunction with the domain seizures, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the designation of 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated response to Russia's malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This announcement follows the designation of actors involved in Doppelganger announced by the Treasury Department in March 2024. "The Justice Department is seizing 32 internet domains that the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of our country's elections," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "As alleged in our court filings, President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, including Sergei Kiriyenko, directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. An internal planning document created by the Kremlin states that a goal of the campaign is to secure Russia's preferred outcome in the election. The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries. Our actions today make clear that the Justice Department will be aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts by the Russian government, or any other malign actor, to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy." "The Department's seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. "At Putin's direction, Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog used cybersquatting, fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media. Those narratives targeted specific American demographics and regions in a calculated effort to subvert our election. Our republic depends on elections that are free from foreign interference, and we will not rest in our efforts to expose foreign malign influence operations and protect our democracy, without fear or favor." "Today's announcement exposes the scope of the Russian government's influence operations and their reliance on cutting-edge AI to sow disinformation," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "Companies operating at the direction of the Russian government created websites to trick Americans into unwittingly consuming Russian propaganda. By seizing these websites, the FBI is making clear to the world what they are, Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and shutdown these covert influence campaigns." "This seizure illustrates vividly what the U.S. government and private sector partners have warned for months: the Russian government and its proxies are aggressively accelerating the Kremlin's covert efforts to seed false stories and amplify disinformation directed at the American public," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "Today's announcement reveals Russia is willing to impersonate our free and open press in its egregious schemes. This is our third disruption of Russian foreign malign influence operations in two months, and the Justice Department remains relentless in protecting Americans from such unacceptable conduct. To Russia, and any other government seeking to stoke discord in our society: know that we will spare no effort and use every available tool to disrupt and expose this malign activity and defend our democratic institutions." "Protecting our democratic processes from foreign malign influence is paramount to ensure enduring public trust," said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. "As America's adversaries continue to spew propaganda and disinformation towards the American electorate, we'll use every tool at our disposal to expose and dismantle their insidious foreign influence campaigns." The propaganda did not identify, and in fact purposefully obfuscated, the Russian government or its agents as the source of the content. The perpetrators extensively utilized "cybersquatted" domains, a method of registering a domain intended to mimic another person or company's website (e.g., registering washingtonpost.pm to mimic washingtonpost.com), to publish Russian government messaging falsely presented as content from legitimate news media organizations. In other instances, the perpetrators sought to create their own unique media brands to promote Doppelganger content (e.g., Recent Reliable News). Among the methods Doppelganger used to drive viewership to the cybersquatted and unique media domains was the deployment of "influencers" worldwide, paid social media advertisements (in some cases created using artificial intelligence tools), and the creation of social media profiles posing as U.S. (or other non-Russian) citizens to post comments on social media platforms with links to the cybersquatted domains, all of which attempted to trick viewers into believing they were being directed to a legitimate news media outlet's website. The affidavit describes the perpetrators' own internal strategy meeting notes, project proposals, and other records obtained during the course of the investigation. Several notable propaganda project proposals directed against the United States included: Good Old USA Project The Guerilla Media Campaign U.S. Social Media Influencers Network Project Doppelganger's foreign malign influence efforts were not directed solely against audiences in the United States. Other targets of the perpetrators' propaganda included Germany, Mexico, and Israel, among others. Doppelganger's influence campaigns sought to influence the citizenry of those countries to support Russian government objectives, including by undermining the United States' relationship with those countries. Doppelganger's use of the U.S.-based domain names at the direction and control of, and for the benefit of, sanctioned persons, including Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, SDA, and Structura, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). As a result, the accompanying payments for Doppelganger's online infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws. In addition, Doppelganger's publication of content on cybersquatted domains with names and content that mimic legitimate media outlets violates federal criminal trademark laws because those domains feature trademarks registered on the Principal Register maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Autonomous Non-Profit Organization (ANO) Dialog (ANO Dialog) is a Russian nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by the Moscow city government that leverages AI technology in online Russian disinformation for use against election campaigns. ANO Dialog Regions (Dialog Regions) is ANO Dialogs subsidiary organization that is co-located at their Moscow headquarters and also has offices throughout Russia. Vladimir Grigoryevich Tabak (Tabak) is the Director General of both ANO Dialog and Dialog Regions. He previously held several positions in the Russian Presidential Administration. ANO Dialog is linked to Doppelganger a Russia-linked influence operation network identified in 2022 that used deep fake content to develop Russian disinformation campaigns. In fall 2022, Tabak was expected to attend a meeting with senior Russian government officials. The meeting discussed the presumed success of the Doppelganger activity and provided feedback and guidance on future projects. In July 2022, ANO Dialog and Tabak provided services to the Russian government, working on a project for the creation of fake online posts on popular social media accounts, including Reliable Recent News (RRN) and War on Fakesa Russian disinformation website publicly linked to the Doppelganger activitythat would be composed of counterfeit documents, among other material, in order to elicit an emotional response from the audiences of these accounts. An ANO Dialog advisor purchased RRNs new domain, rrn.world in order to avoid using the former domain, rrussianews.com, which would have maintained a connection to Russia. Tabak also coordinated with ANO Dialog and the Russian government on the payment of services for an RRN-affiliate translator. In late fall 2023, ANO Dialog personnel identified U.S., UK, and other public figures as potential targets for deepfake projects. Because of this, the EU sanctioned ANO Dialog for its role in the disinformation network and specifically as the owner and operator of the War on Fakes website. In May 2024, Tabak and several Dialog Regions officials coordinated with Russian government officials regarding the creation of bot accounts on popular social media messaging platforms for use in a misinformation campaign regarding voting locations in the U.S. 2024 election. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WhisperGate As Russias invasion of Ukraine continues into its second year and Microsoft continues to collaborate with global partners in response, the exposure of destructive cyber capabilities and information operations provide greater clarity into the tools and techniques used by Russian state-sponsored threat actors. Throughout the conflict, Russian threat actors have deployed a variety of destructive capabilities with varying levels of sophistication and impact, which showcase how malicious actors rapidly implement novel techniques during a hybrid war, along with the practical limitations of executing destructive campaigns when significant operational errors are made and the security community rallies around defense. These insights help security researchers continuously refine detection and mitigation capabilities to defend against such attacks as they evolve in a wartime environment. Leading up to Russias unprovoked attack against Ukraine, threat actors deployed destructive malware against organizations in Ukraine to destroy computer systems and render them inoperable. On January 15, 2022, the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) disclosed that malware, known as WhisperGate, was being used to target organizations in Ukraine. According to Microsoft, WhisperGate is intended to be destructive and is designed to render targeted devices inoperable. On February 23, 2022, several cybersecurity researchers disclosed that malware known as HermeticWiper was being used against organizations in Ukraine. Destructive malware can present a direct threat to an organizations daily operations, impacting the availability of critical assets and data. Further disruptive cyberattacks against organizations in Ukraine are likely to occur and may unintentionally spill over to organizations in other countries. Organizations should increase vigilance and evaluate their capabilities encompassing planning, preparation, detection, and response for such an event. Threat actors have deployed destructive malware, including both WhisperGate and HermeticWiper, against organizations in Ukraine to destroy computer systems and render them inoperable. CISA recommends organizations review the resources listed below for more in-depth analysis and see the Mitigation section for best practices on handling destructive malware. On January 15, 2022, Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) announced the identification of a sophisticated malware operation targeting multiple organizations in Ukraine. The malware, known as WhisperGate, has two stages that corrupts a systems master boot record, displays a fake ransomware note, and encrypts files based on certain file extensions. Note: although a ransomware message is displayed during the attack, Microsoft highlighted that the targeted data is destroyed, and is not recoverable even if a ransom is paid. Destructive malware may use popular communication tools to spread, including worms sent through email and instant messages, Trojan horses dropped from websites, and virus-infected files downloaded from peer-to-peer connections. Malware seeks to exploit existing vulnerabilities on systems for quiet and easy access. The malware has the capability to target a large scope of systems and can execute across multiple systems throughout a network. As a result, it is important for organizations to assess their environment for atypical channels for malware delivery and/or propagation throughout their systems. Microsoft uses DEV-#### designations as a temporary name given to an unknown, emerging, or a developing cluster of threat activity, allowing MSTIC to track it as a unique set of information until it reachs a high confidence about the origin or identity of the actor behind the activity. Once it meets the criteria, a DEV is converted to a named actor or merged with existing actors. In April 2023 Microsoft Threat Intelligence shifted to a new threat actor naming taxonomy aligned around the theme of weather. DEV-0586 is now tracked as Cadet Blizzard. In an indictment unsealed 05 September 2024, a grand jury in Maryland charged six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia), with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Five of the defendants were officers in Unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The sixth individual was a civilian already under indictment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and is now also charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of States Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any of the defendants locations or their malicious cyberactivity. The indictment alleges that these GRU hackers and their co-conspirator engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from and destroy computer systems associated with the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data. The defendants targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including the United States and 25 other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The GRUs WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russias abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. Todays indictment underscores that the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt this kind of malicious cyber activity and hold perpetrators accountable for indiscriminate and destructive targeting of the United States and our allies. Since July 2021, the U.S. Department of States Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, said DSS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Investigations and Analysis Paul Houston. Under this reward offer, the RFJ program is seeking information leading to the location of these individuals, GRUs malicious cyber activity or associated individuals and entities. Todays superseding indictment underscores our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to pursue those who would do us and our allies around the world harm, said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals. Through strokes on a keyboard, the accused criminals used computers to cross into countries, hunting for weaknesses and seeking to harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners, both national and international, will collectively defend against Russias aggressive and illegal actions, said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. We are united in identifying, prosecuting and protecting against future crimes and vow to relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats. The defendants charged in the indictment are: Yuriy Denisov, a colonel in the Russian military and a commanding officer of Cyber Operations for Unit 29155; four lieutenants in the Russian military assigned to Unit 29155 who worked on cyber operations: Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Dmitriy Goloshubov and Nikolay Korchagin ; and a civilian co-conspirator, Amin Sitgal . According to court documents, on Jan. 13, 2022, the defendants conspired to use a U.S.-based companys services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as WhisperGate, which was designed to look like ransomware, to dozens of Ukrainian government entities computer systems. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian government networks subjected to this attack included the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Treasury, Judiciary Administration, State Portal for Digital Services, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Agriculture, State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Energy, Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, State Emergency Service, State Forestry Agency and Motor Insurance Bureau. In conjunction with these attacks, the defendants compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records and defaced the websites to read: Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future. That same day, the defendants offered the hacked data for sale on the internet. The U.S. government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine. In August 2022, the defendants also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. Beginning in August 2021, the defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems including those associated with 26 NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities. The indictment further alleges that from Aug. 5, 2021, to Feb. 3, 2022, the defendants leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks. This indictment is part of an international effort, Operation Toy Soldier, to combat the malicious cyber activity by Unit 29155 of the GRU. Accompanying todays announcement, the FBI and 12 other partners, representing governments of nine countries, released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory to enhance network defense efforts against Unit 29155s malicious cyber activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address For a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages: Foreign Minister Baerbock travels to the Middle East once again Germany Federal Foreign Office 04.09.2024 - Article For the eleventh time since the Hamas massacre and Israel's actions in Gaza, Foreign Minister Baerbock is visiting the region from 4 to 6 September. Her programme will include talks in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. For many people in Israel and Gaza, 7 October marked the beginning of a never-ending nightmare. Both for the families of the hostages abducted by Hamas and for people in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is on the verge of collapse. Since last weekend, there has been sad certainty about the fate of six more Israeli hostages, who were found dead in Gaza. A humanitarian ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages will be the focus of all political talks between Foreign Minister Baerbock and her partners in Riyadh, Amman, Tel Aviv and Ramallah. Prior to her departure, Foreign Minister Baerbock stated: All efforts must continue to be directed towards a humanitarian ceasefire leading to the hostages' release - and to an end to the dying. After all, there is no military solution either for Gaza or for the situation in the West Bank. Working together for stability in the region The entire region is in the throes of violence and there is a danger that the conflict will spread: while the tensions between the Israeli army and the Lebanese Hezbollah grow, missile attacks by the Yemeni Houthis pose a threat to international shipping in the Red Sea. As a key regional actor, Saudi Arabia has a special role to play. Foreign Minister Baerbock will meet her Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh. Jordan, too, has not only been a key partner for many years but is also directly affected by the unresolved Middle East conflict. And it is an important partner for Germany in our tireless efforts to supply humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Annalena Baerbock will discuss further steps towards peace and stability with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Recently, there has been a risk of a violent escalation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the security of the Palestinians living there as well as for the prosecution of any acts of violence committed by radical Israeli settlers. Foreign Minister Baerbock and her partners in the region are doing everything in their power to prevent the West Bank, too, from descending into violence. A humanitarian ceasefire and a commitment to the two-state solution are needed now if the violence is to be ended, more humanitarian assistance sent to Gaza and all Israeli hostages released. Annalena Baerbock's talks with the Israeli Government, including those with her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, will therefore focus on this. Foreign Minister Baerbock will also meet relatives of abducted Israeli hostages. Talks with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa, are also on the agenda. Polio vaccinations as the first step towards more humanitarian assistance in Gaza Since last week, there have also been concrete glimmers of hope: the agreed humanitarian pauses finally made it possible to vaccinate children in Gaza against the polio virus in the face of an outbreak of the disease. The German Government is supporting the World Health Organization vaccination rollout and has been working with partners for many months to ensure that more humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza. The WHO stresses that peace is the most effective medicine. We continue to work tirelessly to this end. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany Federal Foreign Office 04.09.2024 - Press release Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued the following statement today (4 September) prior to her departure: The families of the remaining hostages go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning thinking of their loved ones - each and every day. But the nightmare of the people in the Middle East still has not come to an end. It is horrific that six further hostages have been murdered in captivity. The Hamas terrorists will stop at nothing, no matter how atrocious the act. That is why, as difficult as it is, all efforts must continue to be directed towards a humanitarian ceasefire leading to the hostages' release - and to an end to the dying. After all, there is no military solution either for Gaza or for the situation in the West Bank. There is a threat of escalating violence in the West Bank. Terrorism cannot be fought by tearing up roads, destroying waterpipes and blocking access to hospitals. No one stands to gain anything if a new young generation is radicalised now because they are forced to witness the destruction on their doorsteps. The Palestinians have a right to live in security and dignity. Negotiations on a two-state solution are the only option for lasting peace. This is the only way to tackle terrorism in the long term. Those members of the Israeli Government who call into question the two-state solution with their words and deeds are jeopardising Israel's long-term security. The summer holidays are coming to an end in the last Lander right now. In Gaza, normal school lessons are out of the question. The fact that, together with the United Nations, we have now been able to facilitate a vaccination campaign against polio is a ray of hope in these dark times. Each and every needle brings a piece of hope back to Gaza. Each and every vaccine dose shows that humanity is indivisible. In order for more aid to finally reach Gaza, the Biden plan proposed by the US must now be adopted at long last. Every Human Life 'Equal', Security Council Told as Speakers Weigh Killing of Israeli Hostages, Mounting Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza, West Bank Meetings Coverage Security Council 9717th Meeting (PM) SC/15810 4 September 2024 Against the backdrop of the recent killing of six Israeli hostages, a mounting Palestinian death toll in Gaza and increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank, speakers in the Security Council today urged Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that includes a ceasefire and unconditional release of those still held captive. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that, according to Israel, the hostages had been shot multiple times at close range. "They were killed by Hamas shortly before Israeli soldiers were able to reach them inside a tunnel in Rafah," she said. At least 101 hostages are still held in Gaza, she noted, calling for their unconditional release and an immediate ceasefire. Israeli military operations continue across Gaza, she said, adding that some 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, a majority of whom were reportedly women and children. In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, some 630 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed, she added, citing the "increasingly brazen and deadly" attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Israel also launched on 28 August large-scale military operations against alleged terrorist cells in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas governorates, she noted. "The latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank compel us to affirm, yet again, the equal value of every human life," stated Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. There are no winners in this war, and the suffering and devastation "show that there has been almost no limit to the inhumanity unfolding before our eyes", she said. This is apparent in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, in the recent killing of six hostages, in the hostages that remain in Gaza and the toll of injuries and deaths among Palestinians in the Strip. She said that water infrastructure has been severely damaged, food sources and production facilities have been destroyed, vital humanitarian operations have been crippled and repeated evacuation orders leave civilians exposed to the dangers of hostilities and deprived of the essentials to survive. "It does not have to be this way," she underscored, noting that local humanitarian pauses have enabled the launch of the emergency polio vaccination campaign over 187,000 children under 10 have been vaccinated so far. The Council also heard from two civil society briefers, including Efrat Bron-Harlev, an Israeli paediatric physician and Director of Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel one of the leading paediatric centres in the world, who said that no child should ever go through what the children and civilians of Israel have gone through on 7 October. On that day, "many children, of all ages babies, toddlers, children were butchered in their houses," she recalled. Of the 253 hostages, 38 were children, she said, adding that the youngest, still now in Gaza, was then only 8 months old. Many of these young children were kept in captivity, not allowed to cry or laugh, and were moved from place to place in the middle of the night. In all, she said, Schneider Children's Hospital received 19 children, 6 mothers and one grandmother that were all in captivity. "When they arrived [in the hospital], they did not look like children; they looked like shadows of children," she added. The Council needs to help Israel bring back the children that have not yet returned, she said, adding: "I need you to help all of us make sure that never again such intentional atrocities will happen to children." Yuli Novak, Israeli human rights activist and Executive Director of B'Tselem, criticized his country's Government for prioritizing war over the return of hostages, leaving people feeling "angry, desperate and betrayed". That Government's "criminal conduct" over the last eleven months has been guided by the idea of promoting "Jewish supremacy over the entire territory under its control" a constitutional principle enshrined six years ago, she stated. Accusing the Government of "cynically exploiting" the collective trauma of 7 October to further its "project of cementing Israeli control," she added: "To do that, it is waging war on the entire Palestinian people, including committing war crimes almost daily." She went on to warn that by "making Gaza uninhabitable," the Israeli "regime" is "laying the groundwork for long-term control of Gaza". Highlighting how Israel has enjoyed impunity for decades, she urged the Council "to acknowledge this failure" to protect civilians and "to compel Israel and Hamas to immediately and permanently cease all hostilities". Every day when the Council fails to act on the International Court of Justice's call to end the occupation and apartheid, "is another day you are abandoning us the people suffering and dying needlessly under this cruel and unjust regime", she said. However, the representative of Israel stressed that his country's top priority is the return of the hostages. It is Hamas that stands in the way of this, he said, adding that his country agreed to the ceasefire deals put forward on 27 May and 16 August. Yet the international community continues to direct pressure at his country "as if we are the ones who are holding hostages," he said. Although hostage-taking is a violation of international humanitarian law and Council resolutions, this is the first time a Council session has been dedicated to the situation of hostages. "The double standard is unbearable," he said, adding that the Council must adopt a "a simple resolution" that condemns Hamas' atrocities and designates them a terrorist organization. "I cannot understand why all of you cannot raise your hand" to support such a text, he said. The six hostages, the representative of the United States said, were executed while negotiators were discussing the names of individuals to be released in a ceasefire deal. This calls into question the sincerity of Hamas, she said, underscoring: "Hamas is a terrorist organization." While some Council members will not acknowledge that, she said: "We can condemn Hamas for what they are and still have empathy for the suffering of civilians in Gaza." The ceasefire deal being negotiated by her country, Qatar and Egypt is a deal that ensures Israel's security, she said. France was outraged, its delegate said, to learn of the killing of six hostages. Expressing solidarity with the Israeli people and condemning the terrorist attack of October 7, he said an immediate and permanent ceasefire is vital to ensure the return of hostages and allow the at-scale delivery of aid. Further, the localized humanitarian pauses must continue, he said, adding that the vaccination campaign demonstrates that it is possible to allow humanitarian actors to act on the ground. This must become the norm, he stressed. The representative of the United Kingdom said that her Government's decision this week to suspend certain armed export license to Israel does not undermine its commitment to Israel. Noting that Israel faces threats not only from Hamas, but also from Iran, she expressed unwavering commitment to its security. However, the observer for the State of Palestine underscored that "Israel is seeking to impose a military solution to the conflict by disappearing a nation." Instead of ending the Nakba, Israel's "fascist, extremist" leaders have decided to seek its conclusion "Palestine with no Palestinians", he added. On the situation in the West Bank, he said that Israel has killed over 30 Palestinians there in recent days, along with destroying refugee camps and civilian infrastructure with countless air strikes. In parallel, it advances its settler colonial agenda. "Violence by settlers and soldiers is spreading like wildfire to push people out of their homeland," he said. Noting an imminent General Assembly vote on a resolution demanding the end of this illegal occupation within a time frame, he urged Member States to remember all those either killed or left to endure torment when they make their decision: "You are either on the side of the arsonists or the firefighters you cannot be on both." Those present are gathered today because "diplomacy has failed", said the representative of Algeria, wondering aloud how many lives could have been saved if the Council had been more resolute in implementing its resolutions including resolution 2735 (2024). And, as the world struggles to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, "the Israeli occupier escalates its operations in the West Bank, continuing to slaughter Palestinians in blatant violation of international law", he said. The Council must act today to ensure that "international law is above all" and protect the multilateral system by "reining in the occupation authorities that seek to extinguish the hope of a Palestinian State", he urged. The situation in Palestine today did not begin on 7 October 2023, said Guyana's representative. Rather, it began when Israel first violently rejected the two-State solution in 1948. "What we have seen since 7 October are the symptoms of this rejection," she said, "with the victimizer capitalizing on the events of 7 October to carry out its own sinister motives even amidst protests by its own citizens". Recalling Plato's assertion that "only the dead have seen the end of war", she emphasized that the Council can ensure that remaining generations of Palestinians and Israelis also see this "and, more than that, experience sustainable peace". China's delegate also called for greater diplomatic efforts to secure the release of all detainees, whether Israeli or Palestinian, and said it is wishful thinking to prolong the war in the hope of a total victory. The Israeli leadership should listen to its "public's forceful appeals" and do its utmost to make the ceasefire happen. The countries who hold sway over the warring parties must act in good faith to bring the violence to an end. "Every life matters," he stressed, adding that Gazan children have the same right to grow up in safety and good health as do children anywhere in the world. They do not deserve to face lethal weapons after vaccination, he said. The representative of the Russian Federation said that the Council cannot afford to remain inactive in the face of developments in Gaza and the West Bank which Israeli military personnel are "systematically cleansing". The organ has already given three months for negotiations to persuade both sides to accept the deal envisioned by resolution 2735 (2024). "This was more than enough time," he stressed. But, as the United States consistently provides cover for Israel's actions, he said that it is "hardly surprising" that West Jerusalem continues to advance new conditions for reaching a deal. Several speakers expressed concern over the alarming escalatory trend in the West Bank, with the representative of Mozambique underscoring the utmost importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure under the international law by the warring parties. "An escalation on that front must be prevented at all costs. The West Bank cannot turn into another Gaza," warned the representative of Malta. In this vein, Sierra Leone's delegate cited the 19 July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that "has made it clear in its determination" that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is "unlawful". He, therefore, urged Israel "to comply and for the United Nations, including the General Assembly and Security Council, to work on the modalities as declared by the ICJ". Many speakers, including Japan's representative, welcomed the first days of the polio vaccination campaign, underscoring "the brave efforts and dedication" of the relevant UN agencies. "A large-scale humanitarian operation is possible in Gaza if hostilities cease and safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access is guaranteed," said the representative of Switzerland, adding: "It is high time that this became a reality throughout the Gaza Strip". Echoing this point, the representative of the Republic of Korea underscored the importance of upholding humanitarian pauses by both sides to ensure the campaign's success, warning: "Failure to prevent the spread of polio in Gaza will have fatal impacts in the wider region, including Israel". Similarly, the delegate from Ecuador said that the campaign showed that "with genuine political will, results can be achieved". The representative of Slovenia, Council President for September, spoke in his national capacity to describe "parallel realities" decades-long suffering and human-rights violations experienced by Palestinians, security concerns for Israelis and regional instability that threatens international peace and security. "There is only one possible common denominator for these realities," he stressed "peace". Only a ceasefire will alleviate the suffering of hostages and their loved ones, as well that of Palestinians in Gaza. Therefore, he urged the Council to proceed with two steps: first, a strong, united call for the conclusion of ceasefire negotiations led by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and second, a focused discussion on a peace process that will lead to a two-State solution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 5, 2024 Transcript Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Briefing DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: All right, good afternoon. Just a few things at the top and then happy to take your questions. This morning, Secretary Austin departed for Ramstein Air Base in Germany to host the 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group which convenes tomorrow September 6th. At Ramstein, Secretary Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown, will bring together ministers of defense and senior military officials from some 50 nations to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend its people from Russian aggression. Some key focus areas of this UDCG will include bolstering Ukraine's air defense capabilities, updates on the UDCG's capability coalitions to include the Air Force Coalition, and the energizing of the defense industrial bases of coalition nations to enable support to Ukraine for the long haul. As Secretary Austin has said, Ukraine matters to US and international security and the efforts of the UDCG continue to play a vital role in Ukraine's fight for freedom and their sovereignty. Turning to our humanitarian efforts in Gaza, the MV Cape Trinity completed its offload of approximately 6 million pounds of humanitarian aid in Ashdod. Over the next couple of days, the Cape Trinity will prepare for its trip back to the Port of Beaumont in Texas. The 6 million pounds of aid delivered this week brings the total aid delivered to the people of Gaza through the maritime and air corridors to more than 38 million pounds. This effort represents the highest volume of humanitarian assistance the US military has ever delivered in the Middle East. Switching gears, yesterday Secretary Austin spoke by phone to his Philippine counterpart, Secretary of National Defense Teodoro. The two leaders discussed Us-Philippine defense ties following the productive US-Philippines two plus two ministerial dialog in July. Secretary, Austin also reaffirmed the ironclad US commitment to the Philippines following recent dangerous and escalatory actions by the People's Republic of China against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea. Both officials discussed the importance of preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows, and a readout of the call has been posted to defense.gov. And finally, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the recent and untimely passing of Tom Squitieri, a former member of the Pentagon Press Corps family and a dedicated journalist press colleagues will remember him for his birthday wishes, breakfast and lunchtime morsels, and press briefing bingo. On behalf of the Department of Defense and OSD Public Affairs, I'd like to extend our deepest condolences to his family, his two children, his friends, his press colleagues, and his loved ones. And with that, I'd be happy to take your questions. I believe we have AP joining us via phone, so I'll start with Lita Baldor, AP. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. A question on Secretary del Toro. The Office of Special Counsel has found that he violated the Hatch Act. Does the Secretary or do you all have a comment on that, particularly since the secretary has often talked about US about how troops should not get involved in politics? And then secondly, do you have an update on the sailor that's been detained in Venezuela? Thank you. MS. SINGH: Sure, thanks Lita. I'll take your your first questions first. So in terms of the Office of Special Counsel report that you just referenced, we just were made aware of the report so it's currently being reviewed. But what I can say on this issue, or broadly speaking, is earlier this year, Deputy Secretary Hicks signed out a memo that was sent to senior leadership in the department and it stressed the importance of complying with federal law and DOD policy that addresses participation when it comes to the political process by DOD, military, and civilian personnel. And in the memo it talks about the right to exercise our right to vote and participate in government. But it also highlights that, as public servants, we uphold DOD's long standing tradition of remaining apolitical as we carry out our responsibilities. And so just to emphasize on that, you know, it's important that we maintain the trust and confidence of the American people, which requires us to avoid any action that could imply the support of any political party, candidate, or campaign. So I'll leave it at that. In terms of your second question on the US sailor in Venezuela, I don't have more other than to confirm that a US sailor was detained in Venezuela around August 30th by Venezuelan enforcement authorities while on personal travel. The US Navy is looking into this. We're working with the State Department, but at this time, I just don't have more for you. All right, I'll come back in the room here. Idrees. Q: Do you have an update on how many forces are currently in the Middle East? I know there's 40,000 or so. And just following on to that, how long do you think you can keep the additional squadron that was sent there sort of an efficient and sustainable manner? Is that something you plan on having there for the foreseeable future or is there an end date sort of thing? MS. SINGH: So in terms of the actual numbers, I don't have more to provide than the 40,000 that I think we had provided maybe a week or two ago. In terms of any force posture movements, I don't have anything to announce at this time. But as you know and as General Ryder, I think, briefed a few weeks ago, the TR was extended. Eventually, you know, as we do with all carriers or rotations, there will be, you know, she will eventually leave the AOR, but nothing to announce at this time. There's still two carriers that remain in the Central Command area of responsibility. And of course, we have the ARGMEU in the Eastern Med along with you know, a company of destroyers as well. Q: And just switching topics, the ship that's on fire that was attacked by the Houthis, is there any plan for the US military to help salvage it, given that I know you've talked about sort of the potential environmental disaster if the oil that it's carrying starts leaking? MS. SINGH: So my understanding is that you're referring to the MV Sounion, that's still on fire. So for an update, she still sits completely immobilized within the Red Sea, still posing an environmental, potentially catastrophic, environmental disaster and a navigational hazard. She still remains on fire. My understanding is that the company of the Sounion has contracted tugboats to go out there and to conduct, you know, fire operations and to try and salvage the vessel itself. Those efforts have not been successful mainly because of the security environment. The Houthis continue to fire, you know, missiles, drones towards shipping in the Red Sea, and they have threatened tugboats that went out for salvage opportunities. They have threatened them, so they did have to turn away. So right now, the ship still remains on fire. There have been no recovery successful attempts yet. The US, you know, Navy is standing by to assist, but right now I'm told that this is being done through private means. Janne? Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Two questions on Ukraine and South Korea. Ukraine, President Zelenskyy said that if the United States authorized the use of long range missiles, Ukraine could easily defeat Russia. So why is the United States reluctant to allow Ukraine to use long range weapons? MS. SINGH: So thanks, Janne, for the question. Our intelligence assesses that 90 percent of Russian aircraft launching the glide bombs and the firing missiles against Ukraine are at airfields that are 300km away from Ukrainian controlled territory. So these airfields now puts that out of ATACMS range. So ATACMS would not be able to reach these airfields, so therefore, the challenges posed by these glide bombs, you know, would still remain. And even if Ukraine, you know, were to use ATACMS against the very small percentage that of the airfields that remain in range, we've seen Russian the the Russian military move those airfields back. So again, the impact would be very little and of very little strategic value. And you had another question. Q: Yeah, thank you. And does the United States still want South Korea to provide additional weapons, including 155 millimeter artillery shell? MS. SINGH: I think we've been very clear with all partners and allies all around the world willing and able to provide military assistance to Ukraine, including one 55 millimeter rounds that we know they desperately need, to help Ukraine in their fight. I won't speak for other nations and what they're providing, but as I mentioned at the top, you know, there is a UDCG tomorrow. Air defense is one of the many topics that is going to come up at that UDCG. We know a priority for Ukraine is those 155 millimeter round. So whatever other nations can provide would certainly be welcome to Ukraine. I'm going to go to the phones and then come back in the room. Jeff Schogol, Task and Purpose. Q: Thank you. There's been a lot of information recently about Russian influence operations. I was just checking, has Kevin Costner been in the Pentagon recently? MS. SINGH: You know, Jeff, not to my knowledge. Next question goes to Carla Babb, VOA. Q: Hey, thanks for doing this. That's a great question to follow. I want to go back to Ukraine. At the current pace that the US is providing Ukraine aid under the PDA, it looks like about $6 billion in authority is going to expire unused at the end of this month, FY 2024. Could you give us some more clarity about what's going to happen to that money after September, and is there any intention to extend that authority or to ask Congress to extend that authority so that Ukraine can continue receiving PDA packages? MS. SINGH: Thanks, Carla, for the question. So as you know, we worked very hard with Congress to secure that supplemental and to allocate that money for Ukraine for these PDA packages and USAIs. I don't have anything to preview on what that means for the rest of the amounts that are left. What I can tell you is you've seen us do this almost on a weekly basis. We continue to roll out and announce presidential drawdown packages that vary in size, but we continue to do that on a consistent basis. I have no doubt that we are going to use everything we can that's available to us to make sure that we are continuing to provide Ukraine what it needs both in the short term and the long term. The president has said it before, the secretary has said it and you'll hear him say it again, we're in this fight with Ukraine for the long haul. We are standing with them for what they need on the battlefield, both in the long and short term. So you're going to see us make use of those funds in any way possible. I'll take one more from the phone, and then I'm happy to come back in the room. Heather, USNI. Q: Thanks so much. With the Houthis in the Red Sea, are you guys noticing in any kind of uptick? It seemed like they were quiet for a little bit and then now they're attacking multiple tankers. Is there any Intel anything that you can say about what might have been causing this most recent uptick? MS. SINGH: Thanks, Heather. So we've seen this pattern sort of happen over the last few months or since the attacks started. There is a series of waves, then they then there's a pause, then there are waves again. I can't speak to the strategy behind that. I can only speak to what we as the United States military are doing with our partners and allies. And of course you're very familiar with Operation Prosperity Guardian and the fact that we continue to ensure that those shipping lanes remain open to ensure that freedom of navigation can occur in the Red Sea. But you're seeing what the Houthis are doing on a day to day basis. They've set on fire a oil tanker carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil. I don't need to explain to you what type of damage that could cause to an environment like the Red Sea. You know you're talking major ecological systems that could be destroyed. So while I can't speak to their tactics, I can speak to the fact that they're causing environmental and economical disasters right in their backyard. I'll leave it at that. Yeah. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. In light of Middle East tensions, does the Pentagon support a United Nations led military peacekeeping force in Gaza, West Bank, and throughout Israel? And have a follow up. MS. SINGH: So I don't have anything for you on that. The president has been pretty clear that there will not be US boots on the ground in Gaza. But in terms of, you know, the ceasefire deal, that's something that the United States is working very closely on with our partners and allies in the region that would include some type of, you know, peacekeeping force. But I don't anticipate that that would include US military boots on the ground. Q: Well, in light of Hamas using the Philadelphia corridor in Gaza to smuggle in weapons and potentially smuggle out Israeli hostages into the Sinai [sp] Sinai desert, according to the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, what is the Pentagon's perspective on the strategic military significance of the Philadelphia corridor? MS. SINGH: I think you just mentioned some of the strategic significance of the Philadelphia corridor, but I'd really refer you to the Israelis to speak to that. You know, we know that there are tunnels under that corridor, but ultimately what we want to see here is a ceasefire deal put into place that allows hostages to come home to their families. It's almost been a year now, but I'd refer you to the Israelis to speak more to the significance of that body. Fadi [sp]. Q: There's been a that knowledge of the existence of tunnels underneath Philadelphia Corridor, the Egyptians deny the existence of these tunnels. Can you share more about what you know about these tunnels? MS. SINGH: I don't have more to provide other than what, you know, is, I mean, I'm not going to be able to do, unfortunately, an Intel assessment from here. I would say, broadly speaking, we know that there are tunnels on that border and in that corridor that have allowed in the past, you know, movement of weapons shipments into Gaza. Again what we want to see and what we are focused on, as you know, is bringing home and making sure that we can get into place a cease fire deal that also allows the hostages to return home. Q: What is what does you said broadly. Is this based on recent intelligence or Israeli, I don't know, sharing information with DOD? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I wish I could get into more specifics. I just won't be able to get into that from here. But I'm just going to have to leave it at that. Q: I'm not asking about the type of intelligence, but when you make such a claim that there are tunnels underneath the Philadelphia corridor while Egypt is denying that, I think some explanation is warranted here. MS. SINGH: Appreciate the question, Fadi, but I'm just not going to have more I'd have to refer you to the Egyptians and the Israelis to speak more to that. What I can tell you is what we've seen in the past, but I'm just not going to be able to get into any more details from here. Q: Can you define when was the last time you MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm just unfortunately, Fadi, I know this is not going to be a satisfactory answer for you. I'm just not going to be able to provide more specifics. Yeah, Matt. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Going back to American restrictions on Ukraine's weapon usage, you say that the prime targets inside Russia are outside the range of ATACMS. So then what's the purpose of these restrictions being in place? Is this to you know, protect the Ukrainians from themselves From you think they would otherwise squander, you know, their limited ATACMS? Or is it a fear of escalation or can you explain what the thinking is there? MS. SINGH: Yeah. You know, Matt, I think it's a little bit of all of those things. I think the Ukrainians in terms of, you know, their own decision making, they are they have proven themselves on the battlefield just from at the very beginning of the war. I think you know, there were many people reporting at the time that, you know, Kyiv was destined to fall within days. And then you know, as weeks later months later and now we're talking many years into this war, we've seen the prowess of the Ukrainian military on the battlefield. So they certainly know how to make their own decisions when it comes to employing these types of weapons and munitions on the battlefield. There is a limited number of ATACMS. It is not there is not an abundance of these long range type of capabilities. And of course one thing that we're always assessing is, is escalation and that's something that we've been very clear about from the beginning. So it's a bit of all of those things knitted together. But they have been very successful in using these ATACMS to take back their territory in the south and the east. And we believe that they have the capabilities and being able to knit those together on the battlefield. You know, they do have a really significant challenge in the East and being able to direct some of the firepower that they have that direction is what we continue to work with them on. Q: Will the idea of loosening restrictions possibly come up in tomorrow's contact group talks? MS. SINGH: I can't predict the future. I'm sure, you know, there's been a lot of conversations about that, but right now there's no change to US policy. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: Yeah, Noah. Q: I'm sorry if I missed this, but the posture changes from Russia to move its assets for glide bombs beyond the 300 kilometer range, was that made after May when the initial restrictions were loosened for Ukraine from the US? When did that occur? MS. SINGH: I don't know when they started moving that, but all I can tell you is that we know that there have been airfields positioned outside of the ATACMS range. Q: And then secondarily, on the delivery of the last 6 million pounds of aid, does that then mean that the remaining JLOTS personnel who were there in the region will now be heading directly home or are they still waiting on other parts of the mission? MS. SINGH: To my knowledge, the only remaining part and component of the JLOTS was that Cape Trinity. So they will be heading home. I'm not tracking that. There are any other remaining parts or pieces, you know, associated with JLOTS or personnel, I should say, associated with lots still left in the region. Yeah. Yes, in the back. Q: Thank you very much, Sabrina. On 2nd of September, two US security personnel were attacked by a group of 15 people in Izmir, Turkey. Those people were belong to a nationalist party of Turkey. How concerning is this for the United States, such exposure of US military personnel to such kind of nationalist group in terms of security of the US security persons abroad? MS. SINGH: So I don't have much more to add than to what General Ryder spoke to earlier this week. You know, I think it showed tremendous professionalism on the part of our Marines that were attacked there. You know, we fully support the local police looking into this incident. I believe the Naval Criminal Investigative Services are also cooperating with local authorities on this incident. So we're happy that everyone is safe, that everyone is back that MEU on the MEU. But again, I just don't have more to add as it's an ongoing investigation with local authorities. Great, yes, in the back. Q: A quick question on, first, Armenian-American military drills that were held recently in Armenia, Eagle Partner 2024. I was wondering if you have any comments on these drills and in a more broader context about the current stage of military cooperation with the country of Armenia or the perspectives? MS. SINGH: I'm sorry I don't I'm not aware of the drill, so I don't have anything to offer on this one. Constantine. Q: [Inaudible] MS. SINGH: I would refer you to the COCOM. I just don't have anything more to add. Constantine. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Going back to the sailor in Venezuela, just so the last time a US service member was sort of detained or connected with Venezuela was Jordan Goudreau [sp], who was a special forces operator looking to basically lead a small coup. Are there any concerns that this is this sailor being detained is part of something more significant, deeper? MS. SINGH: I'm not going to speculate, but I don't think so. That being said, you know, I have very little details as this sailor was on personal travel to Venezuela. This wasn't something that was authorized and as you know the State Department recommends against traveling there. So you know, the US Navy working closely with the State Department, I have very little details on this incident. Of course, we'd like to see the sailor returned home, but again, I'd refer you to the State Department for any for any further questions and of course don't want to go down the rabbit hole of speculating. Yeah. Yes, we'll go in this room. Q: Yeah. I have a question about if you can talk a little bit more about the presence of the US militaries off the coast of Israel, you know, the two ships and they still if the submarine is still there and if you can talk a little bit more about the presence of the military and if there is some sort of coordination with some European forces to support the US in case of escalation? And then I have a second question about Ukraine. MS. SINGH: OK. So nothing has changed in our force posture in the eastern Mediterranean. The USS Georgia is still in the EUCOM area of responsibility. We still have our destroyers. We still have the ARG MEU that's there. It's, I would say still sending a very strong message of deterrence in the region. And also, you know, should Israel come under attack, that's what that that force posture is there to do is to help defend Israel if they were to be attacked like they were on April 13th. But I don't have any changes to announce for our force posture. Q: There are some are you guys asking for any support from the, let's say, the Italian southern European forces? MS. SINGH: What do you mean by support? Q: Like to be to support the American ships and, you know, like having like European militaries also in the in the region supporting the Americans not being only the is taking care of the area? SABRINA SINGH: We're always working with our partners and allies in the region. It is, you know, the in the Eastern Mediterranean. So I think you would expect that there are countries with a naval presence tied to Europe that are constantly operating there. You know, we do regular exercises with our European allies. I don't have anything to read out from here, but of course we're always coordinating with them and working with them on a on a daily basis. OK. Q: And my second question, if you can talk a little bit more about the traveling of the secretary in Germany about what can we expect if you can, you know, what they're going to you know, you probably have some information that you can share with us about what they're planning to talk, what can we expect coming out from these meetings. SABRINA SINGH: Well, I'm just going to have to tell you to tune in tomorrow, but look, I don't have more to really provide than what I read out at the top which is that this is, you know, the 24th meeting of the Ukraine defense Contact Group. We know air defenses is one of the top priorities for the Ukrainians. That's certainly something that's going to be discussed tomorrow. We know fires, so 155 millimeter rounds also a priority for the Ukrainians. That's something that I'm sure will come up. But I you know, I'm not going to get ahead of the Secretary, but you know, I think you can expect some of those conversations. And then, you know, as I mentioned, there are eight capability coalitions that have been stood up as part of the UDCG. Those capability coalitions, including the Air Coalition is one that the United States co-leads. So that will be an opportunity to talk about other additional needs that the Ukrainians have. Yes. Q: Thank you so much, Sabrina. About the Middle East crisis, so what is the latest assessment of the Pentagon regarding any potential action by Iran against Israel? SABRINA SINGH: I really don't have much more to provide than what we've said before, which is that, you know, we've maintained a very robust force posture in the region. You know we have two carrier strike groups, you know, right there. Has that factored into Iran's decision making process? I think it's certainly gotten into their head space. But you know, beyond that, we're maintaining our force posture there. We're there, of course, to defend our forces and, should we need to, we will come to the defense of Israel. Great. Yes. Q: Thank you very much for the opportunity. It's been reported from last Wednesday some of the Arab military [inaudible] met here in Pentagon with US defense officials, specifically regarding the possible Iranian attack on Israel or something like that. But my question is regarding the US possible measures are something under consideration with your Arab allies like UAE, Qatar where you have military presence and Saudi Arabia as well, who is very next to Yemen. As Yemenis are like calling [inaudible], so you have done enough with your Saudi counterparts, Qatar, and UAE and the possible Yemenis any type of retaliation to counter that? SABRINA SINGH: So I think what you're asking is just on, if I'm understanding, and please correct me if I'm not, just asking about what is our response and how are we working with Arab partners in the region when it comes to the Houthis and how they're responding. Yeah, in Yemen. OK. So the Houthis continue to disrupt shipping lanes within the Red Sea and the BAM. That has caused environmental economical problems. That is not just a problem for the region. That is this is a global problem. This disrupts shipping for all around the world. And so when you create, to use the example of the Sounion, which is carrying 1 million barrels of oil, if those fires spread to those oil barrels and those oil barrels start leaking into the Red Sea, you are going to have an ecological catastrophe. So just taking a broader step back, this isn't just a United States, you know, Arab partners problem. This is an international problem because just think about, and I'm not an environmentalist, but just think about the actual environmental, economical, financial degradation that's going to happen just from that one ship. And they're doing it almost daily. So you have so it's not just an Arab partner, it's not just an Arab country problem or a United States problem. It's a global problem, which is why the secretary late last year convened or established Operation Prosperity Guardian. And SPDs [sp] another coalition. A European coalition that is also works with Operation Prosperity Guardian and other like minded nations that believe in upholding the freedom of navigation. So this is something that we continue to work together with many of our allies around the world and we're going to continue to do so. Q: One thing on the Department of Justice and Department of State release about the possible interference from the Russian side and the other security threats. We have seen that from June number of arrests being made by border security officials and some of the South and Central Asian nations, people they've been arrested because of their strong ties with the ISIS. So the question is regarding the election in the US. Do you have some request from Department of Homeland Security for the coordination specifically to counter these threats? SABRINA SINGH: So when it comes to election security, you know that's something that you saw the attorney general speak to. So I would refer you to DOJ and the State Department to really speak to how, you know, they are monitoring, election threats and handling election security. That's just not something that DOD, you know, was part of that. And so I'd refer you to those two agencies to speak to that. Jared [sp]. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. I just wanted to check if there's any update on the any clarification on this apparent strike by the Houthis on the Saudi owned tanker, The Amjed [sp]. I know there was some conflicting information about whether or not it was hit or targeted or SABRINA SINGH: We're I'm still tracking that that the Amjed was hit, but I believe she was able to continue underway. But for more on, you know, I'd refer you to the actual company. Yes, over here and then in the back. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. Q: Thank you very much. About Syria. According to the local news reports, on Monday, the PYD YPG, or in your words, SDF, released 50 ISIS members from prison. So the United States always says that it is partnering with YPG SDF to counter ISIS. But in that case, the SDF YPG released ISIS prisoners from prison. So that's a big contradiction. So what is the reaction by Department of Defense on this matter? SABRINA SINGH: Yeah, I'm not I'm not sure if there was a confusion in some of the facts, but if you're referring to what happened a few days ago, there was, what I understand, a breakout from one of the prisons and we worked with the SDF to actually get those ISIS militants back in custody. So CENTCOM Central Command put out a press release on that. I'd refer you to that. Yes, in the back. And then last question. Did you not have a question? Never I thought you did. I'm sorry if you did not, then never OK. Q: So thanks, Sabrina. This 6 million pounds of humanitarian aid that Trinity transported to the port of Ashdod, were there originally planned to be transported through the JLOT [sp] project? SABRINA SINGH: If I'm remembering correctly, this was some of the aid that when the JLOTs mission had concluded, this was some of the original or remaining aid that was still in Cyprus that was loaded onto the Cape Trinity and was waiting to be downloaded in Ashdod at the appropriate time that they were able to do it, so this was not aid that I was tracking that was supposed to go over JLOTS. This was already being moved to go through the Ashdod corridor. Q: So since they are coming from Cyprus, I assume that they already went through the security check. SABRINA SINGH: That's right. Q: Will they need another additional security check in Israel or there will be transferred faster than the rest of the aid? SABRINA SINGH: So we've been transferring aid through Ashdod for a bit of time, you might remember. So there's a once it is checked at Cyprus, it can move through Ashdod pretty quickly. All right. Thanks, everyone. Q: Thank you. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3896569/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza war 'has been raging for too long' Global Times US failed diplomacy enables killings in Middle East: experts By Yang Sheng Published: Sep 05, 2024 11:46 PM Updated: Sep 05, 2024 10:00 PM The UN Security Council on Wednesday heard a growing call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following the killings by the latter of six hostages held in Gaza as speakers also discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and escalating tensions in the West Bank. Chinese analysts said that hope for peace is still fragile, as the US' failed diplomacy that weakened the role of the UN Security Council has enabled the killings in the Middle East. Ambassador Geng Shuang, deputy permanent representative of China to the UN, said at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on Wednesday that "next week will mark the 11th month of the conflict in Gaza. Despite repeated international efforts and repeated international calls for a ceasefire and an end to all hostilities, there is still no sign of easing or de-escalation." "This war has been raging for too long. Ceasefire negotiations have been delayed for too long. And the suffering of the population has persisted for too long time. It's time to put an end to all these," Geng said. Reuters reported that Patience is running out among United Nations Security Council members and the 15-member body will likely consider taking action if a ceasefire cannot soon be brokered between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Slovenia's UN envoy, council president for September, said on Tuesday. "There is a raising anxiousness in the council that it has to move one way or the other - either there is a ceasefire or that the council then reflects on what else we can do to bring the ceasefire," said Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar. Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday that since the outbreak of this round of the Palestine-Israel conflict in October 2023, the international community has never stopped calling for peace and a cease-fire. But Israel can always withstand the pressure and continue the killings in the Gaza Strip. This is because the US' unconditional support has weakened the role of the UN Security Council and encouraged Israel to continue the actions. Although US President Joe Biden has also called for peace and put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from time to time, Washington is enabling Israel's operation not only in the Gaza Strip, but also in other regional countries, said Li Xinggang, a research fellow at the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University. Li said that "the reason why the Biden administration appears to call for a cease-fire is that Washington wants to ease the pressure from the international community and the American people that complain and protest about the US' role in this crisis." Chinese experts are not optimistic about the future of Gaza, as the US-dominated mediation has proved to be ineffective time and time again. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Counterterrorism Operations Begin in Tubas and Far'a IDF Press Release September 5, 2024 05.09.24 IDF and Israel Prison Service forces, with the direction of the ISA, began a counterterrorism operation in the areas of Far'a and Tubas, alongside an additional counterterrorism operation in the city of Jericho, in the Jordan Valley. During counterterrorism activity in the area of Tubas, an IDF aircraft struck an armed terrorist cell that operated in the area. Among the terrorists that were eliminated is Muhammad Zakaria Zubeidi, a significant terrorist from the Jenin area who took part in a shooting attack in the area of the security fence and terrorist activity against IDF soldiers throughout Judea and Samaria, and the son of Zakaria Zubeidi. Several other terrorists who were involved in terrorist activity and shooting attacks against security forces were eliminated in the strike. During the counterterrorism operation in the area of Far'a, an IDF aircraft struck armed terrorists who hurled explosives and shot at the security forces. In an exchange of fire, Israel Prison Service forces eliminated a terrorist who was armed with an explosive device. Additionally, the forces exposed explosive devices that were planted under the roads and were intended to harm them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: Continuation of military operations in West Bank is genocide IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic resistance movement 'Hamas' announced that the occupation's continued aggression against West Bank cities is part of the Zionist government's genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. "The continuation of military terrorist operations in the West Bank, especially Jenin and Tulkarm, another attack on al-Fara'a camp in the south of Tubas city, the drone missile rain and the martyrdom of 5 citizens following this attack and the martyrdom of a Palestinian child with a sniper bullet of the occupying regime in this camp, war crimes," Hamas statement said. "It is considered that it is carried out in the context of the genocide started by the extreme Zionist government against the Palestinian nation in Gaza and the West Bank, and its purpose is to expel Palestinians from their land and the final settlement of the Palestinian issue," it further added. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli minister's remarks admission of crimes against Palestinians: Islamic Jihad IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Palestinian resistance group, the Islamic Jihad, has condemned recent remarks by the Israeli war minister calling for "full strength" against Palestinians, describing them an official admission of murder and massacre against the Palestinian nation. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Islamic Jihad also strongly condemned the silence of the world and Arab states on atrocities committed by the Zionist enemy against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The group said that Israeli war minister Yoav Gallant's call for using all forces against Palestinians is an official admission of the regime's murder, massacre, assassination, and execution of the Palestinian people. The regime's actions are also indicative of the systemic destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and siege of Palestinian refugee camps, the movement added. The Islamic Jihad stressed that Palestinians will continue to resist the criminal plots of the enemy to defend their land and sanctities. 4208**4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel continuing artillery attacks on Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Israeli regime has been continuing its airstrikes and artillery attacks on the Gaza Strip since last October. Those attacks kill and injure Palestinians everyday, according to foreign media's report on Thursday. An Israeli drone has targeted a group of Palestinians in al-Zeitoun in Gaza, the report says. Also, Israeli artillery and war boats bombarded southern areas of Nuseirat Camp in center of Gaza. At the same time, the Palestinian news outlets announced that sound of explosions and shootings were heard in southwest of Gaza. According to the reports, some Palestinians were killed and some others were wounded after the camps were bombarded. Nearly 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the start of war in the enclave last October, while the number of the injured has passed 94,000. 1483**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist PM not in favor of peace: Hamas IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan says the main goal of Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, Benjamin Netanyahu, is to get rid of the Palestinian nation. Until the administration of US President Joe Biden obliges Netanyahu, the new proposals for a ceasefire are of no use, Hamdan was cited by a Palestinian news agency on Thursday morning. He once again rejected new ceasefire conditions by Netanyahu, saying the withdrawal of forces in the second phase of the agreement from the Salah al-Din axis (Philadelphi Corridor) is contrary to what we agreed on. Hamdan also said that the Israeli army has denied Netanyahu's claims about the existence of a tunnel in the Philadelphi Corridor, located along Gaza's border with Egypt. He also claimed that he had agreed to the proposal for a ceasefire several times, but Hamas had opposed it. But most Israelis and even Netanyahu's western backers criticize him for blocking the path of the truce negotiation for his personal and political gains. Meanwhile, the Hamas movement emphasized in a statement on Thursday morning that Netanyahu's aim is to defeat the achievement made in ceasefire negotiations. We do not need new proposals, and what is needed right now is to put pressure on Netanyahu and his cabinet and oblige them to what was agreed upon, the statement said, Hamas added: We warn against falling into Netanyahu's trap and his tricks of using negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people. Sami Abu Zuhri, another senior Hamas official has made it clear that the release of Zionist captives hinges on the complete end to the war on Gaza. According to IRNA's Thursday morning report, Abu Zuhri stated that Palestinians will not be caught in the circle of trickery and deception, and that is why they boycotted the latest round of negotiations. He also accused the US administration of lack of seriousness on reaching a real agreement and only seeks to support and cover up the occupying regime's position. The US government is a partner in the war and crime against Gaza and coordinates with the occupying regime in all its positions regarding negotiations, he added 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN urges immediate ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 New York, IRNA -- United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo has emphasized need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to the besieged Palestinian territory. According to IRNA, DiCarlo issued the call while briefing the 15-member UN Security Council about the latest situation in war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening local time. She hailed the continued efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, saying recent meetings in Doha and Cairo have attempted to bridge the gaps, but major differences remain. More steps must be taken to reach an agreement without further delay. The United Nations remains committed to supporting all efforts to this end, DiCarlo said, warning that "the situation on the ground is dire and deplorable, with Israeli military operations continuing throughout Gaza and the death toll growing tragically". The UN Deputy Secretary General also touched on a large-scale Israeli offensive in the occupied West Bank that began over a week ago. While we focus on ending the killing and destruction in Gaza, we cannot ignore the alarming situation in the West Bank, she said, emphasizing the need to maintain status quo of holy places in occupied al-Quds. I am worried about the attacks Israeli settlers are carrying out against the Palestinians as well as provocative actions of an Israeli minister, this senior UN official stated, calling them "unacceptable". DiCarlo said that Israel must fulfill its obligations based on international laws to protect civilians and ensure their safety, and all perpetrators of violence must be held to account. OCHA sounds alarm over West Bank The UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator also addressed the Security Council meeting and expressed concern over the number of dead Palestinians in Gaza. 96 percent of Gaza residents are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, and nearly half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger, Joyce Masoya told the council. On the occupied West Bank, she said: The Israeli army has started its biggest military operation which coincides with the escalation of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians. We are concerned about human casualties due to the extensive Israeli operation in the West Bank, Masoya said, urging the Security Council to use its influence and press for accountability of violations as well as help implement the ceasefire in Gaza and peace in the West Bank. Representatives of several UNSC member states also addressed the meeting on the situation in the Middle East on Wednesday night. Algeria: UNSC fails to implement resolutions In his address, Algeria's ambassador and representative to the United Nations, Ammar bin Jame condemned blamed the Security Council for failing to implement its resolutions to stop the Israeli war on Gaza and said "we face a test regarding our adherence to international law and this multilateral system". We are here today because diplomacy has failed and how could we stop the suffering, he said, adding that there should be no double standard while assessing civilian suffering as Israel continues with "mass punishment" and seeks to "erase" Palestinian identity. The Algerian diplomat also pointed to the alarming number of civilian deaths and massive destruction in Gaza. He also reminded the council that the Israeli occupying forces have killed 24 Palestinians in detention centers since October last year. UK shows pro-Israel bias at UNSC The British ambassador to the United Nations in the meeting on the situation in the Middle East stressed that Israel and Hamas should end the suffering by reaching a ceasefire agreement. Barbara Woodward, however, once again showed her double standard and bias in line with her country's policies as she expressed sympathy with Israelis over the recent deaths of Zionist captives in Gaza but failed to utter a similar word for Palestinians being massacred by the regime. Without referring to Israel's crimes during the past decades, she pointed to the operation Al-Aqsa Storm by the Palestinian resistance groups on October 7, 2023 and ironically blamed Hamas, not the Zionist regime for violating international humanitarian laws. This is while, Israel since its creation, has not followed any of the UN resolutions on Palestine and the occupied territories. Woodward also did not miss the occasion for Iran rhetoric, claiming Israel is still facing threats, not only from Hamas, but also from Iran and its "proxy groups" that openly want to destroy Israel. US blames Hamas not Zionist regime Linda Thomas Greenfield, the American ambassador and representative to the United Nations called for pressure on Hamas to accept the prisoner exchange agreement. As usual, the US envoy putting a blind eye to briefings by UN officials on killings and a dire situation in Gaza gave a clean chit to the Zionist regime for its crimes against Palestinians and rather focused her speech on Hamas and its resistance ideology. None of the members of this council will tolerate the hostage-taking and killing of their citizens, she said, without blaming the Zionist regime's genocidal military campaign that has claimed nearly 41,000 civilian lives in Gaza in over 10 months. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lithuania's Foreign Vice-Minister Satunas: "Only with strong U.S. support can we win the war and stop Putin" Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2024-09-05 On 4 September, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Simonas Satunas, met with the United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma, who was recently named as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery. "Lithuania's partnership with the U.S. is strong, sustainable and steadily growing. The U.S. investment in Lithuania, Lithuania's investment in security through the acquisition of U.S.-made weaponry, strengthens our relationship and mobilises us to work together to protect the international order based on international law and ensure security in Europe. Only with the U.S. support we can win the war and stop Putin. Thus, a strong transatlantic bond today is more important than ever," Satunas said at the meeting. The meeting focused on major security challenges, cooperation in the field of defence and deterrence, the application of sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and ensuring the aggressors' accountability. During the meeting, the Foreign Vice-Minister also presented Lithuanian Development Cooperation Fund projects and international partnerships with Ireland, Taiwan and other countries. "In recent years, Lithuania, together with international partners, has implemented a number of projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine: we have installed shelters in schools, rebuilt a destroyed kindergarten, and implement projects for the rehabilitation of soldiers and the development of educational institutions. We strongly believe in Ukraine's victory and in the joint effort of governments and businesses that will allow us to assist Ukraine even more. Lithuania is ready for new partnerships in Ukraine, especially in building shelters and restoring the energy system. Pooling Lithuania's and U.S. efforts together, we could accelerate the reconstruction of the war-torn country," the Foreign Vice-Minister noted. During the meeting with Verma, the Foreign Vice-Minister also discussed hybrid and kinetic operations conducted by hostile forces in Europe. Satunas thanked the U.S. for maintaining an uninterrupted rotational U.S. presence in Lithuania and expressed his expectation that these forces would become permanent. Ukraine's reconstruction projects are financed under the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, including a rebuilt kindergarten with a shelter in Irpin, a renovated lyceum in Borodyanka, and an installed new underground shelter. Furthermore, the winner of a tender for an adaptive technical design of the "Future School for Ukraine" project is being determined, construction works of five new shelters in the frontline regions are underway, and other reconstruction initiatives are being financed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President visited the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade headquarters in Lublin President of the Republic of Lithuania September 05, 2024 On Thursday, President Gitanas Nauseda continues his official visit to Poland where together with Polish President Andrzej Duda, he visited the headquarters of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian joint military unitthe Grand Hetman Kostiantyn Ostrogski Brigade, in Lublin. The Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), established in 2014, is currently focused on supporting the Ukrainian armed forces in their combat. The brigade is conducting the United for Peace operation and training staff officers from Ukrainian battalions. The Presidents of Lithuania and Poland were briefed on the brigade's current tasks and planned future initiatives. "The trilateral brigade is an important instrument for supporting Ukraine and training its military personnel. It helps to ensure the development of military cooperation between our countries, operational synergy and the development of new initiatives in support of Ukraine. We need to continue to strengthen and expand the capabilities of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade," the Head of State pointed out. During his visit to the brigade's headquarters in Lublin, President Gitanas Nauseda was joined by Lithuania's Chief of Defense, General Raimundas Vaiksnoras. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President opened the Lithuanian-Polish Defense Industry Forum President of the Republic of Lithuania September 05, 2024 As part of his official visit to Poland, President Gitanas Nauseda opened the Lithuanian-Polish Defense Industry Forum in Warsaw on Thursday together with Polish President Andrzej Duda. In his opening address, the Lithuanian leader highlighted that, due to the active cooperation between Lithuania and Poland and the strengthening of political and personal ties, bilateral trade between the two countries has increased by more than 50% over the past five years, while bilateral foreign direct investments have grown by over 80%. He also noted that the defense industries of both countries have excellent prospects for closer collaboration. Gitanas Nauseda noted that Lithuania and Poland, with their rich common history and deep manufacturing traditions, face the same geopolitical instabilities and common security threats. "In today's worldand especially in today's Europedefensive capabilities are what really matters. By now, we must all know that Russia will not stopit can only be stopped," the Head of State underlined. The President stressed the need to step up efforts to provide Ukraine with adequate support for its defense. Lithuania's defense funding stands at 3.2% of GDP this year, and the country's support for Ukraine since the beginning of the war amounts to around 2% of GDP, with more than half of that being military aid. "We are eager to strengthen the deterrence and to help Ukraine to win this war. For this, we will need ever more ammunition, military technologies and equipment," Gitanas Nauseda said. The President pointed out that the Lithuanian defense industry is ready to play its part. As Lithuania's defense ecosystem evolves, employment in this industry is growing at a rate of 14% annually. The successful application of high-tech and engineering expertise is driving to the development of the most in-demand technologies tested on the battlefield. Lithuanian companies apply cutting-edge technologies to manufacture lasers, optics, electronics, anti-drone devices and unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, Lithuania's cyber security sector is marked by deep knowledge and recognized internationally. The arrival of German defense giant Rheinmetall alongside the agreement to deploy the German brigade in Lithuania also mark a new era for national defense industry. "I have no doubts that Lithuanian businesspeopleagile, smart, and innovativeare more than ready to dive into much closer business cooperation with their Polish counterparts. Let the partnership between our two nations further strengthen the deterrence against common enemies. Let it build our joint military potential and bring common economic benefits to all of us," the President spoke. The Lithuanian-Polish Defense Industry Forum brings together over 70 defense industry companies and organizations from both countries. During the forum, memoranda of cooperation were signed between the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industry Association and the Polish Defense Industry Association, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists and the Polish Confederation Lewiatan, the National Defense Industry Association and the Polish Defense Industry Association, as well as between the Lithuanian Digital Technology Association Infobalt and Poland's Defence24. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence White Paper 2024: Strong, smart, together Netherlands Ministry of Defence News item | 05-09-2024 To ensure the security of the Netherlands, we will invest heavily in our contribution to the NATO alliance. The army will once again have its own tanks, the air force will receive additional F-35s and the navy will take delivery of additional frigates for anti-submarine warfare. The military police will also be strengthened and the Ministry of Defence will structurally allocate an additional EUR 260 million to attract and retain personnel. It will also invest in innovation and the defence industry to boost and sustain the production of military equipment. These are just a few of the measures set out in the Defence White Paper, which was published today. The investment is necessary because, after a long period of peace in Europe, the Netherlands must actively contribute to deterring adversaries in order to prevent armed conflict. New threats require action. The new acquisitions reflect the higher standards set by NATO. The alliance is calling for investment in heavier combat capabilities for land operations, for example. As Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans explained, the best way to prevent war is to keep potential adversaries at bay. This requires a credible, powerful and innovative military. Investing in the armed forces is therefore essential to actively ensuring the security of the Netherlands. Russia's unbridled aggression in Ukraine shows that an attack on the NATO alliance is no longer inconceivable. Such an attack would have a major impact on the security and prosperity of the Netherlands. Together with our allies, we must therefore make every effort to prevent such an attack. The new Defence White Paper is a major step in that direction. Rising tensions Tensions are also rising in the Middle East, and China is more assertive in trying to bend international rules in its favour. State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman added that that growing assertiveness could ultimately disrupt trade between Asia and Europe. In addition, hybrid threats have become commonplace. Examples in this regard include cyber attacks and other forms of societal disruption. According to the government, the threats are accumulating. Tuinman said the situation calls for a military that can deliver and is ready to fight. Combat power and innovation That readiness also applies to combat at sea and in the air, where superiority and defence are of paramount importance, hence the planned acquisition of additional fighter aircraft, ships and helicopters. Other investments include drones, mobile anti-drone cannon systems and a laser system. Total defence spending will be around EUR 24 billion. According to Brekelmans, the government will allocate an additional EUR 2.4 billion to defence. The additional funding will be used to accelerate the strengthening of the armed forces. Each year, approximately EUR 1.5 billion will be invested in combat power. Every effort will also be made to stimulate innovation and the defence industry, as today's innovations will be crucial to winning future wars. Personnel Service members constitute the most important element of the armed forces. Substantial investment will therefore be made in recruiting and retaining personnel. As Tuinman explained, you can buy a lot of materiel, but a tank will go nowhere without a crew. Without people, F-35s stay on the ground and frigates stay at the quay. The Ministry of Defence will also be working towards a scalable military; one that can grow or shrink in terms of personnel depending on the threat it faces. More reservists will be recruited. They will be deployed as full-fledged military personnel in permanent and scalable units. According to Tuinman, the voluntary service year will also be expanded. Additional spare parts The Ministry of Defence is continually investing in strengthening ties with NATO allies. In the event of a large-scale conflict, the alliance must work as a well-oiled team. Furthermore, military personnel, including those from the Netherlands, must be able to sustain combat operations for prolonged periods of time. The war in Ukraine shows the importance of this. Brekelmans explained that a lot of money is therefore being spent on expanding support such as medical and logistical capabilities. Stockpiles of spare parts, ammunition and other items needed for operations will also be significantly increased. These measures are needed to ensure national security. Resilient society According to Brekelmans, the armed forces will only be successful in times of rising tensions if all of society is resilient and contributes. The Ministry of Defence is therefore strengthening ties with many parties, ranging from companies and knowledge institutes to other ministries and local authorities. Many partners can help prevent the spread of war in Europe. The Minister therefore stressed the importance of continuing to provide full support to Ukraine and of ensuring credible deterrence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan, Australia concerned over China's coercive SCS activities vs. PH Philippine News Agency By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora September 5, 2024, 8:14 pm MANILA -- Japan and Australia have expressed "serious concern" over China's "intensification" of dangerous and coercive activities towards the Philippines in the South China Sea (SCS). The statement was issued after the 2+2 ministerial meeting between Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, Australian Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and his counterpart Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru in Victoria, Australia on Sept. 5. "We expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea, including an intensification of China's dangerous and coercive activities towards the Philippines, which have occurred with high frequency," the four ministers said. "We opposed any coercive actions that could escalate tensions and undermine regional stability, including the militarisation of disputed features." The ministers reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and the peaceful resolution of disputes and again reaffirmed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award is "final and legally" binding on the two parties. During the meeting, the two states agreed to expand security cooperation "to include all tools of statecraft to help prevent conflict and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific." The ministers said they would work with Southeast Asian nations "to improve regional economic, security and climate resilience to security challenges." They then confirmed continuing support to the Philippine Coast Guard as part of their wider effort to enhance civil maritime cooperation with partners in the region. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH Navy: China won't invade Palawan; wants control of SCS Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno September 5, 2024, 3:26 pm MANILA -- China is not seen to invade Palawan province or any part of the Philippines despite its massive deployment of ships in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a ranking military official said Thursday. Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad made the remark after 203 Chinese vessels were spotted in WPS features from Aug. 20 to 26, the largest so far for this year. "Hindi naman sapagkat wala naman sa intensyon nila yan, ang intent naman ng Chinese Communist Party is sea control of the vast expanse of the South China Sea sapagkat ito ay critical sa kanilang flow of commerce and trade (No, it is not their intention. The intent of the Chinese Communist Party is sea control of the vast expanse of the South China Sea which is critical for the flow of their commerce and trade)," he said in a radio interview, when asked on the possibility of China's invasion of the Philippines' westernmost province. Trinidad said this might also be the reason why Beijing built military bases across the South China Sea. Out of the 203 Chinese vessels spotted in the WPS, 71 were spotted in the Sabina Shoal where the Philippine Coast Guard's largest ship BRP Teresa Magbanua is standing guard. Trinidad said the Philippine Air Force and the PN have been making their presence felt in the area by conducting regular patrols. He said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard are also helping maintain the country's presence in the WPS. "We are here to show that (we) will not be deterred in performing our mandate. we challenge them, we tell them that they are within the EEZ (exclusive economic zone) of the Philippines and pag hindi sila umalis we make the appropriate reports, nakaraming report na rin tayo sa kaukulang ahensya ng gobyerno (and if they will not leave, we will make the appropriate reports, we already filed a lot of reports to the appropriate agencies)," he said. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Families of captives in Gaza call for Biden to cut deal without Israel Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 7:15 PM The families of American captives currently being held in the besieged Gaza Strip by Palestinian resistance groups have called for the US to consider cutting a unilateral deal to secure the release of their loved ones. In a recent meeting with officials, the relatives of US citizens still in captivity urged the administration of President Joe Biden to evaluate options that do not include Israel. The family members and some administration officials believe Netanyahu will not commit to an agreement with Hamas which would see the release of the remaining captives in exchange for a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory. A US official familiar with the discussions said a unilateral deal is unlikely, but the administration has compiled a list of prisoners held by the US whose release might interest Hamas. In June, the Biden administration reportedly discussed the possibility of negotiating a unilateral deal with Hamas for the release of Americans held in Gaza if ceasefire talks involving Israel fell apart. There are currently four Americans being held in Gaza by Palestinian groups, and Washington is also seeking the return of the remains of three others presumed dead. During its operation on October 7, Hamas took 251 Israelis captive, 97 of whom now remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by Israel. Earlier this week, President Biden said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal. Several US officials told The New York Times this week that Netanyahu is "seeking to run out the clock until the American election" to secure a ceasefire deal that would release the remaining captives held in Gaza. They also suggested that Netanyahu might face less pressure to make concessions for an agreement if Republican nominee and former US President Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November. Frustration at Netanyahu's failure to secure an agreement with Hamas has reached a peak. On Wednesday, a mass protest was held in the occupied territories to mark the fourth straight day of anti-regime demonstrations since the bodies of six captives were found. Hamas in a statement on Thursday blamed Netanyahu for an impasse in the Gaza ceasefire talks, saying he is seeking to torpedo the possibility of a deal that brings an end to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians. The Israeli regime has failed to achieve any of its stated goals after a months-long war in the Gaza Strip. The US is a partner in the Gaza carnage as it has supplied Israel with weapons and intelligence support. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FM Araghchi: Redrawing of boundaries a red line for Iran Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 6:58 PM Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has described any threats to the territorial integrity of neighboring countries or redrawing of boundaries as a red line for the Islamic Republic. In a post published on the social media platform X on Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat emphasized that regional stability plays a very significant role in his country's national security. "Regional peace, security and stability is not merely a preference, but a pillar of our national security," he wrote in the post. "Any threat from North, South, East, or West to the territorial integrity of our neighbors or redrawing of boundaries is totally unacceptable and a red line for Iran," Araghchi added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent remarks expressing support for Azerbaijan's demand to get unimpeded access to its Nakhchivan exclave by opening the Zangezur transport corridor through Armenia have drawn criticism in Iran. Moscow and Baku want Russia to monitor and control the corridor, but Yerevan and Tehran are opposed to such a scheme. In a Monday "meeting" with Russia's ambassador to Tehran, the director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Eurasia Department expressed Iran's opposition to "any geopolitical changes in the Caucasus". The Iranian official told Russia's envoy that "respecting national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and mutual interests of countries is the guarantor of lasting peace and a foundation for regional cooperation in the Caucasus," according to the Foreign Ministry's readout of the talks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel ramps up West Bank invasion as Gaza carnage goes on despite polio vaccination pause Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 6:33 PM Israeli forces kill dozens of Palestinians in fresh raids across the besieged Gaza Strip, while a large onslaught by the regime's troops in the occupied West Bank ramps up. Medical sources said at least 15 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes across various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Thursday. Hours after the first phase of a polio vaccination campaign wrapped up in central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike hit the courtyard of hospital there. The strike outside al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital occurred overnight, shortly before he World Health Organization said on Thursday that the effort to vaccinate children had shifted to the southern part of the Gaza Strip, beginning the second phase of the campaign. UN officials had said Israel had agreed to brief, staggered pauses in its military invasion of Gaza to allow health officials to make a frantic drive to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children and avert a deadly polio outbreak. The strike near the hospital, in the city of Deir al-Balah, killed four people and wounded a number of others, including women and children, according to Wafa news agency. Witnesses said the bomb landed among some of the makeshift shelters on the hospital grounds that were being used by people who had fled their homes. Video showed tents and shelters in ruins, their wooden beams flattened, and people's belongings strewed outside the hospital, one of Gaza's largest. At least three Palestinians were killed and many others wounded in Israeli shelling targeting the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City targeted a group of people near a school in the Zeitoun neighborhood. According to the Wafa news agency and local reports, the air raid killed at least three Palestinians and injured many others. The health ministry in Gaza said Thursday that at least 40,878 people have been killed in the Israeli war, now nearing its 12th month. The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also list 94,454 people as wounded in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli war on Gaza began. In the West Bank, Israeli forces launched new deadly aerial and ground raids on the ninth day of their invasion. "Our brave fighters were able to target the Zionist enemy forces storming the Far'a camp with a highly explosive device in the market axis, achieving direct hits among the enemy's ranks," the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Tubas branch said in a statement. The raid came house after a 16-year-old Palestinian had been shot dead by Israeli forces in the area. Wafa said Israeli soldiers fired several bullets at the 16-year-old Majed Fida Abu Zeina in Far'a, "abused him and prevented ambulance crews from reaching him". "Then they dragged him out of the camp using a military bulldozer," the report said. Earlier on Thursday, Israel targeted a vehicle with missiles, leaving six people dead. Israeli soldiers also stormed the Tulkarm refugee camp after a brief withdrawal earlier on Thursday, where Palestinians resisted the advance of bulldozers and military vehicles on the outskirts of the camp, leading to armed clashes. According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, the Israeli army entered al-Akasha neighborhood, deployed snipers, and surrounded the Martyr Thabet Governmental Hospital. They also imposed a curfew near the al-Shweika roundabout, forcing shops to close. Meanwhile, the Israeli siege of Jenin has been ongoing since the army launched a massive operation in the West Bank late last month. Israeli troops pushed deeper into the city on Thursday, besieging its main hospital and surrounding the Jenin Municipality building. Local media also reported that Israeli forces were raiding the al-Ein refugee camp, west of the city of Nablus. Israel began a massive military invasion across the West Bank last week that has killed at least 39 Palestinians and wounded 130, with the vast majority of casualties in Jenin. Over 140 people have also been wounded and more than 180 arrested since last week. The Israeli onslaught is the largest of its kind since the Second Intifada. Violence by settlers and raids by Israeli forces have surged in the West Bank since Israel launched its barbaric military campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip in early October 2023. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights, al-Haq and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights have warned of escalating violence in the West Bank and the use of tactics by Israeli forces that the world has witnessed in its war on Gaza. In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Arab regimes sitting idly by amid Israeli atrocities, Qur'an desecration, says Ansarullah leader Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 5:03 PM The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement has taken a swipe at certain Arab regimes over sitting idly by whilst the occupying Tel Aviv regime presses ahead with its brutalities against the oppressed Palestinian nations and desecrates the holy Muslim book of Qur'an in the besieged Gaza Strip. "Arab countries are simply watching the Zionist regime's crimes against Palestinians, arson attacks on mosques and desecration of copies of Holy Qur'an without taking a clear stance in this regard," Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech broadcast from the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Thursday afternoon. He underlined the significance of the spirit of jihad (endeavor for the sake of God) for the entire Muslim world, warning that Muslims will lose their dignity and independence if they overlook such an important issue. "Some Arab countries and regimes try to appease the Zionist enemy and offer it concessions in return for their protection. No matter how beneficial these Arab regimes might be for the enemy, they will be discarded once they are no longer required. "The concept of Jihad must be revived, and the most practical way to eliminate the Zionist enemy lies in this notion. The downfall of the enemy is certain and inevitable, and any other calculations in this regard is doomed to failure," Houthi pointed out. The Ansarullah chief went on to hail Gaza-based Palestinian resistance fighters for fighting off Israeli military forces with unsophisticated weapons, saying, "Even the big armies of some Arab countries could not withstand the attacks of the United States and the Zionist regime to the extent that Palestinian fighters have so far resisted in the Gaza Strip." He emphasized that Gazans are enduring brutal Israeli offensives and a genocidal war, which have stirred human consciences in non-Muslim countries. "All Muslims have a moral and religious responsibility in the face of the Zionist regime's attacks against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The collusion of some Arab regimes with the Zionist enemy, and their surrender to the Tel Aviv regime have become known to anyone. This is fairly humiliating," Houthi stated. The Ansarullah leader also lamented that many nations and governments in the Muslim world have almost lost the spirit of jihad, warning that such indolence prevents them from fulfilling their Islamic duties and entails terrible dangers. Houthi also warned that hypocrites are trying to discourage Muslims from engaging in jihad. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Ansarullah chief pointed to Yemeni maritime operations against Israeli-affiliated merchant vessels in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stressing that enemies have acknowledged their failure to stop such retaliatory measures in the Red Sea and beyond. "We continue our activities. We have already obtained favorable results concerning marine operations. We will surprise enemies on land, just as we did at sea, with new and sophisticated technologies," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran embassy blasts Netanyahu's map showing Palestine as part of Israel Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 1:49 PM The Iranian Embassy in London has strongly denounced Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over using a map that erased the occupied West Bank in an address to the media, questioning where a future independent Palestinian state should be created. In a post published on the social media platform X on Thursday afternoon, the diplomatic mission also criticized those who deceitfully continue to voice support for the so-called two-state solution to the decades-long conflict. "In the map Netanyahu presented to foreign media reporters, the West Bank is completely missing (have erased). Yet, many hypocritically continue to express support for a two-state solution. A Palestinian government on what land?" the post read. In his first public address since Sunday's mass protests that saw hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers urging a deal with Hamas for the release of captives being held in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu stood in front of a wall-sized digital map that obliterated the West Bank. Speaking about the importance of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt during the address on Monday, the Israeli premier used a map that showed the entirety of the West Bank and occupied East al-Quds as being annexed to the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories and only had the Gaza Strip outlined. Palestinians decried the move as an explicit annexation of the occupied territory by Tel Aviv. Netanyahu stated that Israel would not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, claiming it was a lifeline to Hamas. He alleged that the occupation of the corridor was vital to ensuring Hamas could not rearm via tunnels, and would "cut off the oxygen" to the Palestinian resistance group. "No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. ... No one will preach to me on this issue," the Israeli prime minister further claimed. This is not the first time Israeli officials have used maps which do not demarcate the occupied Palestinian territories. Since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, numerous officials have been seen wearing necklaces of the outline of all of Mandate Palestine, which they claim as Israel. Israeli occupation soldiers deployed in Gaza have also worn a uniform badge depicting a map of self-proclaimed Greater Israel. In September 2023, Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly holding a map of 'The New Middle East' with Palestine completely erased. Months earlier, in March of the same year, far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed an event in Paris while standing by a map of 'Greater Israel', portraying Jordan as part of Israel. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Outrage felt around the globe': Security Council urges immediate ceasefire in Gaza Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 9:39 AM The United Nations Security Council has expressed outrage over the lack of progress in a ceasefire aimed at terminating Israel's months-long genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The 15-member body held its second emergency meeting on Gaza in less than a week on Wednesday, hearing a growing call for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory as members discussed the humanitarian situation there as well as the escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank. Council members voiced their frustration over Israel's refusal to accept the ceasefire outlined in Resolution 2735, which called for the release of captives and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. "There is a sense of outrage felt around the globe," said Slovenia's Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, whose delegation holds the council's rotating presidency this month. "Outrage in Palestine that the international community is failing them; outrage on Israeli streets that the hostages continue being held in Gaza; outrage of the global public that this war does not stop." Zbogar reminded the 15-nation council that it is their job to push for peace. Rosemary Anne DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs, emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to the besieged Palestinian territory. DiCarlo hailed the continued efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, saying recent meetings in Doha and Cairo have attempted to bridge the gaps but major differences remain. "The situation on the ground is dire and deplorable, with Israeli military operations continuing throughout Gaza and the death toll growing tragically," she added, stressing that Israel must fulfill its obligations based on international laws to protect civilians and ensure their safety. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, underscored the necessity of an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and said the occupying entity was using the "most despicable means to achieve its colonial aims" in the coastal territory. "Israel has unleashed a full-fledged war against the Palestinian people. Israel is seeking to impose a military solution to the conflict by disappearing a nation. There is no denying these facts. From genocide to apartheid, Israel is showing the world its willingness and readiness to use the most despicable means to achieve its colonial aims," Mansour said at the meeting in New York. "We need ceasefire, ceasefire now. Everybody is saying that not only the Palestinians, but the millions of Israelis who are in the streets, who care about their hostages. And they're saying to their leadership, which is not listening to them, ceasefire now. Close the deal. Accept, you know, the project or the proposal on the table so that we can stop the killing and save everyone, the Israeli who are hostages and the Palestinians who are prisoners." Amar Bendjama, Algeria's ambassador and representative to the United Nations, blamed the Security Council for failing to implement its resolutions to stop the Israeli war on Gaza and said, "We face a test regarding our adherence to international law and this multilateral system." "We are here today because diplomacy has failed and how could we stop the suffering," he said, adding that there should be no double standard while assessing civilian suffering as Israel continues with "mass punishment" and seeks to "erase" Palestinian identity. Pointing to the alarming number of civilian deaths and massive destruction in Gaza, the Algerian diplomat reminded the council that the Israeli occupying forces have killed 24 Palestinians in detention centers since October last year. Bendjama also requested that the Council should discuss the escalation of violence in the West Bank, where at least 39 Palestinians, including children, have been killed, since Israel launched a large-scale offensive on August 28. Moreover, Algeria's ambassador to the UN said the plight of Palestinian prisoners is "too often ignored," and that they have been "silenced," and "abandoned by the international community." "They endure torture. They endure abuse. They endure denial of access by the ICRC in a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law," Bendjama underlined, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The United States called for patience with diplomacy, while other members, including Guyana and Malta, demanded quicker progress and warned of further action if the Israeli war continues. "It is gravely alarming that with each briefing this council receives, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel steadily worsens," Malta's Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said. Israel launched its brutal Gaza offensive after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out a surprise operation against the occupying regime in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. During its operation, Hamas took 251 Israelis captive, 97 of whom now remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the occupation's army. After 11 months of Gaza war, Israel has failed to achieve its declared objectives of eliminating Hamas and freeing captives, despite killing at least 40,861 Palestinians, mostly women and children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sept. 4: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 9:20 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 40,800 Palestinians so far, the majority of them children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Monday, September 4, are as follows: Al-Quds Brigades' operations on September 4: Targeted concentrations of Israeli forces on the Maslakh axis (Bal'awi) in Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank, with a barrage of gunfire. Attacked a convoy of Israeli military vehicles on the Nablus Street axis and detonated explosive devices in the Nour Shams Camp in Tulkarem, occupied West Bank. Detonated a pre-planned explosive device against an Israeli military bulldozer on the Manshiya axis. Activated several high-powered explosive devices, prepared in advance, targeting military vehicles in Balata Camp in Nablus, occupied West Bank. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on September 4: In a joint operation with the Martyr Abdulqader Al-Husseini Brigades, targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles on the "Netzarim" axis with 107-type rockets. Detonated a high-explosive device against Israeli forces on Street 16 in the city of Nablus, occupied West Bank. Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles on the "Netzarim" axis with two 107-type rockets and heavy mortar shells. Attacked the Israeli military's command and control headquarters on the "Netzarim" axis south of Gaza City with 107-type rockets. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on September 4: Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces on the combat axes in Tulkarem and Nour Shams Camps, in the occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices. Hezbollah's operations on September 4: Targeted the headquarters of the Al-Sahl Battalion at the Beit Hillel barracks with Katyusha rockets. Struck Israeli soldiers at the Zar'it barracks (headquarters of the Western Brigade battalion) with artillery shells. Fired rockets at the Ruwaysat al-Alam site in Lebanon's Kfar Shouba. Launched rockets at the Samaqa site in Lebanon's Kfar Shouba. Shelled the Hanita site with artillery. Targeted the Al-Marj site with missiles. Fired Katyusha rockets at the Al-Zaourah site. Targeted the Neot Mordechai settlement with Katyusha rockets for the first time. Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on September 4: Launched a drone targeting the city of "Haifa" in the occupied Palestinian territories. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Malaysia probes reported leak of note from 'great friend' China Malaysia is investigating the report on Chinese "bullying" over a maritime dispute. By RFA Staff 2024.09.05 -- Malaysia will press on with oil exploration in South China Sea waters that China also claims, its prime minister said on Thursday, adding that an investigation had been launched into the publication of what a media outlet said was a Chinese diplomatic note expressing "strong dissatisfaction" with Malaysia over the work. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, in a story published last week, cited what it said was a Chinese diplomatic note of Feb. 18, in which China accused Malaysia of infringing upon its sovereignty at the Luconia Shoals - an oil-rich area in the South China Sea that both countries claim. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, while not confirming the veracity of the note, said an inquiry had been launched into its publication, and he defended Malaysian exploration in the waters. "We have made it clear that what we are doing with oil exploration is within our own waters," Anwar said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia. "We've informed Beijing, and they've sent a few protests, claiming those areas as theirs." "We've explained that we must proceed as it concerns our economic survival," he said. The shoals are 100 kilometers (52 nautical miles) off the coast of Malaysia's Sarawak state, on Borneo island, well within its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, where Kuala Lumpur has jurisdiction over natural resources and the state company Petronas has been operating for years. But they also lie within the so-called nine-dash line that Beijing draws on its maps to claim "historical rights" over most of the South China Sea. The reported Chinese diplomatic note, apparently obtained by the Philippine news outlet from an unidentified Malaysian journalist, expressed "serious concern" and "strong dissatisfaction" over Malaysia's oil and gas exploration projects in the area and asked that Malaysia immediately stop those activities. The newspaper said the note was a taste of the bullying that China's neighbors including the Philippines are facing. 'Open for discussion' Six parties - Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam - hold overlapping claims in the South China Sea. China has not commented on the reported diplomatic note but its foreign ministry and representatives overseas often send diplomatic notes to protest against other countries' activities in maritime areas it claims. While the Philippines is pursuing a more assertive approach in dealing with China by publicizing what it says are Chinese acts of aggression against its vessels, Vietnam and Malaysia have adopted a more measured approach, rarely criticizing in public but preferring to use diplomatic channels and closed-door negotiation. Anwar insisted that "operations continue at one or two major wells within our territory." "We will respond to China and explain our position, that we never intended to be in any way provocative or unnecessarily hostile," he said, adding that his government was "open to continuing discussions, whether bilaterally, multilaterally, or within the context of ASEAN" about the South China Sea. "China is a great friend," he said. "This should not harm the bilateral relationship between the countries." Malaysia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it had "consistently underscored the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of diplomatic communication" with other countries and considers the unauthorized dissemination of such documents "an irresponsible act." This is the second time this year that the Malaysian foreign ministry has requested investigations into leaked diplomatic notes. In February, a confidential diplomatic note on a consular issue dated Sept. 20, 2023, and reportedly from the Moroccan government to the Malaysian Embassy in Rabat, was leaked on social media. The ministry said it had expressed regret over that incident but the leak had not originated from internal sources. Iman Muttaqin Yusof and Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur contributed to the story 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Explainer: Putin's Mongolia Visit Shows Limits Of International Criminal Court By Dragan Stavljanin September 05, 2024 Mongolian officials rolled out the red carpet on September 2 for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin. While visiting the vast East Asian country, which borders Russia to the north and China to the south, east, and west, Putin reportedly inked agreements on the supply of aviation fuel to Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator, and presented proposals to improve rail connections between the two countries. But Putin's visit made the headlines for different reasons: It was the Russian president's first visit to a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023. The warrant is related to the illegal repatriation and relocation of children from areas of Ukraine seized by Russia following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Member countries of the ICC are treaty bound to detain suspects if an arrest warrant has been issued, but Putin left the country on September 3 a free man. What Is The ICC And Why Does It Matter? The Rome Statute -- which was signed in 1998 and went into force in 2002 -- established the International Criminal Court. The permanent international court is responsible for prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. Campaigners for global justice see it as a significant milestone, as it set up a legal mechanism to hold individuals to account for crimes that transcend national borders. The ICC is seen as a court of last resort. That means that, under "the principle of complementarity," the ICC may exercise its jurisdiction only if a national court is either unwilling or unable to prosecute grave crimes. Since 2002, the ICC has indicted more than 50 individuals, mostly from African countries. Twenty-one people have been detained in The Hague, where the court is based; 10 have been convicted, and four have been acquitted. Who Are Its Members? There are some notable absences among the court's 124 signatories, including the United States, China, Russia, India, and Israel. Those countries have cited various concerns about the court, including national sovereignty, politicization, and the targeting of their militaries. In 2016, Russia pulled its signature from the Rome Statute after the court branded its 2014 annexation of Crimea an occupation. Why Didn't The Mongolian Authorities Arrest Putin? Mongolia became a member of the ICC in 2003, and, in 2023, a Mongolian judge, Erdenebalsuren Damdin, joined the ICC's panel of sitting judges. In an August 30 statement, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah underscored that Mongolia, as "a state party to the ICC Rome Statute," must cooperate with the court, including with regard to arrest warrants. Following calls from, among others, Ukraine, the European Union, and the ICC to either deny entry to Putin or to arrest him, a Mongolian government spokesperson told Politico that the country was dependent on Russian energy and thus wasn't prepared to arrest the Russian president. "Mongolia imports 95 percent of its petroleum products and over 20 percent of electricity from our immediate neighborhood.... This supply is critical to ensure our existence and that of our people," the spokesperson said. The ICC does not possess an enforcement mechanism. What Consequences Could Mongolia Face? Several international human rights watchdogs warned Mongolia about the consequences of failing to arrest Putin. "If Mongolia provides even a temporary safe haven for President Putin," said Altantuya Batdorj, executive director of Amnesty International Mongolia, "it will effectively become an accomplice in ensuring impunity for some of the most serious crimes under international law." For Marian Elena Vignoli, senior international justice counsel at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, "welcoming Putin, an ICC fugitive, would not only be an affront to the many victims of Russian forces' crimes, but would also undermine the crucial principle that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law." "In case of noncooperation, ICC judges may make a finding to that effect and inform the Assembly of States Parties [governing body]," El Abdallah said in the ICC statement before Putin's visit. "It is then for the assembly to take any measure it deems appropriate." It isn't clear, however, how exactly Mongolia might be sanctioned for failing to arrest the Russian president. One possibility would be removing both Mongolia's judge from the ICC and removing the country from the list of signatories and ratifiers of the Rome Statute. What Was Russia Hoping To Get Out Of Putin's Visit? According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, "all aspects of the president's visit have been carefully prepared." And Bloomberg reported before Putin's visit that Russia had secured guarantees that he wouldn't be arrested during the visit. Russia was using the trip to "mock the ICC," wrote Elena Davlikanova, a fellow with the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis. For Russia, the trip provided not only a distraction from Ukraine's recent incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk but was also a way to "help maintain Putin's image as a strong leader at home and abroad," Davlikanova wrote. She also said that that Putin's trip helped to undermine the ICC and any prospect of future prosecution of suspected war crimes. There is an ongoing discussion among various countries and international bodies about establishing a special tribunal to prosecute so-called crimes of aggression committed by Russian forces against Ukraine. However, Kenneth Roth, the former director of Human Rights Watch, said that Putin's trip to Mongolia was "a sign of weakness." In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Roth said that was because Putin "could manage a trip only to a country with a tiny population of 3.4 million that lives in Russia's shadow." Has Something Like This Happened Before? In 2023, Putin had to skip a BRICS summit in South Africa, following pressure on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to detain the Russian leader if he arrived in the country. South Africa had been criticized before, after it failed, in 2015, to arrest then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, an ICC indictee, during a visit to the country. And Mongolia itself was among 94 countries that signed a joint statement in June expressing "unwavering support" for the ICC following criticism of the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan. The prosecutor had tried to obtain arrest warrants for two Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and three leaders of the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization Hamas. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-mongolia-visit-icc- arrest-explainer-russia/33106069.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille Before Their Meeting US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Chief of Mission Residence Port-au-Prince, Haiti September 5, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon again, everyone. It's a great pleasure for me to be able to meet with Prime Minister Conille. We had a chance to see each other in Washington a few months ago. I greatly admire the work that he's doing and the leadership that he's showing in a very challenging situation, but also one that I think is promising for the future of Haiti. Just in the last few months, standing up the presidential transition council, standing up the government with the prime minister, and critically, having the deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission with now about 380 colleagues from Kenya who are already here supporting the Haitian National Police to work to establish security - these are very important steps and real progress. Security is the foundation for everything that needs to happen going forward, including getting on a pathway to elections next year, but also delivering services to the Haitian people, allowing development to go forward, allowing life to return to a greater semblance of normalcy. But in all of these efforts and so many more, the government and the prime minister are critical actors. The United States is resolutely here in support of Haiti, but so are many other partners and many other countries. And of course, we'll have an opportunity as well in New York at the UN General Assembly to continue to build on that support. But for today, it's important to have an opportunity with the prime minister to take account of the progress that's been made, but also the critical work that remains, and there's a lot of it. PRIME MINISTER CONILLE: (Via interpreter) Thank you so much. We're so happy to welcome the Secretary of State here in Haiti. We're so grateful to the American people for their continued friendship and solidarity. I personally am grateful to the Secretary of State for his personal commitment. The task ahead, as pointed out, is extremely complex, but we feel quite confident that if our partners bear with us, commit to working with us, we will achieve our goals. The progress we've achieved so far is actually quite remarkable in under a hundred days. The presence of the force here has been essential. We're working closely with the police so that we can start solving a very difficult situation. So obviously, we're learning more and more as we move forward in terms of what's needed, how we need to adjust. At the same time the government is very - is working very hard on the humanitarian issues. As you know - very difficult - and one of the big objectives for us will be back to school in October, and we're doing that with our partners. I'm very happy with the level of engagement I'm getting from other partners as well, and we're looking forward to continued discussions on how best to work together to be able to provide real solutions to Haitians that have suffered for way too long. Thank you so much. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Prime Minister. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Haitian Interim Prime Minister Conille US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson September 5, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken today met with interim Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Secretary Blinken expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Conille for his work to promote strong collaboration between Haiti's transition government and the leadership of the Multinational Security Support mission, which supports the Haitian National Police to re-establish security in Haiti and build security conditions conducive to holding free and fair elections. Both concurred that continued collaboration with the MSS mission, Transitional Presidential Council, and international community is essential to establish peace and security and set Haiti on a path toward democratic governance. Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Conille discussed priorities for current and future humanitarian aid to the Haitian people as security conditions improve. These priorities include tackling food insecurity, youth unemployment, and health infrastructure consistent with the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability in Haiti. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the Biden-Harris' unwavering support for the timely reauthorization of the HOPE/HELP trade preference program for Haiti. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Head of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council Leblanc Fils US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson September 5, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Edgard Leblanc Fils, the head of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), today in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Secretary Blinken highlighted the international community's support for the TPC as Haiti's presidential authority. He expressed gratitude to Leblanc for the TPC's diligent efforts to nominate and collaborate with Prime Minister Conille, as well as for the TPC's dedication to establishing a Provisional Electoral Council. Both concurred on the critical need to make timely advancements on election preparations. The Secretary reiterated that the TPC's efforts are crucial to enable the Haitian people to choose their leaders and to restore democratic governance in Haiti. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Secretary Verma's Engagements in Vilnius, Lithuania US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson September 5, 2024 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, on September 4-5 to sign the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and of the Rule of Law, and to meet with senior government officials. For the first time in an international treaty, this Convention defines a shared baseline for rights-respecting AI activities by governments and affirms the relevance of existing human rights obligations to AI activities. In a significant step toward building consensus on common responsible and rights-respecting practices related to AI, the Convention codifies principles such as accountability, non-discrimination, privacy, and reliability that have long been supported by the United States. The Convention also describes common minimum risk management practices, and contains provisions related to topics such as procedural safeguards, public consultation, digital literacy efforts, and remedies for violations of human rights. The United States' signature of the Convention reflects our enduring commitment to ensuring that AI technologies promote respect for human rights and democratic values, and to advancing a range of efforts at home and abroad to leverage the promise of AI, manage its risks, and safeguard human rights. Deputy Secretary Verma met with Deputy Foreign Minister Simonas Satunas in Vilnius and discussed a range of topics, including regional security in the face of Russian aggression and our mutual support for Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Release of Political Prisoners from Nicaragua to Guatemala US Department of State Press Statement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State September 5, 2024 Today, the United States secured the release on humanitarian grounds of 135 political prisoners unjustly detained by Nicaraguan authorities. These individuals safely and voluntarily arrived in Guatemala, and we thank President Bernardo Arevalo and his administration for their efforts and support in welcoming them. These freed Nicaraguan citizens, will now have the opportunity to apply for lawful pathways to resettle to the United States or elsewhere and begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Those released include human rights defenders, Catholic laypeople, and 13 individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway, a Texas-based religious organization. Nicaraguan authorities unjustly detained these individuals for exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression, of association and peaceful assembly, and of religion or belief. All of them must now undertake the tremendous challenge of establishing their lives in a new country. Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo, and their associates continue to violate human rights, stifle legitimate dissent, jail opponents, seize their property, and prevent citizens from reentering their home country. We urge the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Nicaragua. The Nicaraguan people want and deserve a restored democracy where all can exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, free from fear of persecution or reprisal. We continue to support their aspirations for such a future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Recent developments in the north of Kosovo: UK statement to the OSCE, September 2024 Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown underlines the UK's concerns following the recent operation by Kosovo Police against Serbian-run municipal offices in the north of Kosovo. 5 September 2024 Thank you, Madam Chair. The United Kingdom shares the concerns of international partners regarding the recent operation by Kosovo Police against Serbian-run municipal offices in the north of Kosovo. We have been clear, including with Kosovo's leaders, that actions which fundamentally affect the wellbeing of Kosovo-Serbs and other non-majority communities require careful consultation with Kosovo's friends and security partners, in order to avoid fuelling tensions and disadvantaging the most vulnerable. We continue to urge the Government of Kosovo to ensure that non-majority communities are fully integrated into a multi-ethnic Kosovo. We continue to urge the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to engage constructively and in good faith in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, to implement all their commitments to normalise relations between their two countries, and to deliver the peaceful, stable and prosperous future that their citizens deserve. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell's remarks at the second annual session of the UNICEF Executive Board UNICEF Special focus session on climate change: "Putting children at the heart of climate action and galvanizing global solutions" 05 September 2024 As prepared for delivery NEW YORK, 5 September 2024 - "Excellencies, colleagues, it is good to be with you for this special focus session on climate change. I am honored to be joined by the esteemed representatives of the Dominican Republic and Madagascar, and of course our child advocates, Ms. Daniel and Mr. Vera Manzanares. "At UNICEF, we firmly believe that the global climate crisis is, at its heart, a child rights crisis. Across the globe, climate change is impacting children's health and development, their safety, and their access to essential services. "According to UNICEF's landmark Children's Climate Risk Index, more than 1 billion children - nearly half the world's children - live in countries that are at 'extremely high-risk' from the impacts of climate change. "And while children are the least responsible for the climate crisis, they bear the greatest burden of its consequences. From the moment of conception until they grow into adulthood, the health and development of children's brains, lungs, immune systems and other critical functions are affected by the environment they grow up in. "UNICEF estimates that 559 million children are currently exposed to frequent heatwaves. And by 2050, all of the world's children are expected to be regularly exposed to heatwaves. "Heatwaves are especially damaging to children because they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults. Their bodies heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and they cool down more slowly, making them more likely to suffer from heatstroke or die. Children exposed to heatwaves are at greater risk of developing chronic respiratory conditions and cardiovascular diseases. "Extreme heat is also associated with complications for unborn children and pregnant mothers, and is linked to stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm birth. A recent report from UNICEF found that the odds of stillbirth and pre-term birth rise by 5 per cent per 1Celsius increase in temperature. "Each year, disasters linked to climate change disrupt learning for 40 million children, with girls less likely to return to school than boys. We expect that without action, climate change will contribute to at least 12.5 million girls failing to complete their education annually by 2025. "Here, it is critical to note that the climate crisis disproportionately impacts children from vulnerable groups, children with disabilities, those living in poverty or in humanitarian crises, and of course, girls. "The climate crisis is exacerbating existing gender inequalities - including through increased rates of gender-based and sexual violence, unequal access to nutritious food, and underinvestment in essential services tailored to the specific needs of girls and women. "Across the board, climate change has stark, immediate and long-term implications across the full range of children's rights. But children are more than victims,they are agents of change with the capacity to play a transformative role in advancing real climate action. "In July, I visited the Pacific region where I met with children and young people living on the front lines of the climate crisis. In Vanuatu, I spoke with UNICEF-supported youth climate advocates. They were instrumental in getting the UN General Assembly to request a judgement from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of richer countries to address climate change. "Their efforts are but one example of the positive impact children and young people can make when they have a seat at the table. "So, it is deeply troubling that in the more than 30 years since the UNFCCC was signed, world leaders and policy makers have paid scant attention to prioritizing children's rights, needs and voices in climate action. Parties to the Paris Agreement agreed that States should - when taking climate action - respect, promote, and consider the rights of children. But this commitment has yet to translate into significant climate policy initiatives or investments. "Less than half of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) globally are child-sensitive, while just 30 per cent involved young people in their development. "Nevertheless, there have been some positive developments. "At COP28, the decision by Parties to mandate an 'expert dialogue' on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on children and relevant policy solutions was a significant step. "UNICEF co-moderated the dialogue, held in June, which featured key data and evidence showing children as a distinct group - a first in the UNFCCC's 30-year history. "COP29 and the upcoming NDCs 3.0 provide important opportunities for governments to be bold and ambitious, protect children, and commit to the actions needed to secure their futures. This includes working to make the systems children rely on - like health care, education, water and sanitation - more resilient to the impacts of climate change. "UNICEF is working on all fronts - from influencing policies, plans and funding, to implementing programming at scale in the sectors where we work. Our Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan sets targets focused on children's needs, aiming to drive a global movement for children with public and private sector partners. "And UNICEF continues to serve as a key convener between children, young people and governments to drive climate action at country, regional and global levels. "UNICEF is inviting partners to join us in accelerating climate action in four key areas, first, is climate-informed disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action and resilient recovery from disasters, second, is ensuring sustainable energy for health-care facilities, schools and WASH systems, third, is providing sustainable WASH services in the areas most vulnerable to climate change, and fourth, is to provide pathways for young people to be more effective champions for sustainability. "We also urge Member States to continue their advocacy with IFIs to ensure that children are prioritized in global climate funding. "The Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action remains a valuable framework to support this agenda, and it seems that Minister Fontaine and Vice-Minister Batista have good news to share with us on this today. "Excellencies, the actions we take now are shaping the world our children will inherit. About 4.2 billion children are expected to be born over the next 30 years and climate change will be their reality. It is our collective responsibility to make sure they are prepared. "Thank you once again for joining us today, and I look forward to the discussion." ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Aid trucks on Ukraine frontline, Africa schools close due to insecurity, Georgia rights defenders 5 September 2024 - UN humanitarians continue to reach beleaguered communities stranded on the frontline in Ukraine. An inter-agency convoy delivered three trucks of aid to a community in the Kherson region on Wednesday - the ninth this year that has managed to get through. There are still nearly 2,000 people living in the town of Beryslav, including more than 70 children and 90 people who have only limited mobility. "Despite constant shelling, they have not evacuated the area, which has no electricity, which has no gas and which has no water, all due to damaged infrastructure", said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, briefing correspondents in New York. Aid workers delivered a portable power station, hygiene items, bedding, blankets, and warm clothing, he added. Amid an uptick in missile strikes and bombardment by invading Russian forces in recent days, there were nearly 30 civilian casualties caused by hostilities in the Donetsk and Sumy regions. Mandatory evacuations "Homes, stores, agricultural assets, and gas and electricity infrastructure were reportedly damaged", said Mr. Dujarric. "The Ukrainian Government tells us that they have launched the mandatory evacuation of children and their caregivers from another 40 towns and villages around the Donetsk Region." Wednesday saw a wave of Russian attacks which left a mother and her three daughters dead, among seven killed in the western city of Lviv. A baby and another girl also died following the drone and hypersonic missile strikes. The attacks followed on from the deadliest single Russian attack of the year which left 53 dead in the central city of Poltava. The head of the UN Children's Fund office in Lviv, Nienke Voppen, told UN News on Thursday that 66 people in the city had also been injured during Wednesday's strikes, including ten children. Violence and insecurity closes 14,300 schools in West and Central Africa More than 14,000 schools have had to close across West and Central Africa due to violence and insecurity, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA has reported. OCHA said that by June this year, 2.8 million children - including many who are displaced - had been left without access to education, from Mali in the west to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the east. Latest aid assessments indicate a volatile humanitarian situation in the region with security incidents affecting education rising a startling 103 per cent from March to June, compared with the start of the year. Numbers increasing The UN aid office also reported a slight increase in the number of schools closing from March to June, compared with the previous three-month period, and a small additional number of internally displaced people and refugees - adding to pressure on services. OCHA highlighted that a "huge" lack of funding continues to hamper the humanitarian response. It said that only around a quarter of children in affected areas had access to education in the latest period under review, compared with one in two earlier in the year. Georgia: Targeted and sustained repression of human rights defenders must end: UN expert Human rights defenders in Georgia have faced a "wave of repression" during this year that shows no sign of abating, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, said on Thursday. "In late 2023, I visited Georgia to examine the environment for human rights defenders in the country, and things stood on a precipice," Ms. Lawlor said, adding that since then "the situation has deteriorated drastically." The UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent expert cited the targeting of human rights defenders during the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence by Parliament earlier this year. Enacted on 28 May 2024 despite widespread popular protests in the country, it places Georgia in violation of its human rights obligations concerning freedom of association and expression, coming into force on 1 August. "As the Government railroaded the 'foreign agent law' through Parliament, human rights defenders came under vicious, targeted attack," Ms. Lawlor continued. "They were physically attacked, subjected to threatening phone calls, and human rights organisations and their individual members saw their offices and homes painted with threats and smears." Fanning the flames The Special Rapporteur stressed that these attacks were conducted with impunity, and in some cases, appear to have been encouraged by public statements from high-ranking Government officials. "Government officials and members of the ruling party publicly smearing human rights defenders as enemies of the people continues to be a major problem in Georgia," she said. "These statements encourage and legitimise attacks against human rights defenders, and in the Georgian context, it appears increasingly clear this is what they are intended to do." Special Rapporteurs are appointed to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues worldwide. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy to Commission Future Amphibious Transport Dock Richard M. McCool, Jr. US Navy - Press Release 05 September 2024 The Navy will commission the Amphibious Transport Dock USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29) on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. CDT at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the principal address at the commissioning ceremony. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Matt Gaetz, U.S. Representative, Florida's 1st District; Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations; General Christopher Mahoney, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Ms. Kari Wilkinson, Executive Vice President, HII, and President, Ingalls Shipbuilding. The ship's sponsors are the granddaughters of its namesake, Shana McCool and Kate Oja. Richard M. McCool, Jr. will be the 13th San Antonio-class ship commissioned in the United States Navy, and the first U.S. Navy ship to bear this namesake. "Captain McCool's leadership in the face of grave danger and his acts of heroism to save the crew and the ship our nation entrusted to him are indeed an example for all throughout," said Secretary Del Toro. "I am proud that the Department of the Navy is pursuing the award of the Amphibious Multi-Ship Procurement Contract for a total of three San Antonio Class amphibious shipsjust like USS Richard M. McCool Jr.along with an America Class amphibious assault ship. I am proud to see these Sailors and Marines bring this incredible warship to life in service to our nation, much like this ship's courageous namesake." The Navy named LPD 29 to honor U.S. Navy Capt. Richard M. McCool, Jr., Ret., who received the Medal of Honor in 1945 for his heroism. Kamikaze aircraft attacked his ship during the Battle of Okinawa. Despite suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, he led efforts to battle a blazing fire on his ship and rescue injured sailors. The Navy designs San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships to embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for various expeditionary warfare missions. These ships provide the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable, and built to operate in the 21st century, with capabilities including the MV-22 Osprey, the upgraded Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and future means for delivering Marines ashore. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel kills 6 Palestinian militants in West Bank By VOA News September 05, 2024 Israel said Thursday that it killed six Palestinian militants in new fighting in the occupied West Bank, including the son of a prominent jailed militant. The latest attacks were part of larger-scale raids in the territory over the last week that Palestinians fear could be a widening of the Israeli war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a strike overnight in the northern West Bank town of Tubas killed five people, including Mohammed Zubeidi, the son of Zakaria Zubeidi, a well-known militant commander during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. The elder Zubeidi took part in a rare jailbreak in 2021 before being arrested and returned to prison days later. The Israeli military said the younger Zubeidi had taken part in attacks against Israeli forces in the West Bank and that he was with a militant cell when he was targeted. The military said another fighter was killed in an airstrike on the Al-Faraa refugee camp after hurling a firebomb at Israeli forces. The military released a video that it said showed the exchange. It said forces also uncovered roadside bombs in the camp, which dates to the 1948 Mideast war surrounding Israel's creation. Meanwhile, hundreds marched silently Thursday night through Tel Aviv streets carrying 27 mock coffins representing 27 of the hostages who were captured alive last October 7 and whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli military during the past nearly 11 months of fighting in Gaza. The protests in the Israeli streets are targeted at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his failure to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and secure the return of 100 or so remaining hostages held by Hamas, especially after the Israeli military last weekend discovered the bodies of six hostages who had been shot to death by Hamas. "Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, sentenced Carmel, my cousin, to death, her and all the hostages," said Gil Dickmann, the cousin of Carmel Gat, one of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered. The government "could have brought her back 327 days she was there, in Gaza, in captivity. There were 327 opportunities to bring her back and every single one was missed." In angry public statements, hostage families have accused Netanyahu of blocking a deal and potentially sacrificing their loved ones' lives for the sake of holding the border strip between Gaza and Egypt. During a press conference in Haiti on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said both Israel and Hamas had to reach an agreement on the remaining issues in the cease-fire deal. "Based on what I have seen, 90% is agreed, but there are a few critical issues that remain," including the so-called Philadelphi corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, Blinken said. There were also some disagreements over how Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages would be exchanged. "I expect in the coming days, we will share with Israel, and they [Qatar and Egypt] will share with Hamas our thoughts, the three of us, on exactly how to resolve remaining outstanding questions," Blinken said, referring to the U.S. and mediators Qatar and Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent days, calling for a deal and saying time is running out to bring home the hostages alive. Hamas has accused Netanyahu of deliberately dragging his feet on cease-fire talks. Hamas on Thursday accused Netanyahu of working to prevent a cease-fire deal, a day after Netanyahu said Israel would combine military pressure with a firm stance on its demands. During a news conference Wednesday in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel agreed to earlier cease-fire proposals, while Hamas refused. Netanyahu also stuck to his position that Israel must retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer strip of land in the Egypt-Gaza border area. "As far as Gaza is concerned, three war goals: The first war goal was to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities. The second was to free our hostages, and the third was to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel," he said. "And all three of those goals, all three of them, go through Israel's control of the Philadelphi Corridor." In Washington, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Wednesday that cease-fire negotiations continue, and a deal is "basically done," except for two sticking points - which Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for the remaining hostages, and the deployment of Israeli forces during the first phase of the deal. Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured 250 hostages during the October 7 terror attack on southern Israel. The Israeli counteroffensive has killed nearly 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials, while the Israeli military says the death toll includes several thousand Hamas combatants. Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western countries. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Haiti, Blinken announces $45 million new aid, calls for renewed security mission mandate By Nike Ching September 05, 2024 During a trip to Haiti on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $45 million in new humanitarian aid for the Caribbean nation, which has been wracked by violence for years. He also called for the renewal of the United Nations mandate for the Multinational Security Support, or MSS, mission to combat the armed gangs that dominate much of the capital. "At this critical moment, you do need more funding. We do need more personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission," Blinken told a news conference on a rare visit to Port-au-Prince. The top U.S. diplomat said he plans to convene a ministerial meeting at the coming U.N. General Assembly to encourage greater international contributions to address Haiti's security, economic, and humanitarian needs. The MSS mandate is set to expire at the beginning of October. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of changing the mission into a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation, a move that would ease funding, provide more equipment and enable use of military forces rather than only police officers. Blinken said that while the MSS mission itself needs to be renewed, it also needs to ensure that it is "reliable" and "sustainable." "A peacekeeping operation would be one such option. I think there are others," he told reporters on Thursday. Blinken's visit to Port-au-Prince underscores U.S. support for Haiti as the country grapples with gang violence. On Thursday, Blinken met with Edgard Leblanc Fils from Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council. "Both concurred on the critical need to make timely advancements on election preparations," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Apart from Fils, Blinken also held talks with Prime Minister Garry Conille, MSS head Godfrey Otunge and Normil Rameau, head of the Haitian National Police. The United States and Canada are the top funders of the MSS in Haiti. The first-year estimated cost for the mission is $589 million. The U.S. has already provided $309 million $200 million toward the MSS mission base and $109 million in financial support. Gang-related violence and drug trafficking have fueled political instability and insecurity in Haiti, leading to unbearable conditions for Haitians. At least 80% of Port-au-Prince is no longer under Haitian authorities' control, with violence spreading to other parts of the country. In the past year, displacement in Haiti has tripled as gang violence grips the Caribbean nation. The U.N. says at least 578,000 people have been displaced because of violence, including murders, kidnappings and rapes. The situation is further exacerbated by widespread hunger, with nearly half the 11.7 million population facing acute food insecurity. After Haiti, Blinken arrived in Santo Domingo later Thursday. His visit follows the start of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader's second term in mid-August. The Dominican Republic will host the 2025 Summit of the Americas, where Western Hemisphere leaders will address shared challenges and policy issues facing the region. VOA's Liam Scott contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-China rivalry on display at gathering of Pacific Islands leaders By Jessica Stone September 05, 2024 Efforts by Beijing to limit Taiwan's participation in the recently concluded Pacific Islands Forum underscore the intense and ongoing tug-of-war between Western democracies and China for influence in the region, analysts say. During the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, which wrapped up Friday, Beijing ally Solomon Islands tried unsuccessfully to block Taiwan from future participation. Then, on Saturday, the PIF removed a reference to Taiwan in its final communique after Beijing's top Pacific diplomat expressed outrage at its inclusion. The communique originally reaffirmed a 30-year-old agreement allowing Taiwan to take part in the PIF. That wording was later removed. Beijing's communist leaders insist that democratically ruled Taiwan is a part of China and have worked for decades to limit the island's participation in international organizations. After the references to Taiwan were removed, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, "Taiwan issued the strongest condemnation on China's arbitrary intervention and unreasonable actions that undermine regional peace and stability." However, the ministry said the revision did not undermine Taiwan's status at the forum or prevent it from participating in the future. Asia Group senior adviser Kathryn Paik, who helped lead the creation of the first U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit while at the U.S. National Security Council, said that while Taiwan's status as a development partner is still solid, what happened highlights the intensity of Beijing's efforts in the region. "China has made gaining access and influence in the Pacific a top priority in recent years, sending savvy diplomats to the region. In fact, China currently has vastly more diplomats on the ground in more countries than the United States, outnumbering the U.S. in almost every location," Paik told VOA. "The pushback on the Solomon Islands' attempt which was transparently an attempt by China to remove Taiwan as a development partner to the PIF demonstrated the high regard that many nations have for Taiwan's contributions to Pacific development." PIF officials did not explain why Taiwan was removed from the communique but stressed that the PIF would continue to welcome Taiwan at its regional meetings. Nikkei Asia reported that Chinese Special Envoy for the Pacific Qian Bo told reporters Friday the reference was "a mistake" that "should be corrected." "Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan is not a dialogue partner of PIF, so China has the representation on behalf of the whole China, including Taiwan and the mainland," Qian said. VOA reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Solomon Islands for comment but has yet to receive a response. Partnership through 2027 On Sunday, Taiwan announced an agreement with the Pacific Islands to extend the development partnership through 2027, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement also highlighted programs Taiwan has supported in the Pacific Islands, efforts that have focused on areas such as agriculture, education, medical care, communications technology, women's empowerment and basic infrastructure. Commenting Tuesday on China's efforts at the PIF, the U.S. State Department backed Taiwan's continued right to attend regional meetings. "The PRC's efforts to pressure Pacific Island countries to remove this reference fit a pattern of PRC coercion to constrain Taiwan's international position," a State Department spokesperson told VOA, using an abbreviation of the country's formal name, the People's Republic of China. "Taiwan is a highly capable, engaged, democratic and responsible member of the global community." US Pacific territories While China and the United States maintain status as partner nations in the PIF, U.S. territories Guam and American Samoa were granted status as associate members during last week's meetings. Although they do not have voting rights, they will be able to provide speakers at plenary sessions and nominate members to PIF working groups. "The United States supports the U.S. Pacific territories' increased participation in the PIF and greater connectivity with PIF members," a State Department spokesperson told VOA. The Asia Group's Paik said that having two U.S. territories "more tightly knit into the Pacific community" further reinforces that the U.S. is a Pacific nation and opens opportunities for the U.S. to influence decision-making at the forum. Ivan Kanapathy, a former deputy senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, agrees. "This will provide more allied voices and reduce PRC influence, which often relies on elite capture," said Kanapathy, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He added: "Washington must convince the region that it is willing to impose real costs on Beijing more than just diplomatic statements." Some information for this report came from Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Floods in northern Thailand seen as test for new prime minister By Tommy Walker September 05, 2024 Northern Thailand's worst floods in years are causing significant damage, and experts say this could be the first real test for the country's new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The floods, caused by seasonal monsoon rain in August, have killed at least 22 people, injured others and damaged upwards of 30,000 homes across more than a dozen provinces, authorities said on August 26. The bad weather in Thailand continues, with Typhoon Yagi forecast to cause more heavy rainfall over the weekend. Nine provinces are particularly at risk Chiang Rai, Phayao, Sukhothai, Lampang, Phetchabun, Phrae, Nan, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan. Arisara Lekkham, a lecturer at the School of Law at the Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, said the floods are more severe than in previous years. "The current flooding in northern Thailand is both an annual occurrence and an extraordinary event this year," she told VOA. "Key factors include exceptionally heavy and prolonged rainfall, urban expansion blocking natural drainage paths, deforestation and conversion to monoculture agriculture reducing soil water retention, topography of mountainous regions leading to flash floods [and] high-water levels in the Mekong River and its tributaries slowing drainage," she said. "These factors have resulted in more frequent, intense and long-lasting floods, affecting areas that rarely flood and causing significant damage across multiple provinces. While flooding is expected annually in certain regions, the scale and impact of this year's floods are notably more severe than in typical years," said Lekkham, who has published papers on the legal principles of the Mekong River. Thai politics have endured a storm of their own recently, with Paetongtarn having become prime minister after a court removed her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Analysts say the heavy floods will be Paetongtarn's first test. "If we get this kind of rain at this pace, continuously for the month of September, it could be a big crisis for her. But if the rain dissipates and the drier season comes in by the second half of September or early October, then the pressure will be off a bit. It's a matter of nature," political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told VOA. In 2011, Thailand suffered some of its worst flooding in recent history because of rain from monsoon season triggered by a tropical storm. The flooding lasted from July to January 2012, killing at least 815 people and affecting over 13 million. Sixty-five of Thailand's 76 provinces were declared disaster zones. The World Bank estimated that the five-month-long floods caused economic damages and losses of over $46.5 billion. At the time, Thailand was governed by another Shinawatra, then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck was heavily criticized for the vast damage done by the disaster, but she was not prosecuted following allegations of dereliction of duty in water management by Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Committee. Thitinan called the current situation reminiscent of the massive flooding that occurred soon after Yingluck took office. "On Paetongtarn, it's a test of her personal character and personal leadership. We don't know how bad the floods will get. But if it's a lot less [than 2011] ... the floods will incur some damage, but it will not be critical to her premiership," he said. Lekkham said Paetongtarn and her new Cabinet announced this week must manage the current flood problem, providing flood relief assistance and urgent aid, and monitor and warn of the risks nationwide, including in Bangkok. Long-term measures also must be implemented, she said. "What Paetongtarn and the new government need to do [is] manage the flood problem long-term, support innovation and technology for flood assistance, such as drones for supply delivery or equipment to rescue people stranded in floodwaters, develop systematic, seasonal monitoring and warning plans, ensuring central agencies have a unified view that can be disseminated to local levels, establish flood management as a routine practice, not just a seasonal activity. "Flood management should become a regular, year-round effort rather than a reactive, seasonal approach," she said. There have been added concerns that China has been releasing water from its Jinghong Dam in Yunnan into the Mekong River. "Increased water levels in the Mekong River, partly due to dam releases, are pushing water back into tributaries, worsening flooding in agricultural areas. The dams affect the natural flow of the Mekong, impacting downstream countries like Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia," Lekkham said. But a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok denied the dam was the reason for Thailand's worsened flooding, asserting it had not released any water lately. The Mekong Dam Monitor, an online platform monitoring reservoir levels in the Mekong River, says its satellite data shows no evidence that China's recent water releases were the reason for the Thailand's heavy floods. But China is still "partly" to blame," Thitinan said. "I saw the statistics that [show] the Chinese have released less water than last year, but only a little bit less than last year. But that's irrelevant, because the water that has been released is still making the floods worse in Thailand. So, in practical terms, the Chinese are partly responsible for how bad the floods are," he said. Lekkham said more communication and trust is needed between six riparian countries that are part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, a framework focusing on joint usage of the Mekong River. "There is a need to further promote communication on data exchange, particularly regarding water levels behind dams, daily water releases, and advance warnings during wet seasons. Implementing publicly accessible CCTV systems could foster mutual trust between China and lower Mekong countries," she said. Economically, the floods could cost Thailand up to $176 million in damages, Thailand's Chamber of Commerce has warned. Thailand's agricultural, industrial and services sectors have been the most affected, while the kingdom is already suffering from a sluggish economy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethiopia releases opposition politicians from prison By Tsehay Damtew September 05, 2024 The Ethiopian government has freed seven Oromo Liberation Front, or OLF, members who have been in prison for more than four years. A spokesperson for OLF Lemi Gemechu told VOA's Horn of Africa Service that the seven were released on Thursday from the different prisons where they had been held. He identified the seven as Abdi Regassa, Dawit Abdeta, Lammi Begna, Michael Boran, Kenessa Ayana, Gada Gabisa and Gada Oljira. "Before their release, there was a process that took all day," Lemi said. "Just now, the Oromo Liberation Front leaders who have been imprisoned for over four years at different sites have been released, including Abdi Regassa, members of the executive committee and other officials well-known among the people, all seven of them, are now released and here at home," he said. Abdi is a prominent member of the OLF who once was the commander of the military wing of OLF. The release took place at Burayu police station outside Addis Ababa. Some of the released detainees are members of the executive committee while others are central committee and executive members of the OLF. Lemi said they welcomed their release and congratulated their supporters and those who advocated for their release. On his Facebook page, Lemi posted a picture of the seven standing with the leader of OLF, Dawud Ibsa. In a statement issued Thursday on Facebook, OLF said the members were released on bail. OLF said they were detained for "exercising their legitimate political rights" and said their detention was "unjust." The opposition members were detained in 2020 for what rights groups at the time described as "purely political" reasons. The Ethiopian government has not yet officially commented on the release of the opposition figures. The United States has also welcomed the release of OLF detainees. "We remain ready to support negotiations aimed at ending the violence and promoting durable peace for all Ethiopians," the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs said in a post on X. Human Rights Watch had been calling on the Ethiopian authorities to release the seven senior members of the opposition political party. Meanwhile, the family of Taye Dendea, the detained former Ethiopian state minister of peace, has expressed their disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision to deny him bail. Taye's wife, Sintayehu Alemayehu, told VOA's Horn of Africa Service that she is sad because of the decision of Ethiopia's federal Supreme Court. The court on Wednesday upheld the decision by a lower court to reject the bail request by Taye. Taye appeared before a court in Addis Ababa on Wednesday to find that his bail request had been rejected. The former state minister was arrested in December last year after he posted comments criticizing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Police accused him of collaborating with groups aiming to destabilize Ethiopia. It also accused him of using social media platforms to endorse violence. A lower court acquitted Taye of these charges without requiring him to present a defense but ordered him to defend against the third charge concerning the illegal possession of firearms. This story originated in VOA Horn of Africa Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 135 released Nicaraguan political prisoners arrive in Guatemala By VOA News September 05, 2024 The White House announced Thursday the United States secured the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua, who were then flown to Guatemala. In a statement, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the prisoners had been "unjustly detained" in Nicaragua, and that "no one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association and practicing their religion." Sullivan said the prisoners were released on humanitarian grounds and include 13 members of the Texas-based evangelical Mountain Gateway organization, along with Catholic laypeople, students and others. "This is a day we have prayed and believed God for. ... Today, we cry tears of joy because our brothers and sisters are free," Jon Britton Hancock, founder of Mountain Gateway said in a statement on the organization's website. Sullivan said the prisoners were jailed because they were seen by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo as "a threat to their authoritarian rule." On the ground in Guatemala, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Eric Jacobstein said, after talking with the newly released prisoners, that he was struck by the "true pettiness and cruelty" of Ortega's government for imprisoning people for no justifiable reason. Mountain Gateway said 11 of its members had been arrested in December and charged with money laundering. It said in a statement that all its Nicaraguan assets had been seized, and its registration to operate in the country had been revoked. The New York Times reported the organization had attracted thousands of followers and received millions of dollars in donations. The report said the Nicaraguan government accused Mountain Gateway of using its nonprofit status as a cover to purchase property and luxury. The Times report said the group was among about 1,600 similar organizations shut down by the Nicaraguan government in the past year. Sullivan said the government of Guatemala has "graciously" agreed to accept the prisoners all of whom are Nicaraguan citizens upon their release. Once in the country, he said they will be offered the opportunity to apply for lawful ways to rebuild their lives in the United States. The statement said U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were grateful to Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo for "his continued leadership across the region in addressing humanitarian issues and championing democratic freedom." Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Release of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua September 05, 2024 The Biden-Harris Administration today secured the release of 135 unjustly detained political prisoners in Nicaragua, on humanitarian grounds. No one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion. The 135 Nicaraguan citizens released today included 13 members of the Texas-based Mountain Gateway organization, along with Catholic laypeople, students, and others who Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo consider a threat to their authoritarian rule. The United States welcomes the leadership and generosity of the Government of Guatemala for graciously agreeing to accept these Nicaraguan citizens. Once in Guatemala, these individuals will be offered the opportunity to apply for lawful ways to rebuild their lives in the United States or other countries through President Biden's Safe Mobility Office initiative. President Biden and Vice President Harris are grateful to President Arevalo for his continued leadership across the region in addressing humanitarian issues and championing democratic freedom. The United States again calls on the Government of Nicaragua to immediately cease the arbitrary arrest and detention of its citizens for merely exercising their fundamental freedoms. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 05 September 2024 - Day 925 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the average daily Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in Ukraine has increased in August 2024 to 1,187 per day, according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting. Since the start of the conflict Russia has likely suffered over 610,000 casualties. The August 2024 increase in casualty rate is almost certainly due to Ukraine's Kursk operation and continued pressure on the Pokrovsk axis. Russia continues to rely on mass to mitigate their lack of personnel and equipment capability. Although Russian pressure on the whole frontline will continue over the next month, their capability constraints will likely continue to reduce their ability to exploit any tactical successes into wider operational gains. Russia's casualty rate will likely continue to average above 1,000 a day throughout September 2024 as Russia continues operations on a wide front from Kursk in the north to Robotyne in the south. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 151 combat encounters. 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 the enemy is active in the Kurakhiv direction. Russian zagarbniki made 58 air strikes on the territory of Ukraine, dropping 66 cabiv. In addition, 572 kamikaze drones were recruited and carried out more than 2800 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Seven boezitknen took place in the Kharkiv direction. Defense forces repelled Russian attacks near Staritsa and Vovchansk. One enemy attack is still going on. In the Kupiansky direction, Russian forces carried out offensive actions, in particular, near synkivka, glushkivka, lozova and and andriyivka. Thirteen fights completed, two more to go. In the Lyman direction Russian zagarbniki stormed the positions of Ukrainian troops near druzhelubivka, makiivka, nevs kogo, chernest region and novosadovogo. So far 14 combat clashes completed, three are still going. In the Siver direction Ukrainian defenders repelled four Russian offensive actions in the areas of Verkhnyokamiansky and Spirny. In the Kramators ,komu direction, 13 battles were sharpened near the Time Yar, Predtechinyo, Ivanovsky, White Mountain, Ivanopila and Klis iivka. Currently, one attack of the Russian opponent continues. 15 combat clashes took place in the Toretsky direction. The Russians stormed the positions of Ukrainian units near Toretsk and Nelipivka. Eight clashes completed, seven still going. In the Pokrovsky direction, since the beginning of this day, 42 battles have been sharpened in the areas of settlements of Suha Balka, Panteleimonivka, Green Field, Vozdvizhenka, Novotroitske, Hrodivka, Mirolyubivka, Novogrodivka and Mykhailivka. The Defense Forces repelled 37 offensive actions, five are still continuing. Today in this direction there were 332 Russian invaders, of them 144 - irrevocably. Also destroyed a tank, a tiger armored combat vehicle, BM-21 "Hail", one Bpla, three cars and nine units of motor equipment. To the same, four tanks, one mortar and ten vehicles were damaged. In the Kurakhiv direction, Russian forces 28 times carried out offensive actions near Lisivka, Ukrainian, Galicinivka, Krasnogorivka, Georgiyivka and Konstantinivka. Ukrainian defenders have stopped 24 attacks, four are still ongoing. In the Vremivs komu direction, Russian forces made six attempts to push Ukrainian units out of the occupied borders of defense near Vodyany, Konstantinivka and Vugledara. Four clashes down, two still going. In the orihivs komu direction stopped the attack of Russian zagarbnikiv near robotinogo. In the Pridniprovsk direction, the Russian occupiers were defeated, three times storming the positions of Ukrainian troops. In other directions - without much change. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Volchansk and Liptsy directions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the 92nd Assault Brigade of the AFU, 36th Marine Brigade, and 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Malye Prokhody, Liptsy, and Volchanskiye Khutora (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 125 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, two 152-mm D-20 guns, and one field ammunition depot. Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 43rd, 44th, 66th, 115th mechanised brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU, 110th, 117th territorial defence brigades, and the 12th Azov Special Operations Brigade near Kovsharovka, Petropavlovka, Glushkovka, Kruglyakovka (Kharkov region), Novoyegorovka, Makeyevka (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 14th and 116th mechanised brigades were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 500 troops, one tank, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and UK-made 105-mm L-119 and U.S.-made M101 howitzers. One Anklav-N electronic warfare station, one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar, and five ammunition depots were destroyed. Units of the Yug Group of Forces continued to advance to the depth of the enemy's defences and inflicted losses on formations of the 30th, 54th, 93rd mechanised brigades, 143rd, 144th infantry brigades, 46th Airmobile Brigade, 10th, 80th assault brigade of the AFU, 114th, and 116th territorial defence brigades near Verkhnekamenskoye, Pereyezdnoye, Chasov Yar, Stupochki, Predtechino, Maksimilyanovka, and Katerinovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 745 troops, three pickup trucks, two 152-mm D-20 guns, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, three UK-made 105-mm L-119 howitzers, two electronic warfare stations, and three field ammunition depots. As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Zavetnoye (Donetsk People's Republic). Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 23rd, 24th, 47th, 100th mechanised brigades, 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 142nd Infantry Brigade, and 25th Airborne Brigade near Dzerzhinsk, Krasnoarmeysk, Shcherbinovka, Grodovka, Zhuravka, Mikhailovka, Selidovo, and Memrik (Donetsk People's Republic). Eight counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the 53rd, 150th mechanised brigades, 71st Jaeger Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, 14th, 15th national guard brigades, and the Lyut Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 530 troops, two tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, three motor vehicles, one French-made 155-mm CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun. Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions as well as inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 61st, 72nd mechanised brigades, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU, and 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Vodyanoye, Dobrovolye, Ugledar, Novoukrainka, and Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 troops, one tank, seven motor vehicles, and one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 31st Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU, and the 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Orekhov (Zaporozhye region), Dneprovskoye (Kherson region), and Kherson. The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, four motor vehicles, and one 152-mm D-20 gun. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one ammunition factory, one uncrewed surface vehicle depot, one temporary deployment point of foreign mercenaries, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 136 areas. Air defence units shot down three U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, five French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, one Olkha MLRS projectile, and 27 unmanned aerial vehicles. Units of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed 11 AFU uncrewed surface vehicles. In total, 642 airplanes and 283 helicopters, 31,044 unmanned aerial vehicles, 575 air defence missile systems, 17,822 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,435 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 14,091 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 25,584 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery repelled four attacks launched by enemy assault detachments in the direction of Matveyevka, Olgovka, Malaya Loknya and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye. Moreover, the enemy's attempts to launch attacks in the direction of Borki, Kamyshevka, and Maryevka were foiled. The AFU losses included up to 40 troops killed and wounded. Russian units eliminated a U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carrier, three infantry fighting vehicles, and five motor vehicles. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue reconnaissance and search operations in forestry areas to locate and eliminate enemy sabotage groups attempting to get to the depth of the Russian territory. Aviation, artillery, and actions of troops inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of 22nd, 61st mechanised brigades, 80th and 82nd air assault brigades, 92nd Assault Brigade, 152nd Jaeger Brigade, 1004th Security and Service Brigade near Apanasovka, Borki, Vishnyovka, Viktorovka, Gordeyevka, Guevo, Ivashkovsky, Kositsa, Lyubimovka, Martynovka, Malaya Loknya, Novoivanovka, Novoya Sorochina, Orlovka, Obukhovka, Snagost, and Yuzhny. Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops delivered strikes in Sumy region at concentration areas of reserve manpower and military hardware of the 21st, 22nd, 115th mechanised brigades, 80th, 82nd, 95th air assault brigades, 92nd Assault Brigade of the AFU, the 1st and 17th national guard brigades, 103rd, 106th, and 129th territorial defence brigades near Belopolye, Boyaro Lezhachi, Vorozhba, Gritsenkovo, Glukhov, Glybnoye, Kruzhok, Linovo, Mirpolye, Orlovka, Obody, Pisarevka, Sumy, Starye Virki, Yunakovka, and Yampol. The AFU losses for the past 24 hours were up to 370 troops and 17 armoured vehicles, including two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, 13 armoured fighting vehicles as well as two artillery guns, two launchers of U.S.-made M270 MLRS system, an EW station, and 12 motor vehicles. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses have amounted to over 10,100 troops, 81 tanks, 41 infantry fighting vehicles, 72 armoured personnel carriers, 589 armoured fighting vehicles, 325 motor vehicles, 74 artillery guns, 24 multiple-launch rocket system launchers, including seven of M142 HIMARS MLRS and five of M270 MLRS systems manufactured by the USA, eight SAM launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, 17 EW stations, seven counter-battery radars, two air defence radars, eight engineering vehicles as well as two counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scientists explore weather impacts on satellite launches at AndAya Space Center in Norway NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 04 Sep. 2024 Scientists at the AndAya Space Center in Northern Norway have been examining the challenges posed by unidentified weather patterns at high altitudes for satellite launches, re-entry procedures, and new hypersonic systems. The "Dynamics above the Epicentre of Climate Change (DECC)" project, supported by NATO's Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, is led by research institutes in Germany, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It aims to explore the direct operational impacts of these weather patterns, develop strategies for accurately predicting atmospheric hazards, identify measures to enhance the resilience of launches and infrastructure, and improve the resolution of high-altitude measurements in the Scandinavian north. The successful launch of a hypersonic sounding rocket with Mach 7.2 (~ 8.800km/h) on Monday (2 September 2024) was a highlight of the gathering. Above the High North, the Polar Night Jetstream sees winds reaching speeds of up to 500 km/h. Along with gravity waves, intense turbulence, and severe wind shears, this can significantly influence the ability to control, manoeuvre, and navigate. As the frequency of satellite launches increases, so does the urgent need for a deeper understanding of atmospheric hazards at high latitude bands. AndAya Space Center, with its unique location, provides an ideal environment for exploring these largely uncharted phenomena. The insights gained from these studies will help shape future strategies for satellite operations, space vehicle launches, and the development of resilient infrastructure in response to the evolving challenges posed by climate change. By funding scientific cooperation, the NATO SPS programme supports research and academic communities to address shared security challenges. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 5, 2024 By David Vergun, DOD News Space Development Agency Will Soon Deliver Capability to Warfighters The Defense Department wants missile-tracking capability available to combatant commanders for operational use by the end of calendar year 2025, the director of the Space Development Agency said yesterday. Derek Tournear said the agency has launched 27 demonstration satellites, while keeping one on the ground for a test bed for debugging and software updates to those satellites in geosynchronous low Earth orbit at a Defense News Conference event in Arlington, Virginia. During the discussion of advances in missile tracking from space using data transport and missile tracking satellites, Tournear said the Space Development Agency is still in tranche 0, which means the early stages of satellite deployment for capability demonstrations. These satellites for national security are referred to as PWSA, or proliferated warfighter space architecture. Tranche 0 proved that Link 16 from space to warfighter is feasible, he said. Link 16 is a secure military communications system that allows the exchange of real-time tactical data among military aircraft, ships and ground forces by U.S. and coalition forces. Link 16 from space has "never been done before," he said. It was demonstrated with Australian partners and a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and airframe. Future tests will include Norway, Tournear said. The next question the agency will address is: Can you do the missile-tracking mission from low Earth orbit satellites with all of the space clutter in that orbit with a dim-appearing missile in flight in real time? The answer is yes. There's been some success zeroing in on missile or rocket "targets of opportunity," including a SpaceX launch and some classified missile launches that can't be discussed, he said. Another question answered by tranche 0: Can DOD form an optical network in low Earth orbit using laser communications? "Last night, it was actually demonstrated. Two tracking satellites did that, acquiring and maintaining links for several hours," he said. Tranche 1 should be initiated around the end of this calendar year or a little after. Tranche 2 is in the design phase, with launch scheduled to begin around September 2026. Tranche 3 work is ongoing. These satellites have about a five-year design life, so tranche 3 will need to replenish some of the earlier satellites. Tournear noted that his agency is a lean, fast-paced, results-driven organization that is cost-effective, and fully accountable to and supported by Congress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China to include more African members in its lunar research program in latest effort to boost South-South cooperation Global Times By Global Times Published: Sep 05, 2024 10:48 PM Updated: Sep 05, 2024 10:00 PM In the latest efforts to advance South-South cooperation in aerospace, China and Africa have agreed to deepen collaboration in deep-space exploration amid the ongoing 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). On Thursday, Senegal, along with several African institutions, announced their participation in the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program, bringing the total number of participants in the program to more than 10 countries and over 40 international organizations worldwide. Li Guoping, China National Space Administration's (CNSA) chief engineer, signed an agreement with Maram KaArA, Director General of the Senegalese Space Studies Agency, to engage in cooperation on the ILRS project during the 2nd International Conference on Deep Space Exploration on Thursday, media reported. In addition to Senegal, CNSA signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with 10 international organizations at the event, including institutions from Serbia, Switzerland, the UAE, Panama, Indonesia, Pakistan, and South Africa, in addition to the Belt and Road Alliance for Science & Technology, the Foundation for Space Development Africa, and the Africa Business Alliance. The new partnership has added to international organizations aboard the ILRS since China's initial call for international partners in 2017. To date, Venezuela, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia and Kazakhstan have joined China and Russia as part of the venture. Wu Yanhua, chief designer of the country's major deep space exploration project, proposed six major cooperation initiatives for the ILRS at the Thursday event, encouraging global partners to join at various stages of the project. These initiatives cover cooperation in areas including joint demonstrations, mission-level collaboration, system development, ground facilities, scientific research, and education. China also announced plans to establish an international cooperation committee and headquarters to foster a supportive environment for partners, Wu said. The ILRS is a scientific experimental facility consisting of sections on the lunar surface, in lunar orbit and on Earth. It is designed to be a long-term, autonomous, expandable scientific research station that can support human missions for short durations. Wu also mentioned at the conference that this lunar facility would provide a wide range of functionalities, including power supply, central command, communication and navigation, Earth-Moon transportation, lunar exploration, and ground support. China plans to launch three Chang'e lunar probe missions within the next four years, with the goal of completing the basic version of the ILRS by 2035, authorities revealed at a 2024 China Space Conference held in April. By 2035, the basic version will be centered around the lunar south pole, with comprehensive scientific facilities equipped with basic functions and elements, conducting regular scientific experiments. By 2045, the expanded version will be completed, with the lunar orbit station as the hub, featuring fully equipped and substantially scaled facilities, stable operations, while conducting comprehensive scientific research on the moon and in-depth resource development and utilization, in addition to conducting technical verification and scientific experiments related to a manned mission to Mars. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Acquisition of Joint Strike Missile to boost Australia's Long-Range Strike Capability The Hon Richard Marles MP Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence 5 September 2024 The Albanese Government is further accelerating Australia's long-range strike capability through the acquisition of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) from 2025. The Government and Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace have signed a $142 million contract to deliver the JSM for use by the Australian Defence Force. The JSM is designed to allow the missile to fit into the F-35A Lightning II internal weapon bay, preserving the aircraft's stealth characteristics. With a range of more than 275 kilometres, the JSM's low-altitude sea-skimming flight profile helps it delay detection and engagement by a target's defence system. The accelerated acquisition was announced today alongside Norway's Minister of Defence, BjArn Arild Gram, at the opening of Kongsberg Defence Australia's new $25 million manufacturing facility in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Kongsberg's new South Australian facility will have the capacity to employ up to 150 workers and will assemble launchers for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) using mostly Australianamanufactured components, creating 20 new local jobs. This announcement follows the Government's recent commitment to partner with Kongsberg Defence Australia for the construction of a new facility at the Newcastle Airport precinct capable of manufacturing and maintaining the NSM and JSM - creating more than 500 jobs in the construction phase and delivering almost $100 million in economic benefits to the local area. These activities are part of the Albanese Government's investment in the GWEO Enterprise, underpinned by a commitment in Defence's Integrated Investment Program of $16 to $21 billion over the next decade. The Albanese Government continues to deliver on the rapid establishment of domestic missile manufacturing and accelerate the acquisition of long-range strike capability, advancing our national security through a future made in Australia. Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles: "The Albanese Government's investment in long-range strike capabilities for the Australian Defence Force is central to our ability to protect Australia's security and advance our national interests. "This announcement builds on our commitment to enhance the ADF's ability to precisely strike targets at a longer range, while also manufacturing more in Australia. "Whether it is in Newcastle or Adelaide, the Government is committed to working with industry to support more local jobs, deliver the capabilities needed to keep Australians safe and build a future made in Australia." Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy: "Signing this contract with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to fast-track the acquisition of Joint Strike Missile to 2025 is another example of the Albanese Government moving quickly to acquire the capabilities needed to keep Australians safe. "Today's announcement demonstrates the strong partnership between Australia, Norway and Kongsberg to expedite and uplift guided weapons capabilities. "Kongsberg Defence Australia's new facility creates Australian jobs, work for Australian companies and economic benefits for local communities. "The Norwegian Government and Kongsberg share our vision for a stronger and more assured global supply chain for guided weapons, and we look forward to continuing to work together in support of the rules-based international order." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fraudulent presidential election in Belarus: Joint statement to the OSCE on behalf Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus, September 2024 The UK and others mark the four-year anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus in 2020. 5 September 2024 Thank you, Mr Chair. I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States, who are members of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and my own country, Iceland. The following participating States are also joining this statement: Albania, Austria, Liechtenstein and Moldova. August 9 marked four years since the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus. Despite the lack of a democratic mandate from his country's citizens, Aleksandr Lukashenko declared himself the winner and ensconced himself for a sixth term in office. Authorities responded to the peaceful protests that sprung up across the country with widespread and brutal crackdowns. Security forces arrested and imprisoned thousands of Belarusians, including mothers and fathers, teachers, students, tradespeople, human rights defenders, journalists, pensioners, and others, many of whom reported being subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Those demanding new, free and fair elections are labelled "extremists" and, according to the amendments to the Criminal Code, may even face the death penalty. In the four years since that fateful day, Belarusian authorities have only intensified the repression that has accompanied Lukashenko's complete disregard for democratic principles and the will of the people. Authorities have unjustly detained tens of thousands of Belarusian citizens, simply for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms. According to Human Rights Center Viasna, Belarus has convicted at least 5,400 people in politically motivated criminal cases. Despite some recent releases, approximately 1,400 political prisoners remain behind bars, although the real number is likely much higher. Since July 11, when a group of 38 participating States invoked the Vienna Mechanism to inquire about the conditions of detained prisoners, Belarus has refused to provide any response to the questions raised. Belarus has also failed to comply with the recommendations of the 2020 and 2023 Moscow Mechanism expert missions' reports. Mr Chair, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of the roughly 1,400 political prisoners and a large-scale reform of existing laws to end systemic political repression in Belarus. We call on the Belarusian authorities to fully implement their international obligations and OSCE commitments, including by taking all necessary steps to create conditions for free, fair, and democratic elections. We also urge them to implement the recommendations in the 2023 Moscow Mechanism report, including but not limited to: Bringing criminal and administrative codes into full compliance with international obligations and commitments; and Repealing laws targeting independent organizations and media for political purposes. In the meantime, we will continue to speak out about the horrible repression taking place in Belarus, engage with Belarusian civil society to promote accountability for human rights violations, and support international efforts to hold the perpetrators to account. The Belarusian people's refusal to be muzzled and their continued call - even at great personal risk - for democratic elections and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are a testament to their strength, bravery, and resilience. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Partnership with China built on 'mutual respect, shared interests' Global Times Claim of 'new colonialism' unfounded: Rwandan President By Zhao Yusha, Bai Yunyi and Huang Weixin Published: Sep 05, 2024 11:48 PM Updated: Sep 05, 2024 11:00 PM Rwanda, like many other African countries, values its partnership with China, which is based on mutual respect and shared interests; the two countries' collaboration has led to tangible results, especially in poverty reduction, infrastructure development and other areas, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), told the Global Times. Kagame has visited China multiple times and attended the 2006 and 2018 Beijing summits of the FOCAC. "FOCAC has been a key platform for deepening the partnership between China and Africa. China's approach to Africa, characterized by sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, resonates strongly with Rwanda's values," Kagame told the Global Times. China has proven to be a reliable friend and partner, supporting Africa's development without imposing its will. "This model of cooperation is one that we deeply appreciate and seek to continue," the president said. China-Rwanda collaboration "has led to tangible results, especially in poverty reduction and infrastructure development," said Kagame. He noted that China has become one of Rwanda's largest trading partners, and the two countries have deepened cooperation across various fields, including trade, agriculture, green development, and digitalization. "The Belt and Road Initiative has played a crucial role in enhancing Rwanda's infrastructure and promoting sustainable development," said Kagame. He said projects such as roads in different corners of Rwanda and in the City of Kigali, Institute of Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) Musanze campus in the Northern Province of Rwanda, and the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant, have had a direct impact on improving livelihoods and supporting economic growth. "Looking forward, we see potential for further cooperation in areas such as digital economy, renewable energy, and agricultural modernization," Kagame noted. Kagame has visited several Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. He said what impressed him the most is the scale of development and modernization, particularly in infrastructure and technology, which serves as an inspiration for Rwanda's own development journey. Both Rwanda and China share a history of overcoming immense challenges to achieve significant progress, said Kagame, noting that in terms of governance, both countries prioritize long-term planning, social stability, and the well-being of their citizens. He said China's model of development offers inspiration for Rwanda, while also noting the challenge for Rwanda is to adapt these experiences to unique context. Localization of Chinese experiences requires careful consideration of cultural, social, and economic realities," said the Rwandan President. Kagame envisions Rwanda becoming a middle-income country, with a diversified economy driven by innovation, technology, and high-value sectors in the next 10 years. On the global and African stage, Rwanda aspires to be a leader in peacekeeping, environmental sustainability, and regional integration and will continue to play a constructive role in African development, contributing to the continent's progress and standing as a strong advocate for African interests in international forums, the president added. Kagame said the claims of "debt traps" and "new colonialism" are often unfounded and reflect a misunderstanding of the nature of China-Africa cooperation. "Rwanda, like many other African countries, values its partnership with China, which is based on mutual respect and shared interests," said Kagame, noting that "we believe in evaluating partnerships based on their actual outcomes, and our approach to cooperation is one that emphasizes sovereignty, self-reliance, and the pursuit of win-win outcomes." As the voices of the Global South grow stronger on the international stage, it is essential for China and Africa to continue to strengthen their unity and cooperation, said Kagame. He said China's commitment to being a member of the Global South and aligning its interests with those of developing countries is commendable. "Together, we can work to ensure that our collective voice is heard in multilateral forums, advocating for a more just and equitable global order," said the Rwandan President. By highlighting the beauty of Rwanda and the hospitality of its people, Kagame said the country welcomes more visitors from China. He noted the two countries should promote cultural exchanges, educational partnerships, and tourism initiatives, while also enhancing mutual understanding and awareness. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Full text: Keynote address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at opening ceremony of 2024 FOCAC summit People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:34, September 05, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The following is the full text of the address: Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a Community with a Shared Future Keynote Address by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Summit of The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing, September 5, 2024 Your Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Your Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegation, Your Excellency Mr. Antnio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, Your Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, Friends and Distinguished Guests, Blossoms in spring turn into fruits in autumn, and a bumper harvest is the reward of hard work. In this season of harvest, I am delighted to gather together with so many old and new friends in Beijing to discuss grand plans for China-Africa friendship and cooperation in the new era. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I extend a warm welcome to you all! The friendship between China and Africa transcends time and space, surmounts mountains and oceans, and passes down through generations. The founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000 was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations. Over the past 24 years, especially in the new era, China has advanced forward hand in hand with our African brothers and sisters in the spirit of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. We stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests as once-in-a-century changes sweep across the world. We get stronger and more resilient together by riding the tide of economic globalization, delivering tangible benefits to billions of ordinary Chinese and Africans. We share weal and woe in fighting natural disasters and epidemics together, creating touching stories of China-Africa friendship. We always empathize with and support each other, setting a stellar example of a new type of international relations. Thanks to nearly 70 years of tireless efforts from both sides, the China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history. With its future growth in mind, I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Friends and Distinguished Guests, Modernization is an inalienable right of all countries. But the Western approach to it has inflicted immense sufferings on developing countries. Since the end of World War II, Third World nations, represented by China and African countries, have achieved independence and development one after another, and have been endeavoring to redress the historical injustices of the modernization process. As we are about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, we are going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization. Africa is also awakening again, and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernization goals set forth in the AU's Agenda 2063. China and Africa's joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South, and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind. -- We should jointly advance modernization that is just and equitable. In promoting modernization, we should not only follow the general rules, but also act in light of our national realities. China is ready to increase exchanges of governance experience with Africa, support all countries in exploring modernization paths befitting their national conditions, and help ensure equal rights and equal opportunities for all countries. -- We should jointly advance modernization that is open and win-win. Mutually beneficial cooperation is the sunny road to the betterment of long-term and fundamental interests of all countries. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Africa in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment, promote exemplary, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation projects, and build together a model for the delivery of the Global Development Initiative. -- We should jointly advance modernization that puts the people first. The ultimate goal of modernization is the free and full development of human beings. China will work vigorously with Africa to promote personnel training, poverty reduction and employment, enhance the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people in the course of modernization, and ensure that all will benefit from the process. -- We should jointly advance modernization featuring diversity and inclusiveness. Well-balanced material and spiritual advancement is a lofty objective of modernization. China will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilizations on our way to modernization, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the Global Civilization Initiative. -- We should jointly advance modernization that is eco-friendly. Green development is a hallmark of modernization in the new era. China is ready to help Africa build "green growth engines," narrow the gap in energy accessibility, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and jointly push for the global transition to green and low-carbon development. -- We should jointly advance modernization underpinned by peace and security. Modernization would not be possible without a peaceful and stable environment for development. China is ready to help Africa improve its capacity in safeguarding peace and stability independently, prioritize Africa in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), promote mutual reinforcement of high-quality development and greater security, and work together with Africa to uphold world peace and stability. Friends and Distinguished Guests, China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernization, there will be no global modernization. In the next three years, China will work with Africa to take the following ten partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernization. First, the Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations. China is ready to work with Africa to build a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network for development, and 25 centers on China and Africa studies. We will make better use of Africa's leadership academies to cultivate talents for governance, and invite 1,000 members of African political parties to China to deepen exchanges of experience in party and state governance. Second, the Partnership Action for Trade Prosperity. China will voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider. We have decided to give all LDCs having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. This has made China the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a step. It will help turn China's big market into Africa's big opportunity. China will expand market access for African agricultural products, deepen cooperation with Africa in e-commerce and other areas, and launch a "China-Africa quality enhancement program." We are prepared to enter into framework agreements on economic partnership for shared development with African countries to provide long-term, stable and predictable institutional guarantee for trade and investment between the two sides. Third, the Partnership Action for Industrial Chain Cooperation. China will foster industry cooperation growth clusters with Africa, push forward the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, and launch an "African SMEs empowerment program." We will build with Africa a digital technology cooperation center and initiate 20 digital demonstration projects so as to embrace together the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Fourth, the Partnership Action for Connectivity. China is prepared to carry out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa, promote together high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and put in place a China-Africa network featuring land-sea links and coordinated development. We are ready to assist in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and deepen logistics and financial cooperation for the benefit of trans-regional development in Africa. Fifth, the Partnership Action for Development Cooperation. China is ready to release the Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation within the Framework of the Global Development Initiative with Africa, and implement 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects. We will replenish the China-World Bank Group Partnership Facility to boost Africa's development. We support Africa in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. We will work together with Africa to deliver more fruits of development to the two peoples. Sixth, the Partnership Action for Health. China is ready to establish with Africa a hospitals alliance and joint medical centers. We will send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa, and launch 20 programs of health facilities and malaria treatment. We will encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa's pharmaceutical production, and continue to do what we can to help Africa with epidemic response. We support the development of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen public health capacity in all African countries. Seventh, the Partnership Action for Agriculture and Livelihoods. China will provide Africa with RMB1 billion yuan in emergency food assistance, build 100,000 mu (about 6,670 hectares) of standardized agriculture demonstration areas in Africa, send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance. We will implement 500 programs in Africa to promote community welfare. We will also encourage two-way investment for new business operations by Chinese and African companies, enable Africa to retain added value, and create at least one million jobs for Africa. Eighth, the Partnership Action for People-to-People Exchanges. China will implement with Africa more solidly the Future of Africa-Vocational Education Cooperation Plan, establish together an engineering technology academy, and build ten Luban Workshops. We will provide 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, mainly for women and youths. We will launch with Africa a Cultural Silk Road program as well as an initiative of cooperation on innovation in radio, TV and audio and visual programs. The two sides have agreed to designate 2026 as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Ninth, the Partnership Action for Green Development. China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, put in place meteorological early warning systems, and carry out cooperation in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief as well as biodiversity conservation. We will create a China-Africa forum on peaceful use of nuclear technology, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. All this is designed to help with green development in Africa. Tenth, the Partnership Action for Common Security. China is ready to build with Africa a partnership for implementing the GSI, and make it a fine example of GSI cooperation. We will give Africa RMB1 billion yuan of grants in military assistance, provide training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China. The two sides will conduct joint military exercises, training and patrol, carry out an "action for a mine-free Africa," and jointly ensure the safety of personnel and projects. To implement the ten partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide RMB360 billion yuan of financial support through the next three years. This breaks down into RMB210 billion yuan of credit line, RMB80 billion yuan of assistance in various forms, and at least RMB70 billion yuan of investment in Africa by Chinese companies. In addition, China will encourage and support Africa in issuing panda bonds in China to enhance our results-oriented cooperation in all areas. Friends and Distinguished Guests, The Communist Party of China held in July the successful Third Plenary Session of its 20th Central Committee, laying out systematic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. This will profoundly further transform China. It will also provide new opportunities and new driving forces for African countries and for our joint pursuit of modernization. As an African proverb goes, a friend is someone you share the path with. On the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind. Let us rally the more than 2.8 billion Chinese and African people into a powerful force on our shared path toward modernization, promote modernization of the Global South with China-Africa modernization, and write a new magnificent chapter of development in human history. Let us join hands to bring about a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South African president: China's $50bn pledge 'great boon' for whole Africa Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 5:15 PM South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the $50 billion in financing that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has committed to Africa over the next three years as a "great boon" for the whole continent. Ramaphosa made the comment at a press conference in the capital Beijing on Thursday, during a state visit to the Asian country that included attending the ongoing 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). "I am very positively disposed to the amount of money Xi announced today. I think it will be a great boon to the African continent," the South African leader told reporters on the sidelines of the three-day summit that wraps up Friday. "As the most industrialized country on the African continent, South Africa stands to benefit immensely from this relationship," Ramaphosa also told media. Earlier, Xi told leaders from over 50 African countries that Beijing was prepared to offer financial assistance totaling 360 billion Chinese Yuan (approximately $50.7 billion) over the next three years. The Chinese president, who has praised his country's relationship with African nations as the "best in history," noted that over half of the total amount will be provided as credit. He also mentioned that this includes $11 billion "in various types of assistance" and $10 billion aimed at promoting investment by Chinese companies. "China-Africa relations are at their best in history," Xi stressed, vowing to elevate China's bilateral relations with all African countries with which it has formal ties to the level of "strategic relations." As the second-largest economy globally, China is Africa's largest trading partner and has sought to tap the continent's vast troves of natural resources including copper, gold, lithium and rare earth minerals. The African continent, with a population of over 1.3 billion people and rich resources, has been oppressed by Western countries for decades. In recent years, China, Russia, and India have increased their influence in Africa, which has upset Western colonial powers who consider the continent to be within their traditional sphere of influence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's president pledges $50 billion to fund African development Xi Jinping's comments came at an annual China-Africa summit in Beijing. By RFA Staff 2024.09.05 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday more than US$50 billion in financing for Africa over the next three years, telling an annual summit of African leaders that Beijing was willing to provide more. In a keynote speech to the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC, Xi called for "an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era," China's Xinhua News Agency said. He proposed a funding plan to "cover the areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, green development and common security," it reported on Thursday. Xi told the summit in Beijing China would provide 360 billion yuan (US$50.7 billion) in funding, including 210 billion yuan ($29.6 billion) in loans and 80 billion yuan ($11.3 billion) in aid, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post said, adding that China would encourage investment of at least 70 billion yuan ($9.9 billion) in Africa. More than 50 African heads of state are attending the summit, which runs until Friday. The gathering includes meetings on state governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the organizers said, referring to China's global infrastructure initiative, launched in 2013. Since the turn of the century, Chinese companies have helped build more than 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, about 1,000 bridges, almost 100 ports and 66,000 kilometers of power lines, Chinese state media reported. China is Africa's largest trading partner, with 20% of African exports heading to China, and 16% of Africa's imports coming from there, according to the International Monetary Fund, or IMF. China is also Africa's biggest bilateral creditor. Its share of total sub-Saharan African external public debt rose from less than 2% before 2005 to about 17% percent in 2021, the IMF said. Critics say China ensnares poorer countries in "debt trap" diplomacy and it wields most of the power in its partnerships. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez, who is attending as a special guest, told the summit, "China's remarkable record of development - including on eradicating poverty - provides a wealth of experience and expertise," according to the AFP news agency. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Airlines now stop 'undesirables' from boarding flights to Hong Kong New rules mean anyone who speaks out about diminishing freedoms in the city could be turned away. By Lee Heung Yeung, Matthew Leung and Kwong Wing for RFA Cantonese 2024.09.05 -- Anyone traveling to Hong Kong will now have their personal details sent to the city authorities before they board their flight, making it easier for officials to turn away foreign journalists, members of international organizations, and anyone else they see as "undesirable" before they travel, rights activists warned. According to new rules from the city's Immigration Department that took effect Sept. 3, airlines operating routes to Hong Kong must compile passenger details from travel documents processed during check-in and send them to officials. "The Advance Passenger Information system ... will instantly process the information and provide a response message, i.e., a board or no-board direction for each traveler, back to the aircraft operator," an Immigration Department spokesman said on Tuesday. "The aircraft operator shall act upon the direction given through the API System, i.e., ... allow or not allow specific travelers to board the aircraft heading to Hong Kong," he said. Immigration officials have already turned away international rights activists and journalists on arrival at the airport under an ongoing crackdown on dissent, which the government blames on instigation by "hostile foreign forces." In April, the Hong Kong immigration officials denied entry to Aleksandra Bielakowska, an advocacy worker for the Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, who was en route to monitor the national security trial of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai and talk to journalists about diminishing press freedom in the city. The rules are being brought in to "further strengthen law enforcement capabilities to prevent undesirable persons ... from traveling," the Department said. But only non-residents will be affected by the new rules, which come as the city implements two national security laws that effectively ban criticism of the authorities along with peaceful opposition activities. "The system will not issue a no-board direction against Hong Kong permanent residents who enjoy the right of abode in Hong Kong," the spokesman said. Creating a deterrent Exiled activist Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, who has a bounty on her head, said the latest measures will likely have the biggest impact on foreign journalists or members of international organizations, which are often seen as "hostile foreign forces" by the authorities. She said it offers a far less obtrusive way of preventing some people from entering the city than the current tendency to deny them entry when they arrive at the airport. "The Hong Kong government fears that if it allows them into the city, it will give them the opportunity to speak out about the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong," Kwok told Radio Free Asia in an interview on Tuesday. "[This could] give rise to national security issues, so naturally they want to prevent that from happening," she said. Currently, passport-holders from around 170 countries and regions can travel to Hong Kong without a visa, and stay for between 7 and 180 days, depending on their nationality. Exiled businessman Elmer Yuen, who co-founded the overseas-based Hong Kong Parliament, said the new rules allow the authorities to make sure that only those who are welcome are allowed to get on the plane. "They're trying to create a deterrent and teach people a lesson," Yuen said, adding that anyone who speaks out about diminishing rights and freedoms in the city could be a target under the system. "They're likely to be even stricter in implementing this than mainland China," he said. Maya Wang, associate director in the Asia division at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, agreed, adding that "undesirable" persons could include think tank employees, anyone who donates money to support the pro-democracy movement, and family members and friends of known dissidents. "This isn't just about targeting people wanted by the Hong Kong government; it's also about their friends and comrades," Wang said. "It will make them start to fear being around [wanted activists] and want to cut off ties with them." "The whole sociopolitical system of Hong Kong has been reshaped under the national security laws," she said. In June, Hong Kong's security chief revoked the Chinese passports of six U.K.-based activists including former pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law, after national security police put them on a wanted list with bounties on their heads. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin. 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guterres underlines support for China-Africa partnership 5 September 2024 - Joint efforts by China and Africa can spark new momentum for development on the continent, UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres said on Thursday, at a high-level meeting in Beijing. The UN chief underlined the global body's support for this partnership in remarks to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit. Leaders from some 50 African countries are expected to attend the Summit, which has been held every three years since 2000. Debt hampers development Mr. Guterres noted that they were gathering in China amid rising geopolitical tensions, raging conflicts and growing poverty and hunger. He pointed to current challenges, including the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, as well as the worsening climate crisis, inequalities and threats to global and African efforts to achieve sustainable development. Meanwhile, many African countries are mired in debt and struggling to invest in sustainable development, he said. Reform outdated systems The UN Secretary-General recalled his proposals to reform "outdated, ineffective and unfair international financial architecture", and to provide a stimulus plan for developing countries striving to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a reality. Solutions include increasing the lending capacity of multilateral development banks and enabling them to massively scale up affordable financing for development. He stressed that the support of China and Africa for these initiatives is critical. Progress on shared goals "In this context, South-South cooperation is essential to build capacities and drive progress on shared development goals - while in no way reducing the responsibilities of the Global North," he said. Mr. Guterres described China's partnership with the African continent as a pillar of South-South cooperation. The process refers to the exchange of technology and skills between countries of the Global South. "Your joint efforts, based on the United Nations Charter, can create a new momentum for African development," he said. He recalled that China is already Africa's longstanding and largest trading partner. "And we know that in Africa, as elsewhere, investments are game-changing when they respect national ownership and are financially sustainable, climate-sensitive and consistent with international human rights commitments." Partnership for transition Furthermore, "China's remarkable record of development - including on eradicating poverty - provides a wealth of experience and expertise", he continued. "The China-Africa partnership can drive the renewable energy revolution. It can be a catalyst for key transitions on food systems and digital connectivity," he said. "And as home to some of the world's most dynamic economies, Africa can maximize the potential of China's support in areas from trade to data management, finance and technology." Meeting today's challenges Mr. Guterres also used the speech to highlight the need to "correct some historic injustices". For example, it was "outrageous" that the continent of Africa has no permanent seat on the UN Security Council, he said. In this regard, the Summit of the Future at UN Headquarters later this month "will be a pivotal opportunity for renewal and reform - anchored in solidarity and justice". The UN chief spoke of the proposed focus on the prevention of and joint approaches to new and emerging threats to global security, building on recent success in authorizing UN-assessed contributions for African Union-led peace operations. "We are pushing for reforms so that the international financial architecture and institutions correspond to the realities of today's world and can respond to today's challenges - particularly those faced by developing countries, namely in Africa. Your full engagement will be critical to finding sustainable solutions," he said. Concluding his remarks, the Secretary-General underscored "the full engagement of the United Nations in support of a strong China-Africa partnership, towards our shared goal of peace, sustainable development and human rights on a healthy planet". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beijing declaration, action plan adopted at FOCAC summit Global Times China, African countries elevate ties to strategic relations By Zhang Han, Liu Caiyu, Fan Anqi and Chi Jingyi Published: Sep 06, 2024 12:43 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said that China stands ready to work with Africa to implement 10 partnership actions to jointly advance modernization. He also proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Xi made the remarks when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing. Forum attendees and observers hailed the elevation of ties as a visionary guidance for the future and were impressed by the concrete, across-the-board blueprint that will be able to yield substantial benefits to Africa, boost modernization shoulder to shoulder, and bring China-Africa cooperation to new heights. Substantial actions A declaration on jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era and an action plan of the FOCAC for the next three years were adopted Thursday at the 2024 FOCAC summit in Beijing. The action plan, to be implemented in the next three years, covers the areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, healthcare, rural revitalization and people's wellbeing, people-to-people exchanges, green development and common security, according to the action plan. It covers basically all aspects of modernization, reflecting China's confidence and sincerity in promoting modernization with Africa, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. To ensure the successful implementation of the 10 partnership initiatives, China will provide Africa with 360 billion yuan ($50.69 billion) in the next three years. Per the action plan, China will grant duty-free treatment to 100% of the tariff lines of products from least developed countries with diplomatic ties with China. China will voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider. The move makes China the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a step and will help turn China's big market into Africa's big opportunity, Xi noted in his keynote speech. China will help implement 30 infrastructure projects in Africa, build a multimodal sea-rail transport network that connects China's central and western regions to Africa and deepen cooperation with the continent in local currency settlement and financial technology. Also under the action plan, China will send 2,000 medical personnel and public health experts and 500 agricultural experts, implement 20 healthcare and malaria treatment programs, and 30 clean energy and green development projects, encourage Chinese businesses in Africa to create no less than 1 million local jobs, and provide 60,000 training opportunities with priority given to programs for women's empowerment and youth development. China will join hands with Africa to establish and implement a Global Security Initiative partnership by providing military grants, training military personnel and inviting African military officers to visit China and conduct exercises and patrols. Munetsi Madakufamba, executive director of the Zimbabwe-based Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, was impressed by the governance experience-sharing in the action plan. By inviting 1,000 African political party personages to China for exchanges, China is offering an alternative model for Africa to benchmark on and to see how this can be adapted to each country's own context and circumstances, Madakufamba told Global Times. Adetoro Banwo, Deputy Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, told the Global Times that the plan targets key areas of cooperation and is expected to deepen economic ties and increase trade and investment for both countries. The plans will also facilitate technological and knowledge transfers, bridging gaps and encouraging innovation. Hamad Alhosani from Abu Dhabi-headquartered research institute TRENDS Research and Advisory underlined that China's engagement is a means to empower African nations, supporting their aspirations for prosperity and development. "Ultimately, this collaboration can lead to mutual benefit and long-term growth," he said. Toward a shared future Sena Voncujovi, an Africa-China relations analyst from Ghana at Development Reimagined, told the Global Times that one important aspect for the "all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era" will be inclusive economic globalization. "Today, the majority of our partnerships is in manufacturing. This is helping Africa to industrialize, is helping Africa's agriculture to modernize and is helping the African continent to integrate into global supply chains," Voncujovi said. Alhosani from TRENDS understands the concept as being one of solidarity. Under the current international landscape, marked by geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances, FOCAC, with a mass gathering and fruitful results, emphasizes cooperation over confrontation, highlighting China as a key partner of Africa. The elevation of relationship showcases China's determination and commitment to further align and develop its national strategies with African countries, Song said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA Army helicopters practice replenishment on maritime platform Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Sep 06, 2024 12:00 AM Updated: Sep 05, 2024 09:00 PM Multiple types of helicopters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army recently conducted replenishment on a maritime platform, a tactic experts said on Thursday enables the choppers to return to the frontline faster in cross-sea operations. A brigade affiliated with the PLA 71st Group Army recently organized its helicopters to conduct a takeoff and landing training on a maritime platform in the Yellow Sea during a littoral exercise, according to China Central Television (CCTV) on Wednesday. After completing a defense penetration operation, a formation of various helicopter types chose a maritime relay platform to land and replenish fuel and munitions, enabling a quicker return to combat, CCTV reported, noting that during the replenishment, the helicopters received supplies without turning off their engines. The CCTV report showed that the maritime platform is a large ship with a large helicopter deck, and the helicopters involved in the drill included the Z-19 attack helicopter and the Z-20 utility helicopter. Utilizing large maritime platforms for helicopter replenishment saves the time needed for helicopters to return to land bases, significantly enhancing combat efficiency, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday. If helicopters are damaged during a mission, they can also conduct emergency landings on the maritime platforms, which could save them from crashing, the expert said. The mobile maritime platforms can sail to safe positions under the escort of other warships and warplanes, the expert said, noting that they serve as good additions to the PLA Navy's amphibious assault ships and amphibious landing ships that also have large helicopter decks. Observers noted that PLA Army helicopters often participate in maritime exercises. In another recent drill, conducted by a brigade affiliated with the PLA 83rd Group Army over the Bohai Sea, Z-8L transport helicopters, Z-20 utility helicopters as well as Z-10 and Z-19 attack helicopters practiced low-air defense penetration and fire strikes, according to a separate CCTV report on Wednesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Statement by Chief of Public Information Office of Ministry of National Defence of DPRK Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, September 5 (KCNA) -- The chief of the Public Information Office of the Ministry of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday issued a press statement titled "Provocateurs can never evade the heavy responsibility for escalating tension", which said: The U.S. and the ROK are staging provocative joint military drills one after another, maximizing the military tension in the region of the Korean peninsula. The hostile forces staged the largest-ever joint military exercises Ulji Freedom Shield from August 19 to 29 by mobilizing more than 200 fighters of various kinds, the U.S. Army unit coping with chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear attacks and even troops of satellite countries under the "UN Command". And they have been frantically staging the joint landing drill Ssangyong from August 26. Ssangyong drill with the involvement of division-level forces, 40-odd warships and various kinds of 80-odd military planes and armored vehicles is an extremely reckless and dangerous military racket presupposing an open invasion upon the sacred territory of the DPRK. Meanwhile, the ROK military gangsters early in August introduced tanks and other offensive military hardware in the area five kilometers away from the southern border of the DPRK and committed a grave provocation by staging a brigade-level field mobile drill. For the past two months the U.S. and the ROK military gangsters have desperately staged all sorts of provocative war exercises targeting the DPRK in the ground, sea and air, including a special operation drill aimed at the infiltration into the rear of the DPRK and "small-unit mobile live firing drill" involving the U.S. First Armored Division and the First Armored Brigade of the puppet ROK Army. The provocative anti-DPRK military drills being staged by the U.S. and the ROK under the eyes of the DPRK without a time gap from the outset of this year clearly show what the source of escalating tension is and where the dark clouds of security instability are coming from on the Korean peninsula. No such area as the Korean peninsula can be found on earth, where the joint military exercises targeting a sovereign state under different codenames such as Freedom Shield, combined joint formation drill, joint airborne infiltration drill, Iron Mace are being staged in succession. It is the well-known fact that the accumulation of such threatening actions on the Korean peninsula, the hottest spot in the state of armistice in the world, will only spark off tensions and drive the security environment in the region into an irreversibly catastrophic situation. The U.S. and its followers are seriously threatening regional peace and stability while getting hell-bent on unilateral military provocations. Their rash acts make clearer the origin of the provocation in a striking contrast to the peace-loving desire of the independent and sovereign states in the region. As long as there exist the U.S. and the ROK, confrontational entities and destroyers of peace, the provocative military drills will continue, exposing the Korean peninsula to constant instability. The present situation proves once again that the ceaseless building of the defence capabilities and their offensive application by the DPRK are the only way to neutralize the danger of war drills pursued by the U.S. and the ROK and to control the instability in the region. The more frequently the U.S. and the ROK stage joint military drills, the more the DPRK hardens its will to defend the security and territorial integrity of the state by dint of powerful self-defensive strength, and this will lead to the strong deterrence, which the hostile forces seeking aggression are afraid and hesitate. The Korean People's Army will never tolerate the U.S. and ROK's military moves threatening the security environment on the Korean peninsula but firmly guarantee the security of the state and the peace in the region by dint of strength and action. The hostile forces can never evade the heavy responsibility for escalating tension and will have to pay a dear price. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcript of Special briefing by Secretary (East) on Prime Minister's visit to Singapore (September 05, 2024) India - Ministry of External Affairs September 05, 2024 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, friends. I welcome you to this special briefing by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Jaideep Mazumdar, on the ongoing visit of Prime Minister of India to Singapore. We also have on stage with us, Mr. Ashish Sinha, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, who has the charge of Singapore. With that, I invite Secretary (East) to make his initial remarks on the visit. Sir, over to you. Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): Very good afternoon to you. As you are aware, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is paying an official visit to Singapore at the invitation of His Excellency Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, he is here in Singapore after a very successful visit to Brunei as well. This is Prime Minister's fifth visit to Singapore as Prime Minister, but all the four earlier visits were during his first term as Prime Minister, and the fact that his visit has come within his first 100 days as Prime Minister in his third term, and also so soon after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has taken over as the Prime Minister of Singapore, holds a special significance as to what we can expect going forward in the next few years in our bilateral relationship. Yesterday, Prime Minister was received warmly at the airport by Minister for Home Affairs and law, His Excellency, Mr. K. Shanmugam. And as we have seen in previous visits and also in Brunei, there was a very large and enthusiastic conglomeration of Indian diaspora who received him at the hotel. And in the evening yesterday, His Excellency Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, in a very special gesture, hosted a private dinner for our Prime Minister. Today, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House, followed by official talks, and they discussed and reviewed cooperation in a very wide range of subjects, including trade and investment, defense and security, FinTech and digital economy, green corridors and sustainability, food security, advanced manufacturing, including semiconductors, connectivity, health and resilient supply chains. Four MOUs were exchanged, and these are in cooperation in semiconductor ecosystem, in digital technologies, in skill development and education and in healthcare. The next stage in our bilateral relations has been set by the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable that met recently and which identified six pillars of our futuristic cooperation. And the above four MoUs address four of those six pillars. It is fair to say that with this, India and Singapore relations have been made future-ready, and accordingly, both Prime Ministers decided to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. To boost trade and investment, Prime Minister also announced the setting up of an Invest India office in Singapore, which will be a hand holding office for investors from Singapore in many diverse areas of interest identified in the six pillars above. Apart from bilateral relations over talks spanning yesterday and today, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues, including India's Act East Policy and the centrality of ASEAN in this policy. Other engagements were, a call on President His Excellency, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, today afternoon, a lunch was hosted by Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong. And there was also a meeting with Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong. Over their long and distinguished careers, all three leaders have contributed enormously to what is the India-Singapore bilateral relations today. Prime Minister also visited AEM, which is a leading Singapore company in the semiconductor space and in electronics. There, he was briefed about AEM's role in global semiconductor value chain, its operations and plans for India, and given our efforts to develop our own semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem and to match Singapore's strengths in this area. There were a number of other senior company leaders who were present, as well as those involved in skilling and skill upgradation in this sector. At the facility, the two Prime Ministers also interacted with a group of interns, both from India and Singapore, who had undergone skill training as part of bilateral programs. The Indian interns were from the Odisha World Skill Center, and the Singaporean students were receiving skilling exposure in India under the India Ready Program. Prime Minister also invited the semiconductor related CEOs present today to the SEMICON India Exhibition and Conference, which is being held from 11th to 13th of September. After this press conference, Prime Minister will also be meeting a galaxy of CEOs of different leading Singaporean companies, and these include such companies as Temasek, GIC, DBS, Singapore Airlines and at least 15 other such companies. They all have substantial investments in India and are looking to scale up their presence.Looking at the fast unfolding opportunities in India, this is an opportune time, we believe, for these CEOs to have a first-hand understanding from India's Prime Minister, as to what is being offered by India; its political stability, its policy predictability and the freshly oriented, reform oriented economic agenda. In terms of people-to-people contact, both sides have discussed over this two days, things like increasing the number of flight connections between the two countries. And also, the Prime Minister has announced that the first ever Thiruvalluvar Center in the world will be set up in Singapore. That is what I have for you in terms of description of the visit and its content. And if you have any questions, I will be happy to try and address them. Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, yeah, first there. And ladies and gentlemen, please, I would like to remind you that this particular press conference is on the bilateral visit of our Prime Minister to Singapore, so please keep your questions focused on the visit. Karishma Vaswani: Sure. Thank you. My name is Karishma Vaswani. I'm from Bloomberg Opinion. I'd like to know how much China was discussed in the meetings between the Prime Ministers with regards to furthering relations between India and ASEAN. Himanshu Verma: Hi, my name is Himanshu Verma. I'm from Connected to India. Sir Singapore-India have elevated the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. What does this mean for the partnership, and what does this mean for the Indian diaspora, especially living in Singapore? Sharmin: Hi, good afternoon. I'm Sharmin from CNBC. Do you think Singapore can play a role in improving strained relations between China and India, given that Singapore has good relations with both countries? Speaker: How this visit of PM Modi here will expand our manufacturing and other development sectors? Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): Thank you for those questions. I must say that the discussions between the leadership of Singapore and our Prime Minister focused on how India and ASEAN and with Singapore, as one of our most important partners in ASEAN, can play a role in making this an Asian Century. And there is so much that we have in common. We are two of the fastest growing regions in the world. We have huge populations between us. We have young populations, which is also so important. And for both of us, peace is very important for us to grow and for us to grow together; and free and open commerce, free sea lines of communication and overflight; these are issues that are important for both us and for Singapore, and these are some of the areas which both sides feel that are important for maintaining the growth that we see in each other's countries, and the importance these play in making us leap forward to the next stage in our relations between India and ASEAN. So in that respect, of course, all issues that are important; all global issues, all regional issues that can either help or hinder in this, were also discussed. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We have very multi-dimensional relationship, multi-dimensional partnership. We have very strong relations in the defense side as well, where we do joint exercises together. We have very frequent exchanges between our military establishments, between our navies, our air forces. Our leaderships of all three services interact very frequently. We have ship visits. We exchange domain awareness information. We would like to also cooperate further in maritime domain awareness. So this is one area where we cooperate very closely. And the other, of course, is in all the areas of economy, trade and investment, Singapore is our biggest foreign investor. Since 2000, Singapore has invested nearly $160 billion in India. Last year, Singapore was the biggest foreign investor in India. We are going into the next stage of sustainable technologies, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, such as semiconductors, and also in health and in skilling. So these are all areas where we have great complementarities. We complement each other, and we need each other in order to develop further. So I would say the question was, how it affects the diaspora, I think the diaspora is also a great bridge between us, and therefore, you see it in the business environment here. You see it in the leadership here. You see the warmth that is there across the leadership. So I would say that Singapore has also been a safe, secure place for Indians and people of Indian origin to grow and prosper. So the more we get closer together, I think it will only benefit them. I'm sorry, what was the question on the manufacturing sector? Speaker: Manufacturing sector is specially focused on semiconductor, as we signed MoU on semiconductor. Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): Right? Yes, so how it will benefit India? Is that your question? Alright. So, as you know, Singapore has a long history of manufacturing in the semiconductor space, whether it is in terms of the actual production of wafers or testing or designing and in all these areas, I think we, in India, have put a particular focus on developing our capabilities at a very rapid pace. And Singapore is also looking to see, you know, their value chains to make them more resilient. They are looking for places where they want to expand, and India is presenting itself as a natural destination for that. So across this entire spectrum of the semiconductor ecosystem, we find great convergences with Singapore, and I think you will see a very rapid growth in our joint efforts in this direction. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you. We have a question there? Nomita Dhar: Hi I am Nomita from Sun Media. Mine is a follow up question for semiconductor industry. Have you decided which state if this was to go through, which state this fab is going to be and how soon do you think this is going to happen? Thank you. Speaker: Hi, I have two questions. One, about the... you guys mentioned the increased number of flights, what about easing of visa restrictions between Singapore and India? That's my first one. And the second one would be relating to the Thiruvalluvar Center that you have just announced. May I know which the organizations or who is partnering in this and how... what's the timeline like for this project? Thanks. Gurdeep Singh: Good evening. Gurdeep Singh from PTI. This new level of partnership and where is CECA standing within that, you see. On semiconductors, manufacturing semiconductors is one thing, but putting it into another component, or larger components, is another manufacturing process, and which most of the time Singapore depends on exporting chips to China. How are you going to put the end products of this semiconductor in the final product for the global market? Speaker: Sir I have semiconductor related question. If I may ask that question also. Thank you. So if you look at Singapore, despite its size, we've got in design, we've got media tech, real tech, in assembly packing, and we've got ASC group, all these different semiconductor companies are already doing really well. So what is the lesson which India has learned from Singapore's prowess in the semiconductor sector? And if you could also elaborate some specific points that how will things move on from here? Can I ask a question Invest India also, just a related question again, on you were talking about setting up an office of Invest India. Who would be heading that? Would that be a bureaucratic position or will that be a management position? Could you expand on that? Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): Okay. All right, which state? As you know, the government has recently announced 12 cities which will be industrial cities, and although it is specifically, none of them is targeted for the semiconductor industry itself. But at the moment, you know, there have been Singaporean teams who have gone to four of those sites to evaluate those sites. So that gives you an idea of how attractive it is for them, and also how quick of the block they are, that they have already gone and surveyed these places. So none of them have actually been identified as the place that they will start their new operations in. But as you know already, Gujarat has a semiconductor facility coming up. So has a SAM. So there will be other modes as well. Now regarding visa restrictions. Of course, issues affecting professionals working in Singapore is something that we discuss with the Singaporean side, and they are also very receptive, and they have expressed their willingness to look at how to address some of the issues, whether it is about recognition of institutions or in terms of dependence and things like that to make things easier. So the Government of Singapore is keen to address any issues that professionals from India have here. Regarding the Thiruvalluvar Center. I don't have a timeline, but I can tell you that the government is very keen to do it at the earliest. CECA. So it's a measure of the success of CECA that we are here today, you know, with Singapore being the largest trading partner in ASEAN, the sixth largest in the world, the largest foreign investor into India. So I would say that CECA has been a great success for both sides. As far as what to do with the chips when they are built, if you build, they will come. That is the saying. So I'm sure we will have buyers for our chips, if you don't consume them all ourselves, given our appetite for it. Lessons for India from the Singapore ecosystem of semiconductors; I think two things stand out. One is skilling and the importance that Singapore has given to skilling, and we are very, very keen to pick up on that and to learn skilling from Singapore. And the other is that for any semiconductor industry to come up, it's very important to have an ecosystem, and Singapore has that ecosystem, which has been built up over the years, and we would like to replicate that. Invest India, bureaucratic or management person. Do I notice degree of skepticism about bureaucrats? But okay, alright, I'll take it. So it will be. You know, Invest India is a very, very, very professional organization, and it has had enormous success in hand holding so many big players from all over the world in India, and you know, smaller players, niche companies, SMEs, who might find India a daunting place, you know, to go there, but who possess great technologies that we can benefit from; they would really benefit from an Invest India office in Singapore. Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So one last question there. Karishma Vaswani: Hi. Thank you so much for letting me ask this. So this is a follow up to my China question. It was a clarification on something that you said with regards to maritime cooperation. How likely are, you know, sort of joint activities between Singapore and India in places like the South China Sea, were those things sort of discussed and is India considering helping out members of the Quad with regards to the increasing Chinese aggressiveness in the South China Sea. And then a question about Amaravati, whether Singapore has expressed interest on if Mr. Modi asked them to return to the project at Mr. Naidu's behest. Thank you. Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): So let me just say that firstly, as I said before, peace, stability and open commerce are important things for both India and Singapore, and therefore these subjects do come up in our discussions amongst our leaders. So naturally these would have been discussed. I will not go into greater specifics than that. Let me leave it at that. These are important issues for both Singapore and India, and they are very important for the region, we believe, and as I said before, for an Asian Century, I think the growth of ASEAN, the countries of the ASEAN, and India's partnership with ASEAN is very important. And we believe that so. And that is basically what Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi ji's vision is for the region. And that is why he enunciated his 'Act East' Policy and his vision for the Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative. And that is why, as you see, in the first 100 days of his office, he has invited both the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Malaysia to India. Our President has gone to Timor-Leste, to Fiji and to New Zealand. And Prime Minister himself has visited Brunei and Singapore. So this will give you an idea of the importance that we place in the region. Yes, the Amaravati question. I don't believe it was discussed. It did not come up. Speaker: Sorry, air travel question, I asked earlier? Regarding whether Singapore and India would move towards a visa free travel. Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East): I can't say that we discussed visa free travel. What was discussed was how to make it easier for people to travel, and how to make connectivity between us easier, but not Visa free itself. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your participation in this special briefing. Thank you, Sir for taking your time. Please do follow the business event which is just going to happen shortly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ICG Participates in the 20th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence The 12th ICG-KCG Bilateral Meeting Concluded in South Korea Posted On: 05 SEP 2024 4:27PM by PIB Delhi Indian Coast Guard (ICG) participated in the 20th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) from September 03 to 04, 2024 at Incheon, South Korea. During the meeting, various issues of significance, such as maritime law enforcement, safety and security of life at sea, marine environment protection, illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons & humans and future cooperation were discussed. On the sidelines of the HACGAM, the 12th annual bilateral meeting between ICG and the Korea Coast Guard was also held on September 04, 2024, under the provisions of the MoU signed between the two agencies in March 2006. The meeting focused on augmenting operational-level interaction and capacity building in the areas of maritime search & rescue, pollution response and law enforcement. HACGAM primarily focuses on fostering cooperation between the Coast Guards of the member Asian states to ensure and promote safe, secure & clean seas in the region. It is an independent forum with 23-member Coast Guard Agencies and also two associate members in the form of Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It comprises four Working Groups to enable a focused and goal-oriented approach towards coordinated response & synergy towards common maritime issues. ICG is the chair of Search and Rescue Working Group and a proactive member of the other Working Groups which include Environmental Protection, Controlling Unlawful Acts at Sea and Information sharing. ***** SR/KB (Release ID: 2052218) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India and Saudi Arabia hold 6th meeting of Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 05 SEP 2024 2:31PM by PIB Delhi India and Saudi Arabia conducted the sixth edition of Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 4, 2024. The two countries discussed new avenues to further strengthen the long standing and multi-faceted defence cooperation. Detailed deliberations were held to expand the scope of engagement and cooperation in areas such as military, training, defence industry, R&D etc. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations founded on the centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties. The MoU on Defence Cooperation provides a framework for defence collaboration between the two countries. Joint Defence Cooperation Committee is an institutional mechanism under the MoU to promote the objectives of defence cooperation. The Indian delegation, led by Joint Secretary Shri Amitabh Prasad, included officials from Ministry of Defence. The meeting was co-chaired by Major General Salman Bin Awadh Al-Harbi from the Saudi Arabia delegation. ********* SR/MR/Gopal (Release ID: 2052151) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC Navy commander: Three Iranian islands 'important operational area' Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 7:33 PM The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has inspected the operational readiness of military units stationed in key strategic locations, including the Strait of Hormuz, Great Tunb, and Lesser Tunbareferred to as the Nazaat Islands. Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri conducted evaluations of the IRGC's naval, missile, and floating units in the region on Thursday, the IRGC Navy's public relations office said. "God willing, the psychological and operational readiness of Islam's fighters is at the highest level," he said. The commander emphasized the significance of the islands, describing them as an "important operational area" within the IRGC's 5th Naval Region. He reiterated the guidance of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on maintaining the highest level of preparedness among the forces stationed there. "Today we witnessed high morale and full operational readiness, which stems from the wisdom of our Commander-in-Chief, the Leader," said Admiral Tangsiri, underscoring the "special directive" issued by the Leader concerning the strategic islands. Tangsiri highlighted the addition of military equipment to the force, stating that one of his "main goals" in visiting the islands was to assess the "operational effectiveness" of the defense systems deployed across the Islands and the Strait of Hormuz. "All systems, including missile, drone, and other defensive equipment, are in the best possible condition, fully operational and ready to ensure the peace and security of our beloved nation." Addressing the neighboring countries and allies in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, Admiral Tangsiri conveyed the Islamic Republic's message of "friendship, brotherhood, and unity," while condemning the presence of foreign enemies in the region as a source of "division and sedition." He further asserted that the Islamic Republic would "stand strong" against any adversaries. In early August, the commander praised the IRGC Navy's advancements in precision and surgical strike capabilities, introduced as part of a major upgrade to the force's arsenal. The enhancement was unveiled during a ceremony in Bandar Abbas, where 2,654 new missile systems, drones, and other cutting-edge military equipment were delivered to the IRGC Navy. "We placed special emphasis on innovation and technical originality in the equipment and capabilities we operationalized today," the commander stated during the event. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel shouldn't doubt Iran's resolve to retaliate: Top military official Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 3:09 AM A ranking Iranian military official says the Israeli regime should not doubt the Islamic Republic's resolve to retaliate over the regime's assassination of senior Palestinian resistance leader, Ismail Haniyeh, which took place in Tehran in late July. The Iranian Armed Forces' Deputy Chief of Staff for Coordination, Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi made the remarks during a ceremony in the northwestern Iranian city of Koumeleh on Wednesday. "The Zionist regime should not dream that Iran would not respond to this atrocity...because the Islamic Republic has [already] proven its will to deploy all its capacities towards responding to enemies' violation of its soil and waters," he said. The official quoted remarks made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei following the assassination, in which the Leader pledged that the Islamic Republic would deliver a "harsh response" to the atrocity. "The time of the response, however, will be determined by the Leader and the country's senior commanders," Abdollahi noted. Haniyeh, the late head of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas' Political Bureau, was assassinated alongside one of his bodyguards in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31, a day after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. Abdollahi cited several instances of the country's successful retaliation against aggressors such as its steadfast defense of its soil during the 1980s in the face of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invading army, which was being heavily armed by the West. "The country's security, power, and advancement are the results of the sacrifices that were made by its martyrs and fighters [during the war]," he said. Abdollahi also enumerated Iran's firing of volleys of ballistic missiles against United States-occupied bases in Iraq in January 2020 in response to Washington's earlier assassination of the Islamic Republic's senior anti-terror commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. Iran's response to the assassination came "while there had been no direct attack [like it] on the US's interests throughout the previous 70 years," the official stated. He also pointed to the country's retaliation of April 13 against a deadly attack by the Israeli regime that had targeted the consular section of the Islamic Republic's Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus earlier that month. The reprisal saw Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeting the occupied Palestinian territories with a barrage of drones and missiles, inflicting damage on Israeli military bases there. "There are many countries that have [various type of] equipment and weapons, but having the will to deploy these is a different matter, and the enemy knows that Iran possesses the will to do so," Abdollahi said. "Our enemies have been humiliated and do not dare to violate the Islamic Republic's territory...," he added, asserting, "Therefore, we say this to the global arrogance that it should not test the Iranian nation's steadfastness once again." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sanctions complicate Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project By Iftikhar Hussain, Ilyas Khan September 05, 2024 Pakistan Federal Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik said Wednesday that international sanctions have caused complications for the Iran-Pakistan cross-border natural gas pipeline project. Media outlets reported that Iran had warned Pakistan to complete its part of the project or face an $18 billion penalty news that sparked a debate days later in Pakistan's lower house, the National Assembly. Responding to a question by a lawmaker on the floor of the house regarding Iran's final notice, Malik said, "This is a deeply complicated matter and involves international sanctions." Malik did not provide more details about sanctions, but said the government is available to discuss the complications. He rejected the penalty figure of $18 billion, saying, "I do not know where it has come from." In response to a query regarding reports of Iran's notice, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said last week that Pakistan had taken note of the development. "Pakistan and Iran have robust channels of communications including this matter. We have always said that we would like to resolve all issues [with Iran] through friendly consultations," she said during a briefing. Petroleum Minister Malik, during an informal conversation on the gas pipeline project with local journalists in March, confirmed that Pakistan would present its case to the U.S. and seek an exemption from sanctions. "We cannot bear American sanctions. We will present our stance to the U.S. We want to complete this project but without any sanctions," Malik told journalists. However, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baloch, also in March, said that the project is progressing "in conformity with our commitment to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline." She emphasized that Pakistan perceives no grounds for objections from external parties as the construction activities are confined within Pakistani territory. During a briefing Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that helping Pakistan address its energy shortage was a priority for the United States. He added, however, that "we will continue to enforce our sanctions against Iran. We also advise anyone considering a business deal with Iran to be aware of its possible ramifications." Pakistan experts say Pakistan failed to meet its commitment to build its part of the pipeline for several reasons, including a volatile security situation in Balochistan, where the pipeline is supposed to pass. Gas pipelines are not safe in restive Balochistan and Baloch insurgents frequently target gas pipelines in the resource-rich southwestern province bordering Iran. "In my opinion, however, Pakistan's real worry is U.S. sanctions," said Naveed Hussain, an editor of the Pakistan English daily newspaper The Express Tribune. "It has declared force majeure, but Iran says Pakistan had signed the agreement while being fully cognizant of [the] U.S. sanctions risk, especially when India had withdrawn from the project for the same reason." Khaleeq Kiani, who writes about the economy for the Pakistan English daily newspaper Dawn, told VOA, "The U.S. stance is clear, and recently it imposed sanctions on companies providing equipment to Pakistan missile programs, that was a clear indication to Pakistan to not proceed with the pipeline project." In April, the U.S. imposed sanctions on four entities one based in Belarus, and the other three in China for supplying missileapplicable items to Pakistan's ballistic missile program, including its long-range missile program. Despite that precedent, Pakistan's foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, said at a May press briefing that Pakistan would not succumb to international pressure on the pipeline project. "We will not let anyone use their veto," Dar said, without naming the United States. Dar's remarks came weeks after Donald Lu, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, told a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that importing gas from Iran would expose Pakistan to U.S. sanctions. Pakistan is facing gas shortages and relies on subsidized gas, putting pressure on the national exchequer, Petroleum Minister Malik said on the house floor Wednesday. Originally envisaged as the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, the project was reduced to a bilateral agreement after India pulled out in 2008. Tehran and Islamabad signed a 25-year contract in 2009 to export gas from Iran through a 2,400-kilometer gas pipeline to be built jointly by both countries. While Iran has completed its pipeline section, Pakistan keeps dragging its feet on the project. In 2019, the two countries revised their contract, and Islamabad committed to building its portion of the pipeline by 2024. This story originated in VOA's Deewa Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's UN envoy warns Israel's nuclear arsenal poses serious threat to entire world Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 6:49 AM Iran has issued a stern warning about the risk posed to the entire world by Israel's nuclear arsenal, calling for international supervision over the regime's nuclear facilities. Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani made the statement in an address to the UN General Assembly on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests on Wednesday. "The current situation is alarming, as the Israeli regime is threatening other regional countries with nuclear annihilation, and its nuclear arsenal poses a significant threat to both regional and global peace and security," he said. He added that the international community should make the Israeli regime accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) "without any precondition" and to place all of its nuclear facilities under the full-scope IAEA safeguards. Israel is estimated to possess 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it the sole possessor of non-conventional arms in West Asia. It has refused to either allow inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency or sign the NPT. Iravani further reiterated the importance of the international community's commitment to protecting the environment from the destructive effects of nuclear tests and ending nuclear weapon tests, which he said is essential for achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. "At a time when all nuclear-armed states are planning to modernize, upgrade, or extend the life of their nuclear weapons and facilities, as well as develop new easy-to-use nuclear weapons, ending nuclear weapon testing is of utmost importance," the Iranian ambassador said. He urged nuclear countries to adopt practical measures to stop all kinds of nuclear weapon tests. "Nuclear-weapon states (NWSs) hold the primary responsibility for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and should take the lead in this effort," Iravani emphasized. He also stressed the importance of the total elimination of nuclear weapons as the "only absolute guarantee against the threat or use of these inhumane weapons." "As a signatory to the CTBT, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers this treaty a step toward nuclear disarmament, and in this context, believes it cannot substitute for the total elimination of nuclear weapons," the Iranian envoy pointed out. It is essential for the international community to keep nuclear disarmament a "top priority", he emphasized, adding that all forms of nuclear testing must be "unequivocally prohibited." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan's Kishida heads on final mission to preserve relationship with Seoul By Christy Lee September 05, 2024 Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to ensure the continuity of Tokyo's close bilateral relations with South Korea during his visit to Seoul amid threats from North Korea and China. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Thursday that Kishida's trip to Seoul the following day seeks to ensure that enhanced cooperation between Japan and South Korea is "made more concrete." He said, "The two countries should work together as partners" as they "face international challenges" and that "the bilateral relationship of the two countries will be confirmed" during Kishida's visit to Seoul. The South Korean presidential office announced on Tuesday that Kishida will make a two-day visit to Seoul starting Friday for a final summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kishida announced in August he will step down this month, ending his three-year term early in response to political and economic issues in Japan. "It is very important that Kishida, who identified the 'reset' of Japan-ROK relations as one of his concrete foreign policy achievements" when he announced his decision to step down, "chose ROK as one of the last places of [his] visit as the prime minister," said Yuki Tatsumi, director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center. ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea. Mending ties At a news conference held to announce his resignation on Aug. 14, Kishida said Tokyo must make restored relations with South Korea "ever more certain" as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of normalized relations next year. Seoul and Tokyo normalized their diplomatic relations in 1965, but lingering historical disputes stemming from Japan's colonial occupation of South Korea from 1910 to 1945 strained their ties in recent years. Putting aside their historical differences, Kishida and Yoon forged close ties through their 11 meetings since Yoon took office in 2022. "Prime Minister Kishida's visit is a manifestation of his sincerity, and that of his government, that Japan is committed to continuing the efforts that have enabled such an important transformation in ROK-Japan relations," said Evans Revere, who served as acting assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs during the George W. Bush administration. The improved relations led to regular meetings between the two countries that culminated in the Camp David summit with the U.S. in August 2023. There, the three agreed to expand security ties. In June, the three countries held their first multi-domain land, air and sea military drills, dubbed "Freedom Edge," to boost the security of the Indo-Pacific including the Korean Peninsula. Cooperation on security The heightened cooperation comes in response to elevating threats from North Korean missile launches and Chinese air and naval incursions. China has made multiple incursions into the South Korean air defense zone and Japanese air and maritime defense zones, including what Tokyo claimed as a violation of its territorial air space for the first time in August. Daniel Sneider, a lecturer in international policy focusing on Japanese and Korean foreign policy at Stanford University, said Kishida's trip to Seoul will send signals to Pyongyang and Beijing that the trilateral security cooperation will be preserved even after his term ends. "As a Prime Minister, his personal courage, along with ROK President Yoon's, ushered in a new era for U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation at last year's Camp David Summit," a State Department spokesperson told VOA Korean on Wednesday when asked about the trip. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is scheduled to elect Kishida's successor on Sept. 27. "There's a fair amount of consensus on the importance of continuing security cooperation with South Korea," said Sneider. "But there are parts of the LDP that are much more resistant to having close ties with South Korea." He added that Kishida "wants to make clear" that preserving security cooperation with South Korea will remain Japan's foreign policy whoever becomes the next prime minister of Japan. The South Korean presidential office said on Tuesday that "Prime Minister Kishida is expected to continue to provide constructive advice to his successor on foreign policies and the future development of South Korea-Japan relations based on his experience." Jiha Ham contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar rebels say they launched mortar attack on coup leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was reported discussing security and an upcoming census on his visit to Kayah state By RFA Burmese 2024.09.05 -- Myanmar insurgents launched mortar bombs at the junta's top leader during his visit to a military base in eastern Myanmar's Kayah state, an official from the anti-junta group told Radio Free Asia on Thursday. RFA could not independently verify the report of an attack on Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday as he visited Loikaw's Regional Command Headquarters in the state capital, Loikaw. The junta has not released any information on an attack but its media reported on Thursday that Min Aung Hlaing had discussed the security situation and an upcoming census during his visit. RFA telephoned Kayah state's junta spokesperson Zarni Maung for confirmation but he did not answer calls. A spokesman for the ethnic minority Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, or KNDF, said its fighters launched two 120 mm mortar bombs at the military base when the junta chief was believed to have been visiting. "We received the information that he was coming to Loikaw, so we ordered our heavy weapons team to get ready and fire," said the spokesman, who declined to be identified for security reasons. "We heard that personnel in the Regional Command Headquarters were injured but we don't know exactly how many yet." Karenni guerrillas and junta forces have been confronting each other in a divided Loikaw for months this year, with the military regaining ground there since June. Juna forces responded to the attack with sustained attacks, including airstrikes, on KNDF positions on Thursday, the rebel spokesman said. The junta leader also delivered provisions to nearby junta militias in Shan state's Hsihseng township, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Loikaw, where they frequently clash with anti-junta forces, media reported. The KNDF says it has captured 65 junta camps, including 12 military bases near Loikaw, and eight towns since it launched an offensive late last year. The junta also launched airstrikes in other parts of Kayah state on Thursday, including Nan Mei Khon village in Demoso township where one person was killed and buildings were damaged, said the deputy secretary of the state's anti-junta Interim Executive Council, Banya Khun Aung. "The military bombed two places at around 10 a.m. killing one person and injuring seven," he said. A Demoso resident who declined to be identified for safety reasons said the victims were policemen working for a rebel-backed department. Their police station was damaged. More than 500 civilians have died in junta custody or been killed in shelling and airstrikes in Kayah state since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, rights group the Progressive Karenni People Force said in a statement on Sunday. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar junta begins conscripting men up to age 65 to protect towns against rebels Local administrators are arming civilians for 'public security forces' as the junta loses ground to insurgents. 2024.09.05 -- Myanmar's junta has begun forcibly recruiting male civilians up to age 65 - including even those who are disabled - to protect villages, towns and cities against encroaching rebel militias, residents told Radio Free Asia. The move comes amid mounting battlefield losses since the junta's 2021 coup d'etat as rebel groups and ethnic armies have gained the upper hand in Myanmar's three-year civil war. In February, the military rulers enacted a draft law to shore up troop shortages and has since trained around 9,000 recruits for front-line fighting, with more on the way. These new conscripts, however, are being armed to defend residential areas after the formation of a People's Security and Counter-Terrorism Central Committee last month. Political analysts say the move is essentially arming civilians to fight the rebels. They warned that doing so would lead to increased bloodshed, rather than improving security. The committee will distribute weapons and other military equipment according to the needs of conflict zones, as well as provide food and conduct combat and medic training. Additionally, the committee is tasked with "expanding forces" and "recruiting experts capable of using high-tech military equipment." Residents told RFA Burmese this week that junta administrative officials at the ward and village level are now holding meetings and forcibly recruiting new troops in Naypyidaw; the regions of Yangon, Mandalay and Ayeyarwady; and Kayin state to the east. In Ayeyarwady region's Hinthada, Pantanaw, Nyaungdon, Danubyu, and Yae Kyi townships, men aged 35-65 are being counted and prohibited from traveling as part of the rollout, said a resident of Yae Kyi who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "The junta is forcing men aged 35-65 to serve in local militia groups, in addition to the military," he said. "They will have to take part in local security services based on drawing lots." The resident said that in some Yae Kyi villages, the junta is "requiring the disabled to serve in the public security forces." "Those who refuse to be recruited have to pay money [to get out of service]," he added. Residents of Kayin state's Hpa-an township told RFA that a similar recruitment plan has been underway there since Aug. 19. And in Yangon region's Thar Kay Ta township, junta officials have ordered ward and village administrators to take a census of inhabitants who are of valid age for military service, said a resident, who also declined to be named. "They have also ordered veteran soldiers to enlist," he said. "The list of recruits has yet to be collected, but discussions are being held." Public opposition Reports of the forced recruitment follow an Aug. 25 meeting between junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and local junta officials in the central Mandalay region, during which he called on the public to "participate in the public security forces for the stability of the country and the rule of law." A resident of Mandalay told RFA that he will not join the public security team. "Authorities said that recruitment should not be done against the will of the people," he said. "I will not join because I do not agree with it." Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on recruitment efforts for the public security forces went unanswered. Miemie Win Byrd, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and commentator on Myanmar military policy, told RFA that the more the junta's forces are weakened, the worse its policies have become. "The people are increasingly refusing to abide by the conscription law and the junta's soldiers aren't strong enough to fight," she said. "But instead of learning lessons from the wrong policies of the past, they are making more mistakes." Since the 2021 coup, junta forces have lost 76 towns across the country to ethnic rebels and other armed opposition groups, the Myanmar Peace Monitor said in an Aug. 28 statement. Artillery command center seized Forced recruitment for junta "supervisory bodies" at the local level also comes as joint forces under the ethnic Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, captured a junta artillery command center around 32 km (20 miles) from Shan state's Nawnghkio township, according to residents and sources close to the armed opposition. The TNLA seized the No. 902 Artillery Operations Command - the headquarters of the junta's artillery camp - in Taungkham village on Wednesday, they said, leaving only No. 354 Artillery Battalion to defend the area. Fighting remains fierce, they added. The Ta'ang rebels began attacking Taungkham on Aug. 10 and captured No. 206 and 406 Artillery Battalions there on Aug. 28. Residents told RFA that the junta is defending the area using heavy weapons and airstrikes, and has sent ground troops as reinforcements. Inhabitants of Taungkham and other nearby villages have been forced to seek shelter, said a resident of Nawnghkio town, and "many people now have their belongings ready, so that if the fighting breaks out near us, we'll be prepared to flee." Taungkham is located less than 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Pyin Oo Lwin - a city of some 250,000 people - and residents said they fear that the fighting will soon reach their area. Junta forces have tightened security in the city and visitors from other regions are no longer permitted to register as guests, said one resident. Link between north and south A former army officer told RFA that Taungkham is a strategic location for both the junta and the armed opposition because it serves as a link between the north and south of Shan state. Last month, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, captured Lashio, the largest town in northern Shan state, and the former army officer said that if the armed opposition hopes to push further, "it is necessary to seize [Taungkham]." Attempts by RFA to contact TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo for more details about the situation in Taungkham went unanswered Thursday, as did effort to reach junta Shan state spokesperson Khun Thein Maung. The TNLA took over Nawnghkio town on June 10 as part of an ethnic offensive launched last October. Following the takeover, fleeing junta troops fell back to artillery positions in Taungkham village, where they met with reinforcements from southern Shan state. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, US at odds over war-torn Myanmar's future as geopolitical tensions rise By Nyein Chan Aye September 05, 2024 China recently warned against what it described as "external interference" in Myanmar, a country increasingly caught in the crossfire of escalating geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington. This warning came as the United States has been deepening its engagement with Myanmar's pro-democracy forces, raising concerns in Beijing, where experts suggest there is deep skepticism about Washington's intentions in Myanmar. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed these concerns during an informal meeting with the foreign ministers of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar on August 16 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Wang emphasized that Myanmar's internal affairs should remain free from external interference, particularly from outside the region. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and state-controlled media quickly echoed this stance, stressing that no party should cross the line of "external intervention." This meeting coincided with a virtual discussion between U.S. officials and Myanmar's opposition, during which Washington reiterated its support for a transition to civilian government. Although Wang did not directly mention the United States, his remarks were widely interpreted as a response to Washington's increased involvement. Chinese distrust Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, noted China's growing distrust of U.S. intentions in Myanmar. "From a Chinese perspective, they reject the U.S. role in Myanmar," Abuza told VOA. "The problem is the Chinese don't want to deal with us in Myanmar." Hla Kyaw Zaw, a veteran observer of Sino-Myanmar relations based in China, echoed this sentiment, noting that China is more concerned about U.S. involvement than any other external influence. "China prefers to take the lead in addressing the Myanmar crisis, as seen in its mediation efforts earlier this year," Hla Kyaw Zaw said, referring to China's role in talks between Myanmar's military junta and ethnic armed groups. In response to a VOA request for comment, the Chinese Embassy in Washington reiterated China's stance opposing actions that provoke internal unrest and civil war in Myanmar. "China opposes deliberate interference in Myanmar's internal affairs by external forces," the embassy said in an email. According to Abuza, there is little potential for U.S.-China cooperation on the Myanmar crisis, despite the two having similar goals. "We actually both want much of the same thing a an end to military rule, an end to civil war, and a return to a stable, prosperous Myanmar. But I see very little cooperation going forward in the short term," Abuza said. China-US differences The divergence underscores broader tensions in Southeast Asia. While both powers ostensibly seek stability in Myanmar, their approaches differ sharply, according to a recent analysis by the United States Institute of Peace. The United States has shown support for the democratic movements in Myanmar, for example, by imposing sanctions on the country's military government. Also, following the 2021 coup, Washington passed the BURMA Act of 2022, authorizing nonlethal aid to pro-democracy resistance groups and sanctioning the junta. The U.S. also allowed Myanmar's opposition, the National Unity Government, or NUG, to open a liaison office in Washington, although the NUG has not been formally recognized as Myanmar's legitimate government by the U.S. According to an August 16 U.S. State Department release, Counselor Tom Sullivan and Michael Schiffer, U.S. Agency for International Development assistant administrator, praised the efforts of pro-democracy groups in Myanmar to establish an inclusive federal democratic system and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to supporting these groups. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's Wang addressed the issue during talks in China on August 27-28, according to a White House statement. The statement did not provide details. China's strategic interests in Myanmar are driven by its substantial economic investments and the country's strategic location as a gateway to the Indian Ocean. "Since China is a neighboring country, it has a greater stake in Myanmar. It's widely understood that Myanmar is vital to China's plans to gain access to the Indian Ocean," said Hla Kyaw Zaw, emphasizing Myanmar's critical role in geopolitics, particularly in relation to China's Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. "Myanmar's involvement in the BRI has not gone as smoothly as China had hoped," Hla Kyaw Zaw said. "That's why China wants to complete projects in Myanmar as quickly as possible. To achieve this, I believe China will do everything in its power to stabilize Myanmar and ensure peace." May Sabe Phyu, a prominent Myanmar human rights activist who advocates for democracy and human rights at the United Nations, highlighted China's significant power on the international stage and noted that the West has struggled to counter China's influence because of Beijing's expanding economic power. "Countries around the world, including Western nations, are increasingly unable to effectively push back against China's growing dominance," she said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HEFEI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- During the rainy season in Kano State, Nigeria, the muggy and humid weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of 54-year-old Saleh Haruna for work. As an overseas warehouse manager of the Chinese company Huangshan Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd., he and four other local employees were busy packaging 180 tonnes of Chinese tea which would be sent to some African countries. It's widely known that Chinese tea is popular in Africa, said Haruna, adding that China and Africa are closely connected through various trade and exchanges including tea exchange. As one of the three major beverages in the world, tea originating from China is a daily necessity for many Africans to quench their thirst and cool off in hot and dry conditions. According to the Tea Industry Committee of the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation, of China's top 10 tea-exporting countries and regions, seven are in Africa. Located in Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, one of China's major tea cultivating areas, Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd. has exported tea to nearly 10 African countries including Ghana, Senegal and Morocco since 2008, with an annual export volume of 8,000 tonnes of green tea. "Africa is our most important market. Currently, our company has seven automated production lines, producing nearly 40 tonnes of green tea every day. These teas will be transported to African countries by sea," said Ye Song, export business manager of Jinyuming. The tea exchanges between China and Africa date back to centuries ago when the ancient Maritime Silk Road boosted the trade and exchanges between continents. Nowadays, more and more Chinese tea enterprises are tapping the African market and customizing products for different African countries. At the exhibition hall of Huangshan Best Organic Tea Industrial Co., Ltd., nearly 50 kinds of tea products printed with French and Arabic descriptions filled the shelves. "We have developed diversified products according to the drinking habits and tastes of different African countries," said Cheng Haixia, who is in charge of the company's export business. For example, locals in West African countries prefer to use small pots to brew tea, and we developed a 25-gram small box pack of tea suitable for single use, which is very popular, Cheng added. During the past years, the company's tea export volume to African countries has grown from more than 10 million U.S. dollars in 2020 to an estimated 65 million this year, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 60 percent. "Considering the uneven economic development of African countries, we plan to further expand the scale of our office in Mali and further lower the price of tea sold in Africa," Cheng said. For Wu Weiwei, deputy general-manager of Huangshan Wangguangxi Songluo Tea Corp., Ltd., tea cooperation between China and Africa is more than a promising economic exchange, as it also provides an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges. During the past years, Wu has participated in several tea exhibitions held in Morocco and Algeria. "When I talked with the Africans, they often shifted the topic from tea to local life, such as Chinese-assisted railway ports and commercial complexes when they learned that I'm from China," said Wu. The cooperation between China and Africa has developed steadily in recent years. Data showed that China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15th consecutive year, with a trade volume of 282.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. By the end of 2023, the stock of Chinese direct investment in Africa had exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars. Sino-African cooperation has brought practical benefits to people of both sides and provided a platform for more African youth to pursue their dreams. Idris Mahmoud, a 28-year-old student in Ghana has found his passion and dream in the tea exchanges. "In my childhood, I used to watch Chinese movies, and one thing that inspired me a lot was seeing Chinese people having their tea in the movies. I love drinking Chinese tea," said Mahmoud, adding that he wishes to learn the Chinese tea culture and open a tea shop of his own. Tea is like a bond. With frequent exchanges between China and Africa, the locals gradually accept the traditions of drinking tea and understand and love Chinese tea culture, he said. Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson on Thursday, 5 September 2024 Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, is in the United Kingdom today on an official visit. Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister met with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, David Lammy. They reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed regional issues of common interest. Discussions focused on the importance of a strong Pakistan-UK partnership; advancing the wide-ranging bilateral agenda; and promoting Pakistan-UK cooperation in the context of United Nations and Commonwealth. Today the Deputy Prime Minister will meet with Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Angela Rayner. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will also engage with members of the UK Parliament and representatives of the Pakistani community in the UK. Last week, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi led the Pakistan delegation at the 50th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in YaoundA in Cameroon. At the CFM, the Foreign Secretary shared Pakistan's perspective on the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank; the importance of preventing further escalation in the Middle East; the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu & Kashmir; imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Ummah; and the challenges of climate change, terrorism and rising Islamophobia and xenophobia. The Foreign Secretary also attended the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministers meeting. He briefed the OIC Contact Group on the evolving situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Indian attempts to consolidate its occupation in violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions by creating an environment of intimidation and fear. The Council of Foreign Ministers reaffirmed its consensus on Jammu and Kashmir dispute by declaring that the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and a UN supervised plebiscite is indispensable for durable peace and stability in South Asia. The YaoundA Declaration also renewed solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed full support to their right to self-determination. The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir that consists of representatives from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, TArkiye, Azerbaijan and Niger, also discussed the situation in IIOJK. 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. In its joint communiquA adopted unanimously, the Contact Group underlined that durable peace and stability in South Asia remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. We welcome the pronouncements of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Contact Group on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Pakistan vehemently condemns the assault by the Israeli Occupation Forces on the West Bank city of Jenin and the refugee camps in Jenin and Tulqaram which has resulted in numerous casualties and the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure. The indiscriminate use of military force by the Israeli occupation forces raises serious concerns under the principles of proportionality and distinction, which are the core principle of the international humanitarian law. Targeting of individuals sheltered in a refugee camps is yet another breach of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation forces. This demonstrates their contempt for international law and the basic tenets of decency and acceptable international behaviour. Pakistan calls for an immediate cessation of these raids masqueraded as military operations in the West Bank. We believe that the path to lasting peace cannot be achieved through aggression. We call on the UN Security Council to play its role in preventing Israeli occupation forces from further attacks against civilians; holding Israel accountable for its war crimes; and taking effective measures to protect the Palestinian people. Now an announcement. The 23rd Meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity (MMFETA) of the SCO member States will be held in Islamabad on 12 September 2024. In its capacity as the Chair, Pakistan has extended invitations to the Head of the Ministries responsible for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade activities of all SCO member countries. The Meeting of the Ministers responsible for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity (MMFETA) is a regular annual mechanism of SCO and plays an important role in promoting economic cooperation within the organization by overseeing implementation of the provisions outlined in the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of SCO member States. I thank you! * a (Abdullah Momand, Dawn News): Last week, the Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar, while addressing a book ceremony, said that the issue of Article 370 is a closed chapter and a done deal. But the Indian policy or approach towards Pakistan is not passive. What is your view? Thank you. Spokesperson: Thank you, Abdullah. You may have seen the statement which was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this particular issue. We believe that the future of Jammu and Kashmir will be decided by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions that envisage a UN supervised plebiscite, held across Jammu and Kashmir. So unilateral statements, claiming that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been settled, are not based in reality and are against the basic tenets of international law and the UN Security Council resolutions. (Anas Mallick, Capital TV): With regards to the ongoing visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to the UK. We have seen that there are a couple of individuals that Pakistan has been raising time and again, particularly involved in the notion of quote, unquote, digital terrorism, or cyber terrorism in Pakistan, while they're in the UK. Has there been any discussion or progress with regards to their extradition? Thank you. Spokesperson: First, regarding the meeting held yesterday between the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, we have issued a read out. The two countries have been engaged in discussions on all aspects of bilateral cooperation, and also on issues that are of concern to Pakistan. I cannot go into details of our bilateral discussions, but all aspects of Pakistan's interest and Pakistan's priorities remain on the agenda between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. (Raja Mohsin Ijaz, ARY News): Ma'am, regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Heads of Government Meeting how many countries confirmed the invitation? Secondly, will the Prime Minister of Pakistan attend the UNGA session coming in next month? Thank You. Spokesperson: Regarding the SCO Heads of Government Meeting, Pakistan has extended invitation to all Heads of Governments of Member States of SCO. At this point, we are not in a position to share with you, the details of the guests who are coming. Please stay tuned for further announcements. With regard to the UN General Assembly, as you know, it is an annual feature, and Pakistan's leadership participates in UNGA. The Prime Minister of Pakistan is expected to attend the UNGA. We will be making a detailed announcement in coming days. (Ishtiaq Ahmed, APP English): The Government of Pakistan had announced to accommodate Palestinian medical students in Pakistani Medical Colleges. What is their status? Have they joined? If yes, in what numbers? Spokesperson: Pakistan has offered to educate medical students of Gaza to complete their education in Pakistan. This process is now with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and I would advise you to get details from them. (Khawaja Nayyar Iqbal, Media Today): The US State Department said that the US is standing with Pakistan against terrorism and it is willing and ready to give every type of assistance in this matter. What kind of assistance is US giving to Pakistan. Spokesperson: Pakistan and the United States have a long history of cooperation in the domain of counter terrorism, and the dialogue between our two countries on counter terrorism is also a constant feature. So these conversations continue on a regular basis. I have nothing additional to share with you. (Anas Mallick, Capital TV): Continuing with UNGA the question that Mohsin asked, we've seen that historically, up until at least 2020 and 2021, there's been a meeting of the SAARC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA. Has there been any proposal to move forward with this year's meeting? Thank you. Spokesperson: I would advise you to wait for our formal announcement. As I said, we will be sharing details of the UNGA participation of Pakistan, and these questions will be answered at that time. (Shaukat Piracha, AAJ News): Foreign Affairs Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh said yesterday that they are ending the hostile relationship with Pakistan. That's reported in media. How Pakistan reacts to such a pronouncement, and secondly, how this will impact the spirit of regional cooperation? Spokesperson: Pakistan has always said that it wishes to have robust, multifaceted, friendly relations with Bangladesh, which is an important partner for Pakistan and a brotherly Muslim country. There is an immense goodwill between the peoples of our two countries, and we want our bilateral relations to prosper. We believe that cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh will further contribute to enhancing peace and friendship in the region, and will also contribute to further development of SAARC as a robust institution. (Aftab Jahan, News One): Pakistan has a clear stance on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, the state of Junagadh is also under Indian occupation. What is Pakistan's position on this matter? Spokesperson: These are historic issues. It is linked to the legacy of Partition and India's annexation. Pakistan's position with respect to all disputed areas remains unchanged. (Saqib Ali Rathore, Daily Kashmir Times): Ma'am, I would like to know your reaction on the recent statement of Rahul Gandhi in which he stated that he will revive the old status of IIOJK? Spokesperson: We have said on multiple occasions that the future of Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have also said that the measures that India took in 2019 are a violation of these UN Security Council resolutions, and the international law and India must rescind its actions of fifth of August, 2019. So this is what we expect India with respect to the future of Jammu and Kashmir. (Zain Zaman, AFP): Can you confirm the veracity of media reports that the Chinese Premier is going to visit Pakistan from October 14 until October 16? Spokesperson: As I said earlier, Pakistan has extended invitations to the Prime Ministers and Heads of Governments of member countries of SCO. Please wait for our announcement with regards to the participating leaders who will attend the SCO. (Jiang Chao, Xinhua News Agency): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that Pakistan is looking to enhance its cooperation with China in key areas including Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and modern Agriculture. We've heard that a meeting regarding training of 1000 agricultural experts in China under China Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative was chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday. So how do you evaluate the prospects of agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan? Thank you. Spokesperson: Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Our relationship is multifaceted, and the cooperation in various domains including agriculture has continued to grow. Pakistan remains committed, as highlighted by the Prime Minister, to further extend our collaboration in the field of agriculture. I will not go into details of particular meetings which are held by the Ministry of Planning. You may seek further details from them. (Allah Noor, Mashriq TV): Ma'am, Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti said that terror activities are financed with Indian money. Does Pakistan have clear evidence regarding this? Spokesperson: I think this question was asked last time as well. The terrorist attacks that took place in Pakistan a few days ago are reprehensible and the Government of Pakistan has expressed full commitment to fight the terrorists behind these terror attacks. With regards to the details of these attacks, the sponsors of the terrorists and Pakistan's policy to combat these terrorists, I would advise you to contact the Ministry of Interior, which will be presenting the strategy to deal with these terror groups. (Abdul hadi Mayar, Hum Pashto 1): Last week, Iran served the final notice to Pakistan with regards to Iran Pakistan gas pipeline. From Pakistan, it was said that we will resolve the issue with Iran bilaterally. Has there been any further details on that? Thank you. Spokesperson: My response to this question has not changed since last week. As I said last week, it is the Ministry of Petroleum that is taking the lead on this particular issue. They will be in a better position to share with you, Pakistan's strategy and response in this matter. a (Ali Furqan, VOA): It was briefed to Parliament that approximately 20,000 Pakistanis are in prisons overseas out of which half of them are in Saudi Arabia. Can you state Foreign Office's actions for the release of these prisoners especially in the Middle Eastern countries? Spokesperson: First, I would confirm that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shared information, in response to queries by the Parliament, on Pakistani prisoners abroad. Secondly, we have also shared, in addition to the data, the efforts that Pakistani missions abroad undertake in facilitating Pakistani nationals abroad, including those who are arrested and those who are in prison. Every country has their laws and in collaboration with the countries concerned, we always try to find solutions for Pakistani nationals who are incarcerated abroad. We urge Pakistani nationals, wherever they are, to respect the laws of the host countries and to respect the customs and values of the countries they are living in. Pakistani embassies, wherever they are, will continue to facilitate our Pakistani citizens, including those in prison within the framework of diplomatic norms and laws of host countries. (Siyar Ali Shah, Khyber News): The Afghan Interim Government recently passed laws related to women in which strict restrictions are imposed on women. Being passed at a time when the world is demanding Afghan interim authorities to grant rights to women. How Pakistan see these developments? Thank you. Spokesperson: Pakistan's position on the rights of women and girls, especially for their inherent right to education, is clear and consistent. We believe that every man and woman has the inherent right to education, in accordance with the injunctions of Islam, and Islam grants equal access to education and women's rights. Islam, we believe is an egalitarian religion that guarantees the women, the right to education and to inherit their own property. It also guarantees their voice in public sphere and the right to a decent life free of violence. The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees these rights to women of Pakistan and we wish similar rights for women everywhere. (Naveed Siddiqui, Talon News): Ma'am, Head of Afghan Taliban's military, Qari Fasihuddin said in a recent press conference that we have no evidence which indicate that TTP is involved in terror attacks in Pakistan or Afghan soil is being used by TTP. Your comment as Pakistan has been stating time and again that TTP is using Afghan soil. Spokesperson: Pakistan's position with regards to the terror groups in Afghanistan is clear. We have, on numerous occasions, presented evidence of the activities of these terror groups, which have hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, and the concerns of Afghan territory being used to foment terrorism against its neighbours is not just the concern of Pakistan. You may have seen recent reports of the United Nations, where they have highlighted the activities of these terror groups inside Afghanistan. So, we urge the Government of Afghanistan to take action against these terror groups and to ensure that these terror groups do not stage terror attacks against Pakistan. (Shaukat Piracha, AAJ News): I have one question with two parts. First, it was Daily Mail, and then Guardian wrote a story and termed a former Prime Minister of Pakistan as friend of terrorists, Taliban etc. So how Foreign Office responds when a former Prime Minister of Pakistan is being painted like that. And second part of this question is, what are Pakistani rules and laws if a person wanted according to Pakistani laws, is in prison, but he can contest the election abroad, even for a Chancellor of Oxford University? Spokesperson: First regarding Pakistani laws, I would refer you to the Ministry of Law and Justice. They would be in the better position to share with you Pakistani laws regarding any individual who may be under trial in Pakistan. With regards to the question that you asked earlier about media reports, as you know, we do not comment on media reports that relate to Pakistan's internal affairs. (Abdullah Momand, Dawn News): Foreign Minister on 22nd July 2024 while chairing a high level meeting, reversed the policy of passport control authority in which issuing a passport to Pakistani asylum seeker abroad were denied. But still, after around 55 to 60 days of this policy reversal, the Pakistani asylum seekers, overseas Pakistanis are not getting passports. Your comment please? Spokesperson: First, following the decision taken by the committee, the directions have been sent to the concerned departments. Secondly, the details of a particular case, why it is not being processed in an expedited manner, rest with the IMPASS, which is the passport issuing authority. So, they would be in a better position to comment on individual cases. However, Pakistan's policy with regards to issuance of passports for individuals who have applied to asylum abroad has been clearly defined and announced. (Ali Hussain, Business Recorder): Iran is perhaps going to international arbitration with regard to the IP gas pipeline project, and yesterday, we also saw the statement by State Department Spokesperson. What is your response to that? Thank you. Spokesperson: I just spoke on that. First, this issue is being dealt with the Ministry of Petroleum. They have the lead on this matter, and they will be in a better position to share with you the details of Pakistan's position on this particular case. I would also like to underline that Pakistan remains engaged with Iran on resolving any issues that arise from time to time. With regards to your particular question about the statement by the US State Department, I would not like to comment on it. However, Pakistan has an ongoing dialogue with the United States on energy security of Pakistan, and in this context, the two countries discuss various aspects of Pakistan's energy security, including in the domain of renewable energy. (Abdullah Momand, Dawn News): Three Pakistanis whose passports are blocked by Pakistan are present in London. As Anas Mallick asked, sources indicate that these Pakistanis were allegedly involved in propaganda against institutions of Pakistan. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is also present in London. So, will Pakistan request extradition of these Pakistanis. Spokesperson: I will almost repeat the same question. Pakistan and the United Kingdom have been engaged in conversations on a number of issues of concern to Pakistan. And these conversations are privileged diplomatic conversations, and I am not in a position to share details at the moment. (Aghar Ali Mubarak, The Daily Mail International): Ma'am, you informed us regarding SCO Head of Government Meeting. You are aware that sometimes observer states also attend SCO meetings. Will Pakistan as a host country invite observer countries to join SCO? Spokesperson: First of all, as you know, the SCO is a forum that works with consensus and Pakistan as a chair of SCO, will work with countries, members of SCO to ensure the success of the SCO Heads of Government Meeting. Secondly, with regards to inviting new members or observers, this is a decision that takes place at the Heads of State Meeting, and not at the Heads of Government Meeting. So any future memberships and observerships that the organization will accord to any country will be decided by the Heads of State Meeting. Thank you. * NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bridges, Roads, Education -- Immortality! Russia's Newest National Project By Svetlana Reiter, Sergei Titov, Valery Panyushkin and Systema September 05, 2024 In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered the keynote address at a posh conference titled Modern Medical Technologies: Tomorrow's Challenges Ahead Of Time. "We have created this forum for the discussion of promising solutions that are only now appearing and being tested, but that will very soon fundamentally change...people's lives," the 71-year-old Putin said, pausing several times to clear his throat. The centerpiece of Putin's speech was the announcement of Russia's 14th "national project," an undertaking called New Health-Saving Technologies. The national projects are multilateral government-led initiatives aimed at improving key areas such as demography, education, agriculture, and health care that were introduced by Putin in 2005 and regularly feature in his campaigns for noncompetitive elections. On May 16, little more than a week after Putin's fifth presidential inauguration, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova officially presented the new project and announced it would begin in 2025. Golikova stressed that Russia's "demographic trends" have created new "challenges for health care" that, in turn, can help develop "advanced avenues of medical technology." She specifically mentioned technologies aimed at slowing the aging of cells, neurotechnologies, and "other avenues for increasing lifespans." A key aspect of the new initiative will be working on "biomedical technologies of the future for active and healthy aging," the state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The focus on slowing aging and increasing longevity attracted the attention of many in medical circles. The new national project reflects "the whims of an aging Politburo," a specialist at one Moscow hospital said.* "Everyone ages, including politicians," he said. "Anti-aging therapies are very popular, and the conditions for introducing new technologies are favorable." A new investigation by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, and the exiled Russian-language media outlet Meduza examines Putin's new national priority project and takes a look at some of the ideas and key players. 'They Wanted The Answers Yesterday' The budget for the new national project has not been announced. According to the RIA Novosti summary, the project aims to "save 175,000 lives" by 2030. Another target established for the project is that "the share of cases of medical treatment using new medical technologies and innovative medical products" should reach 10 percent within five years. In early June, the Health Ministry's Department of Science and Health-Care Innovation sent a letter to leading Russian research institutes asking for quick grant proposals in the following areas: developing medical products aimed at reducing the burden of cellular aging, developing new neurotechnologies and related medical products aimed at detecting and treating cognitive and sensory impairments, developing methods of directing the immune system based on its role in the aging process, and developing new medical technologies based on bioprinting. Bioprinting uses living cells, proteins, and other raw materials to produce human tissues to treat injuries and disease. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Systema and Meduza, was confirmed by two doctors working at medical research centers and an employee of an academic institute. They expressed surprise at the urgency of the request. "We were asked to immediately send all our ideas," one of the doctors said. "The letter arrived today, say, and they wanted the answers yesterday." "To be honest, it is the first time in my life that I've seen something like this," he continued. "Usually for a national project or any federal program there are a series of meetings with various specialists, and everything is discussed publicly." The other doctor said he was "blown away" by the letter. "Looks like no we have no one to treat but our 'old stumps,'" he said, referring to the aging leadership circle who have ruled during Putin's 25 years as president or prime minister. "Right now [with the war in Ukraine going on], we are supposed to stop everything else. The cynicism is incomprehensible." The sources Systema and Meduza spoke with said they had not yet responded to the Health Ministry's call for proposals. "Modern research like what they mention in this national project is pretty expensive," a source connected to the Kremlin said. "They demand a lot of money and resources. Developing new therapies costs billions, which no national project can afford these days." "I don't think they are going to get anything well considered so quickly," a source in the pharmaceuticals industry said. 'A Servant Person' One Kremlin-connected source told Systema and Meduza that the genesis of the new national project was "an obsession magnified by lobbying." "This is Mikhail Kovalchuk, who raves about eternal life and the 'Russian genome,'" the source said. "He ran to the president." Kovalchuk, 77, is a physicist and the older brother of billionaire businessman Yury Kovalchuk, who has been described as "Putin's personal banker" and who has been closely tied to Putin since the latter was deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s. Mikhail Kovalchuk is the president of the Kurchatov Institute, a nuclear research facility in Moscow, and has been a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 2000. Last year he was named president of Moscow's Polytechnical Museum. Three sources familiar with the evolution of the new national project also named Kovalchuk as the possible initiator of the idea. Kovalchuk is already in charge of the federal genetics program, in which Putin's unacknowledged elder daughter, endocrinologist Maria Vorontsova, plays a prominent role. In an outlandish speech in 2015, Kovalchuk accused "foreign elites" of attempting to hijack "the evolutionary process" to create "a servant person." Those people, he said, would have "limited consciousness," their reproduction would be "managed," and they would be fed on "cheap feed...from genetically modified organisms." He provided no evidence to support the bizarre claims. Russian media have reported often that Putin believes such ideas. "You can already imagine, and not just theoretically, that man can create people with a given set of characteristics," Putin said in 2017. "It could be a mathematical genius or a brilliant musician. Or it could be a soldier, a person who can fight without fear or a sense of compassion, regret, or pain." 'By Any And All Means' In October of the same year, Putin claimed that foreigners were "systematically and professionally" gathering Russian citizens' "biomaterial." "Why are they doing this?" he asked. In 2009, Kovalchuk's institute carried out a project to "decipher the Russian genome." He has repeatedly spoken out about the desirability of living a long and productive life. His thinking on the topic has been influenced by Konstantin Skryabin, who worked under Kovalchuk at the Kurchatov Institute on the Russian genome project. "We [scientists] love to discuss the problem of human immortality," Skryabin told RFE/RL's Russian Service in 2019. Putin's latest national project on New Health-Saving Technologies would appear to be a result of such discussions, several experts questioned by Systema and Meduza agreed after reading the Health Ministry's letter. "The big boss has set the task," a researcher at a Moscow research center said. "And the bureaucrats have undertaken to achieve it by any and all means." Robert Coalson contributed to this report. *EDITOR'S NOTE: Because the Russian government has designated RFE/RL an "undesirable organization," RFE/RL conceals the identities of its sources in Russia to protect them from prosecution. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-russia- immortality-aging-science-health/33104121.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question about the latest US restrictions against Russian media groups 5 September 2024 04:18 1627-05-09-2024 Question: The US Department of the Treasury has announced the adoption of another package of sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group and some of its subsidiaries, including RT, Ruptly and Sputnik. These sanctions will affect many of its executives. What will be Russia's response to this aggressive US move? Maria Zakharova: To begin with, these and other US attacks against Russian media outlets, including through the largest US mainstream publications, are the result of operations carefully orchestrated by intelligence services to purge the national and ultimately the global information space of any forms of "dissent." These preplanned actions are obviously designed to create the media background for the implementation of relevant election decisions. The latest round of this witch-hunting campaign is rooted in a desire to push society into permanent stress, infect it with artificial phobias, create an image of a hidden enemy, assigning this role to Russia. We know that the United States has the technologies for this and has used them many times before, with disturbing side effects and consequences. The main task of the current administration is to scare the Americans with a "Russian threat" and to create a semblance of active work ahead of the elections. When the authorities resort to such primitive methods of influencing voters, it is evidence of the decline of "liberal values." As for the US restrictions on our media outlets, Washington has previously imposed numerous stringent restrictions on them, which is further evidence of the irreversible degradation of the democratic state in the United States and its transformation into a totalitarian neoliberal dictatorship. This is our diagnosis for the American administration, which has reduced media outlets to pawns in its interparty squabbles and is deliberately deceiving the pubic with allegations about somebody's imaginary interference in "democratic processes." Nevertheless, there is high demand for truthful information about global developments provided by RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian media resources Meanwhile, the United States continues to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, infringing on the freedom of information, imposing its views on others, engaging in electoral engineering worldwide, and thereby provoking crises and conflicts with catastrophic humanitarian consequences. The actions of the US authorities, which directly contradict their commitments to the freedom of information and media plurality, will not remain unanswered. We warn once again that any attempt to expel Russian journalists from the United States, create unacceptable conditions for their work or hinder their professional operation in any other way, including through visa restrictions, will be regarded as grounds for a symmetric and/or asymmetric action against American media outlets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Set to Respond to US Sanctions on Rossiya Segodnya: Tit-For-Tat Measures Coming Sputnik News 20240905 VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, (Sputnik) - Moscow is preparing retaliatory measures in response to the US sanctions imposed on the Rossiya Segodnya media group, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry announced to Sputnik on Thursday. "Of course, it will all be hammered out," Zakharova said, when asked if there would be any retaliatory measures in this regard. The sanctions extend beyond mere "listings" such as inclusion on stop lists, revocation of accreditation, broadcasting bans, or designations as foreign agents, the diplomat stated. "This is already some kind of completely hybrid scheme, half of which is still unknown even to US users, organizations, and structures themselves," Zakharova added. On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya media group, RIA Novosti, RT, Sputnik, and Ruptly. The new measures also affected the editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya and RT media group, Margarita Simonyan. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Docking of Russian naval ship in South Africa sparks controversy By Kate Bartlett September 05, 2024 South Africa's Ukrainian Association has expressed outrage that a Russian naval vessel was recently allowed to dock for several days at Cape Town harbor. Critics say the incident calls into question Pretoria's purported neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian Association in South Africa said it was dismayed to learn the Russian naval training ship Smolnyy had anchored at the Port of Cape Town in late August. While the vessel was docked in South Africa, Russian bombardments in Ukraine killed scores of people, including children, the association's Dzvinka Kachur said. "Meanwhile, a Russian military training ship docks in Cape Town reportedly strengthening military ties between the countries," said Kachur. The Russian consulate general in Cape Town said on its X account August 30 that the ship's command had met with South African naval counterparts and hosted a reception "aimed at strengthening bilateral ties." Russian state news agency Tass also reported the ship's "unofficial" port call. It said the ship had undertaken a long-distance voyage that included stops in Cuba and Venezuela so that 300 cadets from the Russian Ministry of Defense could conduct a maritime practice. "The Ukrainian Association of South Africa urges the government to stop all military cooperation with Russia immediately," said Kachur. Some South African officials appeared taken by surprise when asked to comment on the ship's visit. The mayor of Cape Town told the local Daily Maverick newspaper that he had been unaware of the port call and said it "seems to have been under the radar.'' In response to a request from VOA for comment, the South African National Defense Force issued a statement confirming the vessel had been docked in Cape Town for re-supply purposes. It added that South Africa "as a sovereign state has a right and responsibility to accept the docking of foreign vessels as a maritime nation." The statement noted, "There are currently three foreign vessels in South African waters, including a Ukrainian vessel," that is here for repairs. But the Democratic Alliance, the former opposition party that is now part of South Africa's new coalition government, condemned the incident as "cozying up to Russia." Chris Hattingh is a member of parliament for the Democratic Alliance. "The latest incident, the berthing of Smolnyy, a Russian navy Baltic Fleet training vessel in Cape Town after visiting Venezuela and Cuba, underlines the contradiction of President [Cyril] Ramaphosa's utterances of non-alignment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict," he said. The African National Congress, which has the most seats in parliament, has ties with Moscow dating back to when the former USSR backed its struggle against apartheid. They are also both BRICS members. Pretoria has been criticized for not condemning the invasion of Ukraine and for hosting Russian warships in controversial joint exercises last year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also visited and was warmly welcomed in 2023. In May of last year, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety alleged that South Africa had covertly provided arms to Russia when a different ship docked in Cape Town. The South African government set up an independent investigation into the matter, which ultimately found no evidence of that. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US imposes new sanctions on Russian Arctic gas as Kremlin struggles to find buyers By Henry Ridgwell September 05, 2024 The United States announced new sanctions Thursday on ships that transport Russian gas from Moscow's Arctic LNG 2 terminal in Russia's Murmansk region. The measures target the owners of two LNG tankers, the New Energy and the Mulan. The U.S. State Department said the New Energy had used "deceptive shipping practices, including shutting off its automatic identification system, to load cargo from the U.S.-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project." It comes as a new analysis shows Russia appears to be struggling to find buyers for its liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from its flagship Arctic LNG 2 project amid tightening Western sanctions, forcing Moscow to store the gas in a huge container vessel in the Arctic Sea. The Arctic LNG 2 project was meant to produce almost 19.8 million metric tonnes of LNG every year to sell primarily to Asian markets, potentially earning billions of dollars for Novatek, the private company that runs the project, and the Kremlin. Instead, Russia is struggling to sell the gas, according to analyst Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services. He has been using satellite and ship-tracking data to monitor LNG vessels servicing the Arctic LNG 2 facility. "So far, we're aware of three cargoes that have been loaded from Arctic LNG 2 ... and all of them really have not gone anywhere. In recent days, what we've seen is that two of them have had to offload their cargo onto this huge floating storage unit that Russia's Novatek has had moored up near Murmansk for over a year and never used a it's also under sanctions. They're offloading these cargoes into the storage unit because they can't find a buyer," Marzec-Manser told VOA. He said that storage unit, named the Saam, will rapidly fill up if Russia can't find buyers, creating a bottleneck and potentially forcing Novatek to halt production. Putin's flagship Arctic LNG 2 was a flagship development for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who pledged that it would one day help Russia to become the world's biggest producer of LNG. "Production of liquefied natural gas in the Russia Arctic zone will have increased three-fold by 2030, up to 64 million tons per year. ... Of course, it will contribute significantly in the development of our northern regions and in the strengthening of Russian technological sovereignty," Putin told delegates at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok in September 2023. Earlier sanctions That goal now seems unlikely. The West, led by the United States, imposed sanctions on Novatek and businesses linked to Arctic LNG 2 following Moscow's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Crucially, according to Marzec-Manser, that included the vessels intended to transport the gas. "So, there's a whole fleet of cargo vessels that are sitting in shipyards in Asia, which are specifically designed to flow through the Arctic seas. They're called 'ice-class' vessels, and they've not been able to sell them to Novatek because of these sanctions," Marzec-Manser said. "What Novatek then did was to say, 'Right, what we're going to try and do is buy really old LNG vessels, which aren't designed for the Arctic waters, but we can at least shuttle them backwards and forwards during the summer months.' But then the U.S. has sanctioned those vessels, as well," he told VOA. Kremlin response Russia is looking for ways to circumvent the sanctions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in April that "attempts to squeeze Russia out of energy markets and switch to more expensive markets are continuing," adding that Moscow "will look for ways to overcome these illegal obstacles, unfair competition and illegal actions." Analysts say Russia is assembling a so-called "dark fleet" of LNG vessels that are difficult to track. "It's a game of cat and mouse, and as we see, new vessels which are owned by unknown Middle Eastern entities entering Russian waters, it's only then that you can properly join the dots to say, well, this is clearly being used to service some of these [LNG] projects, and it's only then that the sanctions come in," Marzec-Manser told VOA. Novatek did not respond to VOA requests for comment. Russia is still able to sell LNG and other hydrocarbon products from oil and gas fields that are not subject to Western sanctions. However, the state-owned gas giant Gazprom recorded a net loss of $6.9 billion in 2023 a its first annual loss in more than 20 years a as Moscow cut supplies to European customers following the invasion of Ukraine and the West's imposition of sanctions. The United States is now by far the world's biggest supplier of LNG, with two-thirds of it exported to Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two New Outstanding Issues with Syria's Chemical Weapon Declarations 'Extremely Worrying', United Nations Official Tells Security Council Meetings Coverage Security Council 9718th Meeting (AM) SC/15811 5 September 2024 Insufficient information provided by Syria regarding potentially undeclared chemical-weapons activities resulted in the opening of two new outstanding issues with Syria's declaration under the Chemical Weapons Convention, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, noting that 19 of the now 26 such matters remain unresolved. "This is an extremely worrying development," stressed Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative of the Office for Disarmament Affairs. He further reported that the Syrian Government did not accept proposals by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for two possible periods to hold the next round of consultations. As a result, OPCW will deploy a reduced Declaration Assessment Team that will not be in a position to conduct any field visits during its deployment. While OPCW remains "fully committed" to implementing its mandate a verifying the fulfilment of Syria's declaration obligations under the Convention a he stressed that Syria's "full cooperation" is "essential" to close all outstanding issues. Considering those that remain unresolved, he stated that OPCW assesses that Syria's declaration "still cannot be considered accurate and complete". He therefore urged both Syria to cooperate with OPCW and Council members to "show leadership in demonstrating that impunity in the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated". In the discussion that followed, several speakers recalled the unanimous adoption of Council resolution 2118 (2013), which followed the use of chemical weapons in the suburbs of Damascus on 21 August 2013. Expressing concern over the emergence of new outstanding issues with Syria's declaration under the Chemical Weapons Convention, many urged Damascus' continued engagement with OPCW to resolve them. Some members also spoke to the frequency with which the Council should meet on this matter. Recent OPCW reports "clearly show the need to keep international attention on this file", stressed Malta's representative, stating: "The lack of progress on this file is deplorable, and Syria bears full responsibility for it." The representative of Slovenia, Council President for September, spoke in his national capacity to state that, due to the extent and consequences of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Council "must remain actively seized of the matter". The recent emergence of new outstanding issues is concerning, he said, and Syria must provide "technically credible" explanations for them. Preventing the recurrent use of chemical weapons in Syria must continue to be a Council priority, urged Japan's representative, expressing grave concern about additional outstanding issues a undeclared activities involving nitrogen mustards and the presence of an indicator of nerve agent EA 1699 at a chemical weapons production facility. Similarly, the representative of Ecuador said that the Council must remain united to guarantee that there is no impunity for those responsible for the use of chemical weapons. Recalling the Council's unanimous endorsement of the expeditious destruction of Syria's chemical-weapons programme alongside stringent verification procedures, the representative of TArkiye underscored that the Council's "continued engagement on this file, and its unified support to the work of OPCW, are required". However, the representative of the Russian Federation described OPCW's recent report as "unbalanced" and "one-sided", stating that certain sections within it aim to "present Syria in a poor light". Damascus continues to cooperate with OPCW in good faith and comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, he said, emphasizing that a over the past 10 years a 150 technical meetings were held, 45 visits to facilities were conducted, 180 samples were tested and 350 documents were provided by Damascus. Echoing that was Iran's representative, who additionally warned against "systematically abusing" the process and using international mechanisms against the Syrian Government. Yet, the representative of the United States said that Syria has shown utter contempt for the Council's will: "After 11 years of this behaviour, we can all see that this regime has no shame whatsoever." Multiple international investigations have all arrived at the conclusion that the Assad regime repeatedly used chemical weapons against Syrian citizens but, despite this conclusive evidence, Syria refuses to fully and verifiably account for its chemical-weapons programme and arsenal. While the Syrian regime is banking on the world forgetting its atrocities, he stressed that his country refuses to do so. For his part, Syria's representative detailed his Government's cooperation with OPCW while observing that the response to such collaboration has been "politicization of this file". Damascus is willing to hold the twenty-eighth round of consultations after 10 September, he said, adding that "it is not up to the Technical Secretariat to discuss whether this meeting should be held before the Summit for the Future". Also stating that the secretariat has jumped to conclusions regarding issues still under assessment, he said that OPCW reports promote the same false allegations that hostile Western countries make against Syria. "We believe that, through sustained dialogue and mutual understanding, further progress can be achieved in addressing the remaining issues," offered Algeria's representative, also speaking for Guyana, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. He therefore encouraged both the secretariat to continue efforts to clarify all outstanding issues with Syria's declaration and Damascus to continue its cooperation to address them. China's representative concurred, also expressing hope that all parties will jointly uphold OPCW's technical nature and refrain from "bloc-confrontation political antagonism". THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST Briefing ADEDEJI EBO, Director and Deputy to the High Representative of the Office for Disarmament Affairs , reported that the Declaration Assessment Team of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a following its twenty-seventh round of consultations with the Syrian Government a requested explanations regarding the results of an analysis of several samples it collected between September 2020 and April 2023 at two formerly declared chemical-weapon sites. Such results indicated potentially undeclared activities related to several chemical-warfare agents. Although Syria provided additional information, OPCW assessed it as insufficient. This resulted in the opening of two new outstanding issues in July 2024, raising the total number of such issues from 24 to 26 a 19 of which remain unresolved. "This is an extremely worrying development," he said, also noting that the Government did not accept OPCW's proposals for two possible time periods in which to hold a twenty-eighth round of consultations. As a result, OPCW informed Syria on 14 August of its intention to deploy a reduced Team to conduct such consultations in mid-September 2024. The Team's planned activities were also updated accordingly, as it will not be in a position to conduct any field visits during the proposed deployment. Further, while Syria informed OPCW on 19 August that it had no objection to receiving the Team in mid-September, he noted that "negotiations for the relevant dates are still ongoing". "The delayed deployment of the Declaration Assessment Team will have an operational impact" on planned inspections of two facilities of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, he said. While OPCW remains "fully committed" to implementing its mandate a verifying the fulfilment of Syria's declaration obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention a he stressed that Syria's "full cooperation" is "essential" to close all outstanding issues. Considering the identified issues that remain unresolved, he stated that OPCW assesses that Syria's declaration "still cannot be considered accurate and complete". He therefore called on Syria to cooperate with OPCW and respond a with urgency a to all its requests. Meanwhile, the UN will continue to support all efforts to uphold the norm against the use of chemical weapons and "to relegate these dreadful weapons to history", he added, urging Council members to unite on this issue and "show leadership in demonstrating that impunity in the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated". Statements The representative of the Russian Federation , describing the OPCW Director-General's report as "unbalanced" and "one-sided", said it blows out of proportion the visa problem encountered by one staff member of the Declaration Assessment Team. The report is also silent about how this situation was resolved by Damascus, he said, adding that the aim of focusing three whole paragraphs on this is "to present Syria in a poor light". That country was fully prepared to continue discussions with the Team on necessary modalities, including dates that would suit both sides. It continues in good faith to cooperate with OPCW and comply with its obligations under the Convention. Over the past 10 years, 150 technical meetings were conducted, he said, noting also 45 visits to facilities, the testing of 180 samples and 350 documents provided by Damascus. Welcoming the progress made in eliminating Syrian chemical weapons and eliminating their production facilities and storage facilities, he said such progress seems to "stick in the throat" of Western members of the Council. The representative of United States said that Syria has shown utter contempt for the will of the Security Council. "After 11 years of this behaviour, we can all see that this regime has no shame whatsoever," he said. Multiple international investigations have all come to the same conclusion: the Assad regime repeatedly used chemical weapons against Syrian citizens. Despite this conclusive evidence, Syria refuses to comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention by fully and verifiably accounting for its chemical weapons programme and arsenal. The Syrian regime is banking on the world forgetting its atrocities. The United States refuses to do so. "We will not forget; we will not relent," he said. The representative of Algeria , also speaking for Guyana , Mozambique and Sierra Leone , welcomed that, "in terms of the overall figure for destruction, 100 per cent of declared chemical weapons had been destroyed as of 7 July 2023". He also welcomed OPCW's reports on the completion of the destruction of all such weapons and their production facilities declared by Syria. Noting that Syria has agreed to hold the twenty-eighth round of consultations with the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team after 10 September, he looked forward to such visit and the "achievement of fruitful results in order to close this file permanently". Encouraging both the Secretariat to continue efforts to clarify all outstanding issues with Syria's declaration and Damascus to continue its cooperation to address such issues, he stressed that maintaining open communication and fostering collaboration is crucial for the successful resolution of unresolved matters. In that respect, he encouraged Syria's continued engagement with OPCW. "We believe that, through sustained dialogue and mutual understanding, further progress can be achieved in addressing the remaining issues," he concluded. The representative of Switzerland recalled the adoption of Council resolution 2118 (2013) a few weeks after the use of chemical weapons in the suburbs of Damascus on 21 August 2013 a one of the most devastating chemical attacks on civilians since the Second World War. Over the course of the past 11 years OPCW has carried out significant work, and Syria's initial declaration had to be amended 20 times, he said. Noting that OPCW raised and reported a total of 26 issues, 19 of which are still outstanding, he called on Syria to continue cooperating with OPCW and its missions. The representative of the Republic of Korea expressed concern over "new outstanding issues" regarding Syria's compliance with the Convention on Chemical Weapons. Highlighting alarming issues regarding implementation of Council resolution 2118 (2013), he pointed to recent findings in Syria that suggest undeclared activities related to several chemical warfare agents, including their full production cycle. He urged Syria to demonstrate greater cooperation with OPCW. Syria must grant full access to all relevant teams who need to investigate, he said, reiterating calls to hold accountable those responsible for using chemical weapons 11 years ago. "Those crimes cannot remain unpunished," he added. The representative of China encouraged OPCW and Syria to continue heading in the same direction of mutual respect and cooperation to conduct the twenty-eighth round of consultations to resolve outstanding issues. Further, OPCW's investigation of any use of chemical weapons should be conducted in strict accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention "to ensure compliance with established procedure, reliability of evidence and credibility of its conclusions", he said. He also expressed hope that all parties will jointly uphold OPCW's technical nature and refrain from "bloc-confrontation political antagonism". The representative of Japan noted that according to the latest OPCW report, Syria has not provided adequate explanations concerning traces of undeclared chemical warfare agents. This "lack of transparency" suggests the possibility of undeclared full-scale development and production of chemical weapons at two formally declared sites. Additional outstanding issues include undeclared activities involving nitrogen mustards and the presence of an indicator of nerve agent EA 1699 at a chemical weapons production facility. Expressing grave concern about continuing discrepancies and inconsistencies in Syria's declarations, she said that preventing the recurrence of the use of chemical weapons in that country must continue to be a Council priority. The representative of the United Kingdom expressed concern that Syrian authorities have failed to account for thousands of munitions and hundreds of tons of chemical agents. Syria's ongoing non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention has grave implications for regional and international security. "Since Bashar al-Assad first used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians in 2013, chemical weapons are being used again and again in Iraq, Malaysia, in my own country, in the UK, and now in Ukraine," she said. Chemical weapon use cannot become normalized. She urged Syria to comply with OPCW and called on all Council members to make clear their opposition to the use of chemical weapons anywhere. The representative of Malta expressed support for "the regular holding of these meetings", noting that they are mandated by resolution 2118 (2013) and that recent OPCW reports "clearly show the need to keep international attention on this file". Syria is obligated not to produce, acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, and violations must be unequivocally condemned. He therefore called on Syria to "cease its obstructionism", adding: "The lack of progress on this file is deplorable, and Syria bears full responsibility for it." Reaffirming support for OPCW, he stressed that its professionality and impartiality should be recognized by all a "especially within this Council". The representative of Ecuador , stressing that cooperation between Syria and OPCW is crucial not only for accountability, but also for international peace and security, reaffirmed his country's staunch commitment to the full implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Condemning the use of such weapons by any actor and under any circumstances, he said the Council must remain united to guarantee that there is no impunity for those responsible for their use. He also reaffirmed support for the "impartial, objective and independent work of OPCW" and said it is vital to continue strengthening international cooperation to eliminate chemical weapons throughout the world. The representative of France said that despite tireless efforts on the part of OPCW teams, "light has still not been shed" on the Syrian chemical programme. "The responsibility for that fact falls squarely on the shoulders of the Syrian regime," he added. New serious grounds for concern continue to emerge. Syrian authorities have still not been able to explain the presence of chemical agents in samples collected from two sites in September 2020 and April 2023. The Syrian regime has deliberately used inhumane weapons against its own people. "All use of chemical weapons by anyone, under any circumstances, is unacceptable," he stressed. The representative of Slovenia , Council President for September, spoke in his national capacity to state that, due to the extent and consequences of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Council "must remain actively seized of the matter". Expressing concern over the recent emergence of two new outstanding issues, he said: "This situation deepens our concerns about the accuracy and completeness of Syrian authorities' declarations regarding the chemical-weapons programme and stockpiles." He therefore called on Syria to provide "technically credible" explanations for such issues, comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, fully implement relevant Council resolutions and cooperate with OPCW in good faith. The representative of Syria reaffirmed his country's commitment to cooperation with OPCW, stressing that it submitted three monthly reports during the last three months, facilitated the holding of the twenty-seventh round of consultations in May and provided all the required documents and information. While the Declaration Assessment Team took two months to evaluate that information, his Government was given only three days to submit its comments on those evaluations. It also agreed to extend its tripartite agreement with the Technical Secretariat and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for six more months. Yet the response to all this cooperation has been "politicization of this file", he said, adding that the OPCW reports promote the same false allegations that hostile Western countries make against his country. Noting his country's willingness to hold the twenty-eighth round of consultations after 10 September, he said "it is not up to the Technical Secretariat to discuss whether this meeting should be held before the Summit for the Future". Adding that the Secretariat has jumped to conclusions regarding issues still under assessment, he drew attention to the 18 July letter of the Berlin 21 Group, which includes scientists and experts in relevant fields. The letter highlights the "risks to which OPCW is being exposed as a result of the politicization of its work", he said, calling on that organization to address the issues raised by its former experts. Also responding to the representative of the United States' observation that last month represented the eleventh anniversary of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, he noted that last month also represented the anniversary of the United States' use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The representative of Iran said that Syria continues to uphold its commitments to the Chemical Weapons Convention and works closely with OPCW. The Syrian national authority has extended its agreement with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and UNOPS for an additional six months to facilitate OPCW's tasks and activities in Syria. For its part, OPCW must be able to perform its duties in an impartial and objective manner to establish facts and develop evidence-based conclusions. He warned against "systematically abusing" the process and using these international mechanisms against the Syrian Government. The representative of TArkiye stressed that, whether by the Syrian regime or Da'esh, the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable under any circumstances. "Impunity is equally unacceptable," she added. To prevent the recurrence of chemical-weapons use in Syria and to ensure accountability for past incidents, it is necessary to eliminate Syria's chemical-weapons programme and ensure its effective cooperation with OPCW. Recalling that the Council unanimously endorsed a through resolution 2118 (2013) a the expeditious destruction of such programme alongside stringent verification procedures, she underscored that the Council's "continued engagement on this file, and its unified support to the work of OPCW, are required". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Premier urges MND to address retired major general's 'pro-unification activity' ROC Central News Agency 09/05/2024 08:47 PM Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai () called on the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to address the accusation that a retired Taiwanese major general recently participated in a pro-China unification event overseas, according to Julia Hsieh (), the Cabinet's acting spokesperson. At a press briefing on Thursday, Hsieh cited Cho as weighing in earlier the same day on media reports of retired Major General of the Republic of China's (Taiwan's official name) Army Tsang You-hsia () taking part in a pro-China unification event in Hong Kong in late August. Mirror Media reported earlier this week that Tsang was seen standing up while China's national anthem was being played during the Overseas Chinese World Conference for Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China. Hsieh said the premier had expressed disappointment at the retired major general's alleged behavior and asked the MND to investigate and address the matter as quickly as possible. Such conduct, Hsieh cited Cho as saying, was not in line with the country's "existing national policy" and could have a "very negative" impact on "other countries' perceptions of Taiwan," without elaborating. Cho went on to say that Tsang's actions sharply contrasted with those of others who sang the patriotic song normally played during ROC flag-raising ceremonies when Taiwanese athletes won gold medals at the Paris Olympics last month, according to Hsieh. The event in Hong Kong, which focused on promoting the "one China principle" and the "1992 consensus," was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, an organization headed by Wang Huning (), a member of China's politburo standing committee. In addition to Tsang, who previously served as the head of the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) reconstituted charter that has close links to the military, the event was also attended by dozens of Taiwanese nationals, the reports said, without identifying who they were. On Wednesday, the MND said in a press release that it was working with the National Security Bureau, the Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of Justice and other government agencies to determine whether the retired military officer had violated Taiwanese law. According to the MND, Tsang may have violated the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which prohibited him from participating in ceremonies or activities organized by Chinese authorities that "in turn harm national dignity." If found guilty, the MND said, Tsang could face a suspension of his monthly pension, or a 50 percent reduction of that payment, for up to five years. The MND added that if the violation was deemed "serious," the retired military officer could have his pensions and past awards revoked. Commenting on the matter, KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu () said Tuesday that while the party "respects" the ongoing probe into Tsang, it remained supportive of private exchanges between both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Lee, also the head of the KMT Culture and Communications Committee, added that Tsang no longer serves as a KMT official and that he took part in the event in Hong Kong "in a personal capacity." (By Matt Yu, Wang Cheng-chung and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TPP leader Ko Wen-je detained incommunicado in anti-corruption case (update) ROC Central News Agency 09/05/2024 07:45 PM Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The Taipei District Court ruled on Thursday that Taiwan People's Party (TPP) leader Ko Wen-je () be detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption dating back to his tenure as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed an earlier decision by the same court on Monday morning that ordered the release of Ko without bail. However, after prosecutors appealed the decision on Wednesday citing additional evidence, the High Court concluded that Ko had been "actively involved" in the alleged corruption, ruling that the district court should hold a second detention hearing for the former Taipei mayor. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the court at around 9:10 a.m. to attend a procedural meeting between the prosecution and defense scheduled for 9:30 a.m. After this meeting concluded around 10:00 a.m., the detention hearing was scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. Police said they had mobilized 400 personnel to maintain order around the district court on Bo'ai Road in Taipei's Zhongzheng District and would expel protesters if they held signs or shouted slogans. The court released its verdict ordering Ko's detention around 5:20 p.m. Ko can appeal the ruling. "It is regrettable that the court made such a decision," said TPP lawmaker Huang Shan-shan () on Facebook shortly after the verdict. "But we will continue to support Chairman Ko in continuing to defend his innocence in accordance with the law." A statement posted later on the TPP's Facebook page said Ko had been "unfairly treated" by the court and questioned why Monday's decision to release him without bail had been reversed. "The TPP will resolutely support Chairman Ko in defending his innocence," the party said. Following the court's decision, the TPP leader was seen at 5:50 p.m. entering a vehicle in handcuffs before being driven to Taipei Detention Center in Tucheng District. In accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure, Ko may be lawfully detained for up to four months while prosecutors continue their investigation. Prosecutors allege that Ko was involved in corrupt real-estate dealings that violated the Anti-Corruption Act during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018 to 2022. Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing () allegedly gave Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei () more than NT$47.40 million (US$1.48 million) as part of his company's effort to illegally lobby the Taipei City government to increase the floor area ratio (FAR) of Core Pacific City, a shopping mall in Songshan District, in order to raise the property's financial value. Prosecutors believe Ying acted as a go-between between Sheen and high-ranking city officials including former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (). They also suspect Ko was involved in the alleged illegal activity, though Ko denied this. The Taipei District Court ruled on Thursday that Ko "clearly knew" that raising the FAR of the Core Pacific City property was illegal, yet he "insisted" that it happen. The court said that Ko's case formally meets the requirements for the crime of knowingly "seeking unlawful gains for oneself or for others" as stipulated in Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Act. Due to the severity of the crime and the scale of the alleged financial gains involved in the case, the court ruled that it was necessary and in the public interest to detain Ko and hold him incommunicado, since the risk of him colluding with others or destroying evidence was judged to be sufficiently strong. Ko joins Ying, Sheen, Pong and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (), who are all detained and being held incommunicado as suspects in the ongoing investigation. According to the Anti-Corruption Act, taking bribes that undermine official duties can be punishable by a prison sentence of no less than 10 years, while "directly or indirectly seeking unlawful gains for oneself or others" can result in a prison sentence of no less than five years. A conviction under the Act would be a major setback for the TPP, Taiwan's third-largest political party. As the presidential candidate for the party, Ko won 26 percent of the vote in the January election. Ko and the TPP are currently also facing a separate criminal investigation relating to campaign finance reporting discrepancies dating back to January's election. (By James Thompson, Liu Chien-pang and Lin Chang-shun) Enditem/kb/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beijing pressure on PIF part of attempts to constrain Taipei: U.S. ROC Central News Agency 09/05/2024 12:24 PM Washington, Sept. 4 (CNA) The People's Republic of China (PRC) demanding a Pacific Islands forum remove a reference to Taiwan from a communique issued Aug. 30 is consistent with Beijing's continuous efforts to limit Taipei's international participation, a U.S. government spokesperson said Wednesday. The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), an inter-governmental organization, held its 53rd summit in Tonga last week. Despite being a nonmember, Taiwan has been an active participant as a "development partner" at the annual event since 1993. Taiwan's status was established based on a 1992 PIF Leaders' Communique and was reaffirmed in 1999 and 2010. When the forum wrapped up on Aug. 30, the PIF posted a joint communique on its website which contained a line reaffirming the decades-long arrangements regarding Taiwan. "Leaders at the forum reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China," the PIF was quoted as saying in paragraph 66 of the communique. However, on the evening of Aug. 30, the communique was removed from the PIF website. It was republished the next day, but paragraph 66 about Taiwan is no longer included. Before the Taiwan reference was removed, New Zealand media participating in the summit reported witnessing PIF Chair and Cook Island's Prime Minister Mark Brown promising China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo (e), "We'll remove it," referring to the mentioning of Taiwan in the communique. Qian told journalists that the reference to Taiwan "must be a mistake" and "must be corrected." Soon after the document was taken down from the PIF website, according to a Radio New Zealand report on Sept. 3. Asked to comment on the incident, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told CNA in an email response on Wednesday that Washington has been "tracking reports of changes in the Pacific Islands Forum communique to remove references to Taiwan." "The PRC's efforts to pressure Pacific Island countries to remove this reference fit a pattern of PRC coercion to constrain Taiwan's international position," the email said. The unnamed spokesperson praised Taiwan as a "highly capable, engaged, democratic, and responsible member of the global community." "We all stand to benefit from Taiwan's expertise to address some of today's most difficult global challenges, and we will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, despite the incident, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has said removing the line supporting Taiwan in the communique will not affect Taiwan's status in the PIF or its right to future participation. Asked about the incident during a Tuesday press event in Taipei, Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (caa), who led a delegation to attend a PIF summit side event last week, said he believed the removed communique was in fact "a draft version and was posted online before it was cleared to be made public." The reference to Taiwan only reiterated the 1992 decision but China still could not accept it and "unreasonably" asked the PIF to remove the paragraph, Tien said. Also during this year's summit, the Solomon Islands, a former Taiwan ally that ditched Taipei in favor of Beijing in 2019, proposed preventing Taiwan from attending future PIF events, allegedly due to China's instructions, according to a MOFA press release. The proposal was later rejected thanks to the support of Taiwan's three allies in the PIF, namely, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, as well as Australia and New Zealand, MOFA said. Tien said at Tuesday's press event that it is expected Taiwan will face some "difficulties and obstacles" next year when the Solomon Islands hosts the PIF summit, without elaborating. However, he stressed that Taiwan, a PIF partner for 29 years, will continue to do its best to participate in the Pacific Islands organization. (By Chung Yu-chen and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gov't monitoring rumored Chinese recruitment of Taiwanese influencers ROC Central News Agency 09/05/2024 08:57 PM Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The Executive Yuan on Thursday said it was aware of a reported campaign by China to recruit Taiwanese influencers to visit Xinjiang Province and promote a more positive narrative about Beijing's rule in the autonomous region. "The relevant authorities have a grasp on [what is going on], though again we urge citizens and businesspeople to be aware of the risks of traveling to China," acting Cabinet spokesperson Julia Hsieh () said after being asked about the issue at a press briefing. Such trips might not only affect one's personal reputation but also harm Taiwan's "national dignity," Hsieh said. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, meanwhile, said it was still looking into the issue, but warned that if the influencers had used Chinese government funds to undermine social order, disseminate false information or interfere in elections, they could be in violation of the Anti-Infiltration Act. The government's response came after Taiwanese YouTuber Potter Wang () claimed in June that Beijing was inviting Taiwanese influencers on paid trips to create content in China, as a means of promoting "cultural unification." The post prompted several YouTube stars who had recently visited China and published videos about it to deny that they had received payments. In a social media post last week, Potter Wang said he had recently noticed a surge in content by Taiwanese influencers promoting Xinjiang. The videos, he said, seem intended to drive the narrative that "foreign reports about concentration camps" in the province are "nonsense." Many of the videos also repeat canned talking points about how safe the region is and how friendly its people are, he said. The issue was also brought up during a forum hosted by US Taiwan Watch in Washington D.C. on Wednesday (local time), which focused on policy challenges currently facing Taiwan. During the talk, Su Chiao-ning (), an associate professor of communication, journalism and public relations at Oakland University, said Taiwan's government needs to do more to raise awareness about such alleged campaigns. Such efforts not only serve as a defense for Beijing's rule over Xinjiang and "erasure" of its residents' language and culture but also constitute an attempt to manipulate public opinion in Taiwan, Su said. In August 2022, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights issued a report finding that "serious human rights violations" were being committed against the Uyghur population and other predominantly Muslim communities. The violations documented included abuse of people who had been detained or imprisoned, coercive family planning policies and possible forced sterilizations, and restrictions on cultural, linguistic and religious identity and expression, according to the report. (By Lai Yu-chen, Chung Yu-chen and Matthew Mazzetta) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MAC condemns China's sentencing of Taiwanese activist ROC Central News Agency 09/05/2024 10:28 PM Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) Taiwan strongly condemns the decision by a Chinese court to sentence Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan () to a nine-year prison term on charges of secession, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. "The government and [Yang's] family reject this ruling. The government expresses its strong condemnation and demands that the verdict and the evidence on which it was based be made public," MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh () said at a press conference. The MAC made the statement after Chinese media reported that Yang, who was detained by authorities in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province on Aug. 3, 2022, had been sentenced to a nine-year prison term. "Based on our current knowledge, Yang Chih-yuan was sentenced by the Wenzhou Court and is currently in Wenzhou. The government will remain in close contact with his family," Liang said. Born in 1990 in Taichung, Yang had served as vice chairman of the Taiwan National Party, a fringe political party advocating Taiwan independence, since 2019. Following Yang's detention in 2022, China's CCTV reported that he had been taken into custody by the state security bureau on charges related to his activities in support of Taiwan independence, endangering national security. CCTV said at the time that Yang had long advocated Taiwan independence and established the "illegal" Taiwan National Party to advocate Taiwan becoming a sovereign and independent country and gaining membership in the United Nations. Because of those actions, CCTV said, Yang was suspected of committing and inciting the crime of secession, but the government-run media outlet did not offer any other details of Yang's activities, including in the People's Republic of China. In comments made last month, the MAC's Liang disputed the allegations against Yang, saying that he had not been involved in political activities "for quite some time." "Before his arrest, he was teaching Go in China and participating in some Go competitions," Liang said, adding that it was "quite absurd" for someone like him to be labeled as a leading Taiwan independence advocate. (By Lee Ya-wen and Matthew Mazzetta) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US 'does not exclude joint weapons production' with Taiwan: new envoy Raymond Greene said the U.S. is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.09.05 -- The United States will not rule out the possibility of jointly producing weapons with Taiwan, said the highest-ranking American diplomat in Taipei, adding that the need to defend the island is a top priority for U.S. arms suppliers. The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal ties, said Raymond Greene, the newly appointed director of the American Institute in Taiwan, or AIT, and the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan. Greene took up the role in July. He was previously deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo. "The U.S. is currently working with many partners who are looking at expanding our joint production of military supplies, and I do not rule out Taiwan being one of those partners in the future," Green told the reporters on Wednesday. He did not elaborate on what type of weapons could be produced but said keeping a "strategic balance" in the region would foster cross-strait relations. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. China has dialed up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on the island since former president Tsai Ing-wen's administration came to power in 2016. Tsai, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, refused to acknowledge that Taiwan and the mainland belonged to "One China." In May, Beijing held war games around Taiwan following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, another DPP member who Beijing calls a "separatist." Lai won a January election despite Beijing's fierce opposition to his bid, on a platform of promoting peace in the Taiwan Strait while not compromising on claims of Taiwanese sovereignty. The U.S. government has also taken action to tackle China's stepped-up pressure on Taiwan. In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a bill providing $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other U.S. partners. Out of the $95 billion, $8 billion was dedicated to the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan. Separately in June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an appropriations bill for the 2025 fiscal year that included $500 million in Foreign Military Financing for Taiwan to strengthen military deterrence against China and up to $2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The former AIT director, Sandra Oudkirk, acknowledged in June that the U.S. manufacturing sector, including military equipment and weapons production, was impacted by supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a delay in the delivery of arms purchased by Taiwan. But she said these problems were "unwinding" and the AIT "looked forward to the delivery of the military capabilities that Taiwan has purchased over the past several years." 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/09/06 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Thursdsy to Friday, Sep. 5-6 2.PLA activitiesis 19 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 15 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Justice for crimes committed in Ukraine: Ministers of Justice discuss legal cooperation and a special tribunal for the crime of aggression Council of Europe Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers Vilnius 5 September 2024 Meeting under the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the Ministers of Justice of Council of Europe member and observer states have adopted a declaration outlining a series of principles to address critical justice and accountability issues related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The Ministers reaffirmed the need to set up an effective special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, capable of delivering justice by holding accountable those who bear the greatest responsibility. They welcomed the contributions of the Council of Europe and the European Union to consultations within the Core Group, where the establishment of the tribunal under the auspices of the Council has emerged as a realistic option. In this context, states and international organisations are encouraged to actively support and contribute to the consultations within the Core Group. The establishment of a special tribunal should respect international law and be based on the principles and rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The Special Tribunal should enjoy broad cross-regional support to guarantee its legitimacy, says the declaration. While underlining the importance of respecting fair trial guarantees and the indisputable advantages of in-person trials, the Ministers also acknowledged that, under certain conditions and where the applicable law so permits, certain procedural steps in absentia in the prosecution of international crimes may serve the interests of justice. The Ministers also welcomed the establishment of the Register of Damage caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Moreover, the Ministers commended the process of Ukraine's ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as an important step forward for international justice and strongly supported the ICC investigation aimed at bringing to justice perpetrators of core international crimes within its jurisdiction. The Ministers also encouraged further ratifications of relevant Council of Europe treaties such as the Second Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, the European Convention on Extradition and its Protocols, as well as other international instruments. These Council of Europe Conventions add value by being open to third countries, fostering broader international cooperation. Finally, there is also a need for enhanced cooperation among states, international organisations, and civil society to effectively collect and share evidence and other information, in order to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes committed in Ukraine and enforce judgments. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address September 5, 2024 By Matthew Olay, DOD News Austin, Brown to Host Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., are scheduled to host the 24th edition of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group tomorrow at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the Pentagon announced today. The UDCG, a coalition composed of more than 50 nations that meets regularly to discuss Ukraine's security needs, first met in April 2022 as a result of Austin's efforts to assemble the group after Russia invaded Ukraine two months prior. "At Ramstein, [Austin and Brown] will bring together ministers of defense and senior military officials from some 50 nations to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend its people from Russian aggression," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. Singh said key areas of focus for this month's UDCG will include bolstering Ukraine's air defense capabilities, energizing the defense industrial bases of coalition nations to enable support to Ukraine for the long term and updates on the UDCG's capability coalitions a to include the Air Force coalition. "As Secretary Austin has said, Ukraine matters to U.S. and international security, and the efforts of the UDCG continue to play a vital role in Ukraine's fight for freedom and sovereignty," Singh said. During the briefing, Singh also provided an update on the Defense Department's humanitarian efforts in Gaza, noting that the motor vessel Cape Trinity has completed its offload of approximately 6 million pounds of humanitarian aid in the Israeli port city of Ashdod. "The 6 million pounds of aid delivered this week brings the grand total of aid delivered to the people of Gaza through maritime and air corridors to more than 38 million pounds," Singh said. "This effort represents the highest volume of humanitarian assistance the U.S. military has ever delivered in the Middle East." Since Cape Trinity has completed its aid delivery, the vessel will prepare, over the next couple of days, for its return trip to the Port of Beaumont, Texas, Singh added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sweden increases support for heating and electricity supply in Ukraine by SEK 500 million Government Offices of Sweden Press release from Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, Ministry for Foreign Affairs 05 September 2024 The Government has approved an additional SEK 500 million in support for heating and electricity supply in Ukraine. According to World Bank calculations, the support could help generate electricity for 185 000 people, making this Sweden's largest contribution yet to Ukrainian energy supply. Russia's full-scale invasion and continuing warfare have destroyed large sections of Ukrainian infrastructure. The attacks on Ukraine have intensified and have particularly targeted energy facilities. Ukrainian families, businesses, hospitals and schools have been affected. The substantial new Swedish support aims to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in the country. This new support will be delivered in parallel with the extensive Swedish support already being provided to the energy sector in Ukraine. "Today, the Government is presenting an additional SEK 500 million in support for heating and electricity supply in Ukraine. Russia is increasingly targeting important energy infrastructure with its attacks. This new support will go towards generating electricity for around 185 000 people and help keep Ukraine's society, economy and businesses going. This is crucial to Ukraine's resilience," says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell. "Sweden will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. The Government has supported Ukraine's energy supply repeatedly and in various ways since Russia's invasion. Now we are moving ahead with additional economic support targeting Ukraine's hard-hit energy supply. These SEK 500 million will be one of Sweden's largest contributions yet to Ukraine's energy supply and will help generate electricity for hospitals and thousands of Ukrainian homes," says Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch. The initiative encompasses two gas turbines for electricity production in the initial phase. The production facility will be protected so as to minimise the damaging effects of Russian attacks. Primary responsibility for Sweden's contribution will lie with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The project is a joint investment with a Ukrainian state-owned energy company and other international financial institutions. The aim is for this advanced production facility to become operational in 2025. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 248 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 82/2024 5 Sep 2024 IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi examined a cooling tower at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) this week to assess the damage it suffered in a major fire last month, the latest incident underlining persistent nuclear safety and security dangers at the site during the military conflict. The visit to one of the ZNPP's two cooling towers took place during the Director General's fifth mission to the sprawling industrial site in southern Ukraine, and two years after he first crossed the frontline to establish a continued presence of IAEA staff at the plant and help prevent a nuclear accident there. Inside the cooling tower, he saw significant damage on the interior walls, debris and blackened surfaces after ascending about 15 metres up into the massive concrete structure located more than one kilometre away from the six reactors, which are all in cold shutdown and do not currently need the cooling towers to remove residual heat. While the fire that erupted in the evening of 11 August - belching thick black smoke - did not endanger nuclear safety, it underlined the constant risks the ZNPP is continuing to face in the third year of the armed conflict, with shelling, artillery strikes, drone attacks and other military activities regularly heard in the vicinity of the site. "It is clear that the cooling tower was damaged by the fire, and it may need to be demolished," Director General Grossi said. "We will continue to closely look into this matter to try to establish what happened and what the consequences will be. Today was an important step in this work as we were able to see for ourselves the full extent of the damage." "Coming a few months after the site was struck by a series of drone attacks, it is yet another incident showing the paramount importance of the IAEA presence at the site for as long as this devastating war goes on. The IAEA will continue to play its indispensable role in helping to avert the threat of a nuclear accident," he said. During Wednesday's mission, he also saw first-hand how the plant is continuing to manage the aftermath of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June last year. In visiting a pumping station of one of the six reactor units, he was able to assess the availability of cooling water in the ZNPP cooling pond, which has now dropped by just over 2 metres since mid-2023. While the water that provides cooling to the six shutdown reactors and other essential nuclear safety services is provided by the 11 groundwater wells, the cooling pond would be a primary water resource in case the wells became unavailable. In addition, Director General Grossi toured a storage facility located in one of the ZNPP's special buildings, containing fresh nuclear fuel. As a key part of his visit, Director General Grossi accompanied a new team of IAEA staff to the site to replace colleagues who had been monitoring the situation at the plant for the past several weeks. It is the 23rd IAEA team at the ZNPP since September 2022. Before the Director General arrived at the ZNPP, Europe's largest NPP, he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, agreeing to expand the IAEA's assistance to Ukraine by assessing vital energy infrastructure that has increasingly been targeted in missile attacks, with potentially severe implications for nuclear safety and security. Further underlining the high risks at the ZNPP, the IAEA team stationed at the plant reported that its only remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) backup power line was disconnected on Monday evening, leaving it reliant on a single 750 kV line. Before, the war it had four 750 kV and six 330 kV power lines available. The line was reconnected today, after nearly three days. Shortly after the disconnection occurred, the IAEA team observed dark smoke in an area close to where the power line was reportedly disconnected, about 3 kilometres away, but it was not immediately clear if these events were linked. The ZNPP said it believed the power line cut was caused by military activities. The team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site over the past week, for example visiting the 750 kV open switchyard where they observed ongoing maintenance work, as well as the water sprinkler ponds which receive water from 11 groundwater wells dug after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed. The team confirmed that there is sufficient water available to cool the ZNPP's shutdown reactors. Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams stationed at the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that these sites have not yet restored connection to all of their off-site power lines following the widespread military activities on 26 August, targeting electrical substations that are important for nuclear safety. The teams also reported air raid alarms on most days over the past week. At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the IAEA team heard drones and gunfire in the early hours of Wednesday morning and were told to shelter. The KNPP and the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) reported to the IAEA that drones had flown a few kilometres away from the plant. The team at this site rotated on Wednesday. The IAEA signed an agreement this week with France and Ukraine's Energoatom regarding support to Ukraine's NPPs. Ukraine will receive the necessary spare parts for emergency diesel generators at the South Ukraine NPP. In case of a loss of off-site power, the NPPs rely on such equipment to provide power for continued safe and secure operation. Their maintenance and functionality, including the availability of spare parts, is essential to ensure proper functioning and prevent a nuclear accident due to loss of off-site power. Such assistance was also delivered to Ukraine in 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, its western allies prolonged war by arming Ukraine: Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 5, 2024 New York, IRNA -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations has once again rejected as "baseless and misleading" the accusations leveled by the United States, England and France against Tehran about its alleged role in the Ukraine conflict. Amir-Saeid Iravani, in an identical letter to the President of the Security Council and the Secretary General of the United Nations on Wednesday local time criticized the US and its allies of fueling the flame of war by supplying Ukraine with lethal weapons. Sending advanced weapons by the West, especially the US, has prolonged the war in Ukraine and harmed civilians and civilian infrastructure, the Iranian envoy said his letter, adding that any claim that Iran is involved in the sale, export or transfer of arms to the Russian Federation and violation of its international obligations are therefore completely baseless Iravani also said that contrary to the claim of the American representative to the UN, it is actually the United States, not Iran, which is the main supporter and promoter of terrorism in the region and the world. The full text of the letter is as follows: I am writing to you regarding the UN Security Council open briefing held on 30 August 2024 under the agenda item "Threats to international peace and security," which focused on supplying Western weapons to Ukraine (S/PV.9716). During this meeting, the representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France once again made a coordinated effort to make identical allegations against my country concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The representatives of France and the United Kingdom falsely linked their claims to UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), while the United States representative, along with the same allegations, also accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of supporting terrorism. These accusations are misleading, completely unfounded and hereby categorically rejected. The Islamic Republic of Iran views these allegations as merely the narrow and shortsighted political agendas of these three permanent members of the Council, aimed at advancing their own political interests, as evidenced by their records in the Council. It is both ironic and hypocritical that three countries directly involved in the Ukraine conflict and significantly contributing to its escalation through the supply of advanced weaponry have boldly made such baseless claims against Iran. The United States and its allies cannot deny the undeniable reality that their provision of Western arms and advanced weaponry, especially by the United States, has prolonged the war in Ukraine and inflicted harm on civilians and civilian infrastructure. As stated on numerous occasions, including in a letter dated 30 July 2024 (S/2024/580), Resolution 2231 has nothing to do with the Ukrainian conflict. Furthermore, the Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently fulfilled its obligations and remains dedicated to doing so. Therefore, any allegations suggesting Iran's involvement in the sale, export, or transfer of arms in violation of its international commitments to the Russian Federation are entirely baseless and categorically rejected. Iran once again reaffirms its unwavering commitment to upholding international humanitarian law. Contrary to the United States' representative's claim, it is indeed the United States, not Iran, that is the primary advocate and propagator of terrorism, both in the region and globally. The United States is number one in sponsoring Israel, the most dangerous terrorist regime in the world. The United States continues defending the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in providing Israel with an endless cache of weapons to terrorize and massacre the innocent people of Palestine, including children and women, prolonging the bloodshed and horror in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the US support of UN-designated terrorist groups, such as Al-Nusrah Front (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) and Daesh in its occupation areas in the Syria Arab Republic and the region in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the pertinent Security Council resolutions, is evidence of how the United States is the principal sponsor of terrorism. Furthermore, the responsibility of the United States as the strategic ally and main supporter of the Israeli regime in the region cannot be overlooked in the recent horrific assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas and former Prime Minister of Palestine in Tehran conducted by Israel on 31 July 2024. This heinous crime could not have occurred without the authorization and intelligence support of the U.S. In addition, the United States was directly involved in the cowardly assassination of Martyr Major General Qassem Soleimani, the Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an official branch of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his companions which was carried out by the United States Forces at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq. This act of terrorism and atrocious crime was conducted on the direct order of the then-President of the United States on 3 January 2020 while the Commander was visiting Iraq at the formal request of the Iraqi Government. Given its dark record, the United States has no standing to accuse other members of the United Nations, like Iran, of unfounded allegations. It is requested that the present correspondence be registered and distributed as a document of the Security Council. Taking this opportunity, I extend my best regards. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin says Russia's 'main' objective in Ukraine war is to capture Donbas region Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 7:23 PM Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia's "main" goal in the current war with Ukraine is to capture the Donbas region, almost 30 months after Moscow launched its military operation in the ex-Soviet republic. The Russian president, who was speaking during the annual Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday, stressed that Kiev's military incursion in Russia's Kursk region had made capturing Donbas easier. "The aim of the enemy (in Kursk) was to force us to worry, hustle, divert troops and to stop our offensive in key areas, especially in the Donbas, the liberation of which is our main primary objective," Putin said. He said that sending "quite well-prepared units" into Kursk, Ukraine had made Moscow's advance in Donbas quicker. "The enemy weakened itself in key areas, our army has accelerated its offensive operations." Putin's comments came just a day after Russian troops attacked Ukraine's western Lviv region with deadly strikes, and after recent westwards advances by Moscow in the Donbas, in Ukraine's east. The Russian president also said that he was ready to hold peace talks with Ukraine, on the basis of an aborted deal between representatives of both countries reached in Istanbul in 2022. "Are we ready to negotiate with them? We have never refused to do so, but not on the basis of some ephemeral demands, but on the basis of those documents that were agreed and actually initialed in Istanbul," Putin noted. Moscow's forces have made significant progress and are now approximately twelve kilometers from Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics center in eastern Ukraine from which thousands have recently evacuated. "Our armed forces have stabilized the situation and started gradually squeezing (the enemy) out from our territory," Putin said, referring to the Kursk region. "It is the holy duty of the Russian army to do everything to throw out the enemy from this territory and to protect our citizens," he further said. Back in September 2022, Moscow added four Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk - collectively known as Donbas - as well Kherson and Zaporizhia to the Russian Federation after holding referendums. However, Russia has not yet fully wrested control over these regions. Moscow launched its special military operation on February 24, 2022. Since the war started, Western countries have delivered hundreds of shipments of military equipment to the former Soviet republic. The Western countries even supplied long-range missiles, tanks and warplanes to Ukraine despite initial reservations, turning the conflict into a full-fledged war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's president reshuffles cabinet seeking 'new energy' amid losses at war Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 7:04 PM Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has reshuffled his cabinet, seeking "new energy" amid continued losses at the war front against Russian troops. Zelensky named eight new ministers on Thursday. All of them are considered to be loyalists to the actor-turned-politician and allied with Andriy Yermak, the head of the president's office. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was replaced with Andrii Sybiha. Kuleba and other ministers had already submitted their resignations on Tuesday. Sybiha is a career diplomat, who had worked in Zelensky's office in past years as one of several deputy heads of the presidential office, overseeing foreign policy and strategic partnerships. He was Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey from 2016 to 2021 and headed a directorate for consular services at the Foreign Ministry before that. Mykola Tochytskyi has been chosen as minister for culture and strategic communications. Tochytskyi is also a career diplomat who worked as a deputy head of Zelensky's office overseeing foreign policy from April 2024. He earlier served as Ukraine's ambassador in Belgium and Luxembourg and was also Ukraine's representative in the Council of Europe. Oleksiy Kuleba has been named as deputy pm for infrastructure and regions. He served as the regional governor of the Kiev region that surrounds the capital. The deputy PM for EU integration and justice minister is Olha Stefanyshyna. Stefanyshyna, a lawyer by education, served as the deputy prime minister in charge of Kiev's accession to the European Union and NATO military alliance from June 2020. She retains that portfolio and gains the functions of the old justice ministry as head of a bigger ministry combining the two. Stefanyshyna is regarded as one of the key negotiators in Ukraine's efforts to join the EU, she spent most of her professional life gaining distance between the former Soviet republic and Russia, trying to get Ukraine attached to the West. The agriculture minister is Vitaliy Koval. He served as the head of the State Property Fund, Ukraine's main privatization agency from November 2023. Before that, he worked as the governor of the Rivne region in western Ukraine. He also worked in the private sector, serving in various senior positions in banking, transport and agriculture. The new minister for strategic industries is Herman Smetanin. The 32-year-old tank design engineer is the youngest minister in the cabinet. The minister for veterans, Nataliia Kalmykova, is a physician by education, who worked as a deputy defense minister from September 2023. Before that, she headed Ukraine's Veterans Fund and worked in Come Back Alive, one of the largest Ukrainian charity organizations. Svitlana Hrynchuk is the new environment minister. She was a deputy energy minister from September 2023. She was also a deputy environment minister for several months in 2022. Before that, she was an adviser to the finance minister and headed a working group in the Ministry of Energy on environmental protection and climate change. Zelensky confessed the reshuffle is taking place at a critical time since the war broke out between Ukraine and its neighboring country, Russia. Last month, Ukraine launched a border attack on Russian territory in Kursk, taking the government officials in Moscow by surprise. Now, Russian military officials say the move was one of Kiev's biggest tactical mistakes of the war. They say the Kursk operation tied down thousands of trained Ukrainian troops for little real gain. "By transferring rather large and well-trained units to these border areas with us, the enemy weakened itself in key areas, and our troops accelerated offensive operations," Russian President Vladimir Putin said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: US, Western allies prolonged war by sending arms to Ukraine Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 September 2024 9:52 AM Iran has rejected as "baseless" claims by the United States, Britain and France about Tehran's role in Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, saying the Western countriesa not the Islamic Republica have prolonged the war by supplying weapons to Kiev. Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks in a letter sent to the UN chief and the Security Council's president on Wednesday, after the US, British and French envoys leveled coordinated accusations at Tehran concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict during a Security Council meeting on August 30. He said Iran "categorically rejects" any allegations suggesting its involvement in the sale, export, or transfer of arms in violation of its international commitments to Russia as "misleading, completely unfounded" and "entirely baseless". The Islamic Republic regards the accusations "as merely the narrow and shortsighted political agendas of these three permanent members of the Council, aimed at advancing their own political interests," he added. "It is both ironic and hypocritical that three countries directly involved in the Ukraine conflict and significantly contributing to its escalation through the supply of advanced weaponry have boldly made such baseless claims against Iran. The United States and its allies cannot deny the undeniable reality that their provision of ... advanced weaponry ... has prolonged the war in Ukraine and inflicted harm on civilians and civilian infrastructure." Iravani also said that it is indeed the United Statesa not Irana that is the "primary advocate and propagator of terrorism" both in the region and the entire world. "The United States is number one in sponsoring Israel, the most dangerous terrorist regime in the world," he emphasized. Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to prevent NATO's eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an "aggressive line" against Moscow. Russia has repeatedly warned against the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine, saying it prolongs the conflict. . NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Feel What We Feel': Syrskiy Says Kursk Incursion Prevented Russian Attacks By RFE/RL September 05, 2024 Russia was planning to attack Ukraine from the Kursk region before Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion last month, Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said in an interview broadcast on September 5, after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the incursion has not affected Moscow's special military operation. Syrsky said in an interview with CNN that he considers the operation in Kursk a success because it reduced the threat of an enemy attack. "We prevented them from acting. We moved the fighting to the enemy's territory so that he could feel what we feel every day," he said. According to Syrskiy, Moscow has transferred tens of thousands of troops to the Kursk region, including some of its best airborne assault units. Syrskiy also admitted that Ukraine is under significant pressure in the Pokrovsk area, but he said that Ukrainian forces have so far succeeded in stopping the Russian advance there. "Over the past six days, the enemy has not advanced a single meter in the Pokrovsk area. In other words, our strategy is working," he said. Syrskiy said that the ability of Russian forces to maneuver and deploy reinforcements from other directions has been limited and "this weakening is undoubtedly felt in other areas." In recent weeks, the front line in the Donetsk region has moved closer to the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk, which in the first two years of the full-scale war was deep behind the front line. Since its surprise incursion into Kursk, Kyiv claims to have seized control of more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory, while Russian forces have pushed ahead with their effort to capture Pokrovsk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC this week that the aim of the incursion was to accrue Russian territory and troops for future exchanges, emphasizing that Ukraine does not need Russian territory. "Our operation is aimed at restoring our territorial integrity. We capture Russian troops to replace them with Ukrainian [ones]," he said. "We tell them, you know, we need our military soldiers in exchange for Russian ones. The same attitude is to the territories. We don't need their land." Putin, speaking on September 5 at the Eastern Eurasian Forum in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, claimed that by sending troops into the Kursk region Ukraine had weakened its forces in its eastern Donbas region. "The enemy's goal was to make us get nervous, mess around, move our troops from one site to another, and stop our offensive in key directions, first of all in the Donbas," Putin said. "Did the enemy manage to do so? No, it managed nothing." Putin claimed that Russia's forces "stabilized the situation and started gradually pushing the enemy from the territories along the border." The move left Ukraine without the means to "contain our offensive" in eastern Ukraine, Putin said. "To the contrary, by sending its sufficiently big and well-trained units to the border districts, the enemy weakened itself on key fronts, while our troops have expedited their offensive operations," he said. Putin has previously called the Ukrainian incursion "a provocation" and publicly said it left Russia with no reason to negotiate with Kyiv. He backtracked from that position on September 5, saying that "we never refused to hold negotiations." However, he said in Vladivostok that any peace talks must take into account Moscow's long-standing conditions -- that parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops must remain under Moscow's control. Kyiv has rejected these conditions. Putin also hinted in Vladivostok that when talking about possible talks, Kyiv must take into consideration the future losses it faces. "It sometimes seems to me that those who now lead Ukraine are aliens or some sort of foreigners. As a matter of fact, they simply do not think, and I am serious about this. You know, [they have] such colossal losses. What can they do further, I do not understand," Putin said. Putin's statements came as Russian forces targeted the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, with more overnight drone strikes. The Ukrainian military said that several other regions, including the northern Chernihiv and northeastern Sumy regions, were targeted by Russian drones. In the Sumy region, the government expanded the mandatory evacuation from five towns in two districts. Sumy Governor Volodymyr Artyukh discussed evacuation measures during a meeting in Glukhiv, one of the areas where shelling has intensified. In view of the destruction of infrastructure and housing, the regional authorities decided to expand the list of settlements for mandatory evacuation, he said. The order now includes Glukhiv, Esman, and Svesa in the Shostkinsky district, and Manukhivka and Ivanivka in the Konotopsky district. With reporting by Current Time and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-incursion-war- aims-putin/33106572.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Romanian President Signs Bill Clearing Way For Donation Of Patriot System To Ukraine By RFE/RL's Romanian Service September 05, 2024 The Romanian government is in the final stages of donating a Patriot missile system to Ukraine in the midst of Ukraine's ever-increasing calls for more support from the West. On September 5, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signed a bill allowing for the donation of the system, which is expected to be deployed as part of Ukraine's air defenses. Now, the government will issue an order for the donation to be carried out. The Patriot system is only one of two functioning in Romania. The government agreed to donate it on the condition that Bucharest's allies will replace it with another Patriot system at a later date. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/news-romania-ukraine- patriot-missile-russia/33107818.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's Parliament Appoints New Foreign Minister In Major Cabinet Reshuffle By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service September 05, 2024 Ukraine's parliament has approved the nomination of Andriy Sybiha as the country's new foreign minister, replacing Dmytro Kuleba as part of a major government reshuffle. "First appointment: Andriy Sybiha as minister for foreign affairs of Ukraine," lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced on September 5. He added that 258 of the more than 450 lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, voted in favor of Sybiha's appointment. Sybiha, a deputy foreign minister, was nominated by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on September 5 to replace Kuleba as foreign minister. Lawmakers also approved appointing Oleksiy Kuleba, who was serving as deputy head of presidential office, as deputy prime minister responsible for restoration and regional policies. Dmytro Kuleba and several other cabinet members submitted their resignations this week after Zelenskiy indicated that a cabinet shake-up was imminent. The voting in parliament on the possible dismissals of cabinets members and other senior officials began on September 4. Commenting on the futures of Kuleba and the rest of the 22-member cabinet, Zelenskiy said on September 4 that "we need new energy, and these steps relate to strengthening our state in various areas." Kuleba has been one of the main faces of Kyiv's efforts to gird international support since Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. He has been widely regarded as an effective messenger of Ukraine's warnings that stopping Russia's aggression is essential for the rest of Europe and the West along with pleas to continue massive military and other supplies by NATO members to a nonmember defending itself against Russian attack. Parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk informed the public of Kuleba's resignation on September 4, as well as those a day earlier of two deputy prime ministers and three cabinet ministers as part of what could be the biggest cabinet overhaul since Russia's full-scale invasion began 36 months ago. Zelenskiy has said more changes to the government are coming in an effort to strengthen it and deliver the results that the country needs. "That is why there will be a number of personnel changes in the cabinet of ministers and the office of the president," he said on September 3, indicating that the changes would be coming in the fall. Zelenskiy also said Ukraine needed more interaction between the central government and communities, especially during preparation for the winter season. With reporting by Reuters, AFP and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-parliament-government- reshuffle-kuleba/33106922.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Bomb Squad Destroys Patriot Missile Warhead in Kursk Region - EMERCOM Sputnik News 20240905 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A Russian bomb squad has found and destroyed a warhead of a Patriot missile in the Kursk Region, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) said on Thursday. "Over the past 24 hours, the Russian Emergencies Ministry's bomb units were involved in defusing explosive devices. A warhead of a Patriot missile was found and destroyed," EMERCOM said. Since the beginning of operations in the Kursk Region, EMERCOM sappers have destroyed 314 explosive objects and surveyed an area of approximately 24 hectares, it said. Ukraine Loses Over 10,100 Troops During Operation in Kursk Area The Russian armed forces have eliminated more than 10,100 Ukrainian servicemen and 81 tanks during military operations in the border areas of the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. In total, during the military operations in the Kursk direction, the enemy lost more than 10,100 servicemen, 81 tanks, 41 infantry fighting vehicles, 72 armored personnel carriers, 589 armored combat vehicles, 325 cars, the ministry said in a statement. Over the past 24 hours, Kiev lost up to 370 soldiers and 17 combat armored vehicles in the Kursk area, the ministry also said. Units of the Russian Battlegroup Sever repelled four attacks by Ukrainian troops and thwarted attempts by Ukrainian troops to attack in the Kursk Region, the ministry said, adding that Kiev lost up to 40 troops, a US-made Stryker armored personnel carrier, three armored combat vehicles and five cars. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Armed Forces Must Kick Enemy Out of Russian Territories - Putin Sputnik News 20240905 VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces must push enemy troops out of the Russian territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday. "The armed forces' holy duty is to do everything to throw out the enemy out of those territories," Putin said. Residents of the border regions of the Russian Federation are suffering from terrorist attacks from Ukraine, first of all we need to think about them, Putin said. "First of all, we must think about the people who, of course, are going through serious hardships and suffering from these terrorist attacks [from Ukraine]. The sacred duty of the armed forces is to do everything to kick the enemy out of these territories and reliably protect our citizens. The whole country, of course, should do everything to support people," Putin said. Kiev, having launched an attack on the Kursk Region, wanted to stop Russia's offensive in the Donbas, but nothing happened, Putin said. "The enemy's goal was to make us nervous, transfer troops from one sector to another and stop our offensive in key areas, primarily in Donbas, the liberation of which is our primary goal," Putin said. Russia's offensive in the special operation zone is not being contained, Putin added. The Eastern Economic Forum began on Tuesday and will run through Friday. It is being hosted by the Far Eastern Federal University in Russia's Pacific coast city of Vladivostok. Sputnik is the general information partner of the EEF 2024. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Military Effectively Attacking Foreign Instructors in Ukraine - Kremlin Sputnik News 20240905 VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, (Sputnik) - The Russian military is increasingly effectively attacking foreign instructors in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Instructors from around the world are on the territory of Ukraine and take part in combat operations and training of the armed forces of Ukraine, the official said. "Our military is increasingly effectively carrying out strikes against such targets. This is very good from the point of view the special military operation and achieving the goals that have been set," Peskov told the Izvestia newspaper on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). It is preferable to achieve goals by peaceful means, but Moscow sees that neither the United States, nor Europe, nor Ukraine are inclined for dialogue now, the spokesman added. The Eastern Economic Forum began on Tuesday and will run through Friday. It is being hosted by the Far Eastern Federal University in Russia's Pacific coast city of Vladivostok. Sputnik is the general information partner of the EEF 2024. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian children deserve to learn and grow in a safe environment, free from Russian aggression: UK statement to the OSCE Ambassador Holland condemns the impact of Russia's illegal war on the safety, education, identity and future of Ukraine's children. 5 September 2024 Thank you, Mister Chair. As children around the world returned to school this week, in Ukraine they continue to face significant obstacles due to Russia's ongoing war of aggression. Across Ukraine, thousands of schools and children's facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Russia's military attacks. Over the last week, Russia has intensified its aerial attacks against Ukraine, hitting, among other civilian locations, schools in Lviv, nurseries in Kyiv and a centre for the social and psychological rehabilitation of children in Sumy. These have caused a number of casualties, including a 14-year-old girl who was killed in a Russian attack on a playground in Kharkiv. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones. The UN now estimates that over 600 Ukrainian children have been killed since February 2022. This constant threat of violence has made it unsafe for two thirds of children in frontline regions to attend school in person. Most schools in these regions are closed due to ongoing hostilities, while elsewhere thousands cannot reopen because they do not have protective shelters. Nationwide, half of school aged children rely on some level of remote based education. Yet frequent power outages, caused by Russia's targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, have only led to further disruptions and obstacles to their learning. Instead of experiencing a normal school year, Ukrainian children are often forced to seek shelter from air strikes, to navigate disrupted communities, or even to flee their homes. At the same time, Ukrainian children going back to school in the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine are faced with a different kind of challenge. We are seeing growing reports of the systematic indoctrination of children in these areas. The illegitimate Russian authorities have implemented re-education programmes designed to erase Ukrainian identity and to instil pro-Russian sentiments among the youth. Children in these areas are subjected to a curriculum that distorts historical facts, glorifies Russian military actions, and promotes allegiance to Russia. The indoctrination efforts include history lessons that frame Ukraine as part of Russia, and in some cases, military training. Russia's strategy to indoctrinate Ukrainian children dates back to its illegal annexation of Crimea ten years ago, before being enforced in the Russian-held parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts since 2022. And Russia's forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children forms part of this strategy. These children are separated from their families and communities, and then deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-held territories where they are subjected to these indoctrination practices. Reports detail the psychological impact on the children, who are confused and distressed by the forced assimilation and the separation from their families. Mister Chair, Russia's deportation of these children is a clear violation of international law and it aims to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty. It represents a grave human rights abuse, as the Russian state attempts to erode Ukraine's future by reshaping the identities and loyalties of its youngest citizens. The UK and our international partners condemn these practices and call for an immediate end to the deportation, exploitation and manipulation of children in these regions. Russia must be held accountable for its actions. Ukrainian children deserve to learn and grow in a safe environment, free from Russian aggression. Thank you, Mister Chair. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Continued Defense Cooperation and Preparation of a New Aid Package: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Had a Phone Call with Emmanuel Macron President of Ukraine 5 September 2024 - 23:48 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron. The Head of State congratulated Emmanuel Macron on the appointment of the new Prime Minister Michel Barnier and thanked him for France's unwavering support for Ukraine. The President of France expressed his condolences to the Ukrainian people over the Russian strikes on Lviv, Poltava, and other cities and communities. On the eve of the meeting of the Contact Group in the Ramstein format, the parties discussed further defense cooperation and the preparation of a new military aid package from France. Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine's primary needs, particularly in air defense, electronic warfare systems, armored vehicles, and artillery. The Head of State emphasized the necessity of obtaining permission and means from partner countries to strike at the bases of carriers of guided aerial bombs. The leaders agreed to facilitate cooperation between Ukrainian and French companies in the joint production of weapons. The Presidents also coordinated future contacts, particularly regarding the implementation of the bilateral security agreement and the Ukraine Security Compact mechanism, which involves all countries that have signed security agreements with Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Throughout the Fall, Everyone in Their Position Must Deliver Tangible Results - Address by the President President of Ukraine 5 September 2024 - 20:30 I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians! Briefly about this day. Changes in the government have taken place. I am grateful to the parliament for supporting the respective candidates. It is crucial that government institutions now operate as actively as possible - more actively than before - at all levels. More investments from partners in Ukraine's defense production. More active progress in negotiations with the European Union as we prepare for the future accession agreement. More interaction and mutual understanding between the central government and communities. And of course, more support for the frontline and for all our people. This concerns the supply of weapons. Our energy sector - protecting energy infrastructure and rebuilding what has been destroyed. A clear veteran policy. Clear counteraction to Russian propaganda abroad. Working with the global Ukrainian community. Ensuring the financial stability of our state and, in particular, intensifying work with partners to ensure that the proceeds from Russian assets are used for Ukraine. There are dozens of such very specific tasks, and throughout the fall, everyone in their position must deliver tangible results. The second thing that is important to say. There is already a clear decision from Romania regarding the Patriot system for Ukraine. This decision has been approved at all levels. I am grateful for it. And we expect our partners to implement the full package of decisions on air defense and other assistance to Ukraine, which is exactly the package that was adopted at the NATO Summit in Washington in July. Currently, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine has held a series of meetings in France, the UK, and Germany. We are in constant communication with American partners. We highly value our cooperation with Italy. We are already well-prepared for the upcoming "Ramstein" meeting, which will take place shortly. Everything we agree on with our partners requires the fastest possible implementation. When decisions are quick, Russia does not have time to adapt, and we achieve particularly valuable results. This applies to protecting our cities and communities from strikes, supporting our warriors on the frontline, and ensuring the resilience of our state and our people. And in general, the resilience of the world that wants to continue living by rules, by international law, and not in dependency on the madness of certain "putins." And one more thing. Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, particularly on the Pokrovsk direction. We are sending reinforcements, and the key objective is to eliminate as many of the occupier's forces as possible. Additionally, the report focused on an operation in the Kursk region. We are holding our designated positions, and with each day of the Kursk operation, we are proving to the world that Russia can lose this war. The only thing needed for this is enough of our determination, and the determination of everyone in the world who influences the global situation. It is not up to Moscow to determine the future of our people. And that's how it must always be. Thank you to everyone who helps! Glory to all who fight and work for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zhytomyr Region and the U.S. State of Indiana Signed a Memorandum of Cooperation President of Ukraine 5 September 2024 - 17:04 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (USA) in Kyiv. In the presence of the Head of State, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Zhytomyr region and the state of Indiana was signed. The President thanked Eric Holcomb for his support of Ukraine and his interest in regional cooperation. "Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we have initiated a patronage process. Developing such relations with U.S. states is extremely important. We are very grateful for your personal stance as the governor of Indiana and for the comprehensive support of Ukraine and our people who have found refuge in your state," noted Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Head of State added that several European countries have already taken patronage over Ukrainian regions. Specifically, Denmark is supporting the Mykolaiv region, Germany is assisting the Chernihiv region, and the Czech Republic is helping the Dnipropetrovsk region. According to him, regional cooperation is crucial for the development of entrepreneurship, joint production, and reconstruction. In the presence of the President, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration Vitaliy Bunechko and Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding economic, academic, and cultural cooperation between the Zhytomyr region and the state of Indiana. The document outlines the development of economic ties and investment, strengthening of trade relations, and exchange of experience in agriculture and high-tech manufacturing. Additionally, the memorandum will promote enhanced cooperation between educational institutions and research organizations, as well as foster collaboration and direct contact between theaters, museums, creative associations, and foundations in the Zhytomyr region and the state of Indiana. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine names career diplomat Andrii Sybiha as new foreign minister By VOA News September 05, 2024 Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday appointed Andrii Sybiha, a career diplomat, as the country's new foreign minister in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reshuffling of his top advisers. Sybiha, 49, replaces Dmytro Kuleba, who had been instrumental in lobbying Ukraine's Western allies for more military assistance for Ukraine's 30-month fight against Russia's invasion. Sybiha, who speaks English and Polish, has been the deputy foreign minister and had also served as ambassador to Turkey. He is considered to be closer to Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, than Kuleba, who is the most prominent departure from Zelenskyy's list of top officials. The Foreign Ministry of neighboring Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine, congratulated Sybiha in a post on X, saying, "We look forward to further cooperation for Ukraine's European future." While Kuleba's diplomatic skills were acknowledged, his removal was part of a bid by Zelenskyy to exert a tighter grip on foreign policy, Ukrainian sources suggested. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Kuleba to voice his "great appreciation and friendship" from their time working together, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X that there had been "few people I've worked as closely with" as Kuleba. A source in Zelenskyy's party, however, said the presidency had been growing frustrated with Kuleba, Agence France-Presse reported. "He was giving interviews, speaking beautifully, going on trips, this handkerchief in his jacket. ... He was engaged in self-promotion, instead of improving the work of embassies, working systematically on countries and getting their support," the source said. A source close to the presidential office told AFP that Zelenskyy and Kuleba "will discuss and decide" his future post amid speculation that he could be tasked to steer Ukraine's bid to join NATO, although there is little chance of Ukraine joining the West's key military alliance until after Russia's war with Ukraine ends. Zelenskyy, when asked about the rationale for his government shake-up, told reporters, "We need new energy. And these steps are related to strengthening our state in various areas." Ukraine's parliament on Thursday also approved new nominations for several other posts, naming two new vice prime ministers and six other new ministers. On the battle front, Ukraine's military said Thursday it shot down 60 of 78 Russian drones that targeted regions across the country. But Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said on Telegram a Russian attack damaged an infrastructure site and injured one person. In Kherson, officials reported Russian strikes that hit two medical facilities and injured two people. Poltava Governor Filip Pronin said on Telegram that Russian forces hit an educational institution, but he did not provide information about casualties. Russia's defense ministry said Thursday it destroyed a rocket and two Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region. The governor there said on Telegram there was damage to a home and that one person was injured. Russian air defenses also shot down three drones over the Kursk region and two drones over Bryansk, the defense ministry said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump, Harris offer different futures for Ukraine as they vie for US presidency By Anita Powell September 05, 2024 Ukraine faces wildly different prospects under a potential Trump or Harris presidency a but analysts say it's clear Kyiv is not waiting for November to let its fate be decided. Still, in this ancient capital that is no stranger to the whims of foreign powers, analysts seem to view a possible re-run of a Donald Trump administration with ambivalence. "There is a prevailing opinion that the return of Trump to the White House is not the best scenario for Ukraine," said Oleksii Melnyk, of the foreign relations and international security program at the Razumkov Center, a research institution. "Although there are also cautious opinions that everything may not be that bad." Trump has said he'll swiftly end the war, although his running mate, vice presidential candidate JD Vance, once said he "doesn't really care" about Ukraine. This makes a future Kamala Harris administration more of a wild card to this nation that knows Trump and President Joe Biden so well. Harris has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and represented Biden at major transatlantic security summits. But on the campaign trail, Harris has only briefly spotlighted Ukraine a and how she differs from Trump. Trump "encouraged [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to invade our allies, said Russia could, quote, do whatever the hell they want. Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia's plan to invade," she said at last month's Democratic National Convention. "I helped mobilize a global response a over 50 countries to defend against Putin's aggression. And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies." Analysts say none of this is surprising. Harris is likely to follow Biden's "Support-Ukraine" playbook, they say, adding that Trump's broad foreign policy pronouncements remain as vague as ever, such as Trump's promise that he'll end the war in one day. "It's not entirely clear how he'll do that," said Andrew Payne, a lecturer in foreign policy and security at City St. George's, University of London. "The fear, of course, is that he'll do it by simply abandoning Ukraine, cutting off funds and pressuring Zelenskyy into negotiations at a time when Putin would enjoy all of the bargaining leverage." Ukraine shows renewed confidence But, Payne said, the battlefield has shifted with Ukrainian forces' recent decision to strike across the border and take a bite of Russian territory. This development is something that stuck with John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, on a recent visit there. "Without a doubt, our chief impression was the energy and renewed confidence Ukraine's bold strike into Russia has provided the country's leadership and people," Herbst wrote in the Atlantic Council late last month. "They see the seizure of more than 460 square miles of Russian territory and the capture of hundreds of Russian soldiers as a clear victory, one that has changed the international conversation from a focus on peace talks or a cease-fire in place largely on Kremlin terms; they recognize that Russian President Vladimir Putin's notion of a cease-fire in place is now much less attractive to the Kremlin." Biden still a factor While analysts widely predict that Ukraine will neither seek to hold let alone succeed in holding this land permanently, it's a bargaining chip that will help Kyiv, whomever wins. And, Payne said, Biden could also put his hand on the scale at a pivotal stage. "I wouldn't be expecting any shift in the U.S. position vis-a-vis Ukraine's military operations before November, but I would be watching between November and January a whatever the outcome a to see if there is a little bit more leash given to Kyiv," he said. And he said Ukraine's leader has bolstered his relationships with European leaders and broadened his support. Herbst also pointed to how a lame-duck Biden could give Kyiv a shot in the arm. "Biden should also use his last months in office to reach out to Republican leaders in Congress to pass one last aid bill for Ukraine during his administration," he wrote. Anna Chernikova contributed to this report from Kyiv. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's Trip to Ukraine September 05, 2024 Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer traveled to Kyiv on September 4 and 5 to coordinate on U.S. plans to support Ukraine over the remainder of President Biden's term in office. Finer met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss U.S. support for Ukraine's military, energy system, and economy, among other areas, and to consult on Ukraine's strategy in its fight against Russian aggression. Finer expressed condolences on behalf of the United States for the casualties caused by Russia's recent missile attacks and emphasized the President's steadfast commitment to stand with Ukraine until they prevail in this war. Finer met with Andriy Yermak, the head of the Presidential Office, and Ukrainian military officials to discuss the state of Ukraine's operations across the front lines. Finer briefed the Ukrainian officials on the ongoing provision of U.S. security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself. Finer joined Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and senior officials from across the Ukrainian government, including regional representatives from Kharkiv and other regions in Ukraine in a conversation to review Ukraine's energy security. Finer received updates on Ukraine's recovery efforts following recent Russian strikes and discussed U.S. assistance to help Ukraine repair its energy system. Additionally, Finer visited a critical energy site in Ukraine to see first-hand the efforts underway to harden these sites ahead of the winter. Finer participated in-person in Ukraine's conference on food security as part of the peace formula process, which representatives from more than 75 countries attended virtually. In his remarks at the conference, Finer emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine's pursuit of a just and lasting peace to end this war. Finer also met with First Deputy Prime Minisyer Yuliia Svyrydenko to discuss U.S. sanctions against Russia and with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to review Ukraine's efforts to rally global opposition to Russia's war of aggression. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK to provide A162 million package of air defence missiles for Ukraine as Defence Secretary meets international partners UK to supply 650 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) through A162 million contract to boost Ukraine's air defences. 6 September 2024 The UK will supply 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to Ukraine to boost the country's air defence capabilities, as part of the new government's commitment to Ukraine. The air defence package will be announced by Defence Secretary John Healey MP today at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at US Air Force Base in Ramstein - his first as Defence Secretary. At the 24th meeting of the group, the Defence Secretary will set out the UK's ironclad commitment to Ukraine and urge allies to continue to supply Ukraine with vital equipment. It comes following a bilateral meeting between John Healey and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in London earlier this week, where the pair discussed how the UK will continue to ramp-up support over the coming months. At that meeting, the Defence Secretary confirmed that A300 million worth of artillery ammunition will start to be delivered by the end of this year to support Ukraine's war effort. In keeping with the new government's commitment to speed up deliveries of aid, the first batch of LMM missiles announced today are also expected to be delivered by the end of this year. Today's package is part of the UK's work to help step up UK and European defence production - with today's A162 million order helping to energise the supply chain for the future. Built by Thales at their Belfast factory, the missiles are highly versatile and can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea, and air. The package is primarily funded through the UK's A3 billion a year financial package for Ukraine, and contributions from Norway through the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) and follows the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary's commitment to stand by Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes. It comes after the Defence Secretary signed a new Defence Export Support Treaty with his counterpart Umerov in July, during President Zelesnkyy's visit to Downing Street. The agreement will fire up both the UK's and Ukraine's defence industrial bases and increase military hardware and weaponry production. The treaty will enable Ukraine to draw on A3.5 billion of export finance to support its war effort. Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: This new commitment will give an important boost to Ukraine's air defences and demonstrates our new government's commitment to stepping up support for Ukraine. In recent days we have seen the tragic cost of Russia's indiscriminate strikes on Poltava and Lviv. These new UK-made missiles will support Ukraine to defend its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin's brutal attacks. With our international partners today, we will show that we are united for Ukraine. And we will discuss how best we can work together to improve support. Because the security of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine. Ahead of the meeting with international partners, the Defence Secretary visited the Joint Intelligence Coordination Centre (JICC) at the Ramstein Air Base. UK Armed Forces personnel deployed at the JICC work alongside allies to analyse intelligence. Since Russia's illegal invasion, the UK has provided hundreds of LMM missiles to Ukraine for air defence, destroying hundreds of Russian drones and other air threats. Travelling at Mach 1.5 with a range of more than 6km, the LMM is highly versatile against a wide range of threats, including Armoured Personnel Carriers, fast in-shore attack craft and Unmanned drones. This contract with Thales in the UK will further prime the world leading British defence industry to increase production rates, enabling future production to be ramped up. Addressing allies at the UCDG, the Defence Secretary will reiterate the UK's commitment to supporting Ukraine and ramping up the production and delivery of vital equipment. A Thales spokesperson said: As a strategic partner of UK Government, Thales is proud to be working with MoD to support defending democracy in Ukraine through the provision of our Lightweight Multi-role Missile, delivered from our Belfast site. Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, UK MoD and Thales have worked in close collaboration to support the Ukrainian effort by delivering key air defence systems at pace. We are pleased that this contract is the first to be signed under Task Force Hirst, which has been established to deliver a deeper defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine. Earlier this week, the Government confirmed a milestone moment in international support for Ukraine, with eight countries from across the world having now joined the UK to provide more than A1 billion to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), in a significant show of unity from Ukraine's allies. The IFU was first launched by the UK and Denmark in 2022 to provide an efficient way for countries to pool resources to buy equipment and weapons to support Ukraine's most urgent capability needs. The UK has donated A500 million to the Fund to date. This is also the first contract approved under Task Force Hirst, a MOD initiative created to ramp up defence industrial capacity and capability, laying the foundation for larger sustained supply of missiles and other key capabilities to Ukraine and, in the longer term, enable industrial cooperation between our two countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEWARK, Del, Sept. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the worldwide Aquafeed Enzymes market is valued at USD 483.0 million in 2024 and it is anticipated to reach USD 804.5 million by 2034. Over the next decade, global Aquafeed Enzymes demand is likely to increase at a CAGR of 5.2%. There's an expanding potential of boosting aquafeed's nutritional value through research and innovation. To develop breakthrough enzyme-based solutions that can boost feed efficiency, minimize waste, and support sustainable aquaculture approaches, companies have invested money on research and development. Cargill unveiled a new innovative aquafeed brand named AquaPro, while BioMar established a research collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. Skretting also confirmed the opening of a new R&D center in Norway. Manufacturers are constantly innovating new enzyme blends to improve aquafeeds' nutritional composition and digestibility. Enzymes such as lipases, cellulases, amylases, and proteases, for instance, are utilized to enhance feed component breakdown and increase the accessibility of nutrients for aquatic life. Enzymes like phytase improve nutrient availability in plant-based feeds, while proteases enhance protein digestion in fish feed. The industry is expected to be stimulated by the increased demand for aquafeed enzymes in developing countries, where the aquaculture industry is expanding substantially. Understanding the Aquafeed Enzymes Market The aquafeed enzymes market plays a crucial role in the aquaculture industry by enhancing the nutritional value and digestibility of feed, leading to improved growth rates and health in aquatic species. Enzymes like proteases, phytases, and carbohydrases are commonly used to break down complex nutrients in feed ingredients, making them more accessible for absorption by fish and shrimp. This not only boosts feed efficiency but also reduces environmental impact by minimizing waste output. The growing demand for sustainable and cost-effective aquaculture practices is driving the adoption of enzyme-based feed additives, as producers seek to optimize production and meet the rising global demand for seafood. The market is influenced by various factors, including advancements in enzyme technology, increased awareness of the benefits of enzyme supplementation, and stringent regulations on the use of antibiotics in aquafeed. Companies in the industry are continuously innovating to develop enzymes that are more effective under a range of aquaculture conditions, such as varying water temperatures and salinity levels. Regional Insights into the Aquafeed Enzymes Market Countries Market Value (2034) China USD 144.8 million India USD 96.5 million Indonesia USD 64.4 million Brazil USD 40.2 million Norway USD 28.2 million Key Takeaways from the Aquafeed Enzymes Report: The global Aquafeed Enzymes market is expected to reach a valuation of USD 804.5 million by 2034. is expected to reach a valuation of by 2034. Global demand for Aquafeed Enzymes is likely to soar at 5.2% CAGR over the forecast period. over the forecast period. East Asia is projected to hold a dominant value share of 36.4% in the global market by 2034. in the global market by 2034. India market is estimated to witness a value CAGR of 4.9% during the projection period. The aquafeed enzymes market is poised for significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for sustainable and efficient aquaculture practices. Enzymes enhance feed digestibility and nutrient absorption, reducing waste and environmental impact. With rising global seafood consumption and advancements in feed technology, the market is expected to expand, offering lucrative opportunities for industry players, says Nandini Roy Choudhury, Client Partner at Future Market Insights. Prominent Drivers of the Aquafeed Enzymes Market The aquafeed enzymes market is driven by the rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry, fueled by the increasing demand for seafood as a healthy and sustainable protein source. As fish farming grows to meet global consumption needs, there is a heightened focus on improving feed efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Enzymes in aquafeed enhance nutrient digestibility, boost growth rates, and cut waste production, making aquaculture more cost-effective and sustainable. The shift towards plant-based ingredients in aquafeed also necessitates specific enzymes to break down complex plant materials, further driving market growth. Sustainability and environmentally friendly farming practices are also key drivers of the aquafeed enzymes market. Regulatory bodies and consumers are increasingly demanding greener production methods, encouraging the use of enzymes that reduce the need for antibiotics and other chemical additives. These enzymes help optimize feed conversion ratios, lower feed costs, and minimize the ecological footprint of aquaculture operations. Technological advancements in enzyme production and the development of tailored enzyme solutions for different species and feed compositions are further propelling the market, solidifying the role of aquafeed enzymes in sustainable aquaculture. Who is Winning? Leading Aquafeed Enzymes Brands Kemin Industries ADM Animal Nutrition American Biosystem Creative Enzymes DSM (Koninklijke DSM N.V.) Hostazym X (Huvepharma) BASF SE (Nutrition BASF) Ab Vista Weifang Yuexiang Chemical Co., Ltd. Chaoyang Starzyme Bioengineering Co., Ltd Bestzyme Bio-Engineering Co., Ltd Biolaxi Nippon Koi Farm Aumenzymes Others These companies are focusing on research and development, sustainable sourcing, and new formulations. They are also emphasizing environment-friendly practices and product certifications to satisfy the increasing demand for natural and sustainable ingredients. For instance, MiAlgae launched Omega 3 products derived from algae for aquafeed and pet food in April 2023, introducing their NaturalAlgae powder with a high concentration of DHA and other oils. Skretting, the world's largest fish feed manufacturer, partnered with Zooca Calanus to develop a copepod-based aquafeed, leveraging Zooca Calanus' expertise in processing the nutrient-rich marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus. Get More Valuable Insights Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new offering, provides an unbiased analysis of the global Aquafeed Enzymes market presenting historical demand data (2019 to 2023) and forecast statistics for the period from 2024 to 2034. The study incorporates compelling insights on the Aquafeed Enzymes market based on enzyme type (protease, amylase, lipase, non-starch polysaccharidases, phytase, glucose oxidase, and lysozyme), form (liquid and powder), and aquatic animal (carps, crustaceans, molluscs, tilapias, catfish, salmon, and others (sturgeons, paddlefishes, etc.) across various regions. Browse Full Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/aquafeed-enzymes-market Key Segments of Market Report By Enzyme Type: As per enzyme type, the market has been categorized protease, amylase, lipase, non-starch polysaccharidases, phytase, glucose oxidase, and lysozyme By Form: As per form, the market has been categorized into liquid and powder By Aquatic Animal: This segment is further categorized into carps, crustaceans, molluscs, tilapias, catfish, salmon, and others (sturgeons, paddlefishes, etc.) By Region: Industry analysis has been carried out in key countries of North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East & Africa. About the Food & Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI) Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations the Food & Beverage team at Future Market Insights (FMI) helps clients from all over the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over 1,000 reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has analysed the food & beverage industry lucidly in 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides end-to-end research and consulting services; reach out to explore how we can help. Authored by: Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Explore FMIs related ongoing Coverage in the Food and Beverage Domain: According to Future Market Insights, the global aquafeed market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 6.8% through 2033. The global microalgae-based aquafeed market is estimated to be valued at USD 279.6 million in 2024 and further increase at a CAGR of 7.5% during the assessment period. Newly released data by FMI shows aquaponics market size to reach USD 1,560 million in 2023. By the end of 2033, the market is projected to attain USD 3,415.5 million. Meanwhile, the industry is expected to prominently expand at 8% CAGR. The global fish feed market is expected to accumulate a valuation of USD 116,480 million in 2023 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.5% from 2023 to 2033. The global animal feed additive market is projected to increase from USD 55,842.2 million in 2024 to USD 109,184.5 million in 2034. The global Feed Premix market is expected to reach a valuation of USD 8.8 billion by the year 2024, accelerating with a CAGR of 3.3% by 2024 to 2034. The poultry feed market is expected to increase at a 5.4% CAGR from 2023 to 2033, from USD 216.5 billion in 2023 to USD 365.6 billion by 2033. The Mineral Feed market is valued at USD 4.1 Bn in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period, to reach a value of USD 6.2 Bn by 2032. The global animal feed market size is anticipated to cross a valuation of USD 530.0 billion in 2023. It is estimated to reach a valuation of USD 929.0 billion by 2033. The global feed barley market size is projected to be USD 1,232.3 million in 2024. It is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of around 5.6% in the estimated period 2024 to 2034. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Join us as we commemorate 10 years of delivering trusted market insights. Reflecting on a decade of achievements, we continue to lead with integrity, innovation, and expertise. Contact FMI: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Highlights: An additional $5,000,000 has been raised in a second round of Special Warrant and Unit offerings, following on from first round offerings totaling $3,679,564 closed in July. More than $8.68 million has been raised between the two recent offerings. Alaska Energy Metals is now adequately funded for the drilling program planned and underway at the Nikolai nickel project in Alaska; drilling commenced in July and has been completed on the Canwell prospects. Drilling is underway to test for extensions of the Eureka nickel deposit. Metallurgical studies to determine metal recovery rates have been initiated. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (TSX-V: AEMC, OTCQB: AKEMF) (AEMC or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has closed its non-brokered offering of special warrants to raise $4,520,000, and its concurrent, non-brokered private placement of units for proceeds of $480,000. Combined with the closing of offerings announced on July 8 and July 11 2024, the total gross proceeds of both financings is $8,679,564. Gregory Beischer, President and CEO of Alaska Energy Metals, commented: "Having attracted this level of financing speaks to the quality of the Nikolai Nickel Project, confidence in our exploration team and plans, and also to our new company directors, who are in place to assist in fully unlocking value for all of our shareholders." Special Warrant Offering For this offering, 30,133,330 special warrants (the Special Warrants) were issued at the price of $0.15 per Special Warrant for gross proceeds of $4,520,000 (the Offering). Each Special Warrant will automatically convert into one unit of the Company (each a Unit). Each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Company (a Share) and one common share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Share at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of three years following the date of issue. The Special Warrants will automatically convert, for no additional consideration, into Units on the date that is the earlier of: (i) the date that is three business days following the date on which the Company files a prospectus supplement to a short form base shelf prospectus with the applicable securities regulatory authorities qualifying distribution of the Units underlying the Special Warrants (the Prospectus Supplement), or (ii) the date that is four months and one day after the closing of the Offering. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file the Prospectus Supplement within 60 days of the closing of the Offering (not including the date of closing), provided however, that there is no assurance that a Prospectus Supplement will be filed with the securities commission prior to the expiry of the statutory four month hold period. The Company paid aggregate cash finders fees of approximately $218,726 to certain finders, being 7% of the gross proceeds raised by each such finder. As additional compensation, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,458,176 non-transferable broker warrants (each a Broker Warrant) to the respective finders. Each Broker Warrant is exercisable for one Share at the exercise price of $0.20 for a period of three years. Prior to the filing of the Prospectus Supplement and the automatic conversion of the Special Warrants, the securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing of the Offering, in addition to any other restrictions under applicable law. Unit Offering In this non-brokered private placement (NBPP), a total of 3,200,000 units (the NBPP Units) were sold for gross proceeds of $480,000. Each NBPP Unit consists of one Share and one Warrant. Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to acquire one Share at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of three years following the date of issue. The Company paid aggregate cash finders fees of $33,600 to a certain finder, being 7% of the gross proceeds raised. As additional compensation, the Company issued an aggregate of 224,000 Broker Warrants to the finder. The securities issued in connection with the NBPP will be subject to a four-month hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. The net proceeds from the Offering and the NBPP will be used for Canwell prospect drilling and Eureka deposit drilling at the Nikolai Nickel Project in Alaska, metallurgical studies on drill cores from the Eureka deposit, working capital, as well as for marketing purposes. For additional information, visit: https://alaskaenergymetals.com/ About Alaska Energy Metals Alaska Energy Metals Corporation is an Alaska-based corporation with offices in Anchorage and Vancouver working to sustainably deliver the critical materials needed for national security and a bright energy future, while generating superior returns for shareholders. AEMC is focused on delineating and developing the large-scale, bulk tonnage, polymetallic Eureka deposit containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located in Interior Alaska near existing transportation and power infrastructure, its flagship project, Nikolai, is well-situated to become a significant domestic source of strategic energy-related metals for North America. AEMC also holds a secondary project, Angliers-Belleterre, in western Quebec. Today, material sourcing demands excellence in environmental performance, carbon mitigation, and the responsible management of human and financial capital. AEMC works every day to earn and maintain the respect and confidence of the public and believes that ESG performance is measured by action and led from the top. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Gregory Beischer Gregory Beischer, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Sarah Mawji, Public Relations Venture Strategies Email: sarah@venturestrategies.com Forward-Looking Statements Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including, without limitation, the closing of the Offering, receipt of approval for the offering including the approval of the TSXV, the statements as to the filing of the Prospectus Supplement, the use of proceeds, to drill exploratory drill holes at the Canwell prospects and Eureka deposit, and to perform metallurgical studies. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in 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 law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If the Company updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, in the United States or to any U.S Person (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act)) of any equity or other securities of the Company. The securities of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the 1933 Act or under any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. Person absent registration under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws or an applicable exemption therefrom. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (Bunker Hill or the Company) (TSX-V: BNKR; OTCQB: BHLL) announces that it has elected to issue 506,775 shares of common stock (the Shares) at a deemed issue price of C$0.16 per Share to a certain creditor of the Company (the Creditor) in full satisfaction of the aggregate US$60,000 financing cooperation fee owing to the Creditor for the three (3) month period beginning on April 1, 2024 and ending on June 30, 2024 (the Q2 Cooperation Fee) pursuant to the terms of an agreement re financing cooperation dated September 27, 2022 (the Cooperation Agreement) entered into by and among the Company and the Creditor. The Cooperation Agreement provides for, among other things, the Creditor and its affiliates providing certain collateral security in order for the Company to obtain certain surety bonds with respect to the Bunker Hill Mine (the Collateral Security). In consideration for the Collateral Security, the Company is required to pay the Creditor a financing cooperation fee of US$20,000 per month during the term of the Cooperation Agreement. The Company has elected to issue the Shares in lieu of paying cash for the Q2 Cooperation Fee to preserve its cash for the potential restart and ongoing development of the Bunker Hill Mine. The transaction remains subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including, without limitation, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSX-V). Once issued, the Shares will be subject to a four month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or in compliance with the requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. ABOUT BUNKER HILL MINING CORP. Under Idaho-based leadership, Bunker Hill intends to sustainably restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine as the first step in consolidating and then optimizing a number of mining assets into a high-value portfolio of operations, centered initially in North America. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or within the SEDAR+ and EDGAR databases. On behalf of Bunker Hill Mining Corp. Sam Ash President and Chief Executive Officer For additional information, please contact: Brenda Dayton Vice President, Investor Relations T: 604.417.7952 E: brenda.dayton@bunkerhillmining.com Cautionary Statements Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase forward-looking information in the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations (collectively, forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, plan or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Companys objectives, goals or future plans, including the restart and development of the Bunker Hill Mine; the achievement of future short-term, medium-term and long-term operational strategies; the completion of the transaction, including the number and deemed pricing of the Shares; and the Company receiving TSX-V approval for the transaction. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those risks and uncertainties identified in public filings made by Bunker Hill with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities, and the following: the Company not receiving the approval of the TSX-V for the transaction; the Companys inability to raise additional capital for project activities, including through equity financings, concentrate offtake financings or otherwise; capital market conditions; restrictions on labor and its effects on international travel and supply chains; failure to identify mineral resources; failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; the Companys ability to restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine and the risks of not basing a production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, resulting in increased uncertainty due to multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision including, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit, with no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved; failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations; failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; political risks; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing, including the ability of the Company to complete the payments pursuant to the terms of the agreement to acquire the Bunker Hill Mine complex; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; and capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such statements or information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all, including as to whether or when the Company will achieve its project finance initiatives, or as to the actual size or terms of those financing initiatives. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risk factors that could affect the Companys operations or financial results are included in the Companys annual report and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or through EDGAR on the SEC website (www.sec.gov). Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Zero Trust Security Market by Offering, Security type, Authentication Type (Single Factor, Multi Factor), Vertical (BFSI, Government &Defense, IT & ITES, Healthcare, Retail E-commerce, Energy and Utilities) and Region - Global Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The urgency of cybersecurity in the modern digital landscape is driving the Zero Trust security market size from USD 30.9 billion in 2024 to an anticipated USD 66.6 billion by 2029, with a notable CAGR of 16.6%. Growing concerns for cyber threats, increased remote work, and robust cloud computing adoption are key factors contributing to this expansion. Across industries, from BFSI to government and healthcare, the need for rigorous security infrastructures able to adapt to sophisticated attack methods is paramount, prompting businesses to adopt the Zero Trust security philosophy which dictates 'never trust, always verify.' Focused on Innovation and Stringent Security Among security types, Application Security is poised to see the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. Zero Trust's transformational approach secures applications by consistently authenticating and validating user access, employing micro-segmentation, least privilege strategies, and real-time behavioral analytics. With enhanced focus on Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and components such as IAM, encryption, and API security, businesses are embracing these solutions to ensure adaptive, comprehensive security frameworks. Solutions Dominating Industry Offerings The Solution segment will account for the largest share of the market throughout the forecast period. Incorporating the principle of 'never trust, always verify' and advanced authentication measures, zero trust solutions ensure that only authorized parties can access crucial resources. Enhanced visibility into network activities coupled with real-time threat detection underscores the resilience of Zero Trust, thereby fostering trust and protecting the digital assets in the interwoven tapestry of global connectivity. North America Leads in Market Size Expected to maintain its market dominance, North America's extensive adoption of advanced technologies, presence of numerous security vendors, and escalating cyber threat incidents are vital contributors to its significant market share. With industries in the region facing increasing vulnerability due to pervasive IoT applications, cloud-based solutions, and digital transactions, zero trust frameworks are gaining ground as an efficient countermeasure to sophisticated threat vectors. In-Depth Industry Insights to Navigate the Evolving Security Terrain Key market players operating in the Zero Trust security market have been rigorously analyzed to deliver a conclusive standpoint on the industry landscape. Evaluations of company strategies, product developments, and market positioning provide stakeholders with comprehensive insights to effectively navigate market dynamics. The analytic prowess displayed in the study underscores vital areas such as market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and competitive assessments, equipping industry players with strategic intelligence to propel growth and innovation. The relentless shift in the cybersecurity paradigm towards Zero Trust architecture signifies a proactive response by businesses to fortify digital infrastructures and maintain operational integrity in the face of burgeoning cyber risks. As this market surges forth, stakeholders are strategically poised to capitalize on the wealth of security and efficiency benefits that Zero Trust solutions offer. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 360 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $30.9 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $66.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 16.6% Regions Covered Global Companies Featured Palo Alto Networks Vmware Zscaler Akamai Microsoft Cisco IBM Citrix Check Point Trellix Forcepoint Crowdstrike Cloudflare Fortinet Google Qnext Illumio On2It Perimeter 81 Threatlocker Twingate Appgate Zero Networks Zentera Xage Skyhigh Security For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ojj544 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment PRAGUE and LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aricoma, a Czech leader in enterprise IT and part of the KKCG investment group, has acquired Luxembourg-based Neofacto. The company develops software for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and financial institutions in Luxembourg. Neofacto was founded in Luxembourg in 2000. It employs around eighty people. It provides a range of software services for financial institutions in Europe, in particular the European Investment Bank. These include API programming & integration between applications, web design (front- and backend, dB management), mobile app development and testing, DevOps (technical tools and training), business analytics, testing, and blockchain and AI services. "The acquisition of Neofacto is a logical step for us. It strengthens our work for the European Union institutions, including the supranational EU bodies based in Luxembourg. And of course, we are delighted to welcome dozens of experienced industry professionals among us. Together we can significantly strengthen our offering to the EU institutions, authorities, and other customers in the Benelux and DACH region," said Aricoma CEO Milan Sames. "As we have declared recently, Aricoma has the ambition to expand into the Benelux and German-speaking markets. The acquisition of Neofacto is one of the first steps on our path to becoming a major provider of end-to-end IT services in Western Europe," added Michal Tomanek, Investment Director and Deputy Chief Investment Officer at KKCG. "We have entered a new phase in our more than 20-year history. Not only are we becoming part of a strong European IT company, but our business fits well with the work and strategy of Aricoma's international team based in Brussels and Luxembourg," added Ludovic Compere, CEO of Neofacto, who will continue in his role at the company. Besides EIB, Neofacto's customers include Luxembourg banks ING and Spuerkeess, Luxembourg insurance company Foyer and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. In 2023, the company achieved revenues of EUR 10.3 million. Aricomas International team is based in Brussels and provides services to the European Commission, FRONTEX and Europol, among others. About Aricoma Aricoma offers services in IT infrastructure, cloud, enterprise applications, cyber security, public sector digitalization, and systems integration, with a portfolio also including major projects for the European Union institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg. Sabris Consulting, Consulting 4U, KCT Data and software developers SYSCOM Software of the Czech Republic and Neofacto of Luxembourg also belong under Aricoma. Aricoma is part of the technology pillar of the KKCG investment group, employs more than 1,600 professionals and has revenues of EUR 400 million. For more information, please visit www.aricoma.com . Contact: Michal Malysa Head of Brand and Communications Aricoma michal.malysa@aricoma.com +420 775 70 80 86 HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Chief Robert Louie, Chairman of the First Nation Lands Advisory Board (LAB) and Michael L. Rice, Chair of the First Nations Market Housing Fund (FNMHF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the intent to develop a framework for cooperation and collaboration with each other over mutual goals. The LAB and the FNMHF have working relationships with the same 114 First Nations from coast-to-coast and complimentary operational mandates that support First Nation land governance initiatives and promoting individual home ownership. This MOU represents a logical step forward for First Nation organization to First Nation organization-based information sharing and promotion, capacity development and training. Growing an environment where First Nation entities can help each other deliver support and services in partnership is a step towards better coordination and more efficient use of limited resources and will ultimately result in more benefit provided to First Nation communities. Quotes This is a meaningful step forward in our shared mission to empower First Nations communities through land management and homeownership. Over the past year, weve seen how our work at the Fund aligns with the goals of the Lands Advisory Board. By joining forces, we can amplify our efforts, address the challenges we face, and support First Nation prosperity. Housing is not just a shelterits a cornerstone for economic development and a foundation for future generations. Michael L. Rice Chair of the First Nations Market Housing Fund I am pleased with the opportunity to work with the First Nations Market Housing Fund. This Indigenous organization has done some great work in support of community housing and capacity initiatives. Their dedication to First Nation housing initiatives is a great compliment to the work we do. This partnership will showcase the strengths of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management and the need to address the housing needs on reserves across Canada. Chief Robert Louie Chairman of the Land Advisory Board About the First Nations Market Housing Fund The First Nations Market Housing Fund (the Fund) is dedicated to empowering First Nations communities across Canada by providing the tools needed to secure homeownership on reserve lands. We believe that homeownership can significantly improve housing challenges in on-reserve communities. About the First Nation Lands Advisory Board The Lands Advisory Board was created to support First Nations to resume jurisdiction over reserve lands and resources. The Lands Advisory Board is comprised of an elected Chairman and regionally elected Directors, determined by the Councils of the signatory First Nations who have formally established their land codes. About the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre The First Nations Land Management Resource Centre was established to provide technical and professional support to First Nation signatories as they progress through the developmental and operational phases of The Framework Agreement. The Framework Agreement was developed to recognize First Nations' inherent rights to govern their reserve lands without federal interference. Since January 2000, First Nations Land Management Resource Centre has assisted 240 communities across Canada initiating the process to re-establish self-governance over their reserve lands. Quick facts The Framework Agreement was developed to provide recognition for First Nations' inherent right to govern their reserve lands. The Framework Agreement includes a growing number of communities across Canada who are interested in replacing the restrictive lands-related sections of the Indian Act with the legal framework developed in a community land code. The Fund was born from the urgent need for innovative housing solutions in Indigenous communities, integrating the unique traditions, values, and governance structures of each community we serve. The Funds current Board of Trustees and CEO are all dedicated First Nations individuals from various regions across Canada. The Fund firmly believes that by expanding housing options, particularly through homeownership, First Nations communities can experience significant positive outcomes, including community reinvestment, addressing housing shortages, and reducing social housing demands. Associated links: First Nations Market Housing Fund Lands Advisory Board First Nations Land Management Resource Centre For more information, media may contact: John Makson Senior Public Relations Advisor Lands Advisory Board john.makson@labrc.com 250-661-5471 Nancy Coloccia Communications and Marketing Specialist First Nations Market Housing Fund ncoloccia@fnmhf.ca 613-604-9859 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f19f8d7-e5ef-4e5a-bd46-3b17337d9144 Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Digital Marketing Trends in Age-related Macular Degeneration" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report assesses key digital marketing metrics of pharma assets in AMD including branded websites for patients and HCPs and unbranded sites. Metrics include website traffic volume, engagement, and source, DDA and paid SEO. Countries include the US and EUCAN. Genentech's Vabysmo.com achieved the highest total traffic across branded age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patient sites in the US, with over two million visits from June 2023 to May 2024. This was followed by Bayer's Eylea.us (353,000 visits). Overall, the highest proportion of traffic to branded AMD websites originated from direct sources, followed by organic. There was minimal paid search engine optimization (SEO) detected across most branded sites in the US. Vabysmo.com was supported by the most paid SEO at over 1,726 keywords, followed by Syfovre.com at 1,130 keywords. Genentech spent the most on Digital Display Advertising (DDA) for Vabysmo.com, at $640,000. Genentech's Vabysmo-hcp.com achieved the highest total traffic across branded AMD healthcare professional (HCP) sites in the US, with over 390K visits from June 2023 to May 2024. Overall, the highest proportion of traffic to branded AMD websites for HCPs originated from direct sources, followed by paid and organic traffic. Vabysmo-hcp.com was supported by the most paid SEO at 1,082 keywords. Coherus BioSciences spent the most on DDA for Cimerli.com, at over $51,000. In the US, few AMD-specific unbranded sites were detected from pharma companies. Between June 2023 - May 2024, Bausch & Lomb's Sightmatters.com had the highest traffic across that period with over 140,000 visits, followed by Apellis' Recognizeandreferga.com with over 62,000 visits. DDA spending was only detected across sightmatters.com and Recognizeandreferfa.com with over $19,000 and over $2,000, respectively. No traffic was detected in the five major European markets (5EU: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Canada) (EUCAN) AMD branded and unbranded websites. Reasons to Buy Understand the digital marketing competitive landscape in AMD, with a view of leading patient and HCP branded assets across different regions. See what tactics pharma companies are using to drive traffic to their AMD branded assets for patient and HCPs, such as DDA and paid SEO. Understand what sources of website traffic are generating the most visits to these assets, such as paid SEO, social media, or organic searches. Compare top branded and unbranded assets for patients by how they address and support different patient needs. Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary US Branded Websites for Patients US Branded Websites for Physicians EUCAN Branded Websites EUCAN Unbranded Websites Appendix Companies Featured Genentech Coherus BioSciences Apellis Bayer Bausch & Lomb For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/auszc2 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Vaccine Type, Product (Prevnar 13, VAXNEUVANCE, PNEUMOSIL), End-use (Public Sector, Private Sector), Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pneumococcal vaccine market size is anticipated to reach USD 12.19 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.21% from 2024 to 2030 The market is primarily driven by the increasing prevalence of target diseases. Pneumococcus is the main cause of invasive disease, pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infection and can lead to severe sequelae such as deafness, paralysis, intellectual disability, and other serious complications. For instance, in September 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for over 300,000 deaths annually among children under the age of 5 worldwide. The majority of these fatalities occur in developing nations. Globally, S. pneumoniae is the primary cause of pneumonia-related deaths, surpassing all other causes combined. The highest number of deaths due to this bacterium is observed in countries located in Africa and Asia. Increasing government awareness programs regarding pneumonia immunization fuels the market growth. For instance, in September 2023, a survey conducted in September and October 2022 found that there's a need to extend the recommendations for the new 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) to adults who previously received the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). The survey showed that healthcare providers need to be more aware of and implement pneumococcal vaccination recommendations better. After considering these findings, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) agreed to update the recommendations in late October 2022. Moreover, product launches by key players is contributing to market growth. For instance, In October 2022, Merck & Co., Inc. received the European Commission's (EC) approval for its Vaxneuvance, a pneumococcal vaccine. The approval allows product marketing in 27 European Union (EU) member states and Iceland, Norway, & Lichtenstein. Moreover, in September 2021, Minhai Biotechnology Co. Ltd. received approval from the National Medical Products Administration, China, for its 13-valent vaccine. Growing R&D for developing novel vaccines boosting the growth of the market. In March 2024, SK Bioscience's announced expansion of its L House vaccine manufacturing facility in South Korea indicates a proactive approach to enhancing vaccine production capacity. This expansion, driven by the joint development of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate GBP410 with Sanofi, follows positive Phase 2 clinical trial results. SK Bioscience plans to conduct a global Phase 3 clinical trial in 2027, demonstrating a commitment to collaboration and global vaccine development. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market Report Highlights Based on type, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) segment led the market and is anticipated to grow at the fastest growth over the forecast period. PCV helps protect against pneumococcal disease, a leading cause of death among children under 5 years old Based on product, Prevnar 13 dominated the market and is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. The vaccines under the Prevnar brand include Prevnar 13 and Prevnar 20. These are pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) designed to protect against pneumococcal disease Based on end-use, the public sector led the market and is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. The dominance of the public sector in the end use of pneumococcal vaccines, including hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities, can be attributed to several factors. These factors include the high prevalence of diseases, government initiatives to increase vaccination coverage North America dominated the market owing to factors such as advanced healthcare infrastructure, rising prevalence of target diseases, and favorable regulatory environment Companies Featured Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. CSL Sanofi GSK plc Merck & Co., Inc. Pfizer Inc. Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co.,Ltd (Subsidiary of Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co. Ltd.) Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 125 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $8.07 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $12.19 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.2% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope 1.1. Market Segmentation & Scope 1.2. Segment Definitions 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Information Procurement 1.5. Information or Data Analysis 1.6. Market Formulation & Validation 1.7. Model Details Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.2.1. Vaccine Type and Product Outlook 2.2.2. End Use Outlook 2.2.3. Regional Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook 3.1.2. Related/ancillary Market Outlook 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.2.1.1. Increasing Prevalence of Target Disease 3.2.1.2. Rising Awareness and Favorable Government Initiatives 3.2.1.3. Growing R&D for Developing Novel Vaccines 3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.2.2.1. Supply Chain and Vaccine Shortage Challenges 3.2.2.2. Vaccine Hesitancy and Public Awareness 3.3. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market Analysis Tools 3.3.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's 3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis Chapter 4. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Vaccine Type Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Vaccine Type Dashboard 4.2. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Vaccine Type Movement Analysis 4.3. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market by Vaccine Type, Revenue 4.4. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 4.4.1. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Market Estimates and Forecasts 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 4.5. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine 4.5.1. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Market Estimates and Forecasts 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 5. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis 5.1. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Product Dashboard 5.2. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Product Movement Analysis 5.3. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market by Product, Revenue 5.4. Prevnar 13 5.4.1. Prevnar 13 Market Estimates and Forecasts 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 5.5. Synflorix 5.6. Pneumovax 23 5.7. VAXNEUVANCE 5.8. PNEUMOSIL 5.9. Other Products Chapter 6. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: End Use Estimates & Trend Analysis 6.1. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: End Use Dashboard 6.2. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: End Use Movement Analysis 6.3. Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market by End Use, Revenue 6.4. Public Sector 6.5. Private Sector Chapter 7. Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis by Vaccine Type, Product, and End Use 7.1. Regional Dashboard 7.2. Market Size, & Forecasts Trend Analysis, 2018 to 2030 Chapter 8. Competitive Landscape 8.1. Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, by Key Market Participants 8.2. Company/Competition Categorization 8.3. Vendor Landscape 8.3.1. List of Key Distributors and Channel Partners 8.3.2. Key Customers 8.3.3. Key Company Market Share Analysis, 2023 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mke3vw About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. Micro LED Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Application (Display Lighting), Display Pixel Density (Less Than 3000ppi, 3000ppi to 5000ppi), End-use, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The U.S. micro LED market size is anticipated to reach USD 5.54 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 76.7% from 2024 to 2030 The growing demand for micro LED displays, emerging semiconductor industry, and lucrative government support and initiatives drive the market. The U.S. government's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds small businesses to develop innovative technologies, including micro LEDs. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the market, influencing various aspects of the industry, from production and supply chains to consumer demand and market dynamics. One of the primary effects of the pandemic on market was the disruption in manufacturing and supply chains, leading to delays in production, shortages of components, and logistical challenges. Restrictions on international trade, lockdown measures, and workforce limitations imposed to curb the spread of virus disrupted the flow of materials and components essential for micro LED production, affecting the overall supply chain and production timelines. One of the primary drivers propelling the market growth is the increasing demand for micro LED displays across a wide range of applications such as smartphones, smartwatches, televisions, automotive displays, and wearable devices. Consumers are increasingly looking for devices with superior image quality, high brightness, energy efficiency, and vibrant colors, which are key features of micro LED technology. This rising demand for visually stunning displays is fueling the adoption of micro LEDs in consumer electronics and other industries, driving market growth and innovation. In addition, the semiconductor industry's growth significantly drives the market forward. Micro LEDs are semiconductor-based light sources with advantages such as high-energy efficiency, long lifespan, fast response times, and small form factors. As the semiconductor industry continues to advance in manufacturing processes, materials innovation, and chip design, it enables the development of micro LEDs with higher pixel densities, improved performance, and cost-effective production methods. This synergy between the semiconductor industry and micro LED technology is driving advancements in display technology and expanding the market potential for micro LED applications. U.S. Micro LED Market Report Highlights Based on application, the display segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 82.2% in 2023. It can be attributed to the proliferation of smart devices in various sectors. The lighting segment is expected to grow fastest, led by the increasing demand for energy-efficient lighting solutions Based on display pixel density, the segment greater than 5000ppi dominated the market in 2023 and is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the rising demand for crisp and high-quality displays Based on end-use, the healthcare segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to its advanced imaging capabilities and increasing demand for critical surgeries Companies Featured eLux, Inc. Shoei Electronic Materials, Inc. (Nanosys) VerLase Technologies Alphabet, Inc. Lumiode Plessey Semiconductors VueReal Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope 1.1. Market Segmentation & Scope 1.2. Segment Definitions 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Information Procurement 1.5. Research Scope and Assumptions Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. U.S. Micro LED Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook 3.1.2. Related/Ancillary Market Outlook 3.2. End-user Value Chain Analysis 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.3.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.3.1.1. Rising demand for high-quality displays 3.3.1.2. Increasing investments in research & development 3.3.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.3.2.1. High manufacturing cost 3.3.3. Market Opportunity Analysis 3.3.3.1. Advent of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technology 3.4. U.S. Micro LED Market Analysis Tools 3.4.1. End-user Analysis - Porter's 3.4.2. PESTEL Analysis Chapter 4. U.S. Micro LED Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1. Segment Dashboard 4.2. U.S. Micro LED Market: Device Movement Analysis, USD Million, 2023 & 2030 4.2.1. Display 4.2.1.1. Display market estimates and forecasts 2018-2030 (USD Million) 4.2.1.2. Television 4.2.1.3. AR & VR 4.2.1.4. Automotive 4.2.1.5. Smartwatch 4.2.1.6. Smartphone, Tablets, and Laptops 4.2.2. Lighting 4.2.2.1. Lighting market estimates and forecasts 2018-2030 (USD Million) 4.2.2.2. General lighting 4.2.2.3. Automotive lighting Chapter 5. U.S. Micro LED Market: Display Pixel Density Estimates & Trend Analysis 5.1. Segment Dashboard 5.2. U.S. Micro LED Market: Systems Movement Analysis, USD Million, 2023 & 2030 5.2.1. Less than 3000ppi 5.2.2. 3000ppi to 5000ppi 5.2.3. Greater than 5000ppi Chapter 6. U.S. Micro LED Market: End-use Estimates & Trend Analysis 6.1. Segment Dashboard 6.2. U.S. Micro LED Market: Industry Movement Analysis, USD Million, 2023 & 2030 6.2.1. Automotive 6.2.2. Consumer Electronics 6.2.3. Healthcare 6.2.4. BFSI 6.2.5. Aerospace & Defence 6.2.6. Others Chapter 7. Competitive Landscape 7.1. Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, By Key Market Participants 7.2. Company Categorization 7.3. Company Market Positioning 7.4. Company Heat Map Analysis 7.5. Strategy Mapping 7.5.1. Expansion 7.5.2. Mergers & acquisition 7.5.3. Partnerships & collaborations 7.5.4. New product launches 7.5.5. Research and development 7.6. Company Profiles 7.6.1. Company overview 7.6.2. Financial performance 7.6.3. Product benchmarking 7.6.4. Strategic initiatives For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sxrngo About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Automotive E-tailing - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for Automotive E-tailing was estimated at US$54.2 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$107.9 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions. Key Questions Answered: How is the Global Automotive E-tailing Market expected to evolve by 2030? What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market? Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period? How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030? Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects? The rapid advancement of technology is a driving force behind the growth of automotive e-tailing. From sophisticated search algorithms to personalized shopping experiences, technology is transforming the way consumers interact with online automotive retailers. One of the most significant technological developments is the integration of AI and machine learning into e-tailing platforms, enabling more accurate product recommendations and streamlined shopping experiences. Additionally, the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools is beginning to revolutionize how consumers shop for automotive parts online, allowing them to visualize how products will fit or look on their vehicles before making a purchase. Moreover, the increasing adoption of mobile commerce (m-commerce) is expanding the reach of e-tailing platforms, as consumers increasingly use their smartphones and tablets to shop on the go. This technological evolution is not only enhancing the customer experience but also enabling e-tailers to gather valuable data on consumer preferences and behavior, which can be leveraged to optimize marketing strategies and inventory management. What Role do Consumer Expectations Play in the Rise of Automotive E-Tailing? Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, and automotive e-tailing is at the forefront of meeting these new demands. Today's consumers expect seamless, fast, and reliable online shopping experiences, and automotive e-tailers are responding by offering a wide range of services designed to meet these expectations. Free and fast shipping, easy returns, and comprehensive customer service are now considered standard, and e-tailers that fail to offer these services risk falling behind. Additionally, the growing importance of environmental sustainability is influencing consumer behavior, with many shoppers favoring e-tailers that offer eco-friendly products and practices. This shift is driving e-tailers to adopt greener packaging options and promote sustainable product choices. Furthermore, the rise of social media and online communities has given consumers a platform to share their experiences and recommendations, which in turn is influencing purchasing decisions and driving traffic to e-tailing platforms. As consumers become more empowered and informed, they are increasingly seeking out e-tailers that can offer not just products, but also expertise, guidance, and a personalized shopping experience. What's Driving the Growth of the Automotive E-Tailing Market? The growth in the automotive e-tailing market is driven by several factors, most notably the increasing digitalization of retail channels and the changing consumer behavior towards online shopping. As more consumers become comfortable with making purchases online, the demand for automotive e-tailing platforms continues to rise. Technological advancements, such as AI-driven product recommendations and mobile-friendly interfaces, are making it easier for consumers to find and purchase the right products, thereby boosting market growth. Additionally, the growing penetration of the internet and smartphones is expanding the reach of e-tailing platforms, particularly in emerging markets where access to traditional brick-and-mortar stores may be limited. The trend towards vehicle personalization and the DIY culture are also significant drivers, as consumers seek out specific parts and accessories that may not be available locally. These factors are expected to continue driving growth in the automotive e-tailing market in the years to come. Key Insights: Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Infotainment Component segment, which is expected to reach US$37.3 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 11.5%. The Interior Accessories Component segment is also set to grow at 10.8% CAGR over the analysis period. Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $14.5 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 9.6% CAGR to reach $16.6 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Why You Should Buy This Report: Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global Automotive E-tailing Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments. Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies. Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global Automotive E-tailing Market. Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions. Report Features: Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030. In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as Advance Auto Parts, Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Amazon.com, Inc., and more. Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments. Select Competitors (Total 27 Featured): Advance Auto Parts, Inc. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Amazon.com, Inc. AutoZone, Inc. eBay Inc. Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. Robert Bosch GmbH Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 237 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $54.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $107.9 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 10.3% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered I. METHODOLOGY II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Influencer Market Insights Global Economic Update Automotive E-tailing - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2024 (E) Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2024 (E) 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Surge in Online Shopping Behaviors Propels Growth of Automotive E-Tailing AI-Powered Product Recommendations Strengthen Business Case for E-Tailing Platforms Accelerated Adoption of Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce) Drives Demand for Seamless Shopping Experiences Rising Consumer Preference for DIY Vehicle Maintenance Spurs Growth in Automotive E-Tailing Social Media Influence Throws the Spotlight on Peer Reviews and Recommendations Technological Advancements in Payment Security Propel Consumer Trust in E-Tailing Transactions Evolution of AI and Machine Learning in Inventory Management Sustains Growth in E-Tailing Efficiency Enhanced User Experience Design (UX) on E-Tailing Websites Drives Consumer Retention and Loyalty 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. MARKET ANALYSIS IV. COMPETITION For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dki7t7 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Life Science Instrumentation - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for Life Science Instrumentation was estimated at US$75.9 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$104 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions. Report Features: Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030. In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as Agilent Technologies, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and more. Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments. Technological innovations are driving significant advancements in the life science instrumentation market, leading to the development of more sophisticated and versatile instruments. The integration of automation and robotics into laboratory instruments is improving efficiency and throughput, allowing researchers to conduct high-throughput screening and analysis with minimal human intervention. Additionally, advancements in imaging technologies, such as super-resolution microscopy and cryo-electron microscopy, are enabling researchers to visualize biological structures in unprecedented detail. The development of portable and miniaturized instruments is also expanding the accessibility of life science tools, allowing researchers to conduct experiments outside of traditional laboratory settings. These technological innovations are fueling the adoption of advanced instrumentation across the life sciences industry. What Trends are Shaping the Life Science Instrumentation Market? Several key trends are shaping the life science instrumentation market, including the increasing focus on personalized medicine, the growing demand for high-throughput screening, and the expansion of research in emerging fields such as synthetic biology and CRISPR gene editing. Personalized medicine, which requires the analysis of individual genetic and molecular profiles, is driving the demand for instruments that can perform precise and detailed analyses. The trend towards high-throughput screening, particularly in drug discovery, is increasing the need for instruments that can analyze large numbers of samples quickly and accurately. Additionally, the rise of synthetic biology and gene editing is creating new opportunities for life science instrumentation, as researchers require specialized tools to manipulate and study genetic material. These trends are contributing to the dynamic growth of the life science instrumentation market. What Factors are Driving the Growth of the Life Science Instrumentation Market? The growth in the life science instrumentation market is driven by several factors, including the increasing demand for advanced research tools, the rise of personalized medicine, and the expansion of research and development activities in the life sciences industry. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and the need for new therapies are driving investment in biomedical research, which in turn is increasing the demand for sophisticated instrumentation. Additionally, the rapid advancements in fields such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are creating new opportunities for life science instruments. The shift towards automation and high-throughput analysis is also fueling market growth, as laboratories seek to improve efficiency and reduce costs. As the life sciences industry continues to advance, the demand for cutting-edge instrumentation is expected to drive sustained growth in the market. Key Insights: Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Spectroscopy Technology segment, which is expected to reach US$24.4 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 4.7%. The Chromatography Technology segment is also set to grow at 5.2% CAGR over the analysis period. Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $20.4 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 4.3% CAGR to reach $16.3 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Why You Should Buy This Report: Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global Life Science Instrumentation Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments. Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies. Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global Life Science Instrumentation Market. Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions. Key Questions Answered: How is the Global Life Science Instrumentation Market expected to evolve by 2030? What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market? Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period? How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030? Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects? Select Competitors (Total 44 Featured): Agilent Technologies, Inc. Becton, Dickinson and Company Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. BioTek Instruments, Inc. Bruker Corporation ChromaCode Danaher Corporation Eppendorf AG GE Healthcare Hitachi High-Tech Corporation Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 193 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $75.9 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $104 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.6% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered I. METHODOLOGY II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Influencer Market Insights World Market Trajectories Global Economic Update Life Science Instrumentation - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2024 (E) Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2024 (E) 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Growing Demand for Advanced Research and Diagnostics Spurs Growth in Life Science Instrumentation Advancements in Analytical and Measurement Technologies Propel Adoption of Life Science Instruments The Shift Towards Precision Medicine Expands Addressable Market for Life Science Instrumentation Rising Focus on Genomics and Proteomics Drives Demand for Cutting-Edge Instruments Growing Application of Life Science Instruments in Drug Discovery and Development Strengthens Market Demand Technological Innovations in Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography Enhance Performance and Accuracy Expanding Use of Life Science Instruments in Clinical Diagnostics Generates New Market Opportunities The Push for High-Throughput Screening and Automation Fuels Adoption in Laboratories Increasing Adoption of Life Science Instruments in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Accelerates Market Expansion Rising Importance of Real-Time and In Vivo Imaging Strengthens Demand for Advanced Instruments 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. MARKET ANALYSIS IV. COMPETITION For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/f5ulpe About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment TORONTO, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WEEX Exchange , a trailblazing platform renowned for its pioneering spirit in digital asset innovation, proudly unveils a new chapter in its esteemed WEEX WE-Launch series . Transport yourself to the vibrant canvas of Canada Crypto Week (August 7-17, 2024) in Toronto, where a tapestry of events exploring blockchain, Web3, DeFi, digital assets, AI, gaming, art, VR, and other forefront subjects unfolded across key cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and beyond. As a significant sponsor, Andrew Weiner, Vice President of WEEX Exchange, graced the WonderFi main platform. He introduced WEEX's vision, the WXT token, and the innovations of WEEX Launchpool (now WE-Launch ). Andrew also hosted a stimulating session with WEEX's partners, including Funk, the market advisor of K9 Finance DAO ($KNINE), and Calvin Weight, co-founder of Rain Coin ($RAIN). Beyond the conference, Andrew undertook a diplomatic role, engaging in profound discussions with project leaders, crypto influencers, and community stalwarts. These exchanges bore fruit in the form of cutting-edge advancements and firsthand insights, highlighting Toronto's position as a hub of innovation and advancement. Deeply integrated with the SHIB ecosystem and Shibarium The most notable aspect of this current bull market cycle is the MEME Summer. Shiba Inu ($SHIB), a key player in this trend, has long supported the Blockchain Futurist Conference and introduced its L2 project, Shibarium, in a previous edition. This year, Shiba Inu has sponsored a group of six to seven projects within the SHIB/Shibarium ecosystem, transforming the Canadian Crypto Week into a significant offline gathering for the ShibArmy. During this event, WEEX Exchange, a vital partner of the SHIB community, engaged in extensive discussions with representatives from Shibarium, K9 Finance, LTD Token, and other project teams. Funk, the market advisor for K9 Finance, highlighted their aim to serve as the Lido Finance equivalent on the Shibarium chain, providing liquidity and Total Value Locked (TVL) for Shibarium L2 while rewarding users staking Gas tokens ($BONE). K9 Finance is dedicated to collaborating closely with WEEX Exchange to support the ShibArmy in Shibarium's development. Looking ahead, Frank Adams from the K9 Finance team shared his anticipation for the launch of real-time liquidity staking and derivatives on Shibarium. LTD TOKEN (Living The Dream) is focused on building a decentralized digital advertising platform that bridges Web2 and Web3 advertising through the Dream Advertising platform. It aims to offer seamless ad management and monetization for traditional and blockchain businesses. Having completed its IDO, LTD Token is preparing for its upcoming TGE and listing on WEEX Exchange. Andrew emphasized WEEX Exchange's goal of becoming a prominent platform for trading altcoin futures, having already listed various Shiba ecosystem projects. WEEX Exchange has tailored special listing packages for ShibArmy projects and incorporated L2 Shibarium to support more projects and engage with its user base of 3 million. In June, WEEX Exchange was chosen by Shiba Inu's advisors as the preferred CEX platform for Shibarium hackathons and new projects within the global developer community. This partnership has expanded WEEX's presence in the North American market, with K9 Finance becoming an official distributor for the exchange, further solidifying their collaboration. Bridging the Web3 Realms of the East and the West Apart from ShibArmy, Andrew has engaged in collaborative discussions with local institutions such as Trillion Capital, as well as crypto influencers like Oscar Ramos and Roger Dat. Roger Dat, the host of Business Financial Network, shared that his social media journey began during the Covid-19 era, driven by a realization of the need for greater diversity in the financial sphere. Recognizing trust issues within the industry, he sees platforms like WEEX Exchange as key players in authentically addressing these concerns. Calvin Weight, co-founder of Rain Coin, highlighted during a public address that Rain Coin's mission is to reach a global audience for its tokens, with WEEX Exchange acting as a gateway. The platform focuses on users abroad, particularly in regions like China, Vietnam, and India, providing a platform to showcase $RAIN tokens to diverse global audiences. Despite North America's prominence in cryptocurrency and regulatory advancements, regulatory policies often pose challenges for overseas trading platforms. WEEX Exchange, holding dual MSB licenses in the United States and Canada, stands out as one of the few unrestricted overseas platforms in North America, offering a wide range of trading pairs for North American users. WEEX Exchange serves as a bridge connecting East and West, linking North American ventures with users in emerging markets and overcoming geographical barriers through initiatives like integrating the Shiba ecosystem, collaborating with local partners, and participating in offline events. In May of this year, WEEX Exchange took part in the Austin Consensus Conference (Consensus 2024) and plans to engage in more offline events like ETH Miami 2024. Mahyar, host of Canada's Crypto Week and co-founder of various blockchain-focused events, shared with WEEX Exchange that the Blockchain Futurist Conference is expanding in scale and influence. The upcoming 2025 edition is set to host two editions, extending beyond Toronto to include Miami, a cryptocurrency hub. Mahyar sees WEEX Exchange as a crucial collaborator in driving innovation at these events and looks forward to future collaborations. About WEEX Established in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore, WEEX has swiftly become a prominent worldwide cryptocurrency exchange, featuring a vast selection of 400+ trading pairs and zero trading fees on newly listed tokens. With a user base exceeding 2 million and a daily trading volume surpassing $200 million, WEEX is renowned for its sophisticated yet user-friendly platform and top-notch security protocols. Acknowledged by prominent industry authorities, WEEX provides various trading alternatives such as spot, futures, and copy trading. For more information: Website: https://www.weex.com/ Register on WEEX:: https://www.weex.com/register Media Inquires: market@weexglobal.com Customer Support: support@weex.com WEEX WE-Launch: https://www.weex.com/we-launch Disclaimer: This content is provided by WEEX. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e6d5150-37d9-4736-9ec3-aa09ffd5a0f3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ee4e6aa-6521-4391-b893-1596c35aea94 Dublin, Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Italy Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q2 2024 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Italian gift card industry has demonstrated resilient growth in recent years, with expectations to continue its upward trajectory. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% from 2024 to 2028, potentially reaching a market size of US$9.7 billion by the end of the forecast period. The expansion of the gift card market in Italy is supported by versatile factors, including heightened ecommerce activities, the rise of remote working environments necessitating digital incentives, and various promotional efforts by sectors such as government, hospitality, and travel to drive recovery and growth. This promising field encompasses contributions from both retail and corporate consumer segments, catering to a diverse range of retail categories and sectors. Consumer Adoption Trends Adoption of gift cards is increasing amongst both individuals and organizations in Italy. With consumers demonstrating a preference for digital gifting options and corporates integrating gift cards as a strategic incentive and reward mechanism, the market landscape is adapting to these changing behaviors. Factors such as transaction value, average load per card, and the sheer number of cards in the market contribute to a profound understanding of this evolving market. Impact of Digital Transformation The digital gift card segment, in particular, reports substantial growth driven by consumer and corporate purchasing occasions. The ease and flexibility offered by digital channels are revolutionizing the traditional gift-giving habits of the Italian market. Consumer Insights Consumer behavior analysis indicates a shift in demographics, with various age groups and income levels gravitating towards gift card solutions. Gender-specific trends also contribute valuable insights, helping to shape targeted marketing strategies within this arena. Corporate Market Developments On the corporate front, gift cards are increasingly recognized as effective tools for employee and sales incentives as well as customer engagement strategies. The inclusivity of the market caters to businesses of various sizes, ranging from small-scale enterprises to large corporations. Retail and Corporate Spending Insights The distribution of gift card spending cuts across numerous retail sectors, including ecommerce, department stores, food and beverage, and travel, with consumer and corporate spending patterns offering strategic insights for stakeholders. Understanding the segmentation of this spending is crucial for businesses looking to capitalize on specific market opportunities. Strategic Implications for Stakeholders The distinct insights pertaining to sales channels, which include online and offline distribution, provide a deeper understanding of the market for retailers and other stakeholders. Recognizing the nuances between first-party and third-party sales is essential for a comprehensive market strategy. The Italian gift card market is marked by opportunities across various consumer segments and is bolstered by evolving consumer preferences and the stable growth of digital solutions. As the market progresses, participants can anticipate sustained growth and are encouraged to tailor their strategic endeavors to harness the market's full potential. The data-centric approach to analyzing market dynamics provides a strong foundation for informed decision-making in this lucrative sector. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 268 Forecast Period 2024 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $7.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $9.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.5% Regions Covered Italy Companies Featured Coop Italia scarl CONAD - Consorzio Nazionale Dettaglianti Scrl Esselunga SpA Selex Gruppo Commerciale SpA Auchan Group SA Gruppo Eurospin Carrefour SA Crai Secom SpA Schwarz Beteiligungs GmbH Apple Inc Amazon.com Inc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/65ypmp About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares forming the capital as of August 31, 2024 CLICHY September 06, 2024 Article L 233-8-II of the French Code de Commerce and Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of the French Autorite des Marches Financiers. As of August 31, 2024, the total number of issued shares of SOCIETE BIC is 42,270,689 shares, representing: 60,454,529 voting rights, 59,659,943 voting rights excluding shares without voting rights ABOUT BIC A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday Life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC Kids, BIC FlexTM, BodyMark by BICTM, Cello, Djeep, Lucky Stationary, Rocketbook, Soleil, Tipp-Ex, Us. TM, Wite-Out, Inkbox, and more. In 2023, BIC Net Sales were 2,263 million. The Company is listed on Euronext Paris, is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It has received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. CONTACTS Investor Relations team investors.info@bicworld.com Brice Paris VP Investor Relations +33 1 45 19 55 28 brice.paris@bicworld.com Apolline Celeyron Senior Communications Manager +33 1 45 19 56 09 Apolline.celeyron@bicworld.com Isabelle de Segonzac Image 7, Press Relations contact +33 6 89 87 61 39 isegonzac@image7.fr 2024 Agenda All dates to be confirmed 3rd Quarter and 9 Months 2024 Results October 23, 2024 (post market close) Full Year 2024 Results February 18, 2025 (post market close) Attachment Seattle, WA , Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reimagining home exteriors, KV Construction LLC offers innovative siding solutions that are aesthetically pleasing and weatherproof. Their crew is so talented they can create projects that combine state-of-the-art materials with superb craftsmanship, guaranteeing that every house they work on is a stand out in the neighborhood. Operating in Seattle and Everett, they set the standard for what siding canand shouldbe; when KV Construction steps in, the transformation begins. KV Construction The decision to expand into Everett comes in response to the growing demand for reliable and aesthetically pleasing siding options. The duly assigned company spokesperson cant help but share his excitement: "Our expansion into Everett allows us to bring our expertise to a broader audience. We are dedicated to offering siding solutions that enhance curb appeal and provide lasting protection against the elements. Our team is eager to bring the same excellence that has made us a trusted name in Seattle Siding." KV Construction's website outlines its comprehensive services, including siding replacement in Seattle, installation, and repair. It focuses on premium materials like James Hardie fiber cement and cedar. As a leading siding company in Seattle, it is celebrated for its tailored approach and superior craftsmanship, now available to the Everett community. Thanks to their expertise, every project gets an appealing look and is confident to stand up against the harsh weather of the Pacific Northwest. This premier siding installation experts in Seattle cater to homeowners and businesses seeking to improve their property's aesthetic and structural integrity. Whether facing the region's harsh weather or aiming for a refreshed exterior, their use of durable materials like fiber cement and cedar guarantees a long-lasting, attractive finish. When existing siding shows signs of wear, their siding replacement in Seattle service offers high-quality solutions, ensuring the property remains protected and visually appealing. This trusted remodeling company provides expert siding repair services for immediate damage or deterioration, addressing problems such as warping, cracks, or rot to prevent further damage. They can also assist in window replacement to enhance energy efficiency and boost a property's overall value. In addition to its core siding services, Seattles premier siding and exterior service provider offers some extra services that can enhance and protect the overall exterior of properties. These services include window replacement, which boosts energy efficiency and elevates the aesthetic appeal of homes and businesses. They also provide gutter installation and replacement, a critical service for preventing water damage by ensuring proper drainage from the buildings foundation. Furthermore, KV Construction specializes in soffit and fascia installation and repair, which is essential for maintaining roof integrity and adequate ventilation. These services cater to homeowners and businesses looking for comprehensive solutions that address functionality and appearance. With years of experience serving the Pacific Northwest, KV Construction has developed a deep understanding of the region's unique needs. Their expansion into Everett is a natural progression in their ongoing mission to provide the best siding installers in Seattle and beyond, further establishing their footprint in the local community. For more information about KV Construction and its expanded services in Everett, WA, visit kvconstruction.net. About KV Construction KV Construction isn't just a siding companythey're the artists of the exterior. Known for their sharp attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence, they approach every project with the energy of creators who know that the right siding can transform a house into a home that stands out in any neighborhood. Serving the greater Seattle area, including Everett, they use top-quality materials and cutting-edge techniques to ensure that every home they touch reflects beauty and strength. KV Construction doesn't settle for the ordinary; they craft exteriors that leave a lasting impression, turning the mundane into the magnificent. ### Media Contact KV construction LLC Address: Seattle Siding, 5608 17th Ave NW #1541, Seattle, WA 98107 Phone: (206) 395-1021 Website: kvconstruction.net Email: KVconst@comcast.net Attachment Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Transparency Market Research, Inc. , Sept. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global fuel management systems (FMS) market ( (FMS) ) is estimated to surge at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2024 to 2034. Transparency Market Research projects that the overall sales revenue for fuel management is estimated to reach US$ 1.0 billion by the end of 2034. Heightened concerns over energy security, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions drive the demand for FMS solutions to ensure fuel availability and resilience. The implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms and emissions trading schemes incentivizes businesses to invest in FMS technologies to monitor and reduce carbon emissions. Increasing adoption of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, LNG, and hydrogen creates new challenges in fuel management, driving the need for specialized FMS solutions tailored to diverse fuel types. Rising instances of fuel theft and fraudulent activities necessitate advanced FMS technologies for accurate fuel tracking, theft detection, and prevention in various industries. The proliferation of remote operations and unmanned vehicles in industries like mining, agriculture, and construction fuels the demand for FMS solutions with remote monitoring and control capabilities. Download Sample Copy of the Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fuel-management-system-market.html Fuel Management Market: Competitive Landscape The fuel management systems market thrives amidst a competitive landscape shaped by technological advancements and industry consolidation. Leading players like Dover Corporation and Franklin Fueling Systems dominate with comprehensive product portfolios and global presence. Emerson Electric Co. and Gilbarco Veeder-Root offer innovative solutions tailored to diverse industry needs. Emerging players such as OPW Fuel Management Systems and Triscan Group challenge incumbents with specialized offerings and niche market focus. Strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions are common strategies, driving market consolidation and fostering innovation within the fuel management systems market, catering to the evolving needs of businesses worldwide. Some prominent players are as follows: Omnitracs LLC E-Drive Technology The Veeder-Root Company ESI Total Fuel Management SCI Distribution, LLC Fluid Management Technology Pty Ltd. SmartFlow Technologies Emerson Guduza System Technologies Fleetmatics Group PLC Telenav Inc. TomTom International BV Trimble Inc. Product Portfolio Omnitracs LLC offers cutting-edge fleet management solutions, empowering transportation companies to optimize operations , enhance safety, and maximize efficiency across their fleets. , enhance safety, and maximize efficiency across their fleets. E-Drive Technology specializes in innovative electric propulsion systems, providing eco-friendly and high-performance solutions for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles in various industries. for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles in various industries. The Veeder-Root Company delivers industry-leading fuel management systems and solutions, enabling businesses to monitor, control, and optimize fuel usage for enhanced efficiency and cost savings. Key Findings of the Market Report Monitoring is leading the fuel management systems market, enabling real-time tracking of fuel usage, inventory levels, and operational performance for businesses. Fleet management emerges as the leading application segment in the fuel management systems market due to its widespread adoption and impact. Road transportation leads the fuel management systems market due to the extensive use of vehicles and the need for efficient fuel monitoring. Fuel Management Market Growth Drivers & Trends Stringent environmental regulations drive demand for fuel management systems to ensure compliance, reducing emissions and minimizing fuel wastage. Increasing focus on fleet efficiency and cost reduction fuels adoption of fuel management systems for better monitoring and optimization. Advancements in sensor technology, data analytics, and cloud-based solutions enhance the functionality and effectiveness of fuel management systems. Growing awareness of environmental sustainability encourages businesses to invest in fuel management systems to track and reduce carbon footprint. Integration of fuel management systems with Internet of Things (IoT) platforms enables real-time monitoring, remote management, and predictive maintenance capabilities. Global Fuel Management Market: Regional Profile North America leads the FMS market with a robust regulatory environment and a strong emphasis on fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability. The United States, in particular, boasts a mature market driven by stringent compliance requirements and technological advancements. Leading players like Dover Corpora tion and OPW Fuel Management Systems dominate, offering comprehensive solutions for fleet operators and fuel retailers. tion and OPW Fuel Management Systems dominate, offering comprehensive solutions for fleet operators and fuel retailers. Europe maintains a dynamic FMS market characterized by diverse industry regulations and a focus on reducing carbon emissions. Countries like the UK, Germany, and France lead in fuel management technology adoption, with companies like Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Tokheim Group driving innovation. The region's commitment to renewable energy sources spurs demand for integrated fuel management solutions. Countries like the UK, Germany, and France lead in fuel management technology adoption, with companies like Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Tokheim Group driving innovation. The region's commitment to renewable energy sources spurs demand for integrated fuel management solutions. In the Asia Pacific region, rapid urbanization and industrialization drive fuel consumption, fueling demand for FMS solutions. China and India lead market growth, propelled by increasing investments in transportation infrastructure and logistics. Local players like Triscan Group and Tatsuno Corporation cater to regional needs, offering customized solutions for fleet management and fuel monitoring. Buy this Premium Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=12308